Lighting Director Luke Stratton Announces Departure From Dopapod

Dopapod Lighting Director Luke Stratton has announced his departure after spending 11 years with the Boston-based jam-rock group. Stratton will light his last show with Dopapod during the band’s New Year’s Eve run in Texas later this month before being replaced by current light tech, Mike “Jaws” Jaworowski.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that, after 11 years on the road, the New Year’s run will be my last shows doing lights and sound for Dopapod,” Stratton wrote at the beginning of a lengthy Facebook post. “This has nothing to do with the incredible band that is Dopapod. I truly believe they are one of the best touring groups of musicians on the planet, and this last tour has done nothing but solidify that.”

Luke went on to explain that he wishes to spend more time at home with his family and focus his efforts on other, “more permanent” projects. During the beginning of the pandemic, Stratton explained, he delved into the world of digital art, creating materials for tabletop board games and launching a Patreon under the name Limithron. That Patreon has since taken off and turned into a full-time job and even led to other opportunities in the space.

” I’m part of the Patreon Ambassador Team, and I have a part time employee. I absolutely love it. As a lighting designer, I’m constantly setting the mood and imagining these fantasy worlds in my head. Well, now I get to actually create them,” he continued. “That being said, I’m not leaving concert lighting, and I have some very exciting projects in the pipeline for next year. But I’m refocusing my efforts. My company, The Light Side, will be doing more design and programming for other artists, and I have a few tours coming up which I will announce at the appropriate time. But I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for too long, and something has to give. So, at least for the time being, my time on the road with Dopapod is coming to an end.”

Dopapod has four shows left with Luke Stratton on the calendar, including a performance at Nashville, TN’s Basement East (12/18) and the NYE run shows in Houston (12/29), Austin (12/30), and Dallas, TX (12/31). Head to the band’s website for tickets and more information and read Stratton’s entire statement below.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that, after 11 years on the road, the New Year’s run will be my last shows doing lights and sound for Dopapod.

People always want to know the real reason when this kind of thing gets announced, so I’ll just give you the true story.

This has nothing to do with the incredible band that is Dopapod. I truly believe they are one of the best touring groups of musicians on the planet, and this last tour has done nothing but solidify that.

It has nothing to do with the people. Eli, Rob, Charles, and Neal are my best friends. If the band ever releases a Hobbit concept album, the groomsmen photos from my wedding could be their press photos. And our crew and management are absolutely crushing the game right now (more on this later).

Mostly, it comes to this: I want to create something more permanent and tangible with my time on this planet. I love lighting and concerts, but I’ve grown to find the medium a little too constrictive and fleeting for it to be the all-consuming presence in my life that is was before COVID. It has become a job for me, albeit a dream-job that I love with all my heart, but I’m at the point in my life where demands on my time have left me wanting to reprioritize, and to spend more time at home with my wife.

Here is the wild part. At the beginning of the pandemic, I started drawing on my computer. Mostly I drew pirate ships and battle maps for tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. It started as a hobby, but then I started a Patreon under the name Limithron. Fast forward to today and it’s my full time job when I’m not on the road. I’m part of the Patreon Ambassador Team, and I have a part time employee. I absolutely love it. As a lighting designer, I’m constantly setting the mood and imagining these fantasy worlds in my head. Well, now I get to actually create them.

That being said, I’m not leaving concert lighting, and I have some very exciting projects in the pipeline for next year. But I’m refocusing my efforts. My company, The Light Side, will be doing more design and programming for other artists, and I have a few tours coming up which I will announce at the appropriate time. But I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for too long, and something has to give. So, at least for the time being, my time on the road with Dopapod is coming to an end.

Having Dopapod move to a bus and watching the guys fire on all cylinders on our first full length tour in years has put a huge smile on my face. I am SO proud of what we have accomplished. Years ago, Eli pushed me to learn some new skills, and it has forever changed the course of my life. I am eternally grateful.

I am proud to announce that Dopapod’s lighting tech, Mike “Jaws” Jaworowski will be replacing me as the lighting director (using a Light Side LPC console nonetheless), and Wes Roberge, Dopapod’s monitor engineer, will move to Front of House. These two have truly made this last tour an incredible one, and I can’t wait for the Dopapod fans to get to know them like I have. Hopefully I can haunt them from afar, like Obi-wan haunts Luke.

May The Force Be With You,
Luke

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