Virtuosic The Residents/Phish Lighting Designer Chris McGregor Has Died

Acclaimed lighting designer Chris McGregor tragically died on Monday, July 31 after unexpectedly suffering a heart attack. The news of McGregor’s death at age 61 was confirmed by The Residents, a band for which he’s worked with since 1989.

“It is with profound sadness that The Residents pay their respect to the passing of Chris McGregor, their longtime lighting and tech guru, as well as a generous, warm hearted and true friend,” wrote The Residents on the band’s website in sharing the heartbreaking news. “A virtuoso lighting designer as well as a great guy, Chris unfortunately and unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and died Monday, July 31. He will be greatly missed.”

Chris McGregor was born in 1962. McGregor studied in the Performing Arts Design & Technology program of the California Institute of the Arts. It was there he learned the basics to launch a career as a touring lighting designer in the music industry.

In 1987, as a fan of The Residents, he learned the names of band members, who often wear eyeball helmets, top hats and tails in an attempt to remain as anonymous as possible. “I got myself in front of them and made the case that I was to be their new production designer,” McGregor explained of his association with The Residents during a 2003 interview conducted by Glide Magazine’s Mike Witt. “I was just a punk kid at the time, but for some reason, they welcomed me aboard. The next time The Residents went out on the road in 1989 they gave me a chance and we have been together ever since.” Twenty years after the interview McGregor was still working with The Residents through the time of his death.

Chris McGregor is also well known for his work with Phish. He met guitarist Trey Anastasio and drummer Jon Fishman at the 1993 Laguna Seca Daze festival. McGregor recalled the memorable exchange in the Glide Magazine interview, noting:

As this guitarist walked off stage, I gave him a nod and said, ‘Hey, Residents. Pretty cool.’ He said, ‘Yeah, The Residents. Do you know who they are?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and he took me aside. ‘Man, let me tell you something,’ Trey started. ‘If you ever get a chance, you have got to see their show. I saw them a couple of years ago at the Beacon Theatre in New York and it was absolutely amazing! They seemed to have only twelve or fifteen lights, but throughout the show there were different looks all the time. The entire system continually reinvented itself. The whole production was just incredible. You look like a lighting guy, you should really check them out sometime.’

Trey went on and on like this and finally I interrupted, ‘Well, thank you. Thank you so much. I’m their designer and that’s my work you’re talking about.’ He paused for a moment and said, ‘No shit! Really?’ And he started to yell, ‘Jon, come over here! Come here! This is the guy, this is the guy, come here!’ So he drags Fishman over. Trey explained the situation to Fish and it was like they transformed into Wayne and Garth. They started to bow and say, ‘We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!’ It’s always nice to have people you don’t know think you’re cool, especially when it turns out they are headlining the festival. [laughs]

Anastasio called McGregor a few months later and came to Chris with the idea of Phish performing in an underwater tank. Chris McGregor then designed the aquarium set the quartet used for their 1993 New Year’s Run. The band was blown away by what McGregor came up with and continued to work with him for years to come.

Chris McGregor designed the Hot Dog Phish famously flew in above fans at Boston Garden on December 31, 1994. The Hot Dog was brought back with new elements put together by McGregor in Big Cypress for the Millenium New Year’s shows. Presently, the Hot Dog is hung in Cleveland at the Rock & Roll Hal Of Fame. McGregor also worked with Phish on the Fall 1995 Chess Board, NYE 1995 Gamehendge Time Labratory, 2003 Tower Jam and many other projects. Additionally Chris ran lights/did production for Trey Anastasio, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, James Brown, The Black Crowes, Ray Charles and more.

Watch Trey Anastasio speak about watching Chris McGregor’s production at the Beacon Theatre: