Deathwish Piano Movers is a Malden-based company that has been around for over 20 years moving the heaviest, largest and most unwieldy objects that humans could own. A few weeks ago a new reality show premiered on the Travel Channel featuring these guys and their crazy endeavors. And, I swear, before the Travel Channel thing even became widely known, I was knocking on their door asking if I could photograph them on my own time, for a personal storytelling project. They said yes to me, despite the fact that they were becoming weary of having camera crews on their heels every second. And in mid-March, I finally got my first chance to witness and document a piano moving adventure.
This was a 7-foot grand piano moving into a first floor apartment in South Boston. First, the Deathwish team removes the window. Then they hook the piano up to a crane and lift it 10 feet off the ground. One of the crew guides the piano in through the window. They unhitch the crane, unpack the piano and assemble it in the client’s living room. This move, they said, was easy.
I hope to tag along with them several more times this spring and summer – enough to build a project. Stay tuned for more photos of Deathwish Piano Movers, and also tune in for their show on the Travel Channel, Wednesdays at 10 pm.