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Bandit Lites and Garth Brooks Together Again
Bandit Lites recently lit nine shows for long-time client and country music legend, Garth Brooks. The nine-performance event took place at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri November 5-14, 2007. Brooks’ wife, country singer Trisha Yearwood, opened for him for a majority of the shows.
Lighting designer Dave Butzler chose to use 18 VL 3500 Washes, 43 VL 3000 Spots, 55 Martin MAC 2000 Washes, 22 MAC 2000 Spots, 18 Coemar Halos, 33 Coemar Infinity Washes, 39 Coemar ParLite LEDs and five Lycian M2 Spots to light this event. Lighting was controlled by three grandMAs, one Grand MA Lite and four grandMA NSPs. The fundamental design concept is similar to what Brooks has done in the past - a wide rig with all moving lights. The rounded truss structure featured a custom-built centerpiece, surrounded by VL3500 Washes. Coemar ParLite LEDs were used as truss illuminators. The entire rig featured 70 motors, 42 of which were automated.
Butzler said that in order to stay within budget, quality took precedence over quantity. To do this, he chose lights that played well together. He also had to choose lights that would work well in hi-definition as the production was being filmed for television.
“One advantage to working with Bandit is that the quality of lights they had on hand was outstanding,” commented Butzler. Specifically, he complimented the VL 3500 and the Coemar Infinity Wash. The VL 3500s were placed around the centerpiece as well as at the back of house to serve as a filler. “Working with 40-50 ft. trims, it’s important to have big beams,” Butzler commented. “I can’t wait to use them again.”
Another key lighting element to this design was the Coemar Infinity Wash. Butzler said that the light did exactly what he needed it to. “The colors played well with the VLs. They really punched through the smoke.”
Don Lockridge was the on-site project manager. Kyle Russelburg and Kevin Lawson were board operators and Micah Andrews was crew chief for the production. Additional Bandit crew included Andrew Heid, Joe Paradise, and Michael Shucher.
The event would not have been possible without help from production manager Brian Petree, director Jon Small, Garth Brooks’ personal assistant Tracy Greenwood, and his manager Bob Doyle.
3rd December 2007
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