Lighting and visuals designer Fenton
Williams and co-LD / programmer Aaron Stinebrink again collaborated to produce a
stunning production design – incorporating lighting, set and video – for the
current Dave Matthews Band (DMB) U.S. summer tour.
For the first time, they specified
Robe’s BMFL Spot fixtures, 22 of which are being supplied by the tour’s
lighting vendor, Theatrical Media Services (TMS) from Omaha, Nebraska.
The band is well known for their long
annual summer tours and unique sets featuring involved improvisations of their
songs – always played differently – accompanied by eye-catching visuals and
lightshows, an aesthetic that has been carefully crafted by Fenton since he
started working with the band in the early 1990s.
Fenton and Aaron developed the design
together, often drawing on architecture and art for inspiration as they build a
visual stage concept.
This is the first tour design for
which they have used Robe products. It comes after using various Robe moving
lights on one-offs in recent years, and enjoying the support and interest that
Robe Lighting Inc. has taken in their work.
Both designers saw Robe’s BMFL Spot
at LDI last year, shortly after the worldwide launch.
They were pleased to find the BMFL
has several of the features – such as the dual animation wheel – that had really
impressed them on the MMX Spot. “We really feel this sets this fixture apart
from others on the market,” explained Aaron.
Obviously the additional power and
brightness of the BMFL was a huge bonus so 22 units were chosen for this
tour.
Eight BMFL Spots are hung on two
lighting trusses far above the main lighting rig, positioned so they can shoot directly
through the main lighting rig, which adds considerable depth and resonance to
the whole stage environment.
Another six are on one of the downstage
trusses to light the set for
the acoustic portion of the show.
The set comprises a
series of geometric shapes wrapped in ceiling tin and was constructed
by Omaha based
Acass who proposed this material. Stinebrink said “Ceiling tin wrap really
brought depth and texture to the set, and these elements are accented
brilliantly by the numerous visual effects produced by the BMFLs.”
Lighting the set was a major reason
they specified BMFL Spots as they needed a unit that could deliver crisp, clear
and dynamic effects, gobo looks and texturing which would completely change its
appearance.
These same set fixtures are also
turned round to highlight the audience, and the other eight BMFL Spots are on
the floor, blasting through a dramatic layer of mega-brightness from the back.
“This was our first opportunity to use these
fixtures thoroughly, and we have really appreciated the quality of the light,
the output and its many versatile features,” stated Aaron.
Fenton is running the show on a
grandMA 2 full size with a light for backup.
Fenton’s company, Filament
Productions from Charlottesville,
Virginia, created the custom
video content which is played back from a Hippotizer media server and the
Filament team is also supplying LED screens, cameras and PPU for the IMAG relay.
Joining Fenton on the road are TMS lighting
crew chief Pete Franks, lighting programmer and technician Tyler Packett and
lighting technicians Jerry Kaiser, Bob Chaize and Josh Light.
