Real World Lighting, Inc. was founded in 1989 when Bob Peterson shifted his energy from vending to design. His primary focus has been television lighting for music, comedy and special events, with clients including Garth Brooks, CMT Crossroads, a bevy of comedy specials for Showtime, HBO, Comedy Central and the POTUS [President of the United States]. Real World recently designed lighting for the concert segments of Pitch Perfect 2, the feature film, which gets released this month. Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry have also used Real World Lighting’s tour design consultation services.
“I got my start in the industry at Upstaging in 1974, and I am proud to still be close with all the old guard. Not to be cliché, but the first shop was the Carone’s garage in Mount Prospect [IL]. John Huddleston oversees the Seger tours for Upstaging now, as Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band is one of Upstaging’s earliest clients.
“I have been designing lights for this band since 1976, when Bob tagged me to run lights when the Silver Bullet Band opened up for KISS on the Destroyer tour. Gordie Paul was lighting director/production manager for the early ‘heyday’ tours. Bob does not get deeply involved in the look of the show; his attention is focused on all the musical arrangements on stage. It is magical to see him work with the band during sound check.
“Most all of the creative feedback comes from Punch Andrews, who has managed Bob and the band for the last 50 years. After my 39 years with them, the level of trust here is pretty high. There is a deliberate commitment to be honest to the history of this music. I try to honor memories of these shows by maintaining the original feel of the classic numbers. The tools used, inventory size and effects all are updated and improved by taking advantage of faster, better, brighter fixtures as they become available. New music, as Bob creates it, gets a much more aggressive design approach. The tours have constantly evolved over the years, with Vari-Lite as a backbone inventory item once we moved past PAR cans. This tour incorporated a good complement of [Martin MAC] Viper, [Clay Paky] Sharpy and GLP luminaires.
“We have been very lucky to have Chris Stuba on board as lighting director these past ten years. His work ethic, pride and professionalism are unmatched, he makes us all shine brightly.”
“With about 100 moving heads, we achieve a great deal of looks through five different truss configurations. There is always a long afternoon of focusing because of hanging individual lights and truss moves. I love the fact that with no video walls, all the visuals are lighting. That leads the audience to focus on the performer. One of the most challenging things that I have to do is call cues for the nine followspots we use. At times during the show, there are 17 people on stage, and I am finding it hard to find a solid nine followspot operators in any city. However, there are plenty of great spot operators out there that get it, and to the 360 spot operators that worked hard on this tour, thank you again!
“As fixtures on Bob’s tour have changed over the years, we’ve got some great additions this tour. The SGM Q7’s are fantastic — colored strobe/blinders that do not thermal — and I find them very useful. I’m also very impressed with the StageLine 640, which are very bright and reliable. But my favorite light is still the [Vari*Lite] VL500D. They’re very fast, and I truly love tungsten. Crew chief Kile McClure and his crew always deliver, and with a great disposition. Production manager Tim Lamb makes our tours run amazingly smooth, and once you come out and do a Seger tour, you always want to come back.
“I love working with Bob Peterson. He is the most knowledgeable, competent, and passionate lighting designer I know. I learn something everyday I work with him. I am in awe of Bob Seger. He’s almost 70, and yet his work ethic and his compassion for the people that work with him is unmatched.”
For more Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band 2015 tour photos by Steve Jennings, go to plsn.me/BobSegerJenningsTourPics
