NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Country music singer Luke Pell is out on tour with a lighting package supplied by Bandit Lites. The Bachelorette alum and Army veteran recently released his EP Luke Pell, racking up over 500,000 streams on Spotify, and is traveling coast to coast on a 100-stop tour.
More details from Bandit (www.BanditLites.com):
For David Schultz, the journey to becoming Luke Pell’s Lighting Designer and Tour Manager was one that came about because of his experience with Bandit Lites, an experience he refers to as ‘unreal.’ After meeting Bandit General Manager Mark Steinwachs at the Touring Career Workshop, Schultz was invited to work in the Nashville shop, later joining the Technical Service Department.
“Bandit has been an essential part of my career path and has provided me with the groundwork and reference that I needed to earn a gig like this,” Schultz said. “Bandit has been nothing but supportive in boosting my career by giving me my first professional shot in Nashville and by seeing it through to the position that I am in now as a lighting designer and tour manager.”
Schultz updated Pell’s lighting design by using two eight-foot tower pipes placed upstage on either end of the drum riser, with two midstage on either end of the stage deck. The towers are outfitted with MAC 101s and Nexus Panels creating a shape of a diamond. By switching to the towers, Schultz was able to streamline the space on the trailer while simultaneously expanding the rig.
“I really enjoy the Mac 101s for the beam clarity and brightness,” Schultz said. “I never have issues with lighting up the space and the static wash beams tend to interact nicely in the smaller rooms that we are playing in. Those 101 fixtures have a fixed zoom, so I only have one beam shape to work with, making it easier for me to design shows and implement effects.”
When it comes to versatility of fixtures, Schultz shared the Nexus 4x4s offer both warmth and intensity in brightness, noting that he keeps them operating at about 20-50 percent throughout the show, giving him plenty of dynamics to work with including punches and hits during the set.
“These panels work very well as blinders for the audience, eye candy for certain musical aspects, and spatial accommodation for wide stages to make the space seem full and condensed,” he said.
Rather than having straight rows of fixtures, Schultz tiered them into groups to allow for more complex stage looks and sophisticated position cues. While the positions were more difficult to manage from a programming perspective, he found support from Bandit employees who helped him navigate and set up positions more efficiently.
While at Bandit, Schultz was surrounded by a team of professionals, from Shop Foreman Erich Hudgins who gave him wisdom and hands on experience to touring basics, to TSD Director Jake Tickle who made him a stronger technician in lighting repair and diagnoses. Ultimately, it was Vice President Mike Golden who encouraged him to reach out and apply for the Luke Pell position, and then worked closely with him giving him the necessary tools and information to be a success.
“Golden has since been an essential part of my experience working with Bandit and has offered me advice, interactions, and ideas that have all been priceless and important to my career,” Schultz said. “Golden also accommodated Luke Pell with rehearsal space at Bandit’s Venue One facility and has been a crucial part of getting Luke set up with his current lighting rig. We cannot thank him enough.”
“It has been a sincere pleasure working with both David and Luke over the past two years,” said Golden. “David has grown immensely into his roles over this time and I know I speak for all in our Nashville rehearsal facility in saying we thoroughly enjoy the time Luke and his entourage rehearse here. I love the dedication and enthusiasm the entire camp exhibits and we look forward to a long and exciting future with the entire group.”
“Signing on as Luke’s full-time tour manager was something that Bandit encouraged me to do and, although it has kept me busy and sometimes away from the shop, it made a monumental impact in my career and thereby shifted my long term vision a bit,” finished Schultz. “Bandit will always have a place in my heart and I cannot thank the company enough for all of the opportunities. But most of all, thank you so much to Bandit for believing in me!”
For more information about Luke Pell, including tour dates and tickets, visit www.lukepell.com.
