Every February, the San Antonio Spurs take off on a three-week “Rodeo Road Trip.” No, the NBA team isn’t saddling up and riding broncs and bulls, they’re leaving their home at the 19,000-seat Frost Center to make way for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, an 18-day affair that draws over one million visitors every year. There is something for everyone during this nearly three-week event, from traditional rodeo fare to more esoteric activities like pig racing, as well as carnival games, and concerts by headliner stars, a group that this year included Gary Allan, Cheap Trick, Brooks & Dunn, Randy Rogers Band, Grupo el Duelo, Styx, and Clint Black.
Setting an upbeat tone for the event, including the concerts is a versatile and colorful rig from LD Systems that features 20 Maverick Storm 3 BeamWash and 14 Color STRIKE M strobe-blinders from CHAUVET Professional. Fans at the concerts were able to feel a close connection to the performers thanks to an uncluttered circular rotating opened stage designed by the LD Systems team. Lighting and Rigging Operations Manager Nathan Brittain, PM Tony Carey, SM Steve Scranton, and Lighting Designer David Jackson placed an emphasis on clear sightlines when putting together the show.
“We always try to convey to any of our guest LDs coming into the show, that sight lines on this stage are key to our philosophy,” said Jackson, who was assisted by L2 Jacob Jordan and L3 Martha Galvan. “We always look for what we can do to make the lowest profile setup with the most impact. We do have some LDs that bring vertical towers from their normal set, but they do it in ways that make use of larger spacing so that people on the back portion can still see the action. Even though the stage rotates we want everyone to see all that is happening.”
A key goal of the design team is to ensure that the various artists and their LDs can find the tools they need in the house rig to support the looks they want to create. “The biggest challenge in this project is working with the many entities that share the same place,” said Jackson. “There is a tight window to work on different portions of the rig, but we have a great relationship with everyone.”
Helping Jackson and his team offer the desired level of versatility on the circular stage are the rig’s Maverick Storm 3 BeamWashes. The RGBW hybrid fixtures are flown on a 50-foot square around the center hung video screens. During rodeo events, they site about 75-feet above the dirt and provide wash light for some of the specialty acts. During the concert, they are brought down below the screens, about 35-feet in the air, and are used for stage washing and effects.
“They are an intense addition to our concert lighting,” Jackson said of the fixtures. “Their bright output is excellent for washing, and they create great eye candy effects. They are really nice with the dual zoom being able to create almost an upstage / downstage wash in the round from one source without us needing a second set of lights to achieve that level of coverage.” The rig’s Color STRIKE M fixtures are sprinkled throughout the house truss. “We use them for washing the crowd or strobing the ground from above,” said Jackson. “They add fun and excitement to the whole arena, which is really a big part of what a rodeo like this is all about.”
Further information from CHAUVET Professional: www.chauvetprofessional.com
