Bandit Lites Helps Bring the Music Back to Nashville, Indiana
Nashville, Tennessee is known for its music, including the country music mecca, The Grand Ole Opry. Nashville, Indiana is also known for its music, including the performance venue known as the “Little Opry.” But it was closed after a fire in 2009.
In the aftermath of the destruction, Indiana’s Brown County officials were determined to build a venue that would draw top touring artists, and turned to Bandit Lites’ sales and integration team for an assist. From rigging to backstage layout and ultimately the lighting controls, Bandit’s team elevated the lighting to match the vision of the center.
“We wanted the stage to be a first class, state of the art lighting package,” says project manager Doug Harden of Miller Architects. “Bandit delivered exactly that.”
Bandit Lites provided all the fixtures for the building, including the stage work lights, lobby lights and more, right down to the bathroom sconces. The facility boasts a stage nearly 80 feet wide and seats 2,000, but the venue’s designers made sure that the farthest seat is only 106 feet from the stage.
To meet the venue’s lighting needs with precision, Bandit supplied Ayrton Mistrals, HES SolaFrame 1000s, Elation Professional DARTZ 360, Chauvet Professional STRIKE 4 blinder and strobes, Chauvet Professional Rogue R2 Washes and ETC ColorSource Spots. In addition to the venue’s fixtures, Bandit’s team provided the Tyler Truss, ChainMaster Hoists from ACT Lighting and drapes from BellaTEX.
“We chose Aryton Mistral fixtures to be the workhorse spot over stage,” says Andrew Fisher, Bandit’s senior systems integrator. “They allowed us to get the punch and the numbers we needed to fill a 78-foot-wide stage without blowing our budget,” and allowing for a complementary mix of LED beam, wash, and blinder units to round out an impressive effects package.
“There are also SolaFrame 1000’s on a FOH truss that can easily call up and adjust high CRI specials throughout the show without having to climb a truss to focus,” Fisher adds. “We rounded out the look with ETC ColorSource Leko’s that provide a general front wash, featuring multiple lighting angles and great color fills for toners.”
“Bandit supplied the Brown County Music Center with a remarkable lighting system overall,” says lighting director Shea Briggs. “They were able to cater lighting needs to the building’s design, and I’d have to say that the Ayrton Mistral is my personal favorite — Bandit’s placement of these fixtures within the lighting plot allows me to use them for their versatility.” Bandit Lites also supplied an Avolites Tiger Touch II console with fader wing.
“My experience with Bandit’s service was nothing but positive,” Briggs adds, crediting Bandit Lites installation project manager John Jenkinson and Fisher. “They were on site for our soft openings and were kind enough to answer any questions that I had. They even programed some of the basics into the console.”
Bandit also installed S4 mini’s in the lobby to accent the signage as well as an ETC Paradigm lighting control system for building-wide controls.
“Believe it or not, we had the most challenges in the restroom areas, dealing with other trades taking allotted space,” says Harden. “We had to modify our fixtures, and Bandit was very flexible and quick to adapt.”
When the venue opened in in the fall of 2019, its first concert sold out in 15 minutes, and Vince Gill took to the stage with a state-of-the-art lighting system.
“Partnering with Doug and the entire Brown County Music Center team was a wonderful experience,” says Jenkinson. “It was exciting to be a part of bringing this unique venue to life and adding to the rich musical heritage that make Brown County unique.”
