Sooner’s other projects range from designing Mötley Crüe to directing the lighting on Bon Jovi. It was on a previous tour with the latter that she added GLP’s widely-used impression X4 heads. She quickly sensed the speed of the fixture and the number of beam shapes that could be achieved using the pixel patterns.
“I needed a good wash light to generate effects that would give each song a different look,” she recalls. “GLP impressions seemed to be the perfect fit.” And so once again the impression X4 has been specified for the Justin Moore shows, supplied by the artist’s long-term vendor, Special Event Services (SES) from North Carolina.
The Need for Speed
Working with the artist’s production manager, Arthur Switzer, Sooner knows that a combination of direct support and headlining shows requires a production that can move the gear on and off stage quickly, with scenic that is scalable according to venue size.
The compact nature of the impression X4 fits that parameter perfectly. The torms were designed to be assembled modularly and quickly to form a large scale looking, yet slick and easy to assemble look behind the performer.
Explaining the design rationale, she says, “Once I know the size I have to work with, I start figuring out the art — typically starting with how an artist is branding themselves and whether there is a theme to the tour. Justin has a pretty rustic vibe mixed with rock ‘n’ roll and a whole lot of old school country. I attempted to represent those elements with distressed barn board backing some custom set carts and some banners with distressed metal texture and his rooster logo. I needed to have a light that was small enough to be able to pack a bunch into those carts, and the X4 was perfect.”
The 32 GLP fixtures, configured in two rows within the set carts, are part of an inventory of 56 GLP fixtures, as Aaron Luke explains. “In the air, we hang six wire rope ‘ladders,’ with three fixtures per ladder. The final six X4s are dedicated to lighting softgood banners.”
A Unique “Backdrop”
Aaron comments on the workload of his various fixtures. “Six X4’s light five banners, which hang in between the upstage ladders. Additionally, the eight Chauvet battens light the barnwood of the four custom set carts. Together, the banners, ladders, and barnwood create a unique ‘backdrop’ that extends from the floor all the way up to the truss. In addition to the 18 X4’s hanging from the ladders, there are also 18 Showline SL Nitro strobes.
“The Vipers, which are spread out around the floor and band risers, provide great aerials,” Aaron continues. “Rounding out the design, 16 Mythos are mounted atop the set carts. One song, the Mythos will be in spot mode, casting beautiful aerials; the next song, they will be in beam mode, projecting fat, bright beams.”
The X4 represents a huge part of the show, Aaron continues. “I’m pretty sure we use every feature of the light. The zoom range and the macros are invaluable and I’m really impressed with their output. Sooner created some really cool looks that just wouldn’t be the same without the macros of the light.”
The designer herself says her favorite attributes of these fixtures include “the size and the pixel patterns — I was able to jam a ton of them into the set carts. We created a wall of light with the X4, and I just couldn’t have done that with a traditional wash light.”
The LD has likewise built familiarity with GLP’s LED platform over a number of years, even using pre-X4 lights on previous tours with Justin Collie. “But the first time I used the X4, I was blown away with just how far they had come. As Sooner says, they’re a great wash light that certainly packs a punch, yet have the effects to give the show a unique look.”
Both members of the team realize the importance a package primarily designed for larger venues that can be brought into small theatres. Aaron believes this requirement is endemic to the genre. “In country music, we tend to do things different than actual organized tours. There are lots of casinos and county/state fairs, music festivals and other random shows, so we really do see venues of all sizes. When I started with Justin, we were still going into bars and clubs, then turning right around and playing a huge festival, then into a theater. This year has primarily consisted of amphitheaters, playing to crowds anywhere from 10,000 — 22,000 as a direct support act.”
Support from SES
SES, based in North Carolina and Nashville, has been closely involved since Justin Moore first began carrying production. “They have been extremely helpful in all aspects of the production and are fully capable of providing virtually any kind of fixtures we spec,” says Sooner. “They were instrumental in making the production for Justin exactly what it needed to be — a direct support/headliner package that packs a punch.” They also provided the grandMA2 console that is used to program and operate the show.
The X4 fixture’s ability to withstand the rigors of the road is emphasized by Aaron. “They have held up well, particularly as we don’t travel them in road cases. When the rig was initially put together, they went in very easily and now ride in the truck pre-rigged to the carts and ladders. On the rare occasion we have needed them, both SES and GLP have been really great in providing rapid support — which is great for me, since I’m currently a one-man-show on the lighting side and don’t have time to be tech-ing lights every day.”
“I get some nervous looks at times when people see 122 fixtures,” Aaron continues. “Then I tell them that I’m using under 100A, and they sigh in relief. Also, our entire production travels in one semi trailer, so space is very tight. Trying to cram 56 larger-format wash lights along with our band gear, consoles, set, and risers into a 53’ trailer would be impossible.”
Justin Moore 2015 Tour
Crew
Lighting Designer: Sooner Routhier/sRae Productions
Lighting Director: Aaron Luke
Production Manager: Arthur Switzer
Stage Manager: Aaron “The N Turn” Mrozik
Tour Manager: Joey Gonzales
Lighting Co: SES (specialeventservices.com)
Gear
1 grandMA2 Light console
56 GLP impression X4s
34 Showline SL Nitro 510C
16 Clay Paky Mythos
8 Martin MAC Vipers
8 Chauvet COLORado Batten 72 Tours
