American country music singer and songwriter Jamey Johnson is out on tour with a lighting system supplied by Bandit Lites. The “What a View Tour” launched in June and heads to nearly 40 cities through October. Known for his ability to blend storytelling with a classic country sound, Johnson’s recently released his highly-anticipated new song, “21 Guns,” inspired by attending the funerals of fellow Marines who died in service to their country.
Lighting designer Seth Jackson utilized five of Bandit Lites Tyler Ladder Towers and four Bandit FlexRax. Additionally, Bandit supplied ADJ PAR Z100 3K2 and ADJ PAR Z100 5K2, Chauvet Rogue R2X Washes, Elation DTW Blinder 350 IP 65, Elation Color Chorus 48, Chauvet VIP X6iP Video Panels and a grandMA2 Full console for control.
“The Par cans are used mainly for hits while the DTW350 blinders are used for a subtle glow behind the band in certain songs,” explained Lighting Director Carter Hopkins. “The R2X’s do most of the work when it comes to the in-air effects and the Bar lights add more side lighting to help hit the bands’ faces. Our Arles network adds another visual element to the show and I try to match light colors to the video.”
“The Tyler Ladder Towers and FlexRax were the perfect ready to roll solution for Seth’s design, giving the camp the ability to keep fabrication cost to a minimum,” said Bandit Lites Client Representative Mike Stanley. “Also a benefit is the scalability that these provide, which Carter is doing a great job hitting curve balls.”
Hopkins skill behind the desk is on display every night as he busks much of the lighting and video content each night, save for a few select songs. Johnson’s set list changes each show due to his extensive catalog of songs, but he consistently includes ‘In Color,’ allowing Hopkins to set the scene with the lighting as the audiences moves through the lyrics, “A picture’s worth a thousand words / But you can’t see what those shades of gray keep covered / You should’ve seen it in color.”
“We decided during that song to go from a dark blue and white background into a multicolor look behind the band during part of the chorus and the bridges,” shared Hopkins.
“We’re happy to support Mr. Johnson on the What A View Tour and are excited for what’s on the horizon,” finished Stanley.
Jamey Johnson’s tour continues into October. For more information on upcoming dates and tickets, visit https://www.jameyjohnson.com/tour.
For more on Bandit Lites, go to www.banditlites.com
