There is a powerfully moving beauty that arises when the human creative spirit transcends barriers of time and culture. Such was the case not long ago, when Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the Georgia-born sisters, better known as the widely acclaimed roots rock duo Larkin Poe, and their mother were reading A Tale For The Time Being, Ruth Ozeki’s novel about a Tsunami and its effect on the life of a Japanese family.
As Rebecca would later tell, “there was just something about the sweetness of all three of us reading the same book and talking about it” that inspired Larkin Poe to record their sixth studio album, Blood Harmony, a heartfelt collection of songs rich with imagery of family bonds. Now, with the sisters touring to support the popular album, the creative baton has been picked up (visually) by Tony Caporale of Infinitus Vox, who has been reflecting its richly textured music in light.
Caporale, joined by lighting director Alec Molinaro, has beautifully captured the deep emotional currents of Larkin Poe’s performance with a multi-faceted design that draws on the color-mixing prowess the CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M and COLORado PXL Bar 16, which, like the rest of the lighting rig, were supplied by 4Wall Entertainment.
Positioning six of the motorized strobes in a horseshoe configuration on the floor around the performers and arranging an equal number of the battens along the upstage deck, Caporale and his team created transformative color-scapes to that reflect a wide range of emotions.
“We are definitely painting a more scenic look on this tour that can translate as day, or night, with saturated colors to establish a vibe,” said Caporale, who has lit Larkin Poe before. “Since my main intention was to create these night and day looks, I tried to stay in blue and orange family of palettes as much as possible. However, there are also times when we opt to do a complete 180 and take off to go with some psychedelic looks. A beautiful thing about Larkin Poe is that they are true to their core style, but at the same time are also able to take it in different directions.”
Regardless of which direction the feeling of a song takes on this tour, color is always at the heart of its visual representation on stage. For Caporale, the power of color was especially moving in the title song of the album Blood Harmony, which celebrates family bonds with lines like God gave mama a singing voice. And mama passed it down to me.
“With this song, we created what I call ‘The Blood Moon,’ look,” said Caporale. “Everything in the rig is deep red along with a moon projection. I found it appropriate since the Album Title Track is named, ‘Blood Harmony,’ but beyond that, I also felt the emotions that this look conveyed really fit the familial bonds expressed in the music.”
While Caporale designed the production and programmed the lighting, Molinaro is running the lighting on the tour. Others contributing to this evocative show are Tommy Bradel, Graphic Designer of the backdrop, Production Manager Brendon Harris, Backline Sean Pawlowski, Andrea Fraser the Account Rep of Sew What?, Tour Manager Ryan Westbrook, Project Manager Jason Workman, and Chris Shrom of 4Wall, along with Peter Leak and Anna Pearson of Red Light Management.
“We’re fortunate to be involved with such a wonderful group of people,” said Caporale, using the words “family atmosphere” to describe the mood on the tour. It’s an atmosphere that perfectly fits the mood of music inspired by familial bonds.
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Please be aware of Photo Credit in file name: Bryan Cooper or Skye Morse-Hodgson
Larkin Poe performs. Photo by Bryan Cooper
