However, Bunner proved otherwise by creating an intimate and immersive club-like feeling at venues from The Forum in Los Angeles to Madison Square Garden with a rig that relied heavily on the Rogue R2 Wash and STRIKE 4 multi formatted fixture from Chauvet Professional.
Bunner of Showtime Sound worked his magic on the just-concluded Louis C.K. summer tour. The comedian-actor-director, who has won six Emmys and a Peabody Award in addition to his pair of Grammys, wanted a lightshow that engendered the feeling of a comedy club or small theater, despite his tour's outsized venues. Aerial washing from the Rogue R2s was instrumental in creating this environment.
"We used a small number of other movers, but the Rogues were the heartbeat of my rig," said Bunner. "We positioned them everywhere. The Rogues made the show. They created the mood and the atmosphere around the arena so the audience could enjoy a night of great comedy as if they were at a club. This was the look Louis wanted for his opening comedians, as well as for his own act."
Bunner had 24 Rogue R2 Washes in his touring rig. He positioned four of the units on the upstage deck, using them to wash the air above the artists. The remaining washes were positioned on overhead truss that ran across the middle and sides of the stage. These fixtures were used to colorize the stage and wash part of the audience.
Positioned on downstage truss, the four STRIKE 4s in Bunner's rig filled a variety of roles. Their most conspicuous function was to serve as audience lighting during the introduction and exit of Louis C.K. and the show's opening acts.
Bunner credits tour manager Beth Thomas with playing a big part in developing intimate stage presentation. "Beth helped make a lot of these looks happen," he said. "It was a real accomplishment. We went to some of the biggest venues in the US and created a club feel that was truly intimate, just as our client wanted."
(Jim Evans)
