"On this tour, it really all starts with the music and the artist behind it," began production manager James 'Mo' Butts. "As a passionate songwriter, Cole is also a high-energy performer so we wanted to incorporate quality HD video into the tour design to heighten the experience for this headlining tour. When looking for a tour provider, I knew Elite Multimedia has an extensive inventory of lighting and video, plus they have a custom set cart operation too, so they could really provide everything we needed."
With a tour design that would rely heavily on the performance of the HD LED video, the production began reviewing the extensive stock of award-winning PixelFLEX LED video technologies at Elite Multimedia. With content, technical and logistical criteria in place, the team chose a video package that included 32 FLEXLite 6.9mm LED Panels and two PixelFLEX SU-401 master controllers.
"As an artist, Cole tends to like real-world video content so whichever video product was chosen, it had to look good with flesh tones on screen," added Butts. "I've been using PixelFLEX video products for a while now and I really feel they are better than others on the market. Therefore, since we will be playing mostly indoor venues, we decided to go with the 6.9mm FLEXLite LED video panels for their high-definition display, ease of set-up and tear down, and their robust nature which is perfect in a touring environment."
Now turning their attention to the lighting rig which would be controlled by a GrandMA2 light console and hang on Tyler GT Truss, Elite Multimedia also provided the tour with a full lighting package that included Clay Paky Sharpy and A.Leda K10 Wash luminaires, Ayrton Magic Panel R luminaires, Showline SL NITRO 510 strobes, and G13 LED PAR fixtures.
With current tour dates that stretch until October 2016, the Cole Swindell tour is now in full swing solidifying his stature as one of country's most compelling performers, and through their backstage perspective, the production team is enjoying the moment every step of the way.
"The audience really doesn't think about how the tour rig travels or how it loads-in and out, they just want to see a good show and really immerse themselves in Cole as an artist," said Kitchenman. "We've been working with the team at Elite Multimedia for a few years now and they do a great job of helping us design custom elements specifically to fit the needs of our tour. In this design, there is depth and layers and it makes for a genuine environment for Cole to entertain and interact with his fans."
(Jim Evans)
