Since its release, the album has topped of the US Jazz Albums charts. The recent Crush Tour delivers the big sound associated with its namesake album. It's a sound made all the more powerful on stage by an appropriately potent lightshow by production designer Gabe Fraboni and lighting designer Wiley Cutler, using a collection of Rogue fixtures from Chauvet Professional, provided by 4Wall Entertainment.
"We were using another big name moving head, but the people at 4Wall showed us the Rogue Series," said Fraboni. "The Rogues impressed us with their compact, size, brightness and optics. The fixtures fit our touring needs perfectly."
Fraboni and Cutler put together a rig that was anchored by six Rogue R2 Spot fixtures and six Rogue R1 Washes. The R2 Spots were positioned on top of four 10' sticks of upstage truss. An additional pair of the R2 Spot fixtures were arranged on cases that were either next to the truss sticks or by the drum stand in the centre of the stage, depending on the shape and size of the performance area.
The Rogue R1 Washes were sometimes clamped on the sides of the truss below the spots. At other times, depending on the venue, they were arranged on the downstage edge of the stage to alternate between washing either the band or audience in vivid colours.
"On a tour like this, where we are playing in theatres and clubs of very different sizes, I like to arrange lights differently to adapt to the situation," said Cutler. "The general idea behind the design stays the same, but depending on the stage or the house light rig we have at our disposal, we have to change things up a bit."
However, regardless of variations in the venue, there were performance parameters that absolutely had to be met wherever Lettuce played for the band's lightshow to maintain its signature look, according to Cutler. High on that must-have list was the ability to wash the stage in rich colours.
"We always need downstage colour wash," said the LD. "We may change where the lights are hung or placed, but being able to wash the band in all different colours -- specifically dark blues and reds and also in true white - is important to my show for Lettuce. In venues where colour washes weren't available I zoomed out the R1 washes on the band as a wash from the downstage edge."
Cutler, who controlled the rig using an Avolites Titan Mobile, created a variety of looks for Lettuce. This versatility is most definitely needed, as Lettuce has a remarkable ability to try on and discard different musical coats with the nonchalant ease of a wardrobe diva, all without ever losing the smooth, tight seamless give-and-take connection between members of the band.
(Jim Evans)
