Follow-Me 3D Supports lighting on Kane Brown's High Road Tour

	The result is what Hall describes as "concentric circles and sticks that could form 28 unique 'sculptures' across our 100-minute show," creating a complex technical challenge. Photo: @maggielndnphoto

The Follow-Me 3D system is playing a key role in the spectacular lighting automation of country music superstar Kane Brown's High Road Tour. The production is currently captivating audiences across major US venues, from Pechanga Arena in San Diego to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, running through October 10. The tour features an all-moving lighting rig with Follow-Me 3D serving as part of the show's automation ecosystem. Christie Lites provides vendor support, with Follow-Me programmer Evan Rodecap and production/lighting designer Chase Hall leading the technical implementation.

Hall set out to revolutionize country music production values with an ambitious vision. "I was bound and determined to make a country show look progressive and cool," he explains. "So I intentionally abandoned the typical country tropes: wood textures, cars on stage, bar neon, straight truss sticks smattered with a blinder wash."

The result is what Hall describes as "concentric circles and sticks that could form 28 unique 'sculptures' across our 100-minute show," creating a complex technical challenge. "The key lights are mounted on four fixed trusses, so these are the only elements that are not exposed to automation," explains Rodecap. "Apart from that, every fixture was integrated with Follow-Me."

Kane Brown's energetic performance style added another layer of complexity, with the system needing to accommodate significant elevation changes. The show's diverse musical style, spanning pop, rock, classic country and EDM, demanded dynamic lighting capabilities. "Kane Brown's at a really interesting intersection for an artist," notes Rodecap. "So the show is super dynamic."

Hall's lighting requirements were particularly demanding: "I am quite picky about key lighting. We need multiple fixtures tethered for long-throw color output. We need excellent tracking backlighting on each target. And photometrically we need the spot system adjusting intensities for broadcast cameras at every point along our large arena thrust."

The Follow-Me 3D system proved well-suited for these complex requirements, managing hundreds of moving heads with full automation. "Primarily it was used for key light, which is the most important piece of the puzzle. We integrated with Kinesis automation and then ended up tracking fixture positions, each of which could be assigned to a target throughout the show," Rodecap explains.

To handle Kane Brown's dynamic performance, the team implemented adjustable elevation tracking. "We made the Z-height elevation modifier available on a fader, alongside the internal mesh tracking for each operator," Rodecap adds. "This update accommodates Kane's tendency to move around frequently and jump on the scenic set."

The system delivered crucial workflow advantages for Hall: "I like to be able to have all profiles running through the Follow-Me system. It offers max freedom. I can grab any light I want, and it will track the performer seamlessly. Another huge advantage is for the primary artist target. I can have one touring staff member operate that crucial target every single night of the show."

"We've used a lot of the automation platforms on the market and, really, the time saver is being able to do one configuration for all of your lights," notes Rodecap. "Follow-Me has all the raw data exposed for real-time monitoring, and it's all console controlled, so it was really easy to get the Lighting Programmer, Davis Kornegay, on board. With the way that the new patch layering system works within grandMA3, it was easy to make the Follow-Me attributes pop up within each fixture when selected."

Despite the show's complexity, the deployment of the Follow-Me 3D system exceeded expectations. "The product is very easy to deploy, and a lot of production managers are realizing it's much faster than other solutions on the market," reports Rodecap.

Collaboration proved instrumental to success. "Everybody at Follow-Me has been super helpful. They have been very responsive to feedback and have offered some great suggestions," Rodecap adds.

Hall emphasizes the company's problem-solving approach: "If they don't have a way of accomplishing a certain objective, like the Continuous Beam Size (CBS) feature or complex object masking, they will spend time with me on offering solutions rather than 'cannot do that' emails. It's very evident that they have developed systems for live entertainment that are being designed by people who understand the market."

The High Road Tour represents a significant milestone for Follow-Me, with the rig scheduled to move on to European dates later in the year.