Mikki Kunttu Reflects Many Moods of Conan Gray's The Wishbone Pajama Show Tour with CHAUVET

	Fans, many of whom come to the show attired in pajamas or equally relaxed attire, remain emotionally connected to Gray as he moves through dramatic costume changes, including pajamas, which he dons when performing from a bed.

A timeless energy runs through multi-platinum singer Conan Gary's aptly named The Wishbone Pajama Show Tour, which kicked off September 11 outside Cleveland and concludes October 19 in Monterrey, Mexico. Fans who are packing large venues on the uplifting 19-city tour aren't merely seeing Gray perform, they are joining him on an intimate personal journey (the kind often shared at a pajama party!), that winds its way through tales of love, discovery, identity, myriad other emotional states, and of course hope.

Gray begins this journey by entering the stage wearing a sailor's outfit and riding a bicycle. Then, after kicking up his kickstand, he breaks into an inspired rendition of "My World." Fans, many of whom come to the show attired in pajamas or equally relaxed attire, remain emotionally connected to Gray as he moves through dramatic costume changes, including pajamas, which he dons when performing from a bed.

All of this is set against a dreamy backdrop that sometimes evokes Wizard of Oz like imagery. A lush and inviting stage production, conceptualized by the singer himself in collaboration with creative director / set designer Benjamin Dupont from Moment Factory, creates a panoramic theatrical environment that allows the mood of the show to flourish.

Helping to bring this production design to life is an artfully developed lighting design by Mikki Kunttu that features CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 battens and Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes supplied by 4Wall Entertainment.

"We wanted to present the show in an atmosphere that bows toward the tradition of theater rather than your average modern pop show," Kunttu says, explaining the creative vision behind the production. "The core idea of the visual comes from Conan and Ben. I believe a lot of this core idea was transmitted in the end with lighting. I really liked the idea of this show from the start, as it has a different depth than just delivering maximum impact type visuals song after song. This approach could work more with the dynamics of the stage -- and that is really theatrical.

"The 'most traditional theatre looks' were what we were after, and they are really, really good," continues Kunttu. "There are no beams there is no texture in the air. It is more the simplicity and the dynamic of classical ballet, I would say. It's kind of like borrowing from Bournonville ballet visuals or something in that direction."

Adding a distinctive visual element to the backdrop is its split LED screen. This allows the band to be elevated and become part of the imagery on the upper part of the screen. The design team uses this screen to create dramatically different backdrops. At some points the colors displayed on the two screens are sharply different (i.e. bold red and bold blue), resulting in vividly contrasting images. At others, the bottom screen displays evocative scenes, which the top screen matches perfectly, making it appear as if the backup musicians are in a setting other than the stage.

Amplifying the impact of the backdrop even further, Kunttu sometimes has the backup musicians in silhouettes. The band often becomes a part of the background image -- it is like a living painting," he explains. "For me the silhouettes belong to beginnings and ends of the songs, transitions and so on. Oftentimes in this show, they also play a practical role, as I try my best to hide the misery of set changes, instrument changes and so on."

Also working to create a deeply immersive backdrop are 20 CHAUVET Professional PXL Curve 12 battens. Arranged in a line across the stage deck and across the riser at the base of the upper video wall, the motorized RGBW linear fixtures create a two-layered backlight for Gray and the musicians. They are also used to create points of light to punctuate some darker scenes, such as when Gray is in a bed.

The 32 Color STRIKE M fixtures in the rig are flown in four rows over the stage. In addition to serving as blinders and strobes, the intensely bright fixtures are called upon to accent the stage in rich, evocative colors that add to the dreamy atmosphere, which one music critic described as being "as comfortable as a sleepover."

"Reflecting the mood on stage, the vibe behind the scenes was uplifting and harmonious yet focused," reports Kunttu. "This is a great team to work with. Besides Conan and the band, Benjamin, and Moment Factory, there are Eddie Wintle from management; tour manager Austin Luna, production manager Larry Barcello, stage manager Carter Hayes; lighting programmer Alex Hautamaki; and lighting / video operator Tiberius Benson, along with the Fairless Creative content team. And of course, not to forget the whole audio, screens and lighting crew, who are all taking good care of this baby."