Alexander Lehman Punches Up Gavin Adcock's Bulls Bands and Barrels Show with CHAUVET

	"I really loved the idea of creating a wall of light behind Gavin, a wall that would light up the first few rows, create shadows on the band with moments of backlighting, and the key lights turned off," Lehman says.

Rising country star Gavin Adcock appeared on February 28 at Alliant Energy Center for Bulls, Bands and Barrels, the combination rodeo and concert. Adcock's lighting designer, Alexander Lehman, lit the star's performance at the one-day event with help from over 50 CHAUVET Professional fixtures supplied by Premier Global Production.

At the heart of his vision was a plan to minimize moving fixtures in favor of intense back lighting. "I really loved the idea of creating a wall of light behind Gavin, a wall that would light up the first few rows, create shadows on the band with moments of backlighting, and the key lights turned off," he says. "There were moments where we had the touring strobes and house strobes on to create backlight and light up the audience and band without key light. The thought was to create a mood that didn't feel like a concert, but more like a high-energy country party."

Working with production manager Keegan Hughes and the PGP crew (Quiz, Pepper, Geddy, and Joe), Lehman achieved this vision with help from the Color STRIKE M fixtures, positioned on seven carts behind the performers on stage. "They did a lot of work backlighting the band and creating the tone for most of the show," he says. "They also did a great job at lighting the crowd, adding energy and helping make the show feel dynamic."

Also pumping visual energy into the party mix from behind the band were 45 CHAUVET COLORado Solo 3 PAR units. "The PARs in our rig were essential," Lehman says, "We really wanted to shift from a moving light-heavy show, and give a nod to old-school rock/country that used to be filled with massive PAE rigs. Having a decent-sized grid of PARs meant we could do fun dynamic chases and effects. The zoom we got with the COLORado PARs was really nice, too. It meant that we could have another means of creating dynamic, punchy looks behind the band."

The PAR fixtures, like the Color STRIKE M units, were arranged in a straight line across the upstage deck. By artfully directing their light against carefully positioned dark spaces, Lehman added depth and texture to the stage. Played against the shadowy areas, the intense light also endowed the stage with a raw energy.

Gavin Adcock is currently on tour through November 14.