The Black Crowes Bring the Noise. DAS Audio Brings the Clarity.

	"They play by feel," Rogers says. "And that feel depends on having control over the stage volume while still giving the audience everything they came for."

When The Black Crowes roll into town, the rock band's signature loud, raw sound demands a system that can keep up without losing control. On a recent run through the Northeast for The Happiness Bastards Tour, it was DAS Audio's ARA Series that rose to the challenge.

At the Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor, DAS Audio partnered with Audio East to deploy a full ARA rig: 12-deep LARA line arrays, MARA outfills and front fills, and a groundstack of 12 LARA cardioid subwoofers.

Front-of-house engineer Erik Rogers was tasked with translating the band's gritty sound into a tight, musical mix for thousands of fans.

"From the first time I mixed on LARA, I was impressed," says Rogers. "It was musical right out of the box. Tuning was so easy because everything I built into my mix translated immediately."

Known for their analog-style energy and feel-it-in-your-chest stage volume, The Black Crowes don't exactly go easy on gear. With 14 wedges on stage, Rogers needed a system that could cut through chaos without adding its own.

"They play by feel," he says. "And that feel depends on having control over the stage volume while still giving the audience everything they came for." The fully cardioid nature of the LARA system helped strike that balance. "The subs were also incredible. Tight and musical by design," Rogers shared. "I had all the low end I wanted without the stage getting washed out."

Offstage, Rogers leaned on DAS Audio's ARA-P28 reference monitors to fine-tune his mix before load-in. With the same voicing as the LARA system, the transition from prep to performance was seamless.

"What I hear in the P28s is exactly what comes out of the main PA," he says. "That kind of consistency has saved me more than once."

He describes the overall sound of LARA as smooth, balanced, and natural. No harshness, no heavy EQ, and vocals that "just sit where they should." For a mix that thrives on nuance, that kind of transparency makes all the difference. "I haven't had to chase the usual problem frequencies," Rogers says. "It just works."

Beyond the gear, it was the DAS Audio team that sealed the experience.

"They're present. They care. They're in this for the right reasons," Rogers concludes. "You can feel that when you work with them. It's not just support, it's partnership. Don't pass on an opportunity to mix on DAS. The ARA system stands up against anything out there. You won't be disappointed."