CHICAGO, IL – The Windy City Smokeout returned for its eighth year for a weekend of live music, award-winning food and camaraderie. The six-time Academy of Country Music Awards “Festival of the Year” nominee added a fourth day this year, giving attendees an extra day to chow down and throw down with the world’s best barbeque pitmasters. Bandit Lites supplied the lighting package for the nation’s premier outdoor BBQ festival which included performances by Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi,
More details from Bandit (www.BanditLites.com):
Lighting designer Chris Lisle was tasked with crafting a fairly unique design that would still allow the headliner’s lighting directors to utilize their standard show file.
“I wanted to make sure the design had layers to it, along with some horsepower,” explained Lisle. “This festival all takes place on a Stageline mobile stage, so weight and rigging positions are certain considerations.”
Bandit Lites supplied nearly 150 fixtures for the festival, including Robe BMFL Spots, Claypaky Mythos 2, Chauvet Rogue RH1 Hybrids, Elation CuePix WW2 Blinders, GLP X4, Showline Nitro 510C and ETC Source Fours.
Lisle loaded the downstage truss with wash fixtures as well as a few spot fixtures to be used for band specials. Four sets of angled trusses, broken into halves, were suspended over the stage and outfitted with washes, spots, as well as strobes and blinders for the LDs to play with. Two additional trusses with spot fixtures were placed along the side of the stage, offering side light or beam looks.
“For a festival, it is not so much about what I want to see creatively,” explained Lisle dutifully, “it is about making sure that all visiting LDs will have enough instruments in the rig, at the right positions, to be able to get the show they need. I try to pay close attention to spacing and layering, so that the LDs have on how they want to clone their show file and get the best look for their individual show.”
“I have known and worked with Todd Ortmeier and Chris Lisle for many years and they have joined forces on too many projects to remember, but one constant is the complete professionalism and ease in which they operate,” said Bandit Lites Vice President Mike Golden. “Mr. Ortmeier was the Event Production Manager, and the entire event ran like clockwork and Mr. Lisle delivered another beautiful design. I speak for all at Bandit in saying we look forward to working with both Chris and Todd again, and most certainly we want to thank the Windy City Smokeout organizers: we look forward to doing this again next year!”
“Bandit really knocked this one out of the park,” finished Lisle. “The rig was fantastically prepped; Project Manager Gene Brian did a great job of overseeing every detail from start to finish. Chris Noll led the Bandit team on site and also helmed the console for the bands that did not have an LD. I was super impressed with the looks I saw him put together; he is great on a console!”
Chris Lisle – Lighting Designer
Todd Ortmeier – Production Manager
Fred Yanda – Stage Manager
Mike Golden – Bandit Lites Account Representative
Gene Brian – Bandit Lites Project Manager
Chris Noll – Bandit Lites Crew Chief and House LD
Darryl Newcombe- Bandit Lites Lighting Technician
Justin Wilk- Bandit Lites Lighting Technician
