KNOXVILLE, TN – In what has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as “the most adventurously programmed music festival in America,” The Big Ears Music Festival returned for its fifth year. Created and produced by AC Entertainment, Bandit Lites provided the lighting package for one of Knoxville’s newest event spaces, The Standard. Bandit lighting programmer Wayne Lotoza used Vari-Lite, Source Four and Martin Atomic strobes with a Road Hog console for control for most of the acts, and for an installation piece entitled Drones, he also used GRNLite Washes, ETC Source Four LED units, Robe Color Blocks and a mirror ball.
More details from Bandit (www.BanditLites.com):
Lotoza used VL 2000 washes, VL 2000 Spots, Source Four Lekos and Atomic Strobes programmed with a Road Hog console at the venue to create looks that would be conducive to the wide range of performing artists, which included Wolf Eyes (a post-industrial noise band), saxophonist Anthony Braxton, musician Marc Ribot’s interpretation of organ music transcribed for guitar and Lou Reed’s installation piece entitled DRONES.
“The DRONES project included GRNLite Washes, ETC S4 LED units, ROBE Color Blocks and a mirror ball,” said Lotoza.
The five hour event featured a sound installation and a musical program of musicians curated by Laurie Anderson.
As Anderson herself describes it to Big Ears: “Playing with the drones is a transcendental experience…I’ve never felt more free as a musician – chasing melody, listening to harmonics, immersed in an ever shifting subtle and powerful sound field.”
Additionally, Bandit supplied lighting programmer Eric Shafferman with a floor package for the Mill & Mine venue, using truss standing on end in a big blaster format with lamp bars for a back wall look.
“The Big Ears Festival is truly a collection of avant-garde events,” said Bandit’s Brent Barrett. “We are appreciative that Daryl Bentfield and Sean Murray of RELAY Productions allow Bandit the opportunity to be involved!”
