CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Entertainment giant Live Nation brought the historic Fillmore name to Charlotte, N. C., with a 2,000-seat venue that features live concerts by national acts.
The music hall is located on a 30-acre campus of the North Carolina Music Factory, an entertainment complex encompassing 270,000 square feet in the Uptown area of Charlotte. Live Nation operates and books the talent for Fillmore Charlotte, which opened in mid June.
Bandit Lites was tasked with designing and installing the lighting for the 20,000-square-foot venue. Installation and Service Specialist John Jenkinson selected CHAUVET because its products are versatile, affordable and reliable.
“We've had great results with CHAUVET in other installs, including a couple of House of Blues clubs,” Jenkinson said. “I especially like the COLORado series; it is one of the most usable LED lines on the market.” The Fillmore installation included 10 Legend 6500 moving head fixtures used as back lighting, he explained. “We looked at other brands, but the Legend 6500 gives more bang for the buck and they can afford a few more fixtures that way.”
The Fillmore marks the first installation of the Legend 6500, which is fitted with 90 high power red, green, blue and white LEDS and a 15-degree lens. It has an output comparable to a 575W discharge fixture and full RGBW mixing capability.
The COLORado 2, also on the gear list, is a powerful fixture, Jenkinson added. “The entire front wash was accomplished with COLORado 2 and COLORado Panel fixtures.” Colors range from rich vivid hues to delicate pastels afforded by RGBW mixing.
Noah Lazes, president of ARK, which owns North Carolina Music Factory, said he wanted the best lighting and sound available for the Fillmore. “I think we have the best lighting and sound in the United States for a [music hall] of this size,” he said. “The Fillmore will dramatically change the landscape in Charlotte for live music.”
Live Nation owns the rights to the Fillmore name. The original Fillmore Auditorium was the focal point of psychedelic music and counterculture in Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco with acts including Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and many other bands that launched in the mid 1960s. Its new venues must follow the interior design of the original Fillmore, including the blue-lit chandeliers, Jenkinson said.