Bandit Lights Merle Haggard Tribute Concert

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Thousands gathered at Bridgestone Arena to witness what was to be a concert of the ages: Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard. Taking place on what would have been his 80th birthday and the one year anniversary of Haggard’s death, the sold out evening featured collaborations from artists that may never be seen again, including Keith Richards and Willie Nelson’s emotional rendition of “Reasons to Quit.” Bandit Lites provided the lighting for the concert, which was filmed for broadcast on a network and date to be announced at a later time.  

To call the evening star-studded would be an understatement, as dozens of artists, including Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, John Mellencamp, Loretta Lynn, Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, Sheryl Crowe, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley and Hank Williams Jr. turned out to pay homage to the ‘Okie from Muskogee.’

Lighting designer Mark Carver utilized a wide range of fixtures from Bandit’s extensive inventory such as Martin MAC Viper Profiles, VL 3500 Spots, GLP X4, GLP X4S, Ayrton MagicBlades, Clay Paky B-EYE K20, Clay Paky Sharpys, Clay Paky Mythos, Sunstrip STP-10 MK2, GLP X4 Bar 10 and Bandit’s exclusive GRNLite Moving Washes and Bandit 5x5s. A grand MA 2 full and a grand MA 2 lite console provided control.

Even with the massive ceiling heights and overall expansive nature of Bridgestone Arena, Bandit’s crew, Ty Veneziano, Chas Albea, Patrick Sieg, Andy French and Elizabeth Weller were able to seamlessly outfit the arena with loaded Tyler truss, making lighting one aspect the stage manager did not have to contend with or wrangle, a feat that was great appreciated considering the logistics of organizing dozens of individual artists for a one night only event.

“The stage manager took the time to thank each of us individually and let us know that we were on the ball,” shared Veneziano. “It was a super harmonious gig and working with Mark Carver is always amazing; he really takes everything in stride and knows we are all there to get the job done.”

“When Mark first put the concept in front of me it became a team effort of Dizzy Gosnell laying all the pieces into CAD and advising on logistics while Don Lockridge oversaw the actual build along with an excellent Bandit crew,” said Bandit’s Vice President Mike Golden. “We have all worked together for so long it is a seamless operation from beginning to end.  I can never properly express the appreciation we all have for the work and attitude of Mark Carver.”

 

About Bandit Lites, Inc.

Bandit Lites is a global leader in the entertainment lighting marketplace.  From touring productions to fixed installations, Bandit Lites has a full staff of highly trained professionals to deal with all types of lighting needs. Bandit’s global presence will insure seamless transitions no matter where your next show takes you.  More information available at www.BanditLites.com