NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Acclaimed American singer-songwriter Ben Rector has embarked on a twenty-eight date engagement entitled Magic: The Tour with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. Named for his sixth studio album, Magic, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums chart, Rector’s tour features the charming and relatable songs that have resonated with fans for years.
Bandit Lites facilitated an on-site demo for Rector to pinpoint what fixtures best matched his vision for the production, and then following renderings and revisions, Lighting Designer Chris Lisle and he landed on the current design.
“Ben is extremely hands on regarding his show and he and Chris seem to share an excellent understanding of how the show should look,” said Bandit Lites Vice President Mike Golden. “I appreciate an artist that wants the time to visit and explore various lighting elements and applications. Chris and Ben came to Bandit to look at multiple fixtures and although it was a hot August day, Ben spent hours asking questions and moving fixtures around to see how they would look from various audience perspectives.”
Martin Sceptron VDO 10 fixtures make up a wall of video and lighting behind Rector and the bad, with GLP X4S fixtures placed above several Sceptrons. Robe Pointes are then hung from locally supplied upstage truss providing a backlight for the artist and band.
“Ben’s music is super fun and he is a very creative guy,” Lisle said. “Programmer Mike Marcario worked close with Ben to dial in specific looks and feels that Ben was going for. My personal favorite aspect for sure is the Sceptron strips; Mike did some really cool media server driven stuff through them that came out super well.”
“We worked with Ben Rector in 2016 and for this tour he once again brought back a seasoned team of Jordan Powell (TM), Jake Hartsfield (PM) and Daniel Rehbein (LD) to handle the day to day operations of touring this show,” added Golden.
In addition to the demonstrations at Bandit, Rector’s team was also able to make use of Bandit’s rehearsal space for a few days of pre-rehearsal programming.
“That was very handy,” finished Lisle. “Ben spent two days there with us as well and really enjoyed the experience. Mike Marcario did a phenomenal job, and Mike Golden and Bandit Lites Project Manager Gene Brian both went above and beyond to make the whole experience fantastic and seamless. Daniel Rehbein is driving the console on this one and always does a fantastic job as well.”
For more information about Ben Rector including upcoming tour dates and tickets, visit www.benrectormusic.com/tour.
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