When The Eagles take flight on their North American summer tour starting May 31, High End Systems' new x.Spot™ HO High Output automated luminaires will brighten their concert path.
Nick Sholem returns to take the reins as lighting designer/director on the tour. It's been six years since he's been with The Eagles on their "Hell Freezes Over" stint. This tour came about naturally from his design work with the band and their recent benefit concert in Los Angeles for the Recording Artists Coalition.
"The group was delighted with the design I did for that L.A. fund-raising show in February," says Sholem, "so they approached me about doing the tour. Steve Cohen was going to be busy, so I said yes, provided I could beef it up in a few areas."
To beef it up, Sholem specified 12 x.Spot HO units with the 2:1 lens. "I saw a demo of the x.Spot HO a few months ago and could see how super bright they were," he attests.
He also added eight Studio Beam® automated luminaires for the floor of the stage, and will control the rig with a Wholehog® II console. LSD/Fourth Phase is supplying the gear as the lighting contractor on the tour.
Sholem recently ran through the design work on WYSIWYG at High End Systems' large demo facility in Van Nuys, California. "This is a fantastic place for WYSIWYG-ing," says Sholem. "You've got Marty Wickman with CW Productions on one side of the 405 [freeway] and High End on the other. It's great!"
Wickman programmed the show with Sholem. Others on the LSD/Fourth Phase lighting crew include crew chief Russell Jones, crew Charles Cochran, Jim Petrussen, Russell "Bits" Lyons, and production manager Dave Bruster.
Pre-tour, Sholem says, "I haven't done the first show yet so I can't comment on it. But all's looking real good on the WYSIWYG screen and with the High End Systems fixtures involved, I know it will be brilliant."
After a week of rehearsals with the band, the show kicks off May 31 in Reno and plays throughout North America until July 20.