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Cort Lawrence and Raw Cereal animate Hardy tour with LD Trevor Drawdy and Chauvet Professional

Supporting multi-CMA Award winner Hardy’s performances on his 15-city arena/amphitheater tour this summer was an immersive production design by Cort Lawrence and the team at Raw Cereal. They created a sense of depth on the stage and conveyed the artist’s story with content displayed on a massive video screen supported by light from 233 Chauvet Professional fixtures from Bandit Lites.

“The design for this tour utilized a simple and minimalist style, featuring a large upstage video wall that set the backdrop for Hardy, immersing him in content that represents his music”, explains Lawrence. “The ideas for all the creative aspects started with Hardy and flourished into unique visuals.”

“By working with lighting director and programmer Trevor Drawdy and using 85 Colorado PXL Bar 16 battens, we created sheets of light that blended well with the video content to enhance the range of Hardy’s performance”, he continues. “Our team at Raw Cereal provided show design and direction, as well as new video content for Hardy’s newest songs, ensuring that the visual elements matched the diversity of his music. It was crucial to maintain a balance between simplicity and impact, allowing each light fixture to have its moment while blending cohesively with the overall design.”

Hardy’s diverse music also influenced decisions regarding the layout of the stage itself. The tour’s stage featured six finger trusses, each 24 feet in length, trimmed at an average of 25 feet, while the video wall is  60 feet wide by 23 feet tall and hovers about four feet above the stage floor.

“This setup optimized the use of space and lighting for a cohesive visual experience”, says Lawrence. “In addition to the lighting and video elements, special effects elements including eight cryo jets, six wave flames, and five fire salamanders that shot fire from underneath a grated platform, contributed to the impact and flexibility of the rig.”

“We managed a total of 52 DMX universes to control the lighting and special effects”, adds Drawdy. “This extensive setup allowed us to create intricate and dynamic lighting designs, ensuring each performance was visually captivating. The integration of multiple universes provided the flexibility and precision required for Hardy’s high-energy shows.”

Speaking of the role played by one of the fixtures in this highly adaptable rig - the Colorado PXL Bar 16 - Lawrence notes:  “The extensive use of pixel bars was essential for achieving the desired visual effects, enhancing the depth and dynamics of the stage design. They played a crucial role in creating the immersive and cohesive lighting looks throughout the show, washing the stage with soft and flat beams that did not detract from the video content. Hardy and the band liked to huddle together at certain points of the show - finding themselves on the riser set surrounded by PXL Bars created an island full of light for them.”

Hardy’s frequent singalongs were another element that influenced the lighting design, as it required visuals that enhanced audience participation. “The lighting techniques focused on creating an immersive experience to encourage crowd interaction”, says Lawrence. “The small usage of lyrics within the video content helped the audience to sing along to the new music. The use of pixel bars and a cohesive color palette helped in achieving this effect, making the singalongs a memorable part of the concert.”

On the subject of colors, the diversity of the tour’s lighting rig, which included 36 Color Strike Ms, 54 Maverick Storm 1 Hybrids, 28 Rogue R2X Washes, 12 Rogue R3 Washes, and 18 Strike Array 4 blinders, in addition to the PXL Bars, has given Drawdy the opportunity to reflect the music on stage in a broad range of colors.

Following an approach that he describes as “both methodical and intuitive” when selecting his colors, Drawdy’s aim was to create a palette that complemented Hardy’s blend of music. “For songs with emotional depth, such as ‘Wait in the Truck’ featuring Lainey Wilson, I used a base of blue with visual ‘jail bars’, created by using the PXL Bar 16s in CTB”, he says. “The chorus hits were highlighted with CTO, reflecting the song’s themes of justice and confinement and adding intensity to key moments.”

“Conversely, for energetic tracks like ‘Sold Out’, I chose a palette of red and white. These colors captured the rebellious and bold spirit of the song, energizing the audience”, continues Drawdy. “Over the years, I’ve identified certain colors that resonate with specific songs, becoming visual signatures. For example, the themes of pride and rural identity in ‘Rednecker’ are represented with bold green and amber tones, reinforcing its message through visual consistency.”

With new songs incorporated into the setlist for this tour, Drawdy has had the opportunity to experiment with fresh color combinations. For example, the new song “Six Feet Under (Caleigh’s Song)” inspired him to use stark white lighting to emphasize its intense and haunting themes of love, loss, and the afterlife. “The white lighting created a powerful contrast, highlighting the emotional gravity and reflective nature of the lyrics”, he explains. “I also take input from Hardy and the band on what they like to see, ensuring that the visual elements align with their vision and enhance the overall performance.”

Lawrence singles out “Six Feet Under” as one of the show’s highlights for him: “In this song, the video content showed a diamond that bursts, with the pixel bars mimicking the reflections and prismatic rays of light.” Among Drawdy’s favorite looks in the show was the design for “Jim Bob”, a song about a rugged man living life on his own terms. “The dynamic lighting and special effects captured the energy of the song”, he says. “I used a gritty, red color palette and intense lighting effects to mirror the raw and rebellious spirit of the lyrics.”

Another highlight for Lawrence and Drawdy was the level of teamwork that went to making his show a reality. “It takes a team to put together a great show and Hardy has one of the best, thanks to production manager Matt Bevis”, says Lawrence. “Jose Santana provided excellent video programming. Additionally, Terry Park, the pyro programmer, and Rico Lafuente, the pyro operator and special effects lead on the tour, significantly contributed to the success of the production. Matt Geasey and Bryan Siegel of Clear All Visuals were also crucial in the technical production phase.”

Also coming in for praise is Bandit Lites: “My relationship with Bandit Lites began with their former vice president Mike Golden, who gave me my start in Nashville”, says Drawdy. “I’d like to extend a special thanks to our client representative at Bandit, Mike Stanley.”

(Photos: Chauvet Professional)

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