The Crystal Method's 7 Day Tweekend 2001 tour is booked into all sorts of venues, so set/lighting designer Lawrence “Loz” Upton and lighting collaborator Brad Schiller, of High End Systems, put together a scenery and lighting package that is ready for anything the road throws at them. The key items are a dome structure that stretches around the band, and a lighting package that features 10 High End Cyberlight® Turbos with custom Lithopatterns™, 12 High End Studio Beam™ units with custom color-mix wheels, and eight High End x.Spots™, also with custom Lithopatterns.
The dome structure resembles an orchestra shell, with lighting fixtures placed along the outer edge. The interior cyc material provides a canvas for projections from the x.Spots. Schiller, who had two weeks to program the show on the Wholehog® II console, says, “We spent most of this time creating fascinating looks on the cyc with the x.Spots. The electronic strobing capabilities of both the x.Spot and the Studio Beam added a layer of tension that was previously not possible. I defaulted both fixture types in this mode and then created my own shutter strobes when needed.”
The two weeks were spent on the show's primary, or A, rig. For small clubs, a B system was designed, reconfiguring the dome structure. “Using the same truss and fixtures,” says Upton, “the set is rebuilt in a lower configuration to accommodate venues with low ceilings. The projection surface changes from a shell structure to more of a wraparound cyc.” For multiple-band shows, with no changeover time between acts, a C rig was devised, in which the curved arc of the A rig becomes a flat front-of-house truss. The three sides of the stage are draped with white scrim for projections.
In all its various configurations, Upton is very happy with the rig. He is especially pleased with the x.Spots. “It is great to have 21 patterns in each fixture,” he says. “We were able to create unique looks for each of the songs. In fact, I have more looks than a year's subscription to Vogue magazine!”
Also used in the show are two High End F-100™ fog machines. Lighting was supplied by Delicate Productions, with set fabrication by Total Structures, and fabrics by Show International. Other personnel include Andrew Figueroa, lighting crew chief; Todd Gingell, lighting tech; and production stage manager Scott Goodwine. The Crystal Method will be on tour until the end of this month.