Bandit Lights Austin City Limits Festival

	Austin City Limits

It was a festival too epic for just one weekend as the 14th Annual Austin City Limit's Music Festival rocked out with over 140 artists and an estimated 450,000 attendees. Bandit Lites provided the festival lighting system for the sold out event, where acts included Drake, The Foo Fighters, The Weeknd, The Strokes, and Of Monsters and Men.

American rock group The Foo Fighters kicked off both epic weekends on the Samsung Galaxy Stage, bringing in their own touring system. Bandit provided an artist backdrop for the daytime opening acts, a motor/truss system for Tame Impala's video wall and six Lycian M2 Followspots at front-of-house.

"Once the Foo Fighters were loaded out, we hung 54 motors for Drake and flew his system for Saturday night's show," said project manager Shawn Lear. "When Drake's load out was finished, our crew brought in the Bandit supplied Strokes system with additional trusses for daytime and opening acts to use."

For the duration of the festival, Bandit provided eight Arena Colors to light the side PA scrims, with VL 3500s hitting the top stage banner. Included in the package was key light for the hearing impaired sections and a Grand MA1 series console.

Bandit also brought lighting for ACL Fest's Honda Stage, where 40 motors were pre-rigged for English electronic music duo Disclosure's system to fly from, and for daytime acts to use a portion of their system during the bands performance.

"Once Disclosure was out, Bandit supplied festival lighting systems consisting of four trusses with two side positions," added Lear. "Lighting designer Seth Jackson chose to go with the robust VL 3500's Wash and Spot fixtures to fill the stage, while Sharpys and Atomic Strobes provided effect for hits and texture throughout the performances. Thirteen 8 light mole fays provided adequate audience light and punch, and at FOH, Bandit supplied two Grand MA2 Full series console with NPU's networked for the festival system and touring acts."

For Deadmau5's set on the second night of the festival, Bandit brought additional motors, while alternative R&B revolutionary The Weeknd played under the festival system and used additional Bandit motors for his upstage video wall.

Working with premiere event production company C3 Presents, this is the second year Bandit has provided the lighting for ACL Fest.

"The team at C3 Presents is one of the most professional units I have the pleasure of working with," said Bandit's vice president Mike Golden. "Their commitment to creating a successful event makes them a vital collaborative partner to us."

With the festival taking place over the course of two consecutive weekends, Bandit's crew made weather provisions for Bandit's equipment. The following Thursday morning, they arose early to stage rigging and get everything back in order to do it all over again, making the second weekend just as stellar as the first. Crew included crew chief Shawn Worlow, crew chief Jeff Archibeque, lighting director Steve Hoover, crew chief Carter Harris, lighting director Teresa Porterfield-Fensler, and techs Adam McIntosh, Matt McBride, Andrew James, and Chase Bosworth.