Bandit Lites Powers TobyMac, MercyMe, and Zach Williams with Lighting for Fall Tour TobyMac, MercyMe and Zach Williams, three of Christian music's most popular acts, teamed up for a concert tour illuminated with Bandit Lites. "When we had the dream of bringing these artists together, we knew it would be big, but we had no idea just how big," shares Dan Fife, president and founder of Awakening Events in a press release. "The response was unprecedented and the demand from fans for more dates was impossible to ignore." "Being a huge fan of all three of these acts made a challenging opportunity a lot of fun," says client representative Allen Deneau. "All three camps are absolute professionals and very easy to work with, which made the process much easier. Putting together a great lighting rig to accommodate three headline acts, on the same stage, is not always easy but, their willingness to entertain options and suggestions was just what we needed." Bandit Lites provided 288' of Tyler Truss as well as more than 250 fixtures for the tour including Ayrton Khamsin-S, CHAUVET Professional Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, CHAUVET Color STRIKE M, CHAUVET STRIKE Array 2, Elation KL CYC L, and ADJ Jolt Bar FX2. Bandit also supplied three RoboSpot systems and two grandMA2 full consoles for control. "We wanted a versatile rig that really popped for the artists and still accommodated three different headline acts that came together for this tour and have their own looks and way of programming," says Dennis Stone, executive production manager and advance. "I love the selection we have from which to choose here at Bandit, where we can meet expectations and budgets, and create a great lighting package for our clients," says Deneau. "The fixtures they chose for their design were perfect. Plenty of punch and eye candy, but never shying away from keeping things lit so the fans can see their favorite artists." In selecting fixtures for the tour, the team sought multifunctionality to accommodate the various styles and tastes of the artists. The Khamsin-S fixtures offered a hearty profile for the base, while the Maverick Storm 2 beamwashes provided a good base of color to both fill the rig out (and include the fun ring addition.) "We chose the Strike Ms for the punch and pixels, and the ADJ jolt bars provided eye candy and even more pixels," explains Stone. "The jolts are good bang for the buck, and the moles were used to light the audience and for warmer looks. I think it was a great mix of fixtures and allowed for versatility among the three artists. Additionally, one act utilized a boutique lighting console, a feature Deneau made sure would integrate seamlessly with the overall system with LD Carter Fulghum's expertise. "It's a true pleasure working with these teams, they are great at what they do," Deneau says. "The programming was amazing and while they shared the same exact lighting rig, minus their own floor additions, each act had their own vibe which accentuated what was happening on stage." "Allen helped us figure out a solution and all worked like a charm," says Stone. "The rig was prepped very well and organized. The Bandit crew was easy to work with and very accommodating." "None of this is possible without the stellar work of our Bandit team," shares Deneau. "Donnie and the crew prepped the rig to our usual Bandit standards and made the process as easy as possible. Carter, Carter, Jemma, and Zach, our team on the road was superb and made it look easy. I am thrilled to have played a small role in the success of this tour, and I'm looking forward to working with them all again." "Allen Deneau is great," finishes Stone. "He walked through this with us in keeping three different headline artist camps happy, which is not always an easy task. I also think the communication with Bandit was excellent." 
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