Elite Multimedia Helps Gary Allan Fans See, Hear, and Feel the Music

	Elite Multimedia tours with Gary Allan. Photo: Eric Adkins

With five number one singles, fourteen top ten hits, and over 270 million streams to his name, multi-platinum EMI Nashville recording artist Gary Allan has long been admired by fans and music industry insiders for his unwavering uniqueness in country music today. Currently on tour supporting his new single, "Do You Wish It Was Me?," Allan remains dedicated to bringing the most heart-felt live performance to each of his shows. Production manager Brandon Quisberg understands the commitment needed to make sure every fan walks away knowing they experienced the best show possible, and they are doing so with a lighting and LED video rig supplied by Nashville-based tour provider Elite Multimedia.

"I am currently in the middle of my third year with Gary Allan where I started out as the lighting director and then also took on the role as production manager last year," began Quisberg. "I've been blessed with a great relationship with Gary and we often speak about how we can make the live experience the best it can be for the fans. Understanding what we technically need to bring the vision to life, we then have to find a trusted tour provider, and this is our third year working with Elite Multimedia because they have the latest and greatest gear to help us accomplish exactly what we need."

Getting started on the production design, Quisberg knew right away that LED video, along with a series of versatile luminaires, would be needed to highlight the musicality of Allan which speaks directly to his fans.

Quisberg explained further, "In our previous design we went without LED video and we felt like the audience was missing out on that visual experience and we wanted it back into the mix, but we still had to keep the focus on the music. To help bring it all together, the lighting needed to provide us with deep, beautiful looks, but with less special effects so that the focus stays on the music."

Now, knowing exactly how the design will work to accentuate the music, Quisberg must also keep in mind how the production rig will travel. To make sure he is not overlooking any logistical challenges, he next consults with stage manager Alex Stegall to finalize the tour design.

"After I complete the production design drawings, I get with Alex, who is one of the best in the business, to go over any logistical concerns he might have so that we are all on the same page from day one. From being a headliner and making sure we can accommodate multiple opening acts, to being one of many acts on a festival day, we don't necessarily have the luxury of multiple trucks, but we have to be able to fill all types of venues no matter which stop on the tour might be next."

With everyone on board with the new tour design, Quisberg got to work identifying the ideal lighting and LED video solutions from the extensive Elite Multimedia inventory.

He continued, "For the physical layout of the tour, we are using 40' sticks of GT Tyler truss with an overhead rig that includes Philips Vari-Lite VL3000 and Clay Paky Sharpy automated luminaires, Philips LED NITRO strobes, a PixelFLEX LED FLEXCurtain HD video wall, and eight custom LED tubes. We then have three risers for our band, so we placed Elation Professional CuePix panels in front of and behind each riser, with more NITRO strobes and some additional LED fixtures scattered around the stage floor to give the tour a unique feel. When looking at the whole design, I really like the combined capabilities of the living fixtures. It gives me the opportunity to think outside the box and I get to use the fixtures in ways that I may never have thought before."

Out on the road with the show, Quisberg is now getting to see first-hand how the new tour design is being enjoyed by energetic fans across North America. Working from the front-of-house, he knows that while the music is the most important part of the night, nothing would be possible without the production support behind it.

"In speaking with Gary, he has heard stories of people listening to his music to cope with difficult times in their lives, but then also to celebrate some of their happiest times as well," concluded Quisberg. "With his tour designs, our main focus is always to make sure that each fan has the full experience to hear, see, and feel the music. We have to have the right gear and support to make this happen and Elite Multimedia is a company that can take a smaller tour and grow with you until you are a 30-truck stadium show. But then on the other side, if you're already a stadium headliner, they also have the gear and knowledge to match your budget and production design, and that is exactly the type of tour provider we need."

For more information on Gary Allan or to get a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.garyallan.com.