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CAR SEAT HEADREST
The Scholars Tour 2025
Designer // Programmer // Visuals // Operator
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The Scholars Tour 2025 featured two distinct productions: one designed for the headline dates in theaters and amphitheaters, and another built for a run of festival shows, most of which took place in daylight slots. The band wanted each environment to have its own identity—delivering a more traditional lighting-driven show for the headline dates, and a video-focused show for the festivals.
Starting with the headline shows, the band stressed an emphasis on simplicity. Because these dates were all fly-ins and one-offs, the budget was tight and our ability to incorporate custom or scenic elements was limited. Any custom pieces also needed to be minimal and environmentally conscious, producing little to no waste and remaining reusable after the tour, either by the band or by someone else.
The album, The Scholars, is a rock opera, theatrically rich and with a variety of characters within its story. I knew that developing a design that reflected this theme would be crucial for this production. Musically, the songs are strongly influenced by classic and progressive rock such as music by Pink Floyd, The Who, and David Bowie, so it was important to create something that would have the feel of a classic rock show at times, while also embodying elements from the album's story.
The solution was to use four metal mesh backdrop sections hanging upstage, a classic setpiece often seen in rock shows. Their wrinkles and impefections, exentuated by uplighting, create interesting texture behind the band and help the stage feel larger. The backdrops loosely resemble rock walls or tree trunks, tying into the storyline of The Scholars, in which all the characters are animals. Crucially, these pieces could be rolled up and fit in just a couple of checked bags, meeting the band's goal of minimizing additional luggage for travel.
Using one leko per mesh section, we projected custom gobos of silhouettes representing different characters from the album. This element became a defining feature of the show, giving it a unique and memorable personality. We could highlight indivdual characters that appear in specific songs, or reveal the whole ensemble for larger moments. At times, these projections added a spooky feel to the songs, and at others, a sense of unity. This super simple, budget-friendly idea was easy to fly with, and added a great deal of character to the show.
A single strip of Pixel Lines behind the band added a dense, even backlight, while also bringing dynamic eye-candy effects and strobe. Eight high-powered profiles were positioned behind the mesh (or in front when venue space was limited) projecting their beams through the screens. Six wash fixtures were placed sidestage for an even side wash. The more upstage wash lights could also be used to highlight Will, the singer, at specific moments that required extra drama. Since these lights were positioned slighly behind him, they could cast harsher shadows on his face for the more moody moments of the set (see images below for this effect).
Downstage Side Wash
Upstage Side Wash
For the festival shows, we were not going to bring a lighting package since most of these performances were taking place during daylight. Instead, the band wanted to encorporate live video effects on the festival video and IMAG screens.
We purchased some low-cost camcorders to suppliment the festival IMAG cameras, giving us full control over specific angles and views of the musicians cast on the screens. I used Notch to program the live camera effects in real time.
Drawing inspiration from themes and artwork from the album, the visuals featured band members outlined on paper, as if illustrated in a storybook, as well as TV static and glitch effects reminiscent of old tube televisions to give somewhat of a retro feel. Additional effects were timed and executed in sync with the music, enhancing the overall experience.
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The design for the headline shows consisted of:
- (16) Acme Pixel Line IP
- (8) VL2600 Profile
- (6) Martin MAC Aura XB
- (4) Chauvet Ovation Reve E-3
- (4) Metal Mesh Backdrop Panels by Sew What
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