Bandit Lites recently redesigned the lighting at the Bayou Music Centre in Houston, Texas. The space, which opened in 1997, has hosted talent ranging from Etta James and James Brown to Fall Out Boy and The Killers.
The venue's existing house grid did not lend itself to many lighting or house ambiance options, as it held mercury vapour fixtures with gel attached and was both too big and heavy to articulate. Additionally, the stage system was a modest 120k rig and in need of an update. Bandit gutted the entire stage and house lighting systems from rigging down, and in five days, installed a completely new, dynamic lighting system.
"The idea going in was to remove this structure and replace it with something we could use to transform the room for various events," explained Bandit's Roth Edwards. "They can lower the truss grid to close in the space and make it more intimate for meetings and banquets; fly it out for sold out shows, or hang drapes or scenic pieces for themed events."
Bandit worked with the facility to provide a cost-effective, diverse system that was very low maintenance. Bandits' GRN Pars and GRN Moving Washes reduce power consumption by 90 percent and lower the heat output caused by other fixtures, translating into tremendous energy costs and a more comfortable environment for artists and guests.
Edwards, Dizzy Gosnell and Chris Barbee worked together to design a system that would work for both the house needs and the needs of touring acts as they passed through the popular venue. Edwards and crew chief Wayne Lotoza worked on site with the Bayou Centre crew to install the system. While there, they had the opportunity to light architectural aspects of the building to make it more accommodating to special events.
"The challenge of this design was to create a rig that transformed the aesthetics of the space but still maintained versatility and functionality," Barbee explained. "The all LED rig will keep maintenance to a minimum and allow for a much broader color palate for the variety of events hosted at the Bayou."
