Country singer/songwriter Jamie Lee Thurston has travelled a long and winding road since his first performance at age three in the Green Hill Mountains, sitting on the lap of his father, the legendary local bandleader Jimmy T Thurston. After a brief stint-playing guitar for the family band, the gravelly voiced singer struck out on his own, first to LA and then Nashville. A couple of hits came next, followed by success as a songwriter, penning tunes like Rodney Atkins’ Top 20 single “15 Minutes.” Then there was a Warner Bros. contract and endless road tours.
Recently, the Vermont native returned home to perform a concert at Burlington’s Higher Ground music hall. Welcoming him was a warm, immersive light show created by Kyle Rose that drew upon the intense colours and gobo capabilities of 34 Rogue series fixtures from Chauvet Professional.
“We wanted to create a big statement, since Jamie Lee and his dad are legendary in this area,” said Rose. “The Rogues were ideal for this purpose, because they pack a lot of punch for their size. Throughout the show, we used a lot of CTO and prism. We also had a lot of big slow movements from position to position for dramatic effects.”
Rose positioned eight Rogue R1 Spot fixtures; two apiece on four cases each with attached 3’ bars. This arrangement allowed him to create aerial beam effects at different eye levels. It also preserved a clear sightline to the stage’s Jamie Lee Thurston banner background.
An additional eight Rogue R1 Spot fixtures were flown on upstage truss. Drawing on the dual gobo wheels of these fixtures, Rose added depth to the stage with big breakup gobos. “We like the looks that the gobos gave us,” he said. “We also shot a lot of big beams in the air.”
In addition to the Rogue R1 Spot fixtures, Rose’s rig included 12 Rogue R1 Washes and six Rogue R2 Washes. He flew these fixtures in alternate patterns on upstage and downstage truss, relying on them for sweeps and to wash the stage in a variety of colours.
“There was a lot going on during Jamie Lee’s performance – a lot of different moods conveyed in his songs,” said Rose. “Sometimes he was rocking country and at others he had softer moments on the piano. Wherever he went, our rig was versatile enough to follow.”
