Cody Johnson is continuing to work his magic at arenas throughout North America, Australia and the UK, between February 2025 and the end of the summer on his Leather Deluxe Tour.
Moving right along with Johnson’s music and stage persona, while enhancing the goodtime atmosphere, is a high-energy Richard “Wookie” Whitley lighting design, complete with bold fast-moving aerial effects, a video wall backdrop, and a helping of audience lighting.
Helping Wookie with the latter are 34 STRIKE Array fixtures from CHAUVET Professional, which, like the rest of the rig, are supplied by Bandit Lites. Included in this mix are 10 Strike Array 4 blinders on the DS truss, and 24- Strike Array 2 units on the trusses above the stage. The intense output STRIKE fixtures are flown on a high rig that has a trim of 48-50 feet, depending on the venue, then works its way down in 4-foot increments as it approaches upstage.
“On this tour, we are running our aerial package with the truss flipped,” said Wookie. “This gives our spot and profile fixtures clearance while also providing perfect positions for the Strike Arrays. This way they can live in the truss without being removed or moved around, so we save a lot of time with the ins and outs.”
“Also, Cody likes to see the crowd while talking to them and creating moments for all,” continued Woolie. “I wanted to make sure that it was possible for him to do that this year all the way around the room. Thanks to the output of the STRIKE Arrays, we can accomplish this very easily. The Strike Arrays also have given me some really cool marquee style effects that everyone is enjoying.”
Speaking of the rig’s relatively high trim, Wookie noted that its height makes it easier to incorporate a video wall, which is new to the show this year. “We are using a video wall for different backdrop looks and a few surprises, so we needed to get the rig higher in the air than we had in the past,” he explained. “We also wanted to make this rig look huge without taking up a lot of space — perception is everything this year!”
Although his lighting is creating a festive atmosphere at every venue, Wookie has been dead serious about exploring every nuance of light and color to make his show more effective. For example, he is still “using and loving saturated colours,” but has been dabbling in lighter shades as well. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone this year and it has been a great decision,” he said. “Just constantly mixing and figuring out what works or feels right has been quite an adventure and given me some great brain workouts.”
Not surprisingly, Wookie has also made sure to reflect the personal elements of every song with distinctive lighting looks. “From lighting one of the band members for a special intro, to accenting a drum break down, or making a solo stand out, we want to support each moment in a unique way,” he said, adding that fans will never “see or hear the same thing twice” in the set.
