The equipment was specified by the band's longtime lighting designer Fenton Williams and supplied by Theatrical Media Services Inc. (TMS) of Omaha, Nebraska.
Williams, who is also the overall visual designer for the tour, acts as co-lighting operator for the shows running one grandMA2 full-size while Aaron Stinebrink from TMS runs the second desk. "Fenton is very active and likes to augment on the fly during the show," says TMS's Pete Franks who serves as system crew chief on the road. "That's why there are two consoles always operating front of house - and there's a grandMA2 light on hand for back up. All are networked together and can control lighting and the Green Hippo Hippotizer."
Franks notes that Williams transitioned to the grandMA2 after almost a decade of using grandMA 'series 1' consoles. "We never considered using another brand when looking for a new console," he says. "The new units are great with much more functionality. We've had no failure with the new units since we started using them."
(Jim Evans)
