USA - Winter Jam recently wrapped their 2025 tour with a lighting system provided by Bandit Lites. Hailed as Christian music’s largest annual tour, the event, founded by Newsong and produced by TPR, featured performances by top artists such as Skillet, Anne Wilson, KB, Colton Dixon, Newsong, Micah Tyler and speaker Zane Black. Admission is a $15 donation at the door, keeping with the tour’s mission of accessibility to all.
“The contemporary Christian music market is near and dear to my heart so this is always a tour I look forward to digging into with Jerry Holcomb and the team,” said Bandit Lites client representative Allen Deneau.
While the previous five years have featured some form of a large LED surface upstage, production designer Jerry Holcomb chose to break up the surfaces into three sections, allowing space for vertical trusses.
The general design had to complement both Skillet and Anne Wilson’s additional set pieces and fixtures. Lighting designer Chris ‘Snooch’ Lighthall positioned three diamonds over the stage leaving open space for pyro for Skillet’s tall flame shots.
“Jerry and his team always have creative and fun designs that go in and out quickly and look big for showtime,” said Deneau. “This three diamonds design was no different. It took some creativity to get it to fit well with the other acts and still be able to get in on time for early doors but in the end, the team made it happen and it looks amazing. This is a fun show with a number of different artists, and watching their LD’s create such awesome and different looks is a realm treat.”
“We ended up moving our upstage trusses a bit to accommodate needed space, but the overall rig shape really accented the Skillet show and set,” said Holcomb. “We had 32 feet of ground/stage level loaded with Tyler GT truss outfitted with the same fixtures as in the diamonds and verticals; it really brought all levels together well.”
Those fixtures included more than 175 Bandit-supplied lights such as Ayrton Khamsin-S, Chauvet Color Strike M, Chauvet Strike Array 4, ACME Pixel Line IP 500, ACME Pixel Line IP 1000, ACME Pulsar S2 as well as two grandMA3 Full consoles for control.
“We liked the LED Pixel Bars,” shared Holcomb. “Having those on the diamonds and well as the verticals helped to accent the design shape. “Snooch recommended we try the Acme Pulsars; they were a cool fixture to add not only for colour, but nice eye candy with their two sides and rotating abilities.”
Winter Jam’s doors would open early for weekend shows with a 2:30 door time on Sundays, meaning the crew had to deliver an arena sized show with a limited set up time. “The crew killed it every show with no delays whatsoever,” said Holcomb. “The crew was amazing as always. Couldn’t ask for better.”
“I’m super proud of the Bandit team getting this rig prepped and ready to go out night after night, making it happen in any venue and under any circumstance,” added Deneau.
