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LD Pedron Lights Up At the Drive-In Tour Years in the Making with 4Wall Nashville
Almost ten years before the members of At the Drive-In (also known as ATDI) broke up to create bands like the The Mars Volta and Sparta, they were just teenagers in El Paso, Texas playing in high school gyms and basements. ATDI broke up in 2000 and have been on a tour hiatus ever since. They occasionally would reunite for music festivals, but nothing like this 2016 North American and European tour featuring a lighting design by LD Emmanuelle Gisele Pedron.
Pedron has had a chance to do the lighting design for top names in the industry like Jack White, Queens of the Stone Age, Beck and the late musical legend Prince. As a fan of ATDI, she was excited to embark on this monumental moment in this post-hardcore band's history.
Pedron spoke of the excitement in joining the 2016 tour.
"I have always been a really big fan of At the Drive-In. I still can't believe I was chosen to be the LD of the tour and light the shows night after night."
Pedron was given full creative control of the lighting design which allowed each show to be slightly different given there was no timecode for any performances on tour.
"The band wanted a lighting design that reflected how organic and deep their music can be. It's a really high energy show that's very tense and on edge. I would just let them tell their story on stage and follow it. There was absolutely no timecode for the show, it's a performance on stage and at the FOH."
Her design was compact and efficient with the thought in mind that it can be setup in 25 minutes.
She also designed a rig with the essentials needed to accommodate different size venues throughout the tour.
"With the help of 4Wall Nashville, especially Max Lennox, this setup is basically plug and play, five towers and one socapex," explained Pedron. "The 5 towers were each equipped with two TMB Solaris Flare Jr., two Clay Paky Mythos, and one Clay Paky Stormy. It was really easy to scale down in smaller, challenging venues."
Pedron went with the Clay Paky Mythos because she really enjoyed the versatility of the fixture.
"The blue is really great and it works well as a spot, beam, and wash. It's the Swiss Army Knife of lights," she explained.
The LD was also satisfied with the brightness and functionality of the TMB Solaris Flare Jr, as well as its ability to function as a bright wash and strobe at the same time.
Pedron spoke highly about the chance she had to be a part of this band's historical tour:
"Being the LD for At the Drive-In is a memorable moment in itself. Seeing venues packed with people that have been waiting sixteen years to see and hear their favorite band was a special feeling. It was very emotional every night and I'm glad to have been part of it."
For more information on LD Emmanuelle Gisele Pedron, visit her website.
For more information on At the Drive-In, visit their official site.
Photos by: Gail Fountain
Cover photo by: Jonathan Pirro / Spinning Platters