Driven by the restrictions placed on gigs, theatres and cinemas, the drive-in movie is experiencing a 2020 revival in – but not to catch the latest Hollywood blockbuster. A case in point, Sully Erna and Aaron Lewis – frontmen for the hard rock bands Godsmack and Staind – recently completed their American Drive-In Tour, a 13-date, coast-to-coast US run of ‘unplugged’ concerts, many of which were staged in classic 1950s-era outdoor cinemas.
To best reinforce every acoustic musical nuance and every word of intimate banter between these ‘old friends’ of 25 years, Denver-based concert sound company Brown Note Productions (BNP) chose to carry an L-Acoustics K2 system for the tour.
Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP), the promoter behind popular festivals like Sacramento’s Aftershock, Daytona Beach’s Rockville and Louisville’s Trifesta (Bourbon & Beyond, Hometown Rising and Louder Than Life), The American Drive-In Tour ran from early October to early November. Marking the first time that these two musicians have shared a stage, each stop of the nationwide trek featured an impromptu set list of each artists’ hits, choice covers, accompanied by anecdotes and laughs.
According to Brown Note Productions President Ryan Knutson, the choice of PA was simple yet elegantly effective: arrays of eight L-Acoustics K2 were flown on each side of the stage, while eight KS28 subs were horizontally spread out in linear arrangement on the ground below. Two ARCS Wide, one each at the far left and right corners of the stage, delivered coverage to two small VIP areas, and the entire system was driven via LA-Rak II touring racks loaded with LA12X amplified controllers.
‘I made the decision to use K2 for its flexibility in pattern control, provided by Panflex, as well as its versatility to be deployed as either a single-point-hang or ground-stacked system based on what was needed each night,’ Knutson says. ‘With only three guys on stage – Aaron and Sully, plus a third guitarist that Sully has recorded with on his solo projects – the stages were relatively small, so K2’s light weight, compact profile, and high output were also key reasons that we carried the system.’
‘The drive-ins and other venues were all essentially big outdoor parking lots, so using the Soundvision program predictions along with analyser software and multiple measurement mics always achieved the desired end result – which was a powerful, beautiful-sounding rig for FOH Engineer Jeff Gilmer,’ notes Brown Note Productions System Engineer, Matt Brown. ‘Jeff has been both Aaron Lewis and Staind’s engineer for 20 years, and he consistently delivered a great mix every night. And everyone was all smiles at the end of each show.’
