Kansas ‘Carries On’ With Bandit Lites

The “Dust in the Wind” super group is currently gearing up for the celebratory fall tour (which will feature the entirety of “Leftoverture” performed in sequence, in addition to other hits and new songs) with a spring tour that included a lighting package from Bandit Lites.

American rock band Kansas is about to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the multi-platinum album “Leftoverture” right on the heels of the release of a brand new album “Prelude Implicit,” their first album since 2000.

Lighting director Scott Pearson took special care to make sure the look of the show was one that both the band and the audience would recognize, buy using Bandit supplied Martin MAC Viper Profiles and GRNLite LED battens all controlled by a Martin M6 console. Combining those with local 120k, 8 racks ACLs, ellipsoidals, blinders and spots, Pearson describes the look of the lighting as “a nice punchy rock show.”

“I chose the Vipers for the punch and the gobo system,” he added. “The LED battens are being used to light different elements of our set, lekos are for specials and isolation, and ACLs are just a fun must have!”

“When I first meet with Scott he already had his vision and fixtures all laid out for the look of the show,” said Bandit’s Client Representative Shawn Lear. “We worked on schedule for the tour, rehearsals and transitioning to the Fall Leg. Scott chose the Mac Viper Profile for floor and air projection and decided to go with the GRN RGBWA LED Batten to light the US backdrop. This offered substantial coverage and a vast pallet in vivid color.”

This spring leg provided Pearson more creative leeway, with the special directions being saved for the anniversary tour this fall. “Phil Ehart (drummer/band manager) approached me with this idea last year, and the way he’d like to see the show flow, as well as certain elements he’d like to see… All of which will be revealed in the fall,” he finished coyly. (Check KansasBand.com for dates).  

One singular challenge for this tour that Pearson worked around was creating a lighting design that would work with a member of the band who is visually impaired.

“His comfort on stage is the most important thing to me,” said Pearson, “and using different angles with ellipsoidals has been the way to go.”

“Working with Scott has been absolutely first-rate,” finished Lear adding, “He is very passionate about this tour and knows what he wants. I look forward to see what’s next with Scott and the rock band, Kansas!”

“My experience at Bandit has been nothing short of amazing,” expounded Pearson. “The attention to detail is very impressive, down the labels on the cases. I see long future with Bandit.”

www.BanditLites.com