Aktuelle News & Schlagzeilen

Richard Wookie Whitley Engages Fans on Cody Johnson Leather Deluxe Tour

The 19,000-seat Enterprise Center, home of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, is widely regarded as a state-of-the-art facility. Indeed, Pollstar has consistently ranked it as one of the top drawing concert arenas in the USA. But on Friday January 24, a headline in the local St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper declared that the sleek downtown showplace had been "transformed into a honky-tonk."

Such is the infectious feel-good power of Cody Johnson's brand of country music. The multi-platinum CMA award-winning singer is continuing to work this kind of magic at arenas throughout North America, Australia and the UK, between now and the end of the summer on his Leather Deluxe Tour.

Moving right along with Johnson's lively music and charismatic stage persona, while enhancing the goodtime atmosphere, is a high-energy Richard "Wookie" Whitley lighting design, complete with bold fast-moving aerial effects, a compelling video wall backdrop, and (of course) a generous helping of immersive audience lighting that makes it easy for the crowd to join the party.

Helping Wookie with the latter are 34 Strike Array fixtures from Chauvet Professional, which, like the rest of the rig, are supplied by Bandit Lites. Included in this mix are 10 Strike Array 4 blinders on the DS truss, and 24- Strike Array 2 units on the trusses above the stage. The intense output Strike fixtures are flown on an impressively high rig that has a trim of 48-50 feet, depending on the venue, then works its way down in 4-foot increments as it approaches upstage.

"On this tour, we are running our aerial package with the truss flipped," said Wookie. "This gives our spot and profile fixtures clearance while also providing perfect positions for the Strike Arrays. This way they can live in the truss without being removed or moved around, so we save a lot of time with the ins and outs. Also, Cody likes to see the crowd while talking to them and creating moments for all. I wanted to make sure that it was possible for him to do that this year all the way around the room. The Strike Arrays also have given me some really cool marquee style effects that everyone is enjoying."

Speaking of the rig's relatively high trim, Wookie noted that its height makes it easier to incorporate a video wall, which is new to the show this year. "We are using a video wall for different backdrop looks and a few surprises, so we needed to get the rig higher in the air than we had in the past," he explained. "We also wanted to make this rig look huge without taking up a lot of space -- perception is everything this year!"

Although his lighting is creating a festive atmosphere at every venue, Wookie has been dead serious about exploring every nuance of light and color to make his show more effective. For example, he is still "using and loving saturated colors," but has been dabbling in lighter shades as well. "I wanted to get out of my comfort zone this year and it has been a great decision," he said. "Just constantly mixing and figuring out what works or feels right has been quite an adventure and given me some great brain workouts."

Not surprisingly, Wookie has also made sure to reflect the personal elements of every song with distinctive lighting looks. "From lighting one of the band members for a special intro, to accenting a drum break down, or making a solo stand out, we want to support each moment in a unique way," he said, adding that fans will never "see or hear the same thing twice" in the set. By bringing his thoughtful approach to this tour, this designer is ensuring that everyone at this honky-tonk party is having an even better time.

Setlist

That's Texas
Me And My Kind
Dance Her Home
How Do You Sleep At Night?
With You I Am
Dear Rodeo
Nothin' On You
Take It Like A Man
Human
Georgia Peaches
The Fall
People In The Back
I’m Gonna Love You (with Carrie Underwood)
God Bless America (Irving Berlin)
Made In The USA
Dirt Cheap
The Painter
'Til You Can't

Long Haired Country Boy (Charlie Daniels Band)
Travelin' Soldier (The Chicks)

© 1999 - 2025 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories