Chris and Lacy dive into the soulful stage design of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ South of Here Tour. Explore how Jeremy Roth’s use of Elation’s SŌl I Blinders fused retro flair and cutting-edge tech for maximum emotional impact. Plus, get the rundown on the SŌl I Blinder’s features.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:19):
All right, welcome back to Geezers of Gear Future Tech.
I'm Chris, and as always, I'm joined by Lacey.
Today we're diving into the Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night
Sweat South of Here tour, and honestly, this one's a treat for
anyone who loves a bit of vintage soul on stage.
Hey, everyone. Yeah, Chris, this tour was all
about that old school vibe, but with some really clever modern
(00:41):
twist. Jeremy Roth, the lighting
designer, went for this super soulful, almost understated
look. It's not your typical arena show
with lasers and wild chases everywhere.
Exactly. Roth's approach was all about
emotion through simplicity. He leaned into static looks,
limited colour palettes, and these really gradual intensity
(01:02):
builds. It's almost like he wanted the
audience to feel the music before they even noticed the
lights changing. I mean, it's a bit of a
throwback, isn't it? Reminds me of the days when less
was more and you let the band and the mood do the heavy
lifting. Totally.
And you could feel it backstage too.
There was this one moment duringSurvivor.
I was standing with the crew andeveryone was just waiting for
(01:24):
that big shift. The whole show had been these
warm gentle looks. And then suddenly, BAM, the soul
eye blinders hit full intensity,cold, white, right on the horns.
It was like, whoa, OK, now we'reawake.
Even the crew was grinning like,did you see that?
That's the power of holding back, right?
You keep things subtle, and thenwhen you finally let loose, it's
(01:47):
so much more impactful. Roth's use of those slow builds
and static positions, Honestly, it's a master class in
restraint. The soul eye blinders were at
the heart of it all, but we'll get to those in a second.
Yeah, and I love that he didn't just stick to one look.
He'd shift from these warm tungsteny vibes to deep Blues or
(02:08):
even the occasional pop of teal or UV.
It kept the show feeling fresh, but still really cohesive.
It's like you don't need a million colors to make a
statement, you just need the right ones at the right time.
Roth's design here is a perfect example of that philosophy in
lighting. So Roth picked the elation Soul
blinders for their throwback look.
Fresnel lens, high CRI, that round bevel on the front, it's
(02:32):
got that classic vibe. But under the hood it's all
modern tech. I mean, 250 watts of R GB LAWLE
D / 9000 lumens and a color range from 1800 K to 8500 K
That's wild. That's.
Yeah, and he said he could mix really convincing tungsten in
them, which is perfect for Nathaniel's music.
(02:53):
I'm not a gearhead, but even I can tell when a light just feels
right for the mood. And these could do those warm
vintage looks, but then suddenlystrobe you with cold white.
It's like surprise. It's.
That's the thing, back in my early days we had these big
heavy tungsten blinders. They were hot, they were power
hungry and you had to replace lamps all the time, but they had
(03:16):
this beautiful slow dimming curve.
The Soul lie blinder nails that with it's dim to warm emulation
and delayed response curves. It's not just on off, it's got
that natural fade which is so important for fader control.
I might be biased but I think this is the best of both worlds.
Nostalgia and reliability, but without the headaches.
(03:38):
And the mounting options? Brown Note Productions actually
built a custom system for the tour so the souls could frame
the video walls perfectly. I heard they were used for like
90% of the show but usually at just 5 or 10% intensity.
That's wild to me. So much punch, but you barely
need to tap into it most of the time.
Yeah, and the R GB LAW array means you're not just stuck with
(04:00):
white or amber. You've got a full spectrum plus
CMY emulation, virtual gel library and all sorts of
effects. And it's IP65 rated, so you can
take it outdoors, rain or shine.I mean, I remember when you'd be
terrified to get your blinders wet.
Now it's just, yeah, throw it onthe truck.
It's funny because even though it's all this new tech, the
(04:22):
audience just sees that classic warm glow.
Unless of course you hit them with a strobe at the end of
Survivor, then they definitely notice.
And that's the magic, isn't it? You get all the reliability and
flexibility of modern fixtures, but you can still deliver those
nostalgic moments. It's a bit like what we saw with
the Rebel profile a few episodesback.
(04:44):
Rugged, modern, but still gives you that classic feel when you
want it. So let's talk about how Brown
Note Productions made all this work.
They've been with Nathaniel since the early days, and for
this tour they actually bought the saw blinders just for Roth's
design. That's some serious commitment
to the creative vision. Absolutely, and they didn't just
buy the gear, they engineered custom mounting so the soles
(05:07):
could be perfectly spaced aroundthe video walls.
That's not always easy, especially when you're playing
everything from big arenas to smaller venues.
The rig had to be scalable, and the Souls modular design made
that possible. You can use them as single
cells, 2 or 4 cell blinders, or link a bunch together for
effects panels. It's almost like building with
(05:27):
Lego, but for lighting designers.
And it's not just about the looks either.
The flexibility meant they couldadapt the show for different
venues without losing the vibe. I heard on the Taking Back
Sunday tour, Eric Price used thesoles for these surprise color
blasts. Like you'd get this Moody, warm
look and then suddenly bam, saturated color out of nowhere.
(05:50):
It really keeps the audience on their toes.
Yeah, and the integration with video was clever too.
The Souls frame, the screen, so you got this picture frame
effect that tied the whole stagetogether.
And with all the mounting options, Bowens adapters, yokes,
interconnects, you can get really creative.
It's not just a blinder, it's a design tool.
(06:11):
I mean, we've seen a lot of modularity in recent gear, but
it's great to see it in lightingtoo.
And the best part? They're roadworthy, Roth said.
They didn't have to replace a single unit the whole tour.
That's saying something, especially with how much they
were used. Even for the scaled down fall
leg, the soles are sticking around.
They're just that essential to the show's energy.
(06:32):
It's a great example of how the right gear, the right team and a
bit of creative thinking can make a tour really stand out.
Whether you're after vintage vibes or modern flexibility, the
Elation's Soul Eye blinder seemsto tick all the boxes.
All right, that's all for this week's episode, Lacey.
Always a pleasure chatting gear and gigs with you.
You too, Chris. Thanks everyone for listening.
(06:54):
We'll be back soon with more stories from the road and the
latest in live event tech. See you next time.
Cheers everyone, take care. Future tech is here.
Come on. We make the specs so clear.
(07:14):
Oh, la, la with music to your ears.
Hey, hey. Yeah.
Let's go. New gear vibes, new tech jive
gear hits unite. We keep it live.
Oh yeah, the lunar ski.
All right, welcome back to Geezers of Gear Future Tech.
I'm Chris, and as always, I'm joined by Lacey.
Today we're diving into the Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night
Sweat South of Here tour, and honestly, this one's a treat for
anyone who loves a bit of vintage soul on stage.
Hey, everyone. Yeah, Chris, this tour was all
about that old school vibe, but with some really clever modern
(00:41):
twist. Jeremy Roth, the lighting
designer, went for this super soulful, almost understated
look. It's not your typical arena show
with lasers and wild chases everywhere.
Exactly. Roth's approach was all about
emotion through simplicity. He leaned into static looks,
limited colour palettes, and these really gradual intensity
(01:02):
builds. It's almost like he wanted the
audience to feel the music before they even noticed the
lights changing. I mean, it's a bit of a
throwback, isn't it? Reminds me of the days when less
was more and you let the band and the mood do the heavy
lifting. Totally.
And you could feel it backstage too.
There was this one moment duringSurvivor.
I was standing with the crew andeveryone was just waiting for
(01:24):
that big shift. The whole show had been these
warm gentle looks. And then suddenly, BAM, the soul
eye blinders hit full intensity,cold, white, right on the horns.
It was like, whoa, OK, now we'reawake.
Even the crew was grinning like,did you see that?
That's the power of holding back, right?
You keep things subtle, and thenwhen you finally let loose, it's
(01:47):
so much more impactful. Roth's use of those slow builds
and static positions, Honestly, it's a master class in
restraint. The soul eye blinders were at
the heart of it all, but we'll get to those in a second.
Yeah, and I love that he didn't just stick to one look.
He'd shift from these warm tungsteny vibes to deep Blues or
(02:08):
even the occasional pop of teal or UV.
It kept the show feeling fresh, but still really cohesive.
It's like you don't need a million colors to make a
statement, you just need the right ones at the right time.
Roth's design here is a perfect example of that philosophy in
lighting. So Roth picked the elation Soul
blinders for their throwback look.
Fresnel lens, high CRI, that round bevel on the front, it's
(02:32):
got that classic vibe. But under the hood it's all
modern tech. I mean, 250 watts of R GB LAWLE
D / 9000 lumens and a color range from 1800 K to 8500 K
That's wild. That's.
Yeah, and he said he could mix really convincing tungsten in
them, which is perfect for Nathaniel's music.
(02:53):
I'm not a gearhead, but even I can tell when a light just feels
right for the mood. And these could do those warm
vintage looks, but then suddenlystrobe you with cold white.
It's like surprise. It's.
That's the thing, back in my early days we had these big
heavy tungsten blinders. They were hot, they were power
hungry and you had to replace lamps all the time, but they had
(03:16):
this beautiful slow dimming curve.
The Soul lie blinder nails that with it's dim to warm emulation
and delayed response curves. It's not just on off, it's got
that natural fade which is so important for fader control.
I might be biased but I think this is the best of both worlds.
Nostalgia and reliability, but without the headaches.
(03:38):
And the mounting options? Brown Note Productions actually
built a custom system for the tour so the souls could frame
the video walls perfectly. I heard they were used for like
90% of the show but usually at just 5 or 10% intensity.
That's wild to me. So much punch, but you barely
need to tap into it most of the time.
Yeah, and the R GB LAW array means you're not just stuck with
(04:00):
white or amber. You've got a full spectrum plus
CMY emulation, virtual gel library and all sorts of
effects. And it's IP65 rated, so you can
take it outdoors, rain or shine.I mean, I remember when you'd be
terrified to get your blinders wet.
Now it's just, yeah, throw it onthe truck.
It's funny because even though it's all this new tech, the
(04:22):
audience just sees that classic warm glow.
Unless of course you hit them with a strobe at the end of
Survivor, then they definitely notice.
And that's the magic, isn't it? You get all the reliability and
flexibility of modern fixtures, but you can still deliver those
nostalgic moments. It's a bit like what we saw with
the Rebel profile a few episodesback.
(04:44):
Rugged, modern, but still gives you that classic feel when you
want it. So let's talk about how Brown
Note Productions made all this work.
They've been with Nathaniel since the early days, and for
this tour they actually bought the saw blinders just for Roth's
design. That's some serious commitment
to the creative vision. Absolutely, and they didn't just
buy the gear, they engineered custom mounting so the soles
(05:07):
could be perfectly spaced aroundthe video walls.
That's not always easy, especially when you're playing
everything from big arenas to smaller venues.
The rig had to be scalable, and the Souls modular design made
that possible. You can use them as single
cells, 2 or 4 cell blinders, or link a bunch together for
effects panels. It's almost like building with
(05:27):
Lego, but for lighting designers.
And it's not just about the looks either.
The flexibility meant they couldadapt the show for different
venues without losing the vibe. I heard on the Taking Back
Sunday tour, Eric Price used thesoles for these surprise color
blasts. Like you'd get this Moody, warm
look and then suddenly bam, saturated color out of nowhere.
(05:50):
It really keeps the audience on their toes.
Yeah, and the integration with video was clever too.
The Souls frame, the screen, so you got this picture frame
effect that tied the whole stagetogether.
And with all the mounting options, Bowens adapters, yokes,
interconnects, you can get really creative.
It's not just a blinder, it's a design tool.
(06:11):
I mean, we've seen a lot of modularity in recent gear, but
it's great to see it in lightingtoo.
And the best part? They're roadworthy, Roth said.
They didn't have to replace a single unit the whole tour.
That's saying something, especially with how much they
were used. Even for the scaled down fall
leg, the soles are sticking around.
They're just that essential to the show's energy.
(06:32):
It's a great example of how the right gear, the right team and a
bit of creative thinking can make a tour really stand out.
Whether you're after vintage vibes or modern flexibility, the
Elation's Soul Eye blinder seemsto tick all the boxes.
All right, that's all for this week's episode, Lacey.
Always a pleasure chatting gear and gigs with you.
You too, Chris. Thanks everyone for listening.
(06:54):
We'll be back soon with more stories from the road and the
latest in live event tech. See you next time.
Cheers everyone, take care. Future tech is here.
Come on. We make the specs so clear.
(07:14):
Oh, la, la with music to your ears.
Hey, hey. Yeah.
Let's go. New gear vibes, new tech jive
gear hits unite. We keep it live.
Oh yeah, the lunar ski.
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