Summertime 2023 Tour Takes Adaptive System Approach
At this point in their storied career, it seems that SoCal reggae rock legends Slightly Stoopid can conquer any stage and captivate any audience you put in front of them. After all, their early punk rock ethos of playing anywhere to anyone has propelled the storied seven-piece to their coveted status as international headliners, consistently hungry to bring their unique concoction of reggae, rock, folk, punk and hip-hop pretty much anywhere.
For the much-anticipated Summertime 2023 Tour, the band once again enlisted a diverse and deadly lineup of friends — in this case reggae mainstays The Movement, hip-hop duo Atmosphere and the equally legendary Sublime with Rome — and hit the road for 32 shows in 31 cities.
And just like several of their preceding runs, they booked myriad venues across the U.S. — this time ranging from a street festival in Pittsburgh to a pair of sold-out dates at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre to their biggest headlining show to date at Petco Park in their native San Diego.
Considering the wide range of venues — not to mention the wide range of styles and sources across the full lineup — Slightly Stoopid’s production team spec’d a Trinity Black robotic line source system from PK Sound, designed and deployed by Florida’s Vivid Sky Productions.
The System
Based in Gainesville, FL, Vivid Sky Productions is a full-service live production provider and entertainment company. The firm joined the PK Alliance in mid-2022 with an investment in a T10 robotic line source system, and as a member, gained exclusive access to dry-hire Trinity Black large-format robotic systems from an international network of Alliance Hubs.
“There’ve been several cases so far where I’ve been really glad we have the PK system’s robotic multi-axis coverage control,” comments Drew White, Vivid Sky’s FOH system engineer for the run, speaking to FOH shortly after the back-to-back shows at Red Rocks in mid-August. “In some cases, it’s obstructions like overhangs or catwalks where we have to bring the trim height down a bit, and we’ve been able to make those adjustments in real-time with full control of the array’s vertical and horizontal dispersion.”
In its full form, the Summertime 2023 system comprised a total of 32 Trinity Black robotic modules (16 per side in the main hangs), along with 24 T218 intelligent subwoofers typically split between left-right hangs and ground stacks, and 24 T10 medium-format robotic modules for outfills and front fills. Of course, White and the team adapted their deployment to suit each specific stop.
For the Petco Park date in photo above, the rig was supplemented with additional T10 and T218 modules from fellow PK Alliance member BNE Productions, based in SoCal.
The system was driven by a pair of PK Cell touring racks, which combine power, signal and data distribution in a modular, globally standardized package and controlled via .dynamics, PK Sound’s robotic system control software that unites every stage of the modern live sound workflow in a single solution.
While White had previously deployed PK systems for some high-profile festivals, this marked his first full tour as systems engineer. To prepare, he went out for a few dates on country star Dierks Bentley’s Gravel & Gold Tour to shadow FOH and system engineer James “Pugsley” McDermott — a longtime PK user and .dynamics expert.
“Across the board, I’ve heard so many comments about how well this system is performing in these different venues,” White says about his experience thus far. “I love how punchy it is, compared to competing systems that might have the same warmth but fall short with impulse response. The mains can easily carry 300 feet with impact, and adjusting the vertical and horizontal dispersion in real-time means our coverage is precisely tailored to every venue for every show, so we can avoid some of the acoustic challenges in these amphitheaters and arenas.”
The system’s real-time adjustability proved particularly valuable on a couple of dates that were threatened by inclement weather. “We just saved our .dynamics file, dropped the arrays for the storm, flew them straight again when we were in the clear, then just literally picked up where we left off with the optimization.”
The FOH Position
James M. Wisner, Slightly Stoopid’s longtime FOH engineer, first encountered the PK system at a demonstration at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early 2023, having been invited by Vivid Sky owners John “Pop” Papoulis and Eric Lenasbunt.
“Learning about the technology and hearing it onsite, even in a less-than-ideal listening environment, was a really cool experience,” Wisner attests. “Honestly, it blew my mind a little bit. The ease of getting it flown was one thing, but the performance was another. I loved what I was hearing, and it seemed like a great way to add something special to our largest tour to-date.”
A Full Sail grad, Wisner cut his teeth in the recording studio, interning at Florida’s Circle House Studio out of school and collaborating with its owners, members of reggae icons Inner Circle. A professional relationship with Slightly Stoopid stemmed from that, and Wisner has been at the boards for the band in the studio and in front of the stage for nearly two decades since.
“The way we make records really leads into the live experience; both are very organic and based on the interplay between the musicians,” he muses.
To that end, he’s using an Avid S6L at FOH for Summertime 2023, along with a pair of Stage 64 I/O racks. “I’d used the [Avid] Profile for a while, then went over to Midas for a few years, but I jumped on the S6L when it came out and haven’t looked back. The functionality and tactile feel are really conducive to this band; I’m very active with my mix and effects, working through material from different albums and eras and making sure to do everything justice.”
Walking through his FOH setup and approach, Wisner notes there are a lot of delay- and time-based effects that are sent and returned in real-time during Slightly Stoopid’s set, and he typically runs his McDSP plug-ins directly from the console.
Additional outboard gear includes a pair of Rupert Neve Designs 5045 Primary Source Enhancers for vocals and stompbox effects like the Strymon El Capistan Tape Delay, Boss DD-20 Giga Delay, Boss RE-20 Space Echo, and Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb.
“We have no tracks; it’s all live and very dynamic,” he tacks on. “What I love about this [PK] system is I can turn up, say, the organ, and bam — there it is. It’s so clear, so transparent. Nothing ever gets masked or hidden; everything is there and present no matter how hard I drive it. It’s just so immersive.”
Jonathan “Jono” Cheverez, FOH engineer with Sublime with Rome, echoes his Slightly Stoopid counterpart’s enthusiasm. “I hadn’t spent any time on this system previously, but it’s incredible for this style of music – especially with the flown subs.” The hometown show at Petco Park was the first time they opted to fly the T218s as opposed to deploying a sub wall, and as Cheverez says, they haven’t looked back since.
“My first impression with the PK robotic rig is that it’s so clean. Through the entire spectrum, everything I was getting out of it was so present and impactful. In some of these sheds and arenas, there’s often content that just doesn’t cut through; it could be weather, it could be hard surfaces, but the Trinity Black just cuts through it all. Clean, crisp vocals, the dub effects coming off so nicely, it’s been so responsive and sharp at the same time.”
For Summertime 2023, Cheverez has got a DiGiCo Quantum 225 at FOH. “I just love the Quantum series. Especially being a co-headliner, I wanted a compact footprint at FOH but with no compromises on the sound or versatility.” Like Wisner, he’s pretty active at the board during the set, and uses a Lake LM44 to add a bit of “extra flavor” to the mix.
Cheverez has been a musician his entire life, studying drums at the Atlanta Institute of Music while also starting out in live sound in his teens. He’s had the chance to tour with a number of established acts in recent years before getting the call from Sublime with Rome. That background significantly influences his approach to his current craft.
“I know what it’s like being up on that stage, so I know what I need to do to make the musicians as comfortable as possible so they can focus on a great show. Because if they’re having a good time, that really translates,” he shares. “The band has a lot of faith in me to do what I do. In this style of music, a lot of the time, the FOH engineer is like another member of the band in terms of how active they are in collaborating to deliver something special.”
Making History
Eric Lenasbunt, one of the co-owners behind Vivid Sky Productions, notes that this outing marks a special milestone for the company. “It’s pretty easy to call this a career highlight for all of us,” he enthuses. “This is the PK Alliance model working exactly as it should. A company like ours, with young and talented techs, can capably deploy a tour of this scale with a premium sound system in Trinity Black, minus the huge upfront investment that typically comes with large-format line array. The collaborations with PK Sound and other Alliance Members have been incredible. I’m really proud of our team and think we’ve proven we can go above-and-beyond at this level of touring.”
In speaking with each member of the crew, it’s clear they’re as elated to be out together as the artists they’re working for.
“It’s been impeccable since day one,” Cheverez says without hesitation. “We got together, felt each other out, and it’s been a ton of fun working together. The Vivid Sky crew has been great, and it’s very clear that this is what we’re all here to do, and for the right reasons.”
Wisner summed up the experience on behalf of the entire crew. “Everywhere we go, we’re leaving our stamp. People hear it and see it and note it, and that tells me we’re doing our jobs.”
Much like the artists they represent, they’ll conquer any stage they encounter — and have a great time doing it.
CREW
- Sound Company: Vivid Sky Productions
- Slightly Stoopid: FOH engineer James Wisner; monitor engineer Jess Chapman; monitor tech Vini Dal’Mas; stage tech Cory Chambers
- Sublime with Rome: FOH engineer Jono Cheverez; monitor engineer Bella Luminiarek
- The Movement: FOH engineer Dave Cardonik
- Atmosphere: FOH engineer Randy Hawkins
- Vivid Sky: systems engineer Drew White
P.A. GEAR
- Mains: (32) PK Sound Trinity Black Robotic Line Source Elements, 16/side
- Subwoofers: (24) PK Sound T218
- Out/Down/Front fill: PK Sound T10 Robotic Line Source Elements
- Amps: PK Sound PK Cell Modular Touring Racks
- Processing: Smaart Suite 9; Lake LM44 Loudspeaker Management System
FOH GEAR (Slightly Stoopid)
- FOH Console: Avid S6L 32 D
- I/O: Avid Venue Stage 64
- Outboard: (2) RND 5045 Primary Source Enhancers; McDSP Plug-In Suite; Strymon El Capistan Tape Delay; Boss-DD 20 Giga Delay; Boss RE-20 Space Echo; Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb
FOH GEAR (Sublime with Rome)
- FOH Console: DiGiCo Quantum 225
- Outboard: Waves Platinum Bundle; (2) Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb; (2) Boss RE-20 Space Echo
