FutureTech Featuring Elation - Vintage Vibes, Modern Tech: SŌl I Blinders & Nathaniel Rateliff Tour

0:19 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 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 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.

1:16 And you could feel it backstage too. There was this one moment during Survivor. I was standing with the crew and everyone was just waiting for 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're awake. Even the crew was grinning like, did you see that? That's the power of holding back, right? You keep things subtle, and then when you finally let loose, it's 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.

2:00 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 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 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.

2:46 Yeah, and he said he could mix really convincing tungsten in them, which is perfect for Nathaniel's music. 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 suddenly strobe 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 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.

3:30 I might be biased but I think this is the best of both worlds. Nostalgia and reliability, but without the headaches. 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 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.

4:16 Now it's just, yeah, throw it on the truck. It's funny because even though it's all this new tech, the 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 episodes back. 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 could be perfectly spaced around the video walls.

5:10 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 Lego, but for lighting designers. And it's not just about the looks either. The flexibility meant they could adapt the show for different venues without losing the vibe. I heard on the Taking Back Sunday tour, Eric Price used the soles for these surprise color blasts. Like you'd get this Moody, warm look and then suddenly bam, saturated color out of nowhere. It really keeps the audience on their toes.

5:52 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 stage together. 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. I mean, we've seen a lot of modularity in recent gear, but it's great to see it in lighting too. 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. 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.

6:38 Whether you're after vintage vibes or modern flexibility, the Elation's Soul Eye blinder seems to 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. 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. Oh, la, la with music to your ears.

7:20 Hey, hey. Yeah. Let's go. New gear vibes, new tech jive gear hits unite. We keep it live. Oh yeah, the lunar ski.