Gand Concert Sound, based in Elk Grove Village, IL (just outside of Chicago), once again provided sound reinforcement and support at the main stage for the annual Naperville Ribfest, one of the Midwest’s longest running and biggest festivals of the summer season.
Gand Concert Sound, a.k.a., “The NEXO Guys,” lived up to that moniker in deploying NEXO GEO-T line arrays and CD-18 subwoofers as the core elements of the main loudspeaker system that supported performances by artists such as Blue Oyster Cult (more cowbell!) Foghat, George Thorogood, and Rodger Hodgson of Supertramp.
Coverage was extended via additional GEO-T and CD-18 full-range/sub sets on delay, while the stage was outfitted with 20 NEXO PS-15 biamped monitors.
Mix engineers at the event were supplied with a selection digital consoles, including dual Yamaha PM-5D RHs, a DiGiCo SD8, and a Yamaha LS9-16. The systems were deployed and supported by a Gand Concert Sound tech team made up of Adam Rosenthal, Joe Perona, Bob Murr and Mike Musselman.
In addition to the large-scale house and monitor systems, Gand Concert Sound also provided all of this year’s stage backline. Backline guru Ken Stevens has joined the company and is providing the needed manpower to tackle the ever-changing demands of touring musicians.
“We’ve always had a presence in backline as an adjunct to our big retail music store,” states company president Gary Gand. “The void left by the closing of yet another long-time vendor in Chicago provided an opportunity to expand this division of the Gand organization.”
Gand Concert Sound now offers a comprehensive inventory of amps from Marshall, Ampeg, Fender, Aguilar, Mesa Boogie, Orange, Vox and G&K, guitars from Gibson, Taylor and Fender, along with drum kits from DW, Yamaha, Pearl, Ludwig, Tama and C&C, and cymbals from Paiste, Zildjian and Sabian. Available keyboards are from Nord, Yamaha, Korg, Kurzweil, and Roland—plus the Midwest’s largest selection of vintage Hammond B3 organs and Leslie speakers.
From the city of Naperville, IL, here’s “Ribfest By The Numbers”:
—730 kegs of beer consumed
—103 cases of wine consumed
—220 cases of frozen drinks consumed
—289,000 website “hits”
—12,000 Facebook “likes,” and…
—24,050 slabs of ribs served
From Gand Concert Sound, here’s “Sound Reinforcement By The Numbers:”
—36 NEXO GEO-T loudspeakers (main)
—24 NEXO CD-18 subwoofers (main)
—10 NEXO GEO-T loudspeakers (delay)
—4 NEXO RS-18 subwoofers (delay)
—2 Yamaha PM-5D RH consoles
—1 DiGiCo SD8 console
—1 Yamaha LS9-16 console
—20 NEXO PS-15 biamped monitors