Sully Erna and Aaron Lewis, frontmen for the hard rock bands Godsmack and Staind, recently wrapped up “The American Drive-In Tour,” a 13-date, coast-to-coast run of “unplugged” concerts, many of which were staged in classic outdoor cinemas, with support by Denver-based sound company Brown Note Productions providing an L-Acoustics K2 system for the tour.
Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, the promoter behind festivals such as Sacramento’s Aftershock, Daytona Beach’s Rockville, and Louisville’s “Trifesta” (Bourbon & Beyond, Hometown Rising, and Louder Than Life), The American Drive-In Tour ran from early October through early November. Marking the first time that these two musicians have shared a stage, each stop of the nationwide trek featured an impromptu setlist of each artists’ hits, choice covers, and many private stories (and laughs).
According to Brown Note Productions President Ryan Knutson, the choice of PA was simple: arrays of eight L-Acoustics K2 were flown on each side of the stage, while eight KS28 subwoofers were horizontally spread out in linear arrangement on the ground below. Two ARCS Wide, one each at the far left and right corners of the stage, delivered coverage to two small VIP areas, and the entire system was driven via LA-RAK II touring racks loaded with LA12X amplified controllers.
“I made the decision to use K2 for its flexibility in pattern control, provided by Panflex, as well as its versatility to be deployed as either a single-point-hang or ground-stacked system based on what was needed each night,” Knutson sayss. “With only three guys on stage—Aaron and Sully, plus a third guitarist that Sully has recorded with on his solo projects—the stages were relatively small, so K2’s light weight, compact profile, and high output were also key reasons that we carried the system.”
Brown Note Productions System Engineer Matt Brown adds, “The drive-ins and other venues were all essentially big outdoor parking lots, so using the Soundvision predictions along with analyzer software and multiple measurement mics always achieved the desired end result, which was a powerful, beautiful-sounding rig for front of house engineer Jeff Gilmer. Jeff has been Aaron Lewis and Staind’s engineer for 20 years, and he consistently delivered a great mix every night, and everyone was ‘all smiles’ at the end of each show.”
