Commissioned by tour direction company, The Beehive LA, Michael Brown’s creative direction and production design for break out indie singer Gracie Abram’s ‘The Secret of Us’ tour initiated an atmosphere of intimacy and fan connectivity despite being in large-scale venues.
As USA Today once acknowledged: “Gracie Abrams sings like she's letting you in on a secret."
To help encapsulate this feeling of togetherness through artful lighting, Clearwing, a Clair Global brand, worked alongside Michael to bring his design to life, blending a mix of cutting-edge lighting technology, custom fabricated hardware, and vendor partnership to the forefront.
Michael worked closely with Co-Lighting Designer/Programmer Zach Sternberg, Lighting Director Taylor Glatt, Clearwing Sr. Account Executive Steve Harvey, and Clearwing Lighting Crew Chief Sam McKeown.
Michael begins: “My approach as a designer is always focused on the artist side of the equation. I want to design shows that are beautiful and unique while also making the tour operate as efficiently as possible. I want every artist I work with to succeed - not only in the creative intent, but on the financial side. I make a deliberate effort to work alongside Production Managers, Tour Directors and Production Teams to ensure that ideas, budgets, and timelines are all met.
To help realize this, Michael had one vendor in mind: “When I first began collaborating with Gracie’s production team on this tour, one thing I absolutely knew was that I wanted to introduce them to Clearwing as an ideal partner that could handle all lighting and associated technical logistics. Every project that we have done together has included an intentional focus on systems and the concept of ‘touring smarter’.”
Tour Director, Vinnie Ferra is the Founder of The Beehive LA. He comments: "Over the six years I've had the privilege of working with Gracie, we've watched her career grow from intimate theaters to full-scale arenas. When discussions around production vendors began, everyone understood how intentional we are about surrounding Gracie with the right people.
"When Michael Brown, our Production Director, recommended Clearwing, his confidence in their top-tier staff and equipment immediately put me at ease, and they did not disappoint. When you partner with a team that knows how to collaborate and support one another on tour, you save invaluable time and energy. Clearwing allowed us to focus on what truly matters - delivering an incredible show."
Originally conceptualized for smaller venues, the public demand for Gracie to play arena shows, coupled with festival appearances, meant the show design was adapted as needed, as Lighting Crew Chief Sam explains: “Any time Micheal Brown reaches out to collaborate with us, we get excited. We have built a 10-year working relationship based on trust and the results consistently come down to intelligent and proficient touring solutions. We knew this tour was going to be something special, but the scale grew at an astounding rate. Part of the process of working with Michael is the fun of creating systems that do work as a smarter touring vision.”
A challenge came by way of the logistical hurdle around the large floor lighting system which had to work effortlessly for both arenas and quick-change overs at festivals across North America such as Lollapalooza, Osheaga and Outside Lands.
Sam furthers: “We worked on a custom floor sled that allowed us to maximize truck space, minimize load-in time and ensure the deck was always tidy. Working alongside [bespoke truss fabricators] Texas Structures to create the right solution enabled us to deliver a phenomenal product; a stackable touring cart that travels with fixtures just 8-inches off the floor.”
Michael adds: “It’s always enjoyable to see festival crews impressed by a tour prep and build. Our Clearwing crew are top-notch and are a core component of Gracie’s touring team - their ability and professionalism are recognized wherever we go. Sam and Steve play an integral role with how this show tours. The attention to detail that you get with Clearwing isn’t typical service; they invest in the details that save touring productions time and money.
“Gracie’s tour also features custom automation, rigging, transport, network, and control solutions intended for speed and the product quality is very high. It makes my life as a designer so much easier because I know my ideas won’t be compromised and will be delivered in an immaculate package, exactly how it’s drawn.”
Deployment speed was key. With almost 800ft of GT Truss on the tour, every minute of the load-in and loud-out was calculated to the second. Sam continues: “The new Tyler Lighting Ladder system for our side light torms and the Tyler v2 Light Rack built out as large dimmer barges helped to make speed and tidiness go hand in hand.”
The tour is programmed and operated on MA Lighting grandMA 3 full size console and utilizes almost 200 Martin Professional units, most of which are latest additions to Clearwing’s state-of-the-art inventory. The Mac Aura Raven XIP, Martin Mac Aura XIP, and Martin Mac One units make seamless color matching and rapid movement effects possible.
“I’m so pleased we had the opportunity to use the new Aura Raven fixtures; it’s nice to finally have an aura/lens element bright enough to translate in arena shows and they possess great color rendering abilities,” reports Michael.
“Integrating them into our automation made that lighting element versatile and the workhorse of the show. The Aura XIP does such a great job at being bright while still being small enough to not draw too much attention and I’m really impressed with the new Martin Mac One, a small and punchy light that eradicates LED bubbles and has a unique Fresnel lens effect. For me, all three of these fixtures work in harmony.”
Other fixtures included GLP Impression X4 Bar 20’s, Vari-Lite VL3600 LT’s, Vari*Lite 3600IP Profiles which allowed for crisp optics, and a clean color system, Elation Professional Pulse Bar L and Pulse Bar S, Astera AX5 and Chauvet Professional Color Strike M’s, aided by an impressive 100 x CM Chain Hoists.
The tour keenly deployed 11 new VL3600IP LT fixtures, some integrated into Spotrack Evolution v4 systems which proved to be another simple solution for the desired outcome.
Sr. Account Executive Steve Harvey confirmed the results of Michael’s design expertise: "Michael Brown's shows captivate you; he can hold a look, a defining theatrical moment. He plays into the audience's reaction, and it makes the show.”
Clearwing also designed a robust lighting network backbone. The Luminex network drove a near 100-universe touring system and made it reliable, simple and efficient, as Sam elaborates: “Having LumiNode12 DMX Nodes, GigaCore 20t and 30i Switches, and LumiCore64 built in for festival integration was an absolute dream. The LumiCore64 product has really simplified multi-system integration.”
In closing, Steve explains that Clearwing has consistently developed strong client relationships and tailored services that benefit production values while enhancing efficiency: “We take the time to understand the lighting designer’s needs, and we make it happen. Gracie’s bespoke lighting system was a huge success, and our crew were loading out of festivals in 12 mins! When a vendor is agile and designs first rate custom fabrications, you get a service provider that not only cares about the technicality of the job but about making the day-to-day for crews easier. There’s always a ‘family’ feel to our tours in part because of this. ”
Clearwing’s lighting crew for ‘The Secret of Us’ tour was completed by Robbie Scott, Derek Frenz, Pedro Pradenas, Zach Lipo Zovic, Bart Freed and Jeff Jann.
About Clearwing
Founded in 1976, Clearwing provides live production, equipment rental, sales, service, and system installations across a diverse range of markets. Renowned for its innovative, solutions-oriented approach, Clearwing serves a diverse clientele, ranging from global industry leaders to regional and local organizations. Driven by a commitment to excellence, Clearwing creates amazing experiences that engage and inspire through state-of-the-art audiovisual technology.