USA - About 30 years ago, a group of students at Randolph-Macon College in Richmond VA formed a band dedicated to performing an Americana blend of folk and Celtic music. Much has happened to Carbon Leaf since then. They had some hits, including A Life Less Ordinary, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts. Their songs have been used in a soundtrack (Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey) and they’ve toured relentlessly at major festivals and venues.
Eventually, some members of the quintet resettled, moving thousands of miles away to the West Coast. But on Sunday 3 August, the band returned to their roots when they headlined Music at Maymont, a live performance series that takes place in an idyllic 100-acre greenspace in the middle of the Virginia Capital’s downtown, 15 miles from the college campus where their musical journey started.
The setting, the history of the moment, and the magical connection to local fans who grew up with the band, were not lost on Carbon Leaf in this homecoming show. “It’s special when the sun is going down and the whole mood changes from being dusk and getting dark. It’s fun,” the band’s founder, Terry Clark told a reporter. “It feels more like a relaxing hang than the high-stakes, high-pressure, showtime kind of atmosphere, which can happen on tour in venues.”
Enhancing that mood and reflecting the warmth of the occasion was a mellow and engaging Jason Patsel design that featured Maverick Force S Spot and Rogue R 2 Wash fixtures from Chauvet Professional that were supplied by 81 Productions and LiteTek Entertainment.
Positioned along upstage rows, the Mavericks and Rogues created colourful audience lighting to underscore the connection between the band and its hometown fans. The RGBW Rogue units also washed individual band members in richly textured colours underscoring the emotional power of the show.
Given that Carbon Leaf’s show ran two hours, Patsel had to rely on much more than sweet, nostalgic vibes to keep his show interesting. “The show had a lot of looks,” he commented. “We wanted some of these looks to create a creepy but bold output. For other looks, we had opened zooms and no gobos for crowd participation. There were also big out looks for the sing-alongs, as well as rock ‘n’ roll looks as the band paid their respects to the late great Ozzy Osborne with Crazy Train.
“Big shout out too to Chris Waugaman and Tammy Melton for the great photos. Sean McLane and LiteTek and 81 Productions,” continued Patsel, who said there was a “family vibe” throughout the production crew.