CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND – Keeping a lightshow fresh with unique looks throughout an entire concert is challenging enough, but Megan Alksninis of JDI Productions had to climb this creative hill twice on the recent Spring Invasion coheadlined by Atreyu and Motionless in White. Helping her accomplish this feat in flying colors was a collection of eight CHAUVET Professional Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures.

“Programming over 30 songs and creating different looks for each show was a rewarding challenge,” said Alksninis. “I had to approach both bands and each song individually, right down to the color scheme. Motionless in White dips into the horror aspect of metal, which leans toward colors like green, congo, and amber, while Atreyu veers towards solid primary colors with white to make it punchy.”

Using the two different color schemes as a starting point, Alksninis built powerfully attractive environments for each band. Flowing naturally with the sound of the two acts, the lighting supported their individual performances and immersed the audience on different levels.

Alksninis placed her Rogue FX-Bs on six JDI-customized lighting carts on stage, and used them as the primary wash light for the floor package. With five individually controlled heads per fixture with full 360 degree pan/tilt, the addition of these eight fixtures offered the equivalent of 32 moving heads, creating endless possibilities for design. The 15W RGBW LEDs’ limitless color mixes and blisteringly fast movements easily kept pace with the forceful, dynamic rhythms of both bands.

The otherworldly design, at times reminiscent of a UFO landing in a field of haze, also relied on two Amhaze Whisper units placed at the bottom of two lighting carts. “The Rogue FX-B fixtures really cut through the atmosphere, regardless of whatever else was happening on stage,” said Alksninis. “For Atreyu, I relied on a light haze to really showcase the intensity of the FX-B beams, and for MIW I increased the haze to create more of a fog effect, which made the beams and washes I was able to achieve look more mysterious and spooky.”

For the Spring Invasion tour, Alksninis didn’t need a large number of lights to make the show look massive. Relying on the multi-faceted Rogue FX-B fixtures, she created two distinctive looks for Atreyu and Motionless in White that suited each band’s unique performance style and transported the audience to an alienesque landscape where aggressive drumming, screaming guitars and head-pounding rhythms ruled.