NEW RIVER GORGE, WV – “We really like outdoor adventures, and we really like music, so we wanted to create a weekend where we could do both at the same time,” Jerry Cook and Ernie Kincaid, founders of Mountain Music Festival, said about their event. Having just completed its ninth year, the annual early summer gathering delivers plenty of both in spectacular fashion.

First the outdoor adventures part: the festival takes place in the white water rafting paradise of ACE Adventure Resort, a 1,5000-acre property, tucked away in an Appalachian Mountain gem called the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, which has 53 miles of clear blue wild rivers running through it, not to mention a thousand foot deep gorge.

As for the music, the three-day festival showcased the virtuosity of more than 20 different Americana and bluegrass artists, including Big Something, Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade, and the Infamous String Dusters. Jason Patsel, lighting designer for the festival and Berkeley Dent of 81 Productions, who supplied the gear and served as technical director, both soaked up the beautiful natural surroundings, but their main focus was in ensuring that the performers on stage were supported by a lively and colorful production design.

Helping them achieve this goal was a collection of 12 Maverik Force S Spots, along with 28 other CHAUVET Professional fixtures. For Dent and 81 Productions, the high output (14,000 lumens), 350-watt spot fixtures represented a major commitment to moving forward. “81 Productions made a six figure investment in Chauvet fixtures,” he observed. “We wanted to take our productions to the next level.”

This investment reaped beautiful dividends in the hands of Patsel and some talented visiting LDs during The Mountain Music Festival. The Maverick fixtures were used to create a string of dynamic effects that flowed as beautifully and naturally as the nearby mountain rivers.

Patsel recalled how the festival progressed. “On the first day of the festival we set up down by the lake on The Lost Paddle Stage,” he said. “For the next two days we were on the Main Stage, which is nestled on top of a mountain above the lake. I ran most of the sets, from right before sundown until the headline acts came with their own LDs. Some killer sets I ran were; mandolin rising legend Sierra Hull, fan favorite sisters Rising Appalachia, and the hype-man himself Mr. Andy Frasco.

“Changing up my looks per artist was very easy with the Force S spots,” continued Patsel.
“From tight beams, to color mixing chases, to big back look gobos! All of the looks were so in depth and easy to create with these fixtures. I did busk all of my shows, creating separate layouts for all of the features these fixtures have to offer, which is a heck of a lot! Of course I made some hard hitting color palettes to match some heavier jams, or big chorus looks. But some of my favorites were some gobos mixed with some pastel colors.”

Patsel positioned six of the Maverick Force S Spot fixtures mid-stage and six upstage. The upstage truss was positioned slightly lower for the big crowd looks. The six mid-stage fixtures were placed higher for big over head band looks, as well as for capturing the full 30-foot backdrop. Additionally, 16 Colorado Quad Zoom units were used for front washing.

Running the lighting and production for this busy festival was no easy task, but Patsel says he had plenty of help, declaring, “shout out to Dustin Lee for all his help and Midway Productions for lending a hand.” He also gave a tip of the cap to 81 Productions. “The fixtures they invested in made a huge difference,” he said.

That difference was plain for all to see on three beautiful early summer nights in the mountains of West Virginia.