by This is the Second Year I have provided sound for Lyndsay Butler for this event. Last year I learned lots, and this year I continued to grow. I brought with me a ‘partner in crime’ who was looking for some mentorship, so I showed him the ropes of how I get these gigs done. The day is a long one, as all of the setup and sound checks has to be done before the Bulls get moved in. The dirt gets everywhere, and your voice goes raw, but we got to watch the Bull Riding, and hang out with the locals to have a good time. Lyndsay’s performances are always great, and the band talented. This year, the band had great chemistry, and the set list was built catchy and high energy. The locals enjoyed the party after the event, and Lyndsay kept them going.
Successes:
- Load in and Sound Check were on Schedule despite leaving Calgary a little later than intended.
- Pairing two smaller subs as a center sub worked great. I brought the smaller subs as a budget compromise, and managed to get them working well to drive the low ends, and keep the energy in the room.
- The new guy I brought was knowledgeable and curious. I taught him lots, and he asked a lot of questions, but was able to follow everything I did.
Learnings:
- Power can be tricky at this venue (as there are not a lot of spare circuits available. Next year may be worthwhile to bring a generator.
- For this style of party, it may be worthwhile asking for railings. I had several near misses with ‘spilly’ clientele, aggressive clientele and un-balanced clientele.
- Push to understand better the technical requirements for the band. A couple surprises came up with the types of interfacing for in-ear monitors, and instrument amplification. I luckily am prepared enough typically to handle these changes, but that is a hard thing to guarantee or rely on – especially on remote gigs.
Phoenix Song Productions 
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