Chris Brown delighted his UK and European fans with a marathon set on a two-tiered stage comprised of three video tile-covered cubed mobilators and guarded by an inflatable alien bishop and banker. Custom LED-outlined stacked coin steps bore Chris’s likeness and created a playful pathway for Chris and his dancers to travel between tiers. And it wouldn’t be a Breezy production without trippy visuals, lasers, and pyro to complete the sensory experience.
Soundgarden: The King Animal Tour 2012
Soundgarden made a triumphant return to the music scene with their sixth studio album King Animal, and they needed a powerful tour to support their new music. Following a sixteen year hiatus, the grunge band from Seattle was ready to amaze audiences again with their powerhouse performances while on tour. With so many hit songs and such anticipation from Soundgarden’s fans to see the newly reunited band, our team was brought in to create a design that could not only match the intensity of the music, and Chris Cornell’s one-of-a-kind voice, but also let the music — old and new — speak for itself.
Using a cloth draped at the back of the stage, we designed visuals that were projected onto the fabric behind the band. Through this method of projection, our team had the flexibility to create dynamic screen sizes and ratios to fit each visual, ranging from full screen to tiny windows, from squares to circles and even splitting the projection into two separate frames.
Chris Brown: Heartbreak on a Full Moon Tour 2018
The Heartbreak on a Full Moon Tour kicked off in June 2018 and encompassed 27 cities making stops at major amphitheaters and arenas around the U.S. before concluding in August. The tour was in support of his eighth studio album of the same name. We were brought in for production design taking a rough sketch from the artist and translating it into reality.
A key feature of the tour for Nimblist was the video design and lasers.
Bon Jovi: This House is Not for Sale 2017
Our partnership with Bon Jovi spans over 15 years and is an example of leveraging rich relationships to make entertainment history. This 29-arena show tour, in support of his latest album, featured a video projection intro customized by location. It grabbed the crowd instantly as they recognized their city’s iconic locations speeding past them. The primary creative direction for this tour design centered on The House — a symbol for everything Bon Jovi has built over the years and its deep roots. Its construction and transformation tell the story of his career. Second was ‘Light’ — volumetric beams of light form ethereal architectures. Light can define spaces like physical materials do, but they also refer to the limitless and transcending nature of the Bon Jovi story. Third was ‘Industry’ — metal structures of beams and truss allude to the labor of building a monumental legacy. The strong architecture of these structures evoke endurance and purpose.
Future: Nobody Safe 2017
Future’s Nobody Safe tour had unique challenges. We needed a design to work at Coachella and on tour, for an artist who was stepping up his game to a new level. It also needed to coincide with his newly released music and for two consecutive weeks. With a design prompt of creating a mind-altering, fast-paced and raw experience for the crowd, we got to work. Screens and content dominated the tour, with angled screens on the ground and in the air framing a massive rear wall. The content told Future’s story through the beauty and dysfunction he shows us in love, drugs and the game. When the show came together, Future was touring with a show that displayed his grittiness, tenderness and unapologetic contradictions. The tour was a 34-arena show with special guests Migos, Tory Lanez, and Kodak Black with Young Thug and ASAP Ferg. We’ve been on the road for decades, but there’s no rush quite like a show.
Bon Jovi: Because We Can 2013
Long-time friend of Nimblist, Bon Jovi hit six continents delivering 102 shows and taking the band to both new and familiar locations worldwide. This iconic show featured 40 independently driven, hex-shaped columns rising up from the floor and descending from the grid creating an ever-changing configuration of video surfaces and scenic elements. The overall design moved around band members like a kinetic sculpture. No two songs were on the same set or shared the same light plot giving audiences an amazing experience and the high energy show Bon Jovi is known for.
We partnered with TAIT to execute a 30-meter inflatable 1959 Buick Electra which spanned the length of the main stage for the stadium shows. The massive car included a grill section housing 60 custom video frames and custom light poles for four impressions. Four scenic car headlight surrounds were also manufactured by TAIT to be situated beneath the Buick’s cohesive and unique design.
“Over the years we’ve used the same designer. Some of our stages, he’s hit home runs, and some others he’s hit singles. This one? I think he hit a grand slam. I think this is Spike Brant’s greatest hit. It’s beautiful. My hat is off to Spike Brant. He did a great job.” – Jon Bon Jovi
Kevin Hart: What Now? 2015
Kevin Hart came home to Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Stadium to film his stand-up comedy movie, Kevin Hart: What Now? This performance put him in the record books as the first comedian to ever sell out an entire stadium by himself. As the tour designers, we needed to transition the arena version of his stand-up into an immersive audience experience for the stadium which would close out the tour. Our team designed and created an elaborate rigging plan to support a perimeter of audience backlights. We also handled all graphic and video content design in addition to serving as lighting and technical coordinators. The stadium broadcast was estimated to have 50,000 people watching. This was a tremendous production and our team was honored to journey thru that process highlighting and accentuating Hart’s humor. The movie was released nationwide in October 2016.
Pearl Jam: Live at Wrigley Field 2016
Our challenge was to capture of the close out of the 2016 tour with a concert on historic Wrigley Field. With our longtime collaborator and friend, Kille Knobel, who served as lighting designer for this tour, we came in to provide production design. The overall look and feel of the design was sophisticated but natural and approachable fitting the band’s style. The primary scenic piece was an articulated scrap-metal bird which could be raised, lowered and angled on a TAIT-developed hoist that when combined with other visual elements gave a vintage vibe to the design. The band was touring both the US and Canada doing arena, festival and stadium shows to sold-out crowds. The DVD has yet to be released.