Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Battle of the Bands Production at a Glance
Nashville is no stranger to “Battle of the Bands” competitions, but the event that will take over the 100 block of Broadway on December 27 at 5:30 pm is going to be one for the books. The day before the Music City Bowl, the marching bands from Purdue and Auburn will compete in a blockbuster battle under the backdrop of the Nashville skyline. The event, produced in conjunction by Morris Light & Sound and the Nashville Sports Council (NSC), will look, sound, and feel like the many high-profile events they have executed in their previous partnerships.
The perfect relationship was born in 2016 when Morris began facilitating flawless execution for NSC’s large-scale events. The NSC is the organization responsible for bringing many epic sporting events to Nashville, and they have found a consistent partner for their lighting and sound needs in Morris.
“We started working with Morris during the 2016 NHL All Star Game and had great success as partners,” said Liz McCaslin, Senior Director of Events and Operations for the NSC. “Their creativity and execution are second to none.” The logistics of managing the two bands, both with around 380 members each, is no easy feat, but Morris has prepared.
“This year our goal is to lift the Battle of the Bands to a new level,” said Joseph Logsdon, Senior Account manager at Morris, “We know we have to produce the caliber of show that Nashville will expect while staying within budget and the city's parameters.”
Logsdon promises a beautifully designed and programmed lighting package that will support the energy of the bands and augment the vibrant nightlife of lower Broadway. The NSC was successful in getting the main thoroughfare in downtown Nashville, Broadway, closed for the event. This creates both an opportunity and a challenge for the Morris crew. From load-in to load-out, they only have 18 hours. For this reason, they chose the SL 100 mobile stage to serve as the focal point of the event. This ultra-fast and easy stage has a total rigging capacity of 11,800 lb (5,351 kg). With permanently mounted side rigging trusses with a 1,500 lb (680 kg) capacity per side, the truss deploys in seconds.
“It sets up very quickly, so we don’t have to inconvenience the city for longer than we need to,” adds Logsdon. “The SL 100 also provides a canvas for a lot of signage, which makes it the perfect rig for this event.”
Morris is thrilled to partner once again with the Nashville Sports Council for this event to kick off the weekend when the Auburn Tigers and the Purdue Boilermakers arrive for the 20th year of Nashville hosting the Music City Bowl.
About Morris Light & Sound
Morris’ approach is simple: every application is different, so the most effective lighting and sound solutions need to be customized to be truly impactful. From light and sound experiences for multi-stage festivals, conferences and sold-out stadiums to integrating equipment and system designs that create dynamic immersive events in churches and corporations, Morris takes the time to consult, strategize and thoroughly design an audio-visual environment tailored to each client's goals. With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry outfitting tours for world-renowned artists like Alabama and Kenny Chesney, Morris is a premier audio and lighting provider and installer, working with clients across the globe. For more information, visit experiencemorris.com.
