The Black Crowes are carrying a Meyer Sound PANTHER-based system on their Southern Hospitality Tour, a 41-city U.S. and Canada run supporting their 10th studio album, A Pound of Feathers. Bay Area rental house and integrator UltraSound is supplying the main sound reinforcement package.
The system uses 18 PANTHER line array loudspeakers per side, with 16 LYON line array loudspeakers per side as out fills for extended side seating in larger venues. Low-frequency reinforcement comes from six flown 1100-LFC elements per side above the stage plus 12 additional ground-stacked units, all in cardioid configuration, while six LEOPARD line array loudspeakers provide front fill. UltraSound drew on archived Meyer Sound MAPP 3D files from earlier tours at the same venues, with systems engineer David Williams making day-to-day adjustments on the road.
UltraSound project coordinator Jason Mills framed the design around a tour that moves between arenas and mostly amphitheaters, with venue capacities from 3,000 to 30,000 seats. FOH engineer and production manager Tim “Quake” Mark cited PANTHER's weight savings and capability, saying the current PA saves 20,000 pounds, and the article also notes his use of alternating left-right LYON out fills to preserve stereo image and cardioid 1100-LFC deployment to control sub energy onstage.