Denver, CO - For Dano Goforth’s
Windfield Productions, there’s no such thing as a typical
show. The Denver-based company handles everything from corporate events and
seminars to festivals and religious occasions. And on any given day you may find Goforth
loading his Mackie systems into a C-17 military jet for a USO tour in the Middle East.
“We’ve been using Mackie gear for years, on tours all over the world,” says Goforth. “I’m
a fan of the
SRM450s – we’ve used them since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq, on everyone from Toby Keith to Joan Jett, and they’ve been great workhorses
under some pretty brutal conditions.”
 |
| Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith talks with Quartermaster
Seaman John Mendez while touring the bridge of the Nimitz-class aircraft
carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Keith is on his 10th tour with
the United Services Organization, performing for deployed service
members around the world. Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area
of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater
security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation
Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist
Seaman Zachary S. Welch) |
Goforth recently upgraded Windfield’s inventory to include
Mackie’s HD1221
loudspeakers. “We use the 1221s on pretty much everything,” says Goforth. “It’s an
incredibly versatile box. I’ve used them for mains, for monitors, for side fills, all kinds of
stuff. We’re also using the new
HD1501 and 1801 subwoofers. They sound great and
they’ve proven to be exceptionally durable. That’s important for the kind of tours we
do.”
As Goforth points out, “portability” takes on a different perspective on military tours.
“Loading in and out of Blackhawks, C-130s or C-17s, a lot of times space is at a real
premium,” he says. “The gear has to be compact, easy to handle, and able to take a
beating and work in all kinds of climates and conditions.”
Some tours include additional shows on even smaller transport. “On some of these
outpost tours, we’ll do a big show one night and then take a smaller system – just a
couple of our SRM450 boxes on sticks, and the same thing for monitors – and do shows at
one or two smaller forward operating bases,” says Goforth.
The shows present a wide range of performers, and the HD’s versatility has already
proven itself. “The last tour went around the world in eight days with Kix Brooks, Robin
Williams, Louis Black and Lance Armstrong,” says Goforth. “That was the first tour we used
the HDs on, and everyone really loved them.” “I stick with Mackie gear because it’s compact, reliable and sounds great. And the stuff holds up in a war zone – what more can you ask?”
Image borrowed from
BAM's blog
Story provided by
Marshank
