23 Color Kinetics IColor cove QLs
5 Color Burst 6s
Color Kinetics Color Dial
(Purchased from Wiedamark.com)

"Ultra Saloon" is it a contradiction in terms? When was the last time you used the words "sophisticated" and "country bar" in the same sentence? Anyone who's flipped past Country Music Television recently knows that glamour has hit the country scene full force. Country music is making innovations to adopt elements of rock, electronic music, and hip hop. It's a matter of time for country music venues to catch up. Welcome to the Red Rooster! Nestled right in the middle of the "New South," Red Rooster has truly achieved ultra lounge status packed into a country saloon. Just ask the college crowd who floods the door for Top 40 music on Wednesday nights.

I, Jack Kelly of Eye Dialogue, was both surprised and impressed the first time I met with club owner Boom. He had an innovative vision of merging a traditional country music setting with all that modern lighting & design have to offer. His layout is like many of the exclusive Ultra Lounges that have been transforming the landscape ever since Taboo. There a big open bar, a jail cell bar, and of course a VIP area. The décor consists of beer barrels, saddles, mechanical bulls, and the walls are treated with wooden planks much like you would expect from a classic country barn. The break from tradition comes with the introduction of color changing technology. Whereas traditional country bars typically run conventional lighting and scanners behind the stage, Red Rooster has added to the traditional approach.

I headed the lighting design and installation using Boom's guidelines. The two stylized wooden bars accented with 23 Color Kinetics QL's provide a stunning frame to the beautiful stone bar tops. The bar wall and bartenders are lit with 5 Color Kinetics Color Burst 6's. The cross shadows produced by the color changers heighten textural elements of the untreated wood. The color of the bar is controlled with the Color Kinetics ColorDial. Historically the country crowd has never been drawn to club culture lighting. However, Red Rooster's color changing elements have been a huge success. These color changing effects bring attention to the most important part of every venue: the bar.

One doesn't have to blow a bank roll to have dynamic visuals in a venue. I tell all of my clients the same thing: The most important place in every bar is where the alcohol is served. If you want to keep the drinkers drinking keep them around the bar with amazing liquor and beer displays, stretching 3 drinks into 5. Spend the majority of the money making the bar both ergonomic and visually appealing. Even with a measly 10% increase in sales, an extravagant display will quickly pay itself off and keep the revenues rolling. The attention to detail provides a ROI that would make any manager smile.

Red Rooster and Eye Dialogue have raised the standard in country venues by recreating the country bar with color. Red Rooster has truly become North Carolina's first "Ultra Saloon." Check it out at www.redroo.net.