‘Modern Marvels’ Reveals Brad Paisley Tour Production Secrets

The inner workings of Brad Paisley‘s ‘H2O Tour’ was revealed recently on ‘Modern Marvels,’ which airs on the History Channel. The behind-the-scenes episode spotlighted and followed show nine of a 10-city tour last fall. Paisley played Little Rock and then needed to head 300 miles west to Tulsa the next day.


The show chronicled how the crew packs up the elaborate stage set up, which features two-story high video screens as well as lasers, speakers and other equipment. Here’s the math: in 10 hours, nine trucks, driven by nine truckers, need to travel 300 miles. They have 90 minutes, post-show, to break down 1 million pounds of production gear. 


If they don’t make it on time to unload and prep, there will be 20,000 disappointed fans, a mountain of legal issues, extra costs for Paisley and the local promoter!


One featured trucker, Jay Rennau, has logged over a million miles – that’s three trips to the moon – so far in his career. Another driver, Fast Eddie White, is on the road about 40 weeks a year.


In fact, it’s a tightly orchestrated, scientifically engineered rush and Paisley himself even said, “Without the truckers, without the people that are really skilled in this area, with the ability to maneuver in and out of these loading docks, to basically make time, there’d be absolutely no performing. It’s insane thinking about what they bring in, set up and tear down. It’s a small city. I dunno how they do it.”