Whiskey Riff Goes Behind the Design of Country's Biggest Tours
"The music is what drives these tours. The music is what drives our creativity." Cort Lawrence, Whiskey Riff
Aaron Ryan wrote a feature for Whiskey Riff in August 2024 on what actually goes into designing a stadium country tour. Cort Lawrence and Anders Rahm walked him through the process from the music outward, which is where all of these start.
The Morgan Wallen section has the details people remember. A three-sided video board, a replica of Wallen's grandmother's house, high school bleachers, and the entrance where he kicks through a door, which was his own idea. Ryan reports the design took around ten months including a month of rehearsals, with elements placed to the inch to fit the stadium stage. The piece also covers Lainey Wilson's rotating pickup truck, Riley Green's duck blind and HARDY's run. Rahm's framing of the job in the article is that Raw Cereal represents the artist's brand and brings it out during the show.