Virginia Tech alum plays key role in Metallica M72 World Tour stage lighting design
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Wednesday marks a highly anticipated event for many in our hometowns–Metallica is bringing its M72 World Tour to Virginia Tech, and a former Hokie played a key role in designing the show that thousands will experience.
Dylan Bomgardner graduated from Virginia Tech with his Masters in 2018. He is currently a Senior Product Specialist at Group 1440 Inc., a stage-lighting equipment supplier whose products are featured in various national stadium tours. Metallica is using 48 of the firm’s light fixtures.
In the early stages of creating the M72 tour in 2021, Dylan contributed to the stage-lighting design, drafting and troubleshooting of the firm’s products. He continues to assist in updating designs and products as the tour progresses from city to city.
“It’s ironic that I did that early in my time at Claypaky and now this is 4-5 years later; we are doing the same package with Metallica again for the same show, doing an update with ACME Lighting. We just put a bunch of new lights on the new show, which is really exciting. It’s really surreal, going to Virginia Tech and spending every football game in Lane Stadium. Always wanting there to be a concert there, but in my time never happening, seeing that we’re finally utilizing the stadium to do a massive show. Especially Metallica, it’s our anthem and on the 25th Anniversary of it as well makes it more exciting,” said Bomgardner.
He credits much of his success to the professors at Tech’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.
The concert begins at 6pm, with gates opening at 4pm on May 7.
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