QUÉBEC – “We never do anything traditional. We never go through the front door. It’s always the back door, or an open window or something.” Smash Mouth frontman, the late Steve Harwell described the iconic band’s approach to making music in a CNN interview. Not surprising from a guy who once ate 20 eggs on a dare and raise $15,000 for St. Jude’s in the process!

Though Harwell passed away far too early two years ago, the quintet from San Jose is still following its own happily quirky path, something they’ve been doing since the release of their debut double-platinum album Fush You Mang, in 1997, which, with its party infused alt rock sound, set a new tone for a new century.

The band’s party vibe is still going strong, just ask any of the fans who turned out to see Smash Mouth headline at the three- day Musique Fest Premier Tech Festival on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Enhancing this free-flowing fun-in-the-sun mood was an equally ebullient lighting design by Marc-Antoine Pelletier that engaged the big crowd with some intense audience lighting and colorful crossing beam effects.

Pelletier and his tech director Pascal Giard, worked this magic with help from a collection of CHAUVET Professional Rogue fixtures supplied by Les Productions Giard. Directing most of the lighting over the crowd, they revved up the excitement level by making it seem as if light was bursting out of the stage.

“I wanted the show to look massive, despite the limited space we had,” explained Pelletier. “I also aimed to bring in a rock-and-roll aesthetic by using the mix of straight and crossed looks. Since there was no video in the setup, I wanted lighting to be a core part of the stage design and really fill the space.”

Pelletier’s choice of colors was another big contributor to the festive mood. “I tried to reflect Smash Mouth’s Californian vibe,” he said. “Some of their songs have this relaxed, sunset feel, and I wanted the colors to represent that. It also ties into the band’s brand, which is a bit extravagant and indie-rock. For the big hits like ‘Believer’ and ‘All Star,’ we switched to a monochrome look to give those moments even more impact.”

Colorizing the stage with Pelletier’s lush mix were 12 Rogue R2X Washes, which were flown on the four “fingers” of the lighting rig. In addition to colorizing the stage, the R2X fixtures were key to creating aerial effects thanks to their tight beams and quick movements. “They were central to the eye candy moments that were a big part of this design,” Pelletier said of the fixtures.

Complementing the dynamic overhead looks created with the R2X units was the colorful output of the Rogue R1 Washes in the rig. “I used the R1s mainly for key lighting, to bring out facial shadows and create more dramatic moments throughout the set,” detailed Pelletier. “I really appreciate their small form factor. They’re versatile and still pack a solid output.”

There were many high points during the Smash Mouth show, and for Pelletier one of the best was when the band performed “All Star” for its encore. “Since it was the final song, it was the perfect chance to go all out with a full-on lighting show,” he said. “I also loved the monochrome looks for their dramatic feels on stage.”

Looking back on Smash Mouth’s festival performance, Pelletier said, “The show was basically like a big party.” That party, of course, was made all the merrier by having an upbeat in-your-face lighting design join in on the fun.