With the success of previous seasons under their belt, PK Sound were once again selected by Lake Louise ski resort to power their Spring Music Series, Hot Dogger After Party, Locals and Legends Reunion, and Shake the Lake events in 2017.

The resort’s spectacular 360-degree mountain views provided an unbeatable backdrop for an unbeatable spring season of events over six weekends from 1st April to 6th May. Every weekend, thousands of visitors to the resort got the chance to enjoy a bounty of talented local and national acts with PK Sound at the helm, consistently delivering the exceptional audio experience they are renowned for.

“Multiple people noticed the PK logo on our shirts and remembered the quality of the sound from previous years,” says Josh Tjaden, the sound technician for the spring events at Lake Louise, “People were very excited, telling us they knew everything would be smooth, which was cool to hear.”

While this year was certainly not PK Sound’s first foray into slope-side events, taking live music to the mountains will always possess its own unique set of challenges. From transporting gear safely and smoothly across the snow, to ensuring the artists on stage are protected from the ever changing weather conditions, an out-of-the-ordinary event location such as a ski hill requires out of the  ordinary thinking to combat whatever obstacles arise.

“The cold temperatures and snowy, icy conditions always pose challenges for us, but we know that we can always rely on PK Sound loudspeakers to work flawlessly for us, even if they are being buried in a heavy snowfall or sitting in the slush and ice,” says Josh.

To accommodate all of the events on offer during the season at Lake Louise, the production team were required to set up two stages.

An outdoor stage was constructed on the Kokanee Kabin Deck in the village area of the resort for the Spring Music Series held each weekend. This year, the series featured some of Canada’s finest burgeoning bands and DJS, including Big Fonts, Aaron Pollock, Elk Run & Riot, Smalltown DJs, DJ Buffalo Child, DJ Threesixty, and DJ's Wakcutt & Cain.

The sound system for the outdoor stage used a combination of two CX800 subs and two CX215 tops per side. As well as four Klarity 12s used as monitors for the band.

PK wraps up a stellar season of events at Lake Louise Ski Resort
An indoor stage was also installed at The Lodge of Ten Peaks for the two main events of the season, the Locals and Legends Reunion and Shake the Lake. The production manager opted to use a raised stage in front of the lodge’s fireplace to create a nice sense of ambience and to add to the viewing experience.

To ensure the distribution of even, full-bodied coverage throughout the large space inside the lodge, the sound system was comprised of CX215s mounted on top of subs, set at two different angles of 60-degrees and 90-degrees. This allowed for a smooth and unwavering spread of sound across the room.

“A 4x4 rig (4 x CX800 and 4 x CX215s) is a solid rig that is very versatile and delivers great, consistent coverage with clear, powerful sound. It’s hard to think of a situation this setup wouldn't excel in – Perhaps only a bigger scale event, which is where Trinity/VX10s and Gravity subwoofers come into strength,” says Josh.

The Lake Louise spring season culminated in two major events, the Locals and Legends Reunion on April 22nd featuring No Sudden Moves, DJ KMac, Cronic, and the epic end-of-season dance party, Shake the Lake, on April 29th with beats provided by popular DJs The Gaff and Mat the Alien.

PK wraps up a stellar season of events at Lake Louise Ski Resort
But, it was the Locals and Legends Reunion event that really made PK Sound proud to be working with, and involved in, the great community at Lake Louise ski resort.

“It was really cool to see this event, every five years the resort invites everyone who has ever lived in Lake Louise for a reunion night,’ says Josh, “An 80-year-old man who danced the whole night in a suit and sunhat kissed my hat saying, ‘PK always saves the day!’

With a firm focus on delivering an exceptional standard of audio production, PK Sound and the event production team accomplished another successful season at Lake Louise. Every event throughout the spring was met with enthusiasm and praise, from both Lake Louise staff and visitors alike.

“The events this season were very successful and we had an absolute blast hosting them, as well as working with PK Sound. The quality of the sound can’t be beat,” says Leigha Stankewich, event manager at Lake Louise, “Along with the quality of the sound, the techs who come and set up are always an absolute pleasure to work with. They are very knowledgeable and friendly, and take a genuine interest in the event itself to make sure it’s a success on their end.”

Although PK Sound may have hung up their snow jackets for the summer months, there is no doubt the team will return to the Canadian Rockies next season to expertly power live music events in the mountains once more.

To check out the PK Sound loudspeakers used for these events, and more, visit their website HERE.