When The Strokes took to the Main Stage at Coachella this year, anticipation was high. Slotting in just ahead of Justin Bieber’s much-publicized return to live performance, the iconic New York rockers delivered a set that balanced nostalgia with a strikingly fresh visual identity. Central to that look was a bold and impactful lighting design, driven by ADJ’s powerful Encore DBX LED blinder fixtures.
The creative vision for the show was led by Mitchell Schellenger, who served as Production Designer, Lighting Designer and Co-Creative Director. Working closely with the band’s Creative Director, Johann Rashid, Mitchell helped translate an abstract artistic vision into a cohesive and compelling live experience. He was joined by Associate Designer & Lighting Director Jason Rothberg, with the pair having first collaborated with the band during a run of one-off shows and festival appearances in the latter half of last year. Building on that successful partnership, Mitchell and Jason were brought back on board during the run-up to Coachella, tasked with evolving the visual aesthetic while remaining true to the band’s established identity.
“Since the band has an illustrious legacy, we wanted to honor the look they have established over the years,” explains Mitchell. “It has a bit of a ‘70s feel, combined with digital components, and heavy use of geometric shapes. So, we wanted to check those boxes, because when we're brought in to work with a band that's established themselves aesthetically, I think our role is to bring something new while respecting what’s been established over the years. A reference point, visually, was the early ‘80s version of Tron, which is very geometric and digital but in a retro way, with that film grain CRT VHS type look.”
To bring this vision to life, the lighting design centered around a custom floor package that combined scenic structure with high-output fixtures. A total of 72 Encore DBX units were deployed, distributed evenly across six bespoke zig-zag shaped carts, each loaded with 12 fixtures and finished with custom neon trims. These carts formed a bold geometric backdrop behind the band, reinforcing the retro-digital aesthetic while ensuring the lighting elements were always front and center within the visual composition.
Each Encore DBX fixture is powered by two potent 150-watt RGBAW color mixing LEDs, capable of delivering an intense output of up to 11,465 lumens. This substantial brightness ensured the fixtures could easily compete with the scale and ambient light levels of Coachella’s expansive Main Stage, while still offering precise control. Independent dimming, color mixing, and strobing for each LED cell allowed the designers to craft layered effects that ranged from subtle atmospheric looks to full-on, high-impact hits.
“When the Encore DBX was launched it definitely caught my attention,” comments Mitchell. “I liked the idea of a two-cell mole – that's tried and true – but with the added uniqueness of the background aura glow. I was really drawn to that combination of the two effects. So, knowing that fixture existed was in the back of my mind when it came time to start designing the scenic elements of this show. I felt like we needed a fixture that was scenic in itself, because I knew I didn't want an overly scenic design, as they are a rock band at heart. We didn't want all this geometric scenery just for the sake of having it, we wanted it to serve a purpose. So, the purpose of the scenery became to house the lighting fixtures that gave us the punch that we were after for a rock show. The Encore DBX was just the perfect solution, because it offers that classic rock-and-roll warm white blinder effect, but with the added scenic face, which meant it served both purposes.”
Beyond sheer output, the Encore DBX fixtures offered a wide range of creative possibilities through their advanced color control. With variable white color temperature ranging from 2700K to 6500K, the design team could shift seamlessly from warm, tungsten-style looks to cooler, more contemporary tones. Adding another layer of visual interest, integrated RGB LEDs illuminate a textured reflector within each fixture, creating a distinctive ‘aura’ effect. This background glow provided a rich canvas of color behind the primary light source, enabling dynamic contrast between the punchy blinder hits and softer, more immersive washes of light. Used creatively throughout the performance, this feature helped the fixtures function as both lighting instruments and scenic elements.
“I've never spec’ed an ADJ light on a show of this scale, so I was interested to see how it would stand up,” muses Mitchell. “The first light I ever owned as a child was actually a DJ Scan 250, which I used to learn the basics of DMX control, so ADJ has always held a place in my heart. The fact that we were able to use that same brand, in a new era, on a show of this scale, was cool for me. And, quite frankly, we were blown away by the fixture. It outperformed our highest expectations. Having not used ADJ in a long time, I was very impressed with the build quality. I'm still a bit of a gear nerd, so at rehearsal I always pick up the lights and get a feel for them. The Encore DBX is a very robust fixture, it feels heavy and well built. The color is great and the intensity when we first turned them on, just blew us all away, including PJ, our lighting programmer.”
The intensity of the fixtures proved to be more than sufficient for the demands of a major festival stage, giving the team ample headroom to shape the show dynamically. Even at reduced output levels, the Encore DBX units delivered a commanding presence, ensuring they remained visually impactful without overwhelming the overall design.
“We were blown away by how bright they are,” adds Jason. “I don't even think we were running them over 60% for most of the show because they were a little too bright at times, especially in the whites, which is a really good problem to have! It’s nice to have the ability to go even brighter to highlight specific moments. We were also impressed by the output of the aura effect, which we used quite a bit during the show. It really popped and particularly looked good on camera, an important consideration for Coachella which attracts a huge virtual audience. We brought in Warren Fu – a legendary video director – who did an awesome job of capturing the performance, and the ADJ fixtures came across really well on camera. Overall, we were expecting the Encore DBX to do enough of what we needed, but it over delivered in every way.”
Given their prominent placement within the stage design, reliability was a critical factor for the production team. The fixtures were used extensively throughout the set, often serving as a central pillar of the visual look, making consistent performance essential.
“Reliability was important,” concludes Mitchell, “because those carts were front and center behind the band, if we lost just one it would have been really obvious. However, we didn’t have a single issue with any of the 72 fixtures across both weekends at Coachella as well as the warm-up shows and rehearsals. They were the backbone of the whole rig and were used in some capacity throughout almost the entire show. For some songs it was just the aura effect providing a background look, while at other times the binders were really prominent. Because each cell, as well as the aura, has its own independent color mixing we were able to do so many unique things that it never felt like they were getting over used. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this fixture on lots more shows very soon as they really are unique and very effective. Personally, I’d like to explore more of what ADJ has to offer, as this really has been a positive experience.”
With a combination of raw power, creative flexibility, and rock-solid reliability, the Encore DBX fixtures played a pivotal role in delivering a memorable Coachella performance from The Strokes — demonstrating how thoughtfully integrated lighting can elevate both the visual identity and emotional impact of a live show on one of the world’s biggest stages.
Show
The Strokes @ Coachella 2026
Creative Director
Johann Rashid
Production Designer, Lighting Designer and Co-creative Director
Mitchell Schellenger
Associate Designer & Lighting Director
Jason Rothberg
Lighting Programmer
PJ Carruth
Video Director
Warren Fu
Photography
Jenna Murray
ADJ Gear
72 x Encore DBX
Lighting Vendor
PRG
