CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY -
Halsey’s 2025 summer tour “For My Last Trick,” in support of her acclaimed fifth album The Great Impersonator, was a show to remember, combining Broadway-style theatrics, automated prop sets, a giant LED wall, a pyro package and more beneath an Art Deco-inspired false proscenium. This dramatic and cinematic amphitheater tour, her highest-selling one to date, was supported by Cohesion on each of its thirty coast-to-coast stops.
With so many memorable details packed into two hours, the chosen PA needed to provide sound to match the exceptional production quality. Prior to a packed show in Camden, New Jersey, FOH Engineer James Butera described the audio system’s performance:
“We were able to preserve the importance of the audio and maintain the other creative elements one hundred percent,” Butera said. “I think we elevated them.”
“It’s been so successful. It translated in these sheds really well,” agreed Production Manager Keenan Bevans.
The tour’s audio system, deployed by Clair Global, typically used sixteen Cohesion CO12 left-right on the main hangs and fourteen on either side hang. The Camden performance used fourteen and twelve respectively.
Nine Cohesion CP218 II+, described by System Engineer Mike Grabarczyk as “those absolute powerhouses,” were hung in cardioid configuration behind the mains, buffeted by six ground stacks of two CP218 II+. On top of each ground stack, one Cohesion CF28 fill speaker was strapped with an additional CF28 placed on the ends of the stage.
Grabarczyk shared praise for the CF28 fill speakers: “They were [expletive] incredible. I turned them on, and they did exactly what I wanted them to do—the closest thing to a ‘just turn it on and turn it up’ experience I’ve ever had. They had perfect phase relation to the CO12 as well.”
The Camden performance used the recently integrated delay system at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. Six arrays of eight Cohesion CO10 ensured that the thousands of Halsey fans dancing all night long on the lawn could hear her set faithfully. “The sonic signature is the same, even on the lawn,” said Butera.
“For My Last Trick” was one of the first touring applications that featured a new line of amplification technology in development from Cohesion. These amplifiers were integral to the show’s high quality, as Grabarczyk noted. “The transient response, low end, punch, depth and clarity are all improved. It was a completely different system in a very good way. The new amps are a game-changer.”
“James is very specific and knows exactly what he needs,” said Bevans. “He’s over the moon about the new amps.”
Butera explained, “We had the drive system into the amps the way we wanted. I’ve never been able, on another system, to keep it at the bit rate we had [on this tour], which was awesome.” He added, “There was less EQ, and it was very smooth. It wasn’t the same CO12. It sounded brand new.”
The audio team additionally used new Cohesion proprietary simulation software that provided accurate and efficient prediction day to day. This platform facilitated system design in a variety of venues, including Camden’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion.
“The prediction was insanely accurate, down to the microphone probes. Once you nail the mechanical prediction and deployment, you can turn on the system, and it does what you want with little adjusting,” said Grabarczyk. “I could have the system phase- and time-aligned, and it was about 95% done by the time I showed up to the venue. Being able to check out phase response, magnitude response, and comparing multiple frequencies over distance, SPL, seeing how that relationship maintained itself throughout the listening plane: the modeling was quite impressive. It helped to have a great-sounding room like Camden.”
Butera noted the venue characteristics in Camden required a few day-of adjustments. The audio team could confidently rely on the new proprietary Cohesion software, especially on the tight schedule. “I trusted the process, and I trusted Mike,” he said. “Today’s show was exceptional.”
Both the new amplifiers and the prediction and simulation software are integral parts of the expanding Cohesion ecosystem. These products will have a full release later in 2026.
From New Jersey to Nashville, Alpharetta to Phoenix, Miami Beach to Jones Beach, crew regaled their “amazing experiences” designing, deploying, and mixing this electrifying tour across the continent.
As Bevans described: “In a shed, there are only so many places you can physically place a PA based on grid layout and weight capacity. We shared the downstage with scenic and lighting, which ate up some PA weight allowance. We thought of sightlines and how to preserve them, especially with the pretty false proscenium. Obviously, having a lighter PA helped with the flexibility to move it around as needed. We also aimed for one truck of PA on this tour. That was all possible with Cohesion.”
“The tour was so positive.” Butera summarized. “So many killer shows. Honestly, great sound each night.”
Upon conclusion of “For My Last Trick,” Halsey remained busy on a new, completely sold-out tour, “Back to Badlands,” that celebrated the tenth anniversary of her breakthrough debut album Badlands. The 36-show tour, launched in October 2025, continues this winter with visits to nine countries on four continents. “Back to Badlands” concludes with five dates in Australia later this month.
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