In the last issue (PLSN, June 2008) I joked about the usefulness of being able to BS your way through a difficult gig. But while I was pondering what I wrote last month, I realized that what is important in our profession is just the opposite. I think what makes someone good is that they run a fair business, earn their money the old fashioned way and don’t rely on BS to save a few bucks on a gig.
Read More »As I write, the cost of a gallon of diesel fuel had just topped $4.25 and crude oil is $130 per barrel, reflecting double-digit price spikes during some weeks in June and April. The rising cost of fuel has prompted the American Trucking Associations (ATA) to project a record high diesel fuel bill in 2008, with expenditures of $135 billion on fuel in 2008, up from the $112.6 billion spent by the industry in 2007. God knows what the price of fuel will be in July when you’re reading this, but at the current rate of increase, petroleum-based fuels are rising at about 92 times the national inflation rate.
Read More »Every couple years I decide to go back on the road and live on a tour bus. It generally takes me about 72 hours to realize why I stopped doing this. But then I look at the money coming in and realize it’s a good thing.
Read More »When you are switching to the late night shift, you also need to think about your eating habits. The body must adapt accordingly. I usually… Read More »Becoming a Vampire
Read More »This month I got to program a tour that wasn’t all hard rock music. Quite a change for me after the last 5 concert tours I programmed this year.
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SYRACUSE, NY — J. R. Clancy, Inc. said its new PowerLift variable speed 0-20 feet per minute motorized winch can minimize “bouncing” at the start or end of a move. The new winch (product number 018-P0220V) has a load capacity of 2,000 pounds. The company is also introducing its PowerLift fixed speed 20 feet per minute motorized winch (product number 018-P0212), with a load capacity of 1,200 pounds.
Read More »In the early days of automated lighting, there was no such thing as a quiet moving light. Manufacturers began addressing the issue by using noise… Read More »Stealthy, Silent Programming
Read More »When you get tangled up in a live circuit, you can come in series contact with ground or in parallel contact with ground. Grounding can… Read More »Toward a GFCI Standard
Read More »Recently I was acquired by a company based out of Omaha, Nebraska named Theatrical Media Services (TMS) to LD the comedy tent for Bonnaroo 2008. If you don’t know what Bonnaroo is then look it up. In brief, Bonnaroo is music festival that has been annually held in Manchester, Tennessee over the years. When it started it would bring bands in that were notably out of the jam band scene with an attendance of 60,000 people. Now it has evolved into a mainstream festival bringing acts like Pearl Jam, Metallica, and The Police with a force of 90,000 fans in attendance along with the jam bands still rocking out.
Read More »Automated lighting consoles are great for programming conventional lights. But multi-part fixtures can pose problems. Imagine a simple LED fixture that has three cells, each… Read More »Controlling Multi-Part Fixtures
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Some baseball fans might say Yankee Stadium is already a place befitting worship. But as one of the highlights for Pope Benedict XVI’s six-day visit to the New York area in April, the hallowed baseball grounds needed to be transformed into an open-air cathedral including an altar, a performance stage and no billboards or other advertising in sight. Along with the need to be prepared for inclement weather and to operate under strict security measures, those involved needed to coordinate the efforts of hundreds of crew members, set everything up within a two-day time frame between ball games, and take extraordinary measures to avoid trampling on the grass.
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Jill Scott wanted elegance. LD Martin Thomas, as set designer, lighting designer, and lighting programming, delivered. Scott’s Live Soul tour had a lot of elegance, plus a lot of heart and class, when it rolled into St. Louis river city one recent rainy night. The sold-out show was well worth trudging through the wet weather, as the R&B singer provided a powerhouse of great music and showmanship. Scott is far from what all too often passes for a pop star these days: she’s a woman of experience and talent, and effectively and sincerely connects with the audience.
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