Helping Panasonic WOW the Crowds at ISE

 NASHVILLE –– St. Paul and the Broken Bones shook the rafters of the Mother Church in a show stopping performance that left audience members feelings as though they left a revival, as the six-piece band from Alabama, currently promoting their newest album, Sea of Noise, brought their soulful sound to the historic Ryman Auditorium for a two night engagement with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. Lighting designer Chris Lisle sought to create an effective production package that harkened back to the old school looks of lighting.

MIDDLETON, WI — Electronic Theatre Controls Inc. (ETC), founded by CEO Fred Foster in Madison, WI in 1975, has many long-term business partners. Writer Marshall Bissett profiled one of them — Florida-based Stage Equipment and Lighting (SEAL) — after meeting up with SEAL’s Mike Gold and Curt Contrata (pictured here, L-R) at ETC’s Rep and Dealer Workshop in Madison, WI. Marshall also spoke with SEAL VP Rick Rudolph. Here’s his account of SEAL, which has been around even longer than ETC, serving customers in Florida since 1967.

CHANDLER, AZ — For a recent Smash Mouth gig in this Phoenix suburb, John Garberson of Creative Backstage used Chauvet Professional Maverick, Rogue and Strike fixtures on a Stageline SL250 stage. The setup included 10 Maverick MK2 Spots, 24 Rogue R2 Washes and four STRIKE 4 multi-formatted warm white effects. Flown on downstage, mid-stage and upstage truss, the moving fixtures were used to shower the stage with richly colored beams from multiple directions.

ST LOUIS, – Motion control specialist and manufacturer Kinesys will exhibit for the first time – in its own right – at a U.S. trade show during the three day USITT 2017 stage expo in St. Louis, March 9th – 11th. Stand 1404 will focus on two of the leading brand’s most popular product ranges, DigiHoist intelligent motor controllers and the Libra range of load monitoring equipment, as well as highlighting Elevation vari-speed chain hoists which will interest those looking for more advanced automation systems.

AUSTIN – Barco and ETC announced today that they are in the midst of serious discussions wherein ETC would acquire High End Systems, Barco’s lighting activities, part of the Entertainment division. While the timeline for the completion of this acquisition is still unknown, both parties are committed to moving forward with a successful transaction. 

CARLSBAD, Ca. – The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has announced that the organization will make a grant to the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) Technical Standards Program (TSP). Accredited by the American National Standards Institute, ESTA’s TSP standards are used each day by manufacturers, dealers, installers, production companies and end users to provide a safe working and performance environment in venues of all sizes. The standards serve to prevent accidents, protect lives and property, and create cost and time efficiencies in the entertainment industry.

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LAS VEGAS — 3G Productions, Inc., a Las Vegas-based event production company with operations in the Los Angeles and Miami areas, announced on March 1 that they will buy the assets of Beachsound, the sound-and-lighting rental company based in Miami Gardens, FL for an undisclosed sum. Following the completion of the transaction, 3G expects to integrate all Beachsound employees into the pro forma organization. Beachsound founder and president Andre Serafini will join 3G as Vice President with responsibility for business development in the eastern region.