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Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What tour

Designing Paul Simon, Brickman’s Own Lit Wall, Foster the David, Snow in Orlando and Quick Cues

Although Paul Simon’s So Beautiful or So What tour continues on into the New Year, LD Rich Locklin and lighting director Steve Fallon are already designing Simon’s 2012 run, which will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his Graceland album. Musicians who backed him on the album, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, will be involved.

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Look Solutions Tiny FX Fogger

Look Solutions Tiny FX Fogger

Particulates are always in the air.  They are so tiny we don’t even notice them. But it is these little specs of dust that make beams of light visible.  In the world of staged beam effects, foggers and hazers also play a key role. They help to define shafts of light and provide effects. Germany-based Look Solutions has recently introduced the entertainment world to what has to be one of the smallest foggers I have ever seen. The Tiny FX Fogger is a compact, battery-operated fogger that easy fits in the palm of your hand.  At first glance, the Tiny FX seems as though it was designed to be used primarily as a novelty item. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Bizarro World

Say you had a bazillion dollars and it was your birthday. And you decided to have a party for, say, 1,000 of your buddies. What exactly would you do? I’d be that guy who hires Van Halen to play at my barbecue. I don’t count on it.  However, I recently got to witness what happens when someone who could throw that type of a shindig actually does.

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No Business Like OUR Business

The mantra of the industry has been, “The show must go on.” It has been that way for years. Regardless of what happens, we must entertain the masses. A light goes out, a cue is missed, but the show must go on. Too many times I have been backstage and a glitch happens before or during the show. Being resourceful and talented people, we find a way to fix the problem and move on. Sometimes it is not the best solution, or even the safest, but the show must go on. We make that square peg fit into the round hole.

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Ed Wannebo and Kenny Chesney at the 2011 Parnelli Awards

2011 Parnelli Awards

By the time Ed Wannebo took the stage at the end of the evening to accept the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award, it was already an entertaining evening filled with surprises. Then Kenny Chesney walked out on stage. A true man crush ensued. Chesney has had Wannebo working as production manager on his tours for a decade, and a tradition of his shows includes Wannebo running out halfway through to hand him a special hand-crafted margarita. On a Saturday night at the end of October, Chesney returned the favor. A surprised Ed got a big hug, the drink, and then Chesney addressed the Parnelli audience.

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Superdome in New Orleans

Solomon Group Lights Up Superdome, New Orleans Skyline

A new permanent LED lighting system is showcasing New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome and anchoring the neighboring sports and entertainment district. The Solomon Group designed the installation using Martin Professional lighting. The lights wash the building’s exterior with changing colors, patterns and images. The inaugural lighting event on Oct. 20 attracted more than 4,000 spectators to watch a display that was synchronized to a soundtrack.

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