Speaking Rock Entertainment Center has raised the bar for outdoor live entertainment in El Paso, TX, by installing a cutting-edge Elation lighting rig for its new outdoor stage. A cornerstone of the community’s live entertainment scene, the venue now features a 100% Elation lighting system designed to meet the demands of high-profile touring acts and large audiences.
Owned and operated by the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Indians), Speaking Rock is renowned for offering free live music performances, even for big-name artists like Cypress Hill, Incubus, and Rieleros del Norte, where crowds exceeded 20,000. With a commitment to community access and premier performances, Speaking Rock is a cultural hub for music, entertainment, and celebration in the American Southwest.
Meeting Demanding Riders
Speaking Rock previously held events using its own non-IP-rated lighting but faced recurring issues. They ultimately decided to expand with a larger, more capable stage setup that would enhance production quality and meet professional touring specifications.
“We decided to change up the whole lighting system as we wanted to do bigger events and host bigger names,” stated Matt Velasquez, Production Director at Speaking Rock. “Free shows naturally attract large crowds and with the bigger acts come more demanding rider requirements.”
They considered renting the necessary gear but realized it wouldn’t deliver the quality and control they aimed for. Instead, they invested in a full-scale stage setup, purchasing everything outright—including staging, audio, lighting, and the complete production package.
Long-standing Relationships
Elation’s Channel Market Manager, Esteban De La Torre, has a long-standing relationship with Velasquez and Speaking Rock Lighting Designer Efrain Gandarilla, who worked together at Elation dealer HB Electronics. He’s stayed in touch over the years, and when Speaking Rock began planning the upgrade, they shared their vision with De La Torre, who helped guide them in fixture choices.
“HB Electronics has been an important partner for many years and are our go-to partner for anything production,” Velasquez stated, adding that he has trusted De La Torre’s opinion on lighting for years. De La Torre created a preview of the rig in Capture previsualization software, which Velasquez and Gandarilla then fine-tuned.
IP-rated Rig
The lighting upgrade for Speaking Rock’s outdoor stage includes a robust lineup of IP65/66-rated fixtures built to withstand El Paso’s dusty outdoor environment. The full Elation rig includes 24 Proteus Hybrid Max, 14 Proteus Brutus, 14 Proteus Rayzor 1960, 16 Pulse Panel FX, and 48 Sōl I blinder.
The lighting system made its live debut on April 27, delivering a visually striking show for popular Mexican bands Rieleros del Norte and Los Huracanes del Norte. “I was happy and excited to use the rig for the first time for those two acts, and it was good to not have to worry about bagging lights,” Velasquez said. “Seeing the gear in action was everything I’d hoped for.”
The Proteus Hybrid Max, positioned in the rig, on truss stands and risers, with some on the ground for a floor package, can be used as a beam, spot, or wash light. It houses all-new technology like Fast Advanced Features, Tri-Tier Animation, SpinSync tracking, and a massive toolbox of visual FX. “We do a lot of rock shows and can use the beam for powerful looks on stage or can use it as a spot with slow movement and gobos for a pop show. It works for everything and is really multiple fixtures in one,” Matt said. “Seeing them in action, we were blown away.”
The Proteus Brutus, a 75000-lumen-strong LED wash beam FX fixture, functions as a powerful front wash light from a 26-foot throw. It provides full-stage coverage and allows a few units to be repurposed for floor package use as well.
For the inaugural shows, guest designers used the Proteus Rayzor 1960 LED wash/mid-air/effect lights to wash the crowd, then zoomed in for tight beams, adding dynamic beam looks to the rig. They also took advantage of the fixture’s built-in macros, which streamlined their programming process.
Velasquez says he’s been thoroughly impressed with the Sōl I Blinders, especially given their compact size. “They deliver rich, full-range color and are versatile enough to use as strobes or crowd washes. I love that they can be linked together to create custom designs. For the first shows, we lined them across the top truss and lit up the entire crowd—it was amazing. Considering how small they are, they really blew me away. The moment the lighting designers saw them, they said, ‘we can do so much with these.’”
The Pulse Panel FX multi-dynamic effects fixtures weren’t used during the initial shows but will be integrated into upcoming productions. Velasquez notes that many of their country acts wear cowboy hats, which can cast shadows over their faces under the BRUTUS front lights. To address this, he plans to position several PULSE PANEL FX units along the downstage edge for effective uplighting.
More Options
The venue plans to use the rig for dozens of concerts and special events year-round, from major rock, pop and country shows to MMA fights and themed entertainment. “For example, on the MMA fights, we used to use spots to light the ring, but now we plan on using the Sōl I Blinders to give us some nice color around the entire ring, and we’ll use the Brutus to highlight the ring and other areas. It’s exciting that now we have more options.”
Velasquez noted that the new lighting system has performed beyond expectations, and concludes by saying, “Even my boss, who rarely comments on production, told me how amazing the lighting looked. That was the best compliment we could get.”
Further information about Elation: www.elationlighting.com
