NASHVILLE — The 12th and Porter club, a venue that has served as a launching pad for up-and-coming bands, overhauled its stage lighting system three years ago with 16 Clay Paky light fixtures, added by Daniel Slezinger, who was then the club’s production manager. “It took us to a new level,” Slezinger said. “We were the first Nashville music venue to install moving lights, allowing the club and artists to work together and present a creative visual experience.”
This summer, Slezinger, now co-owner of the club, added 12 more Clay Paky fixtures. They include four Mini Scan HP3, four Alpha Spot 300 HPE and four Alpha Wash 300 fixtures. To control the new system, he installed a MagicQ 100 Pro console by ChamSys Ltd.
The upgrades, he said, have had a noticeable impact. “The lighting brings a feeling of energy and excitement to the room, and the general audience seems much more focalized on the show,” he noted. “Their look just always stands out,” he added.
Slezinger also said the fixtures give the club an edge in Nashville’s competitive live music scene. “When bands want to showcase themselves and look and sound their best, they choose 12th and Porter because of the Clay Pakys. It works out for both parties because the fans are more excited to spend their hard-earned money to see a professional production.”
Slezinger and his partner Justin Roddick also own a video production company, Autumn Addict, which creates live music videos, DVDs, EPKs and other tools for performers. The Clay Paky fixtures make the 12th and Porter’s stage a good location for the shoots, he said.
“The lights are very efficient and very quiet — plus all the colors in the lights match, which is very important to the way the videos look. The Clay Pakys have added a new element of art to the content.”
With shows six nights a week and video shoots on the seventh, as well as during many days, 12th and Porter gives the lights a continuous workout. “The Clay Pakys have always been a very reliable fixture,” Slezinger said. “During my career, I’ve used them for more than 1,500 shows in a number of different venues, and they’ve never let me down.”
Regarding his MagicQ lighting control desk, “It’s my new favorite console,” Slezinger said. “ChamSys took the best of all the console lines and put them into one product. It’s easy to set up and get going, and it’s flexible so you can easily put anything anywhere, including incorporating video into lighting.
“Not only does the MagicQ greatly expand the creative potential of 12th and Porter’s new lighting system,” Slezinger added, “its intuitive design has simplified all the busy work of setting up a show. You need fewer keystrokes to get something done.”
With an owner’s eye to the bottom line, Slezinger also noted that the Clay Paky fixtures and MagicQ console were “very affordable for our 335-seat club. Given everything they’ve done for us, they’re a great investment.”
PRG Distribution, a division of Production Resource Group (PRG), distributes Clay Paky fixtures and MagicQ consoles in the U.S.
For information, please visit www.prgdistribution.com.
