In this current world of hate, it’s really nice to be able to put out an issue that’s taking a month to focus on Nashville. That’s because nowhere else in the world do I see so many people smiling all day as in Music City. Whether people are working the scene or just hanging at a honkytonk, the folks from this town always smile and greet me with open arms.
There was never a shortage of talent in this town. Yesterday’s country stars have elevated to legendary status with productions that rival any other act in the world. Tomorrow’s stars have attracted the new audience, and country may be churning out new players faster than any other genre. But Nashville isn’t just about country music anymore. Rockers, roadies and vendors have flocked here as well.
Face it; it’s the place to be in music these days. The city is full of live music, and judging from the sheer number of lighting, video, audio and staging companies that have opened up locations in this town, there’s plenty of work to go around. The location is perfect. But everyone in town will tell you that it’s the people who make this town special. So we are shining a light on Nashville this month.
We talked to the biggest players in town, the vendors that stand out as giants in their particular industries. We look at a landmark auditorium hosting a landmark show. We take you inside the minds of six famous local lighting designers. We present you with a Buyers Guide of the best local production and stage managers that hail from the area. Steve Gudis took time out from his hectic schedule to have a chat.
Eye Openers
Speaking of love, I feel people in our business should attend more open houses. They are great events for networking. Companies like Clearwing Productions and BML-Blackbird have had some great turnouts this year for people to meet and check out some cool items, fresh on the market. These shows are different than LDI. The combination of the size of that show and the fact that half my time is spent bumping into old colleagues leaves a lot of stuff on tables that I may have missed.
More importantly, you go to one of these open houses, and it’s a love fest. Everyone is smiling, shaking hands and hawking gear on a first name basis. It’s a great time to remember why we love our business. I went down to Orlando last month to check out my pals at Techni-Lux as they held an open house.
I met some new people with some different gear. I came across a couple of items where I just smacked myself in the head and asked myself “Why wasn’t this around when I was on the road?” Like the Stagemaker lift, with its manually movable limit switch that can be slid around on the hoist’s chain in mere seconds. But there was this one fellow with a tool that really caught my eye more than anything else.
I met this guy named Art who’s got a company out of Canada called KRE Electric Ltd. They make all kinds of power distribution devices. Art invented something that I only wished I had when I was an M.E. He made a tool for twisting Camlok connectors together easily.
If you have ever had a job as an electrician you have undoubtedly had to connect feeder cable to dimmers or power distros. These tough copper and rubber-surrounded connectors need a little muscle behind them to twist and connect. If you have to make 20 or so of these connections daily, it does not take long for your forearms to resemble Popeye. Plus, it seems that all dimmer and PD manufacturers like to space the connectors close to each other to save room. This blows if you have hands like mine that resemble boxer’s gloves. No room!
Along comes Art. His son is a touring electrician who complained that he hated making these connections. After a while, his arms ached. There had to be a better way. So Art designed these heavy-duty tongs that perfectly snuggle around and grasp the jacket of a Camlok connector. You use the leverage to turn and lock it in place.
This Cam Wrench tool showed me where the love is. One person caring enough about another to come up with a solution to aid them at work. Art even gave me a tool as he was leaving. A simple tool that should be a staple in every electrician’s toolbox is helping to spread a little love in your workday.
For more on the Cam Wrench, go to www.kreelectric.com.
