Spring is in full swing. The cherry blossoms have come and gone. The blistering heat of the summer is right around the corner. Just like the heat index, this summer tour season is going to be on fire. Production companies from around the country are preparing their tours as we speak. Here’s just a sampling of what production companies have in store for the Summer of 2012.
American Stage Company
American Stage Company is a concert staging and roofing company based in Chattanooga, TN. The company’s summer festival line-up includes Thunder on the Rock, Crawfish Boil, River Rocks and the Dogwood Festival, to name a few. Another development for 2012 is that the company now distributes Mojo Barriers.
All Access Staging & Production
All Access provides a variety of equipment, from portable risers, rolling stages, lifts, turntables and solenoid systems. With U.S. locations in the New York and Los Angeles areas and additional locations in the U.K. and Australia, the company has lined up tours for Drake, Coldplay, II Divo, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, Beyoncé and Smashing Pumpkins, to name a few. The 2012 tour season is already well-underway for many of the company’s clients.
Beachsound & Lighting
Miami Gardens-based Beachsound Inc. has provided technical support and equipment to all facets of the entertainment and corporate industries for more than 16 years. Building on last year’s success, the company will be supporting Sunfest in West Palm Beach featuring Counting Crows, Pitbull, Creed, The Fray, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Paul Rodgers, Third Eye Blind and others. Other big events on deck include the Fort Lauderdale Air & Sea Show, the Miami Marlins Summer Concert Series with Flo Rida, LL Cool J and Daddy Yankee. Beachsound is expanding their inventory with Martin’s EC-20 video panels and Christie digital projectors.
Chaos Visual Productions
Chaos provides visual solutions that include lighting, video, projection and LED for corporate, concert and other special events. This year, they expect all three of their locations — Los Angeles, Nashville and London — to be busy supporting tours for Foo Fighters, Neil Diamond, Blink 182, Sugarland and Trans Siberian Orchestra, to name a few. Chaos recently expanded their inventory with additional LEDs, media servers and their award-winning Video Tech Truss.
Event Services Inc. (ESI)
Most people think of ESI as a labor provider. It’s a big part of their business, but not the only part. They handle staffing, management and production services for a variety of large outdoor events. The 2012 tour season is in full swing, and while most of the shows are in the summer, the phone rings year round. Currently, ESI is in Asia with Lady Gaga, and the company will be involved with a number of other festival and stadium dates in the U.S. and around the world.
Gallagher Staging & Productions
Gallagher Staging & Productions provides staging, seating platforms, custom sets, crowd control, custom backdrops and rigging. Founded in 2011 by Joe and Joey Gallagher, the company is relatively new, but it’s staffed with production industry veterans. In just over a year, the Gallaghers and crew have grown to support tours for acts including Linkin Park, Incubus, Jack White, Blink 182 and REO Speedwagon.
Gemini Light Sound & Video
Gemini has several confirmed events and tours and more in the works for 2012. Confirmed tours and event clients include Bush, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Patti LaBelle, eWomen Network and Mary Kay. The company has expanded its inventory recently with Martin’s new MAC Viper, 101 and 301 fixtures, Clay Paky’s Sharpy and Elation’s EPV762 moving head video panels, among other new gear.
Mountain Productions
Mountain Productions, which provides event staging and roof systems for big outdoor events, will be supporting the Electric Daisy Carnival in New York and Las Vegas and the Hot 97 Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, among other events.
Stewart Independent Production
Stewart Independent, a concert and tour production management company offering production services and resources including sound, lighting, staging, video and back-line gear and crew. The company is anticipating a variety of one-offs of all sizes, some festivals and a few week-long gigs, along with a roster of live sound and lighting system installation projects. Events and tours for 2012 include Vanessa Carlton, Vernon Hills Summer Celebration Festival, Waterfront Film Festival and the Notre Dame B1 Block Party.
Upstaging Inc.
Upstaging is reuniting with longtime friends and clients this year, including Bonnie Raitt, the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney and Sting, along with relative newcomers Lady Gaga and One Direction Upstaging is also support shows for Lady Antebellum, Luis Miguel, Batman Live, The Queen Extravaganza, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry. Upstaging recently expanded their inventory with Clay Paky Sharpys and EC LED display panels.
Video Walltronics
Video Walltronics, a full service LED rental company for indoor and outdoor applications, also manufactures custom LED screens for most applications. Election years are always busy, and the 2012 summer tour season is on track to surpass 2008, with mobile LED and one-offs both contributing to the company’s bottom line. Along with political gatherings, the company supports religious and sporting events, including marathons and horse races. On the manufacturing side, the company also has a few items in the pipeline, with North American distribution rights for DigiLEDUK and gear sourced from Asia.
XL Video
XL Video will once again be supporting touring clients worldwide, including Roger Waters, Coldplay, Snow Patrol and II Divo’s Wicked Game world tour. The company’s summer forecast is for business to be close to what it was in 2011 — which is saying something, considering XL supported U2 last year.
