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Figure 1: Four Fixtures

Do You Know Your State?

Automated Lighting Programmers must be aware of many concepts when programming a show. One of the most important concepts with any automated lighting console is known as tracking. I have written many articles and even devoted a chapter in my book (The Automated Lighting Programmer’s Handbook) to explain this concept, as it is essential that programmers completely grasp the tracking idea. Once tracking is understood, the ability of the programmer grows tenfold. However, there is another concept that goes hand-in-hand with tracking known as state.

Alice Cooper photo by Seth Jackson

Mr. Nice Guy on Alice; Yanni Right-Sizes His Tour; McCartney Gets Back; More Quick Cues

Anyone who knows LD Seth Jackson knows he is the original “Mr. Nice Guy.” So it came as startling to many — including Jackson himself — when he was asked to design the production for Alice Cooper’s No More Mr. Nice Guy tour. “My reaction was, ‘Wait…Huh?” Jackson says. But his background in legitimate theatre attracted the original shock rocker’s team, as they were taking this new production in a new direction.

Illustration by Andy Au

Floundering on a Sea Cruise

I just got back from taking a cruise. I didn’t go for a relaxing vacation, mind you, I went to work. There’s a new trend now where bands are chartering these ships and creating a musical ride for a few days. This particular ride consisted of 2,500 diehard fans who boarded the vessel for four days of alcohol infused, music blaring, full-on debauchery. That is for the people who paid. For those of us who get paid to control the theatrical lighting on one of these floating tubs, it’s quite an exercise in futility. I believe the majority of these ships start out with some pretty sweet light rigs. Somewhere along the way they seem to go to hell in a bucket.

Ultra Music Festival photo by Ask Media

Ultra Music Festival Lights Up Miami

The 13th Ultra Music Festival drew 150,000 revelers to downtown Miami’s waterfront Bicentennial Park in late March, expanding for the first time to a three-day format. The event, which has developed a huge following among ravers, techno and electric music fans, featured more than 300 DJs and numerous bands performing on six stages.

Cheap Trick photo by Ross Dettman

Neat Tricks for Cheap Trick

If you ever needed proof that good things come in small packages…

For a six-week, 12-show run at Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s Northern Lights Theater earlier this year, Cheap Trick put on a show that was anything but standard. The front half of the show re-created their Dream Police album aurally as well as visually (think white, think low lying haze). Plenty of musicians were on stage to augment the band: professionals from the Milwaukee Symphony sat in as the “Bombastic Symphonic Philharmonic with the Rhythmic Noise Mind Choir,” which allowed the recreation of album’s orchestral arrangements. The second half of the show pulled from hits from the band’s long career.

Out of the Rabbit Hole

Are we still in an economic recession? I have asked that question to a number of people within the industry. Answers have been running the spectrum from “Yes” to “What recession?” We can sit here and debate whether or not we are, but the fact is, people are starting to spend money again. Tours and productions are going full tilt and requesting more and more production technology.