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GLP Flies High with Florence and the Machine Supporting LD Andi Watson

Florence and the Machine’s grand world tour, which began late last summer in North America and subsequently spanned shows as far afield as Melbourne and London, will again prove that distance is no barrier as the festival season looms, with imminent outdoor events in Brazil and Europe. Masterminded by a largely new creative team, the lighting is based on an original concept from the highly imaginative Andi Watson, complementing Es Devlin’s set design. However, one long-term Florence collaborator is the show’s Lighting Director, Sam O’Riordan.Read More »GLP Flies High with Florence and the Machine Supporting LD Andi Watson

In Memoriam: Ken “Junior” Burns, Upstaging Crew Chief, 48

Kenneth Joseph Burns Jr. of Sycamore IL passed away on April 25, 2023 at the age of 48, at Loyola University Medical Center. He was born on August 8, 1974, in Edison, NJ. Ken, or as everyone in the industry called him, Junior, worked at Upstaging, Inc. for 32 years. He traveled the world as crew chief for Upstaging supporting many well-known artists and events. He was known for his professionalism, dedication, leadership, kindness, and ever-present smile. His calm demeanor allowed him to become a mentor to many new Upstaging crew members over the years.Read More »In Memoriam: Ken “Junior” Burns, Upstaging Crew Chief, 48

21st Parnelli Awards Offer Surprises, Emotions, and Winners

Always full of surprises and the unexpected, the 21st Annual Parnelli Awards held on Friday April 14 started out with a big one: Outgoing NAMM CEO/President Joe Lamond was initiated in the Parnelli Hall of Fame. Also getting their due: Roy Lamb (Lifetime Achievement Award), Keny Whitright (Visionary Award), Marty Garcia (Audio Innovator) and more than two dozen others.

Maggie Rogers: ‘The Feral Joy Tour’

Maggie Rogers, the Grammy nominated singer/songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, is touring with Lighting Designers Dan Hadley & Tess Falcone and Lighting Director Ali “Blue” Allison. Along the way, they talked to PLSN about working with the artist for “The Feral Joy Tour” and how the design supports the artist.

CHAUVET Professional Helps Alec Takahashi Connect Thomas Rhett To Crowd

Location, they say, “is everything” in retailing; well, it’s pretty important in live touring too. Just ask Alec Takahashi, the long-time lighting designer for country superstar Thomas Rhett. Lighting the multi-platinum singer/songwriter’s Bring The Bar To You tour, the LD could sense the crowd enter different emotional spaces as his client moved from one location on the set to another. “We had a B stage that Thomas Rhett walked on for a few songs,” said Takahashi. “This allowed us to create stripped down moments for him to get closer to fans. When he did this, the crowd subconsciously relaxed and became a little loose. You could literally feel the crowd relax and engage when he moved to that stage, and then you could feel the energy skyrocket with no walls when he returned to a full band performance on the main stage.”Read More »CHAUVET Professional Helps Alec Takahashi Connect Thomas Rhett To Crowd

Karol G $trip Love Tour

The Latin Grammy winning artist, Colombian singer and songwriter Karol G, has been wowing her fans with her “$trip Love Tour” in 2022. PLSN got all the details of the visually stunning show speaking with the tour design team—Creative Director and Show Designer Travis Shirley of Blank Wall Creative, Lighting Designer/Programmer Chris Smith, and Lighting Director Ryan King.

Top Tours of 2022

“Billboard” magazine recently ranked tours around the world by total ticket sales from November 2021 through October 2022. The Showtime section within PLSN’s January 2023 issue focuses on the lighting, staging and video production teams and equipment supporting these tours.

Upstaging’s Early Days: Kids Lighting Kids

In the early days for Upstaging, now marking 50 years, the company’s main work was lighting a lot of small, local shows. “We worked with a lot of local bands. We did Styx, who back then were playing high schools in the Chicago area every Friday and Saturday night,” notes Don Carone, who founded Upstaging with his brother Robert along with their friend Robin Shaw. Follow the link to learn more about the bands Upstaging lit in those early days.

Nine Inch Nails Tour 2022

Nine Inch Nails played a limited number of make-up headlining dates on their spring and fall 2022 tour. PLSN caught up with Toss Film & Design’s Paul “Arlo” Guthrie about his work as designer, director, and programmer for the NIN tour. We also checked in with Lighting Technician Matthew “Matt” Schiller for some fixture details in the design, with lighting supplied by tour vendor Upstaging.

Upstaging Celebrates 50 Years

Live entertainment lighting and trucking company Upstaging marked its 50th anniversary in 2022. During the past half century co-founders, brothers Robert and Don Carone, and Robin Shaw, joined in 1979 by John Huddleston, have turned Upstaging from a garage-based pioneer into a stalwart of the industry. The four share with PLSN some of their reflections growing a company alongside the concert touring industry—the beginnings, the milestones, and what they hope people know about Upstaging today.