NEWS Atomic Tour Incites Panic LITITZ, PA – Panic! at the Disco launches its American tour with a set by Atomic Design, Inc. The band and their artistic director and lighting designer, Robb Jibson <strong>of</strong> Robb Jibson Design, created the concept for the tour set based on the video’s gothic circus theme. Jibson brought the concept to Atomic Design, Inc. where it was put in the hands <strong>of</strong> scenic designer Mike Rhoads. Jibson and Rhoads fine-tuned the design and brought in long-time friends and associates Tait Towers to handle staging and custom risers. Central to the theme is a large circus big top and tenting, a lion cage keyboard riser and a merry-go-round drum riser that opens to reveal an entrance for dancers. Working from a concept that Jibson and the band put forward, Rhoads created the Victorian-era audience digitally. This image was then hand colored by Joanna Davis, a fellow Atomic designer, and finally printed in large format to create the look the band desired. The tour kicked <strong>of</strong>f in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, November 7, and has stops throughout the US and Canada until mid-December. NEW YORK — ESTA (the Entertainment Services and Technology Association) has announced the winners <strong>of</strong> the 2006 Dealers’ and Manufacturers’ Choice Awards. The Dealers’ Choice Customer Service Awards <strong>of</strong>fer ESTA’s Dealer Members the opportunity to publicly recognize those Manufacturers that provide superior performance in four main areas: Customer Service, Shipping and Billing, Technical Support and Quotations/ Project Management. Dealers cast their votes for Manufacturers in each <strong>of</strong> three categories, based on the Manufacturers’ number <strong>of</strong> employees: 1-6, 7-25 and over 25. The winners for 2006 are: Doug Fleenor, Design, Inc. Pathway Connectivity Inc. Apollo Design Technology, Inc. The Manufacturers’ Choice Dealers <strong>of</strong> the Year Awards <strong>of</strong>fer ESTA’s Manufacturer Members the opportunity to publicly Weller Strings Pearls LONDON — An Avolites Pearl Expert is on tour with Paul Weller - specified by LD Pip Rhodes. When Weller told Rhodes he wanted the show to be operated “live,” rather than pre-programmed or replayed in a cue list style, this seemed an ideal opportunity to road-test the new console, which is designed for flexible “hands-on” operation. The desk is controlling 16 Martin MAC 700 and 12 Martin MAC 250 moving lights, 12 4-Lite DWE Moles, four ARRI HMIs with Wybron Color- Rams and Eclipse dimmer shutters plus four Martin Atomic strobes with color-changers. There are also four bars <strong>of</strong> six PARs for the downstage wash, all supplied by Neg Earth, along with trussing and rigging. Most <strong>of</strong> the lights are hung on a raked upstage box truss structure. Rhodes says that he is effectively using the ESTA Announces Winners Of 2006 Dealers’ and Manufacturers’ Choice Awards An Avolites Pearl runs a Paul Weller concert. moving lights as if they are generics, and is keeping things simple with just six color palettes and four gobo palettes in the desk, used as the basic show building blocks. Everything else is mixed and layered on top <strong>com</strong>pletely live – and as a result, <strong>of</strong>ten slightly different each night. recognize superior performance in four main areas: Staff, Sales and Marketing, Inventory and Financial Responsibility. Manufacturers cast their votes for Dealers in each <strong>of</strong> three categories, based on the Dealers’ number <strong>of</strong> employees: 1-6, 7-25 and over 25. The winners for 2006 are: Indianapolis Stage Sales & Rentals, Inc. Production Advantage, Inc. Stage Equipment & Lighting, Inc. The Dealers’ Choice Product Awards recognize outstanding entertainment technology products in three categories: Expendable, Widget and Equipment. The winners for 2005 are: Expendable Category — Faux Snow from SnowMasters Evaporative Snow Systems, Inc. Faux Snow gives the visual effect <strong>of</strong> snow cover on the ground. It’s biodegradable, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Widget Category — Lex Eectrol Plug-in Splitter from Lex Products Corp. The new Lex Electrol 512 DMX Plug-in Isolator Splitter/Repeater (ISR 1.2) is a plug-in unit that provides one-in, twoout isolation and buffering <strong>of</strong> DMX signals. The PISR rebuilds very weak signals, while isolating ground loops, reducing static electricity problems and providing high-drive for long cable runs. Equipment Category — Power Assist from J.R. Clancy, Inc. Allows you to motorize your counterweight sets with a retr<strong>of</strong>ittable winch. The Customer Service and Dealer <strong>of</strong> the Year awards were presented at ESTA’s annual dinner held in conjunction with the LDI 2006 show on Thursday, October 19, and the Product awards were presented during the LDI 2006 awards ceremony on Saturday, October 21. Elation Hosts Students at LDI LOS ANGELES — Elation Pr<strong>of</strong>essional wel<strong>com</strong>ed a group <strong>of</strong> four lighting design students as their guests to the first Elation Education Experience at the LDI Show in Las Vegas. Students Marie Yokoyama, Jason March, Scott Evans and Leah Austin were selected by a group <strong>of</strong> educators and journalists, based on their enthusiasm for, and potential in, lighting design. These students, along with lighting pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Jacques, were provided with an all-expense paid trip to the LDI show by Elation Pr<strong>of</strong>essional. The lucky students, from L-R: Jason March, Scott Evans, John Lopez (sales manager for Elation Lighting), Leah Austin and Marie Yokoyama. Up<strong>com</strong>ing Events Stage Lighting Super Saturday seminars/workshops: Jan 13, 2007, Pace University, Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, New York, NY (www. stagelightingseminars.<strong>com</strong>) The NAMM Show: Jan 18-21, 2007, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA (www.thenammshow.<strong>com</strong>) Rigging Seminars: Las Vegas, February 12– 16; Boston, April 10–13; Chicago, July 9–12; Seattle, October 8–11. ( www.riggingseminars.<strong>com</strong>) Ad info:http:// www.plsn.<strong>com</strong>/instant-info TOMCAT Hoist and Rigging Workshop: February 21–24, 2007. TOMCAT Advanced Hoist & Truss workshop: February 23 and 24, 2007. (www.tomcatglobal.<strong>com</strong>) Mountain Productions 22nd Annual CM Hoist School: March 26–29, 2007, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (www.mountainproductions.<strong>com</strong>/hoistschool.html) <strong>PLSN</strong> DECEMBER 2006 www.<strong>PLSN</strong>.<strong>com</strong>
Ad info: www.plsn.<strong>com</strong>/instant-info