John Legend - Mobile Production Pro

EVENT & ARENAMARKETING CONFERENCECOLORADO SPRINGS • JUNE 10-13, 2009The only industry conference devoted to the exchange of ideas among marketing, group sales,public relations, event planning and live show promoters and professionals.KEYNOTE SPEAKER:DARRYL SIEBEL,CCO, US OLYMPIC COMMITTEEHosted ByDiscounted Registration by May 1st!Register online at eventarenamarketing.com$450 - Registration prior to Friday, May 1st- Save $125!$575 - Registration after Friday, May 1st$400 - Additional people from the same venue(up to 10)$250 - Single Day and Student RegistrationsTO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE ANDVIEW THE CURRENT AGENDA,PLEASE VISIT EVENTARENAMARKETING.COMConference Registration Includes:• Admission to all sessions including keynotespeaker, concurrent and panel sessions,roundtable discussions and team-buildingexperiences.• Conference notebook and SWAG bag• Meals hosted by industry leaders• Networking opportunities• Evening entertainment activities• Transportation to evening events• Opportunity to participate in the Silent Auctionand Raffl eA Special Thank You to Our Sponsors: Access Pass and Design • Billboard Magazine • Carbonhouse • Centerplate CateringCirque du Soleil • Harlem Globetrotters • IP Advertising • New Belgium Beer • Pollstar • Smucker’s Stars on Ice • Ticketmaster • Tickets WestTour Guide Magazine • VEE Corp • Venues Today • The Wiggles • World Arena

mobileproductionmontlycontentsvolume 2 issue 3 2009features8 PersonnelTravis ColemanFrom Audio Trucks to Fire Trucks10 VideoFrank the PlumberButt Crack Not Included12 Tour BreakoutWinter Jam 2009 Tour SpectacularThese Guys Really Get It!John Legend2218 VenuesCitizens Business Bank ArenaSouthern California’s Newest Gift22 John LegendBeautifully Done26 John Legend Tour Crew30 Adamson & Sound ImageTeam up for John Legend Tour34 Advertiser's Indexbreakouts12 Winter Jam 2009Tour Spectacular810 12Announcing the Launch ofMobileProductionPro.comMobileProductionPro.com allowsyou to search and access recordsfrom the world's most comprehensivedatabase of mobileproduction industry contacts. Asyou navigate this site, you willnotice that Mobile Production Prois interactive. Both the site andits community will grow with yourparticipation.Create a FREE Account Today182622mobile production monthly 3

FROM THE PublisherIn the world of trade journals, every serious publication seemsto have four components; a regular periodical (mobile Productionmonthly, in our case), one or more annual directories (The RoadBook, for example), an annual conference and/or award show(Tour Link), and a website. To that end, we have finally launchedour massive website and global search engine, mobileproductionpro.com.This website is the product of over two years of intensive fulltimework by our management team and IT specialist, MichaelStallcup. It will be evolving as the industry gives us feedback onwhat is working as well as ideas on additions and improvements. There area few unique features to this site that are not available anywhere else in theworld. First, the site is global in concept and content. That means that anyonein the business worldwide may not only use the site but add content relevant totheir profession, service or product. We will soon be adding a foreign languageoption to the site. What is important to explain at this time is why you, as areader and industry professional, should take advantage of this site and beginto use it in your everyday business.Any database, especially something of this magnitude, is only as good as thedata contained and the traffic it generates. In order to utilize the site, just signup and establish a password. There is no charge for any of this. Once you areaccepted, you can then check the information we have posted on you and yourbusiness and submit any changes, updates or expansions to the data you thinkappropriate. We will be adding more and more sophisticated features duringthe year.Here's an example of one of the features: any coach company may logon, list every coach in its inventory, classify the date, model and type of coach,upload interior and exterior photos and then post the dates each coach isavailable for leasing. Then, that company may use the directory listingsto indicate which other coach companies they would like to share thatinformation. In essence, the coach companies can now set up their ownleasing networks on our site and that availability information will only beavailable to the other companies in their private network.We will soon add a component that will enable touring personnel to postthe dates they are available for work, venues will soon be able to post the datestheir buildings are open for bookings and also will be able to upload a CADof the building in an editable format. Production companies will be able to listtheir equipment in a manner that will allow production managers to searchfor specific types of gear for a national tour, a regional tour or a one-off ina specific location. We will also be adding features for hotels, air charter,insurance, security and many other services.As time progresses, we believe that this site will become a primary tool forthe industry. We have designed and delivered what we believe to be the mostsophisticated, adaptable system in the history of the industry, but as with allwell-intentioned endeavors, it will only be of value if the industry uses it. Weask that you take a look, give us your feedback and ideas for improvements andhelp us to spread the word. We need all of you to be involved in this site so thatwe can all turn the vision and hard work into a functioning reality.Larry SmithWe understand your needs“TSO has used Potenza Enterprizes since their first tour.They’ve grown with us from 2 trucks to 26 . Their attentionto detail, the caliber of their drivers & equipment is thereason we use them and will continue to do so. They arepart of the TSO family”. Elliot Saltzman,Tour Director -Trans-Siberian Orchestra.TouringTransportationSpecialists !!!HOME OFFICE STAFFa 7 s 3 p 2ph: 615.256.7006 • f: 615.256.7004mobileproductionpro.com750 Cowan St • Nashville, TN • USA 37207Publisher: Larry Smith >larrysmith@tourguidemag.comManaging Director: Chris Cogswell accogswell@mobileproductionpro.comChief Writer / Photographer: Michael A. Beck 7grockit@comcast.netContributing Writer / Tour Link Coord.: Jessi Wallace sjwallace@mobileproductionpro.comArt Director / Graphic Designer: Kristin Searcy 3kristin.tourguide@gmail.comksearcy@mobileproductionpro.comOffice Manager: Jennifer Russell pofficemanager@mobileproductionpro.comWebmaster: Michael Stalcup 2mstalcup@mobileproductionpro.comContributing Writer: Bill Abnerbigolbill@comcast.netContributing Writer: Michael Waddellmichael_waddell@mac.comContributing Writer: Mike Whartonwharton8317@bellsouth.netADVERTISING SALES OFFICEJessi Wallace • Nashvillejwallace@mobileproductionpro.comph: 615.256.7006 • f: 615.256.7004Steve Graham • Kentuckysgraham@mobileproductionpro.comph: 859-384-0229 • f: 859-384-0338TOUR LINK BOARD OF ADVISORSBenny Collins, Nick Gold, Jim Digby, Jon Nevins, Stuart Ross,Bobby Schneider, Jay Sendyk, Seth Sheck, Nick GoldNicki Goldstein, Chuck Randall, Michael Waddelltourlinkconference.comPUBLISHED BYAnvil Productions, LLCph: 615.256.7006 • f: 615.256.7004©2009 Anvil Productions, LLC. Nothing may be reproduced without writtenpermission of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to edit any andall editorial content included in this publication. The publisher has made everyattempt to insure accuracy and consistency of this publication. However,some listings & information may be incomplete due to a lack of informationprovided by various companies listed. Please send any inquiries to theattention of the publisher. All advertising appears at the paid solicitation ofthe advertiser. Anvil Productions, LLC, can not be held liable for any errors,omissions or inaccuracies appearing in this journal in the form of editorials,listings or advertising.Member of:Toll free 1.877.832.5546potenzaent@on.aibn.comwww.potenzaenterprizesinc.com4 mobile production monthly

Personnelby Michael A. beckTravis ColemanFrom Audio Trucksto Fire TrucksAbout a year and a halfago, my wife Carolyn wokeme up in the middle ofthe night in a good deal physicaldistress. Without going into a greatdetail, suffice it to say that the nightended with the local EMS folkscoming out to the house and gettingher to the hospital.During all of the commotion of gettingCarolyn examined and onto the gurney,one of the five guys who responded to thecall looked at our coffee table and sawa stack of (Tour Guide) magazines andasked what they were. I told him about thepublication, and he showed more than apassing interest. I quickly inquired abouthis interest and he gave me the last answerI would have ever expected.It turns out that this firefighter namedTravis Coleman toured for several yearswith Showco before it became part of themonolithic Clair Brothers Audio Systems.In light of the more critical issues at hand,we didn’t take much time to discuss this atlength. But I did hang onto the notion thatthis might be a pretty interesting story. Ittook a while, but I finally wandered over tothe nearby firehouse and caught up withColeman.When he was in high school Travis had twothings that pretty much locked his touringfuture into an inevitable reality. He had afascination with all things electronic, andhe had an uncle who owned a small soundcompany. By the time Travis graduatedfrom high school his interest in audiotechnology had festered into a full blowncareer decision. So he went to Full SailUniversity and got a job with Showco uponreceiving his degree. He then wasted notime making a name for himself becomingone of the youngest crew chiefs (18 yearsold) Showco had at the time.During his five years with Showco Travislogged serious touring time with suchnames as Brooks and Dunn, Moody Blues,Smashing Pumlins, Joe Satriani and VinceGill. “I was touring 300 hundred days ayear back then andloved every minuteof it,” Travis said,“But things had tochange. I was aboutto get married and Iknew that it wouldn’tbe a very happymarriage if Iwas going to begone all the time.”Eventually Travisblew out his knee ona Vince Gill tour andsaw that as a perfecttime to hang up hisspurs. He beganworking for his father’slog cabin constructionfirm (Coleman LogHomes) where he grew upand still lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia. BlueRidge is a small town of 25,000 peoplelocated about 90 miles north of Atlantathat has an interesting demographicgroup; there are roughly 60 professionalfirefighters who live there but come intoAtlanta and its surrounding areas to work.While working for his father’s companyTravis had a chance encounter thatchanged everything. “After I had surgeryon my knee I was working with my dadand one of his guys was a GwinnettCounty firefighter.” He explained, “We gotto talking and I told him that I’d like to behome a lot more and he said, ‘come workwith us at the fire department.’ So I askedhim what he does and we talked a littlemore and I went and hung with him for acouple days. I put my application in and sixmonths later I got the call.”He started working for the Fire departmentin late 2000. Not long after that the worldchanged and though the attacks of 911took place some 850 miles away fromBlue Ridge, it affected firefighters all overthe country in a very unique way. Nowit wasn’t just about the usual things onemight have associated with the job. Therewas a new world of threats out there andwith it, a new level of seriousness, as if thejob wasn’t serious enough.As he was explaining this entire onequestion was burning a hole in my head.Finally I couldn’t wait any further. “Nowthat you are in the very serious businessof saving people’s lives and property doyou have a different opinion the touringworld? Does it seem almost frivolous bycomparison?”“Not at all.” He responded without anyhesitation, “Because of the work I do, theentertainment business is more importantto me than ever before. I work 24 hours onand 48 hours off. You need that much timeto decompress after a shift. I think it’s vitalto have an escape and entertainment is thatplace.”After nine years as a firefighter (two inGwinnett County in seven in CherokeeCounty) Travis hasn’t lost his tie tothe audio world or his work ethic. Inaddition to the work he does with thefire department, he also owns an audiocompany called Blue Ridge Sound basedout of Tucker, Georgia that works all overthe east coast from Florida to New York.One of the aspects of the company is thathe is a Meyer Sound dealer. An interestingside note is that his uncle, Rick Coleman,(you know, the guy that enticed him intothe business in the first place) is now theSoutheastern Sales Rep. for Meyer Sound.8 mobile production monthly

Travis also mixes sound for a gospelquartet called The Promise Quartet. Butwait, there’s more. He is heavily involvedin Coleman Log Homes through which heacquired his commercial and residentialconstruction licenses. Those licenses arenow coming in handy as he is currentlyin the process of going live with his latestventure, “Elite Response.” This is a quickresponse disaster mitigation company thatwill come in and repair damages causedby a broad ranges of various types ofcatastrophes.However, the most important part of thiswidely diverse man is that his strongestdesire is still to maintain a good life and beclose to his wife and two children.People have all kinds of different reasonsfor leaving the road. But most of the timethey all boil down to a desire to slow down.Getting off the road didn’t slow TravisColeman down, it allowed him to spreadhis wings and truly take to the air. 7Designed to Help You Go Green.Reduced Emissions and Fuel ConsumptionHigher density truck packs mean fewer trucks on the roadEliminates Fixture CasesTyler GT protects your fixtures without the need for casesSaves TimeDramatically reduces load-in and load-out timeAvailable in 5', 8',and 10' sectionsOn truss storage eliminatesneed for casesLegs can be removedor relocated on the trussduring your show.Adjustable legs allowtruss to be stacked fortransportation and storageCenter loading design allowsa high density, uniform loadof large format automatedand conventional fixturesmobile production monthly 9

VideoFrank The Plumberby Mike WhartonButt-crack Not IncludedHere is a little storyabout momentsof inspiration. It’sa journey that began at anarcade game convention floor(long before the E3/ElectronicEntertainment Expo), a paththat led through the SonyBuilding to ‘The Tree House’ inLaurel Canyon and a designcompany based on a plumbernamed Frank.During breaks in rehearsals for Beyonce’,mPm caught up with Chris Kantrowitz, theco-founder of the production company Frankthe Plumber, to hear his tale.A self described “computer nerd” Chrisbegan designing video games when hewas 14, after his father had taken him to aConsumer Electronics Show.“I played a game at one of the booths,remembers Kantrowitz. Afterwards the headof development asked me what I thoughtand I gave him a long list of problems. Theguy thanked me for being honest, addingthat people usually weren’t. Right then, Idon’t even know where it came from, but Isaid, ‘well you know I have a business testinggames,’ He gave me his card, and told meto give him a call. I figured I was on tosomething, went around to a bunch of otherbooths and left at the end of the day with astack of cards. “A year later, after picking him up fromschool each day, Kantrowitz’s mother wasdepositing him at the doorstep of Sonyto design its’ games. His career continuedon this path until he was 33. “About thattime I had this kind of realization I’d beendoing the same thing for more than halfmy life and I just needed a change,” saysKantrowitz.He and Christian Lamb (his partner) met“randomly” through mutual friends. Lamb,the son of industry legend ProductionManager Chris Lamb, had been workingin the business for quite a while as anindependent video director and designer.“Christian approached me abouthelping him with some videographics for Madonna,” continuesKantrowitz. We worked togetherand enjoyed what we accomplished. Thenwe did some things for Coldplay and I said,‘why don’t we start a company together?’Frank The Plumber was born in my diningroom in 2006.”The transition for Kantrowitz from videogame designer to live concert video designwas a seamless one.Enthuses Kantrowitz, “I think allentertainment shares very fundamentalcores. I’ve always been a huge fan of what’sgoing on in live music and the ways it’sevolved so much in terms of technology.Most modern shows are totally dependaenton computers, ProTools, video rigs andlighting rigs ect, etc. The technology behindconcert touring was a very comfortableplace for me ‘cause I am a technologist anda creative person. When you create a videogame, you’re creating virtual sets, all thelighting, staging, movement, and tempo.Designing live shows is a bit of a reliefbecause the person you’re directing has amind and ideas too. You’re building a stage,lighting it, consulting with and creating astory for the artist. But instead of virtualyou’re dealing with tangible. So in my worldif you wanted a table lamp, you have tocreate it. In the staging world you just gobuy it.”Frank The Plumber’s website boasts ofgreat grand-father Obadiah’s advocacy ofsanitary health and well being, SpeedyService, Plumbing Tips and World WideFranchise offers. Amidst the tonguein cheek subtlety of the websitecan also be found show reels andmontages of the work Kantrowitzand Lamb have produced. It’s animpressive roster, even more sofor a company barely three yearsold. Yet none of it directly pointsto what they do as a company.“Word of mouth is what keeps ourrelationships going, and we’ve been veryfortunate to work with so many wonderfulartists,” says Kantrowitz.The idea was to start a companyfull of artists with a variety of skillsthat could work in a variety ofareas. So as a whole, we couldbasically offer more services toour clients.”franktheplumber.comassistant@franktheplumber.com323-654-4546Because of this flexibility, this team is oftenhired to be involved with more than justthe video content for a tour and is hiredto design a show top to bottom. First andforemost, Frank The Plumber’s ideologyorients itsself to creative designs that push it’sclients to do things visually they would havenever done.Its design approach encompasses morethan the tour itself, but into other aspectsof the artist’s presentation. Kantrowitzrefers to a well used term, “Album Cycles.”“For example, with Chris Cornell, we shota couple of music videos before he wentout, and then used some of the content onhis tour. We try to create broader visual10 mobile production monthly

aesthetics to the artist beyond just thetour,” says Kantrowitz.He continues, “My dream is to set itup where we can create an experiencethrough the course of the album cycle’sentire year and fans will be enveloped inthis cohesive, creative existence. Some ofthe more epic bands of our time like theBeatles and Pink Floyd did that. Therewas a similarity to their album packaging,tour and videos. So you almost never exitthat creative sphere. That’s what we’retrying to bring to the bands we’re workingwith.”Kantrowitz added, “I’ve neverapproached what we do with acompetitive spirit. We’re all doing thistogether. For me, most importantly, is wejust enjoy what we do. We set a tone ofall trying to do our best and be a breathof fresh air for people who are awayfrom home for long periods of time. Mygreatest interest is to make sure an artist issurrounded with the best people possible.”Frank The Plumber’s home base is inLos Angeles, CA nicknamed “The TreeHouse,” because the structures is set upamong the trees in the hills of LaurelCanyon. The compound contains threebuildings. One houses the productionoffices for live shoots, the sound designand recording studio are in the second,and the third serves as a suite for design,editing and executive offices. A corestaff of nine is on hand which includesa creative director, production assistant,bookkeeper, IT person and graphic artistsfor pre and post production. Upwards of30 to 40 ancillary staff can be working onthe myriad projects involved, includingcorporate work outside of the touringindustry.Kantrowitz remembers, “One timewe had a meeting with a band calledLMFAO that lived just up the street fromus. They were telling us a story abouttheir leaky toilet in the house and howthey looked in the yellow pages for thenearest plumber and wound up calling us.We all had a good laugh about it.”Irony overflows. UHigh quality products, competitively priced.➤ 7kW to 75kW generators, powered by a rugged Kubotaor Cummins diesel engine.➤ Commercial grade performance and construction.➤ Highly-experienced staff to help guide you, includingelectrical and mechanical engineers.➤ Wide range of options available.Comprehensive generator service centers in theAtlanta and Charlotte areas.➤ From simple repairs to complete replacements, wehandle it all on a broad array of generators.➤ Conveniently located with Interstate access nearby.Atlanta Area: 3412 Florence Circle ❚ Powder Springs, GA 30127Charlotte Area: 348 Bryant Boulevard ❚ Rock Hill, SC 29732© 2008, EPSmobile production monthly 11

Winter Jam 2009These Guys Really Get It!by jessi wallaceWhen mobile Production monthly was invited to cover theWinter Jam 2009 Tour Spectacular once again, it was easy tosay “we’ll be there!” The Winter Jam crew for 2009 is composed of many of the same facesas last year’s tour. It can honestly be said that these are some of the nicest people on theroad today, who have an immense passion for what they do. The Winter Jam tour may notbe as large, production wise, as some of the other tours out this year, but the crew does anexcellent job of putting on one heck of a good show with what they have to work with.This year, there were 2 trucks, bringing the tour to approximately 72,000 pounds, and 35 riggingpoints. Every year it’s a totally different experience. The line-up is always different anddiverse. 2009 offered a variety of artists, and some were exclusive to certain cities. TobyMacwas the headliner, and other acts included The Afters, Hawk Nelson, Francesca Battistelli,Brandon Heath, Stephanie Smith, Family Force 5, BarlowGirl, and PureNRG.12 mobile production monthly

One thing that sets the Winter Jam tourapart from other tours is something veryobvious… the ticket prices. Winter Jam’s missionis to make the show affordable to anyone.Think of it as a circus. General admission,$10 at the door, pack out the house!Every concert, in every city, is simply $10at the door. The tour has been running for10 years now, and every year it gets biggerand better because the tour understands thatit’s more important to reach more peoplefor less. High volume, low prices. It’s verysimple. This isn’t $10 at the door for a bunchof local bands. It’s $10 at the door for DoveAward and Grammy Award nominated &winning artists. But the artists aren’t the onlywinners involved… the tour itself is nominatedfor a Dove Award for Tour of the Year!It’s no surprise that the economy is affectingthe touring world pretty hard. Concertgoers are becoming more fickle on whatthey will spend their money on and in returntours aren’t bringing in as much and havingto cancel tour dates. Winter Jam is anexception. People can afford to go and arebringing their friends and packing out largevenues. The tour in 2009 visited 35 citiesand closed the tour in Nashville, TN at theSommet Center. But the ticket prices andvenue sizes aren’t the only noticeable thingabout the tour.Not only does the crew strive to put on anentertaining show for the audience, but theyuse the tour as a very strong ministry tool.The band Newsong created Winter Jambecause they wanted to create an affordable,inspiring, and Christ-centered concert eventthat anyone can afford to attend. Each year,a different speaker joins the tour and sharesthe gospel in a relevant way so the audiencecan connect. In 2009, over 335,000 peopleacross North America heard the messagefrom special guest Tony Nolan, and over69,000 people made life-changing decisions.The ministry is a success and is growingrapidly.mPm got a chance to catch up withProduction Manager, Jerry Holcomb, andlearn more about the tour as a whole behindthe scenes. Holcomb is part of the foundingteam of the tour. When asked about someof the production challenges of the tour,Holcomb shared that the diversity of the talentand the speed in which the show is supposedto flow is probably the greatest challengewhen designing the show’s format. Thestage has to be arranged a little differentlythan at other concerts. They have to start outwith three drum kits up at the beginning andstrike out as the show goes on. He shared,“Each band has their own specialty design…so the nature of the music and their needsare what tends to warrant their productionlevel. So the biggest challenge is working it alltogether so each band feels like they are gettingthe most bang for their time slot.” Thetour has to be looked at as a “Greatest Hits”set-up. Each act only has a certain amountof time to perform and they pick their biggest,most well-known songs to showcase.Audio runs a full 96 inputs, andvideo is run through a vista consoleand is tied into an analogswitcher. The tour is also startingto use more of the LED lightingand different styles of pyro.Last year, the band who used alot of pyrotechnics was Skillet.This year, it was TobyMac, andhis show had 24 pyro hits. Theconcept and design was createdby Jon “T.J.” Taylor, TobyMac,and Ryan Lampa. Taylor hadexperience using propane for the3 Doors Down tour and knew itwould work nicely. He told mPm,“The key to pyro is to not overdueit. I’m glad TobyMac agreednot to put pyro in every song, butjust in a few.”The pyro used in the show wassomething only experienced inselect cities. There were severaldifferent pyro effects used togive variety to the show, includingDragonfly flames, FireflySystem, a Waterfall effect. Theyalso used 32 Coliseum Sparklepots for a little extra noise. Taylor took theDragonfly flames to the truss, as well as thedrum riser and in front of the LC panels.For the Waterfall, TobyMac envisioned it asclose to the crowd as allowed, so it was putin the mid-stage truss and angled to create a20 ft wall of sparks. The Coliseum Pots wereupstage and primarily used in TobyMac’ssong “SLAM,” which fit perfectly. Taylor hasbeen doing pyro for 10 years for a wide varietyof tours and sticks to one motto: “Whenin doubt, leave it out.”There’s no doubt that Winter Jam’s tourevery year equals variety. TobyMac’s productionwas very colorful and energetic withthe LED lights and array of pyro hits, whileHawk Nelson’s set included a lot of CO2and strobe lights. Other acts used more simplevideo and lighting enhancements in theirshows, and focused on the big vocals.The Winter Jam staff tries to be good stewardsof the $10 per person, but that onlystretches so far. Jerry Holcomb has big dreamsfor the show and as attendance grows, so willproduction. Each year, the acts who takethe stage own it in their own way, whether itmeans showcasing big vocals with less lightingtechnique, or rocking out with heavy specialeffects, or simply using the video screens inthe room. Each performance is unique. Thisyear’s tour was no exception. Once again, thecrew came together to make The Winter Jam2009 tour truly spectacular. smobile production monthly 13

WinterJam2009Jon "J.T." TaylorLighting Tech / PyroNick WestFOH Lighting /Lighting DesignerJerry HolcombProduction Mgr. / FOHEric KilbyTour ManagerHangin' out withmPm before the showabove front row (squatting L to R) - Eric Brown (Beard) - Merch Manager, Eric Kilby (vest) - TourManager, Cameron Pumphrey (white shirt) - Production Assistant, Ralph Rivera - Audioback row (standing L to R) - Jonas Applegate (brown shirt) - Merch Assistant, Paula Scherf(black vest) - Production Assistant, Lloyd Ellis - Stage/Patch, Laurie Cleveland (pink shirt) - TourAccountant, Nick West (glasses) - Lighting, Jon "J.T." Taylor (hat & sweatshirt) - Lighting, CharlesSignaigo (beard) - Video, Jerry Holcomb (plaid shirt): Production Mgr/FOH, Joe Vaughn (hiding) -Audio, Heath Mahon (black hat) - Monitors, AJ Morgan - Lighting14 mobile production monthly

winter jam 2009CrewJerry Holcomb - production manager / fohJoe Vaughn - audio system tech/ fohRalph Rivera - audio system tech/ fohHeath Mahon - monitors (tour)Ben Hockey: monitors (Toby Mac)Lloyd Ellis - stage manager/ patchA.J. Morgan - Lighting crew cheifJ.T. Taylor - lighting tech/ pyroNick West - foh lighting/ lighting designer (Toby Mac)Josh Garcia - lightingCameron Pumphrey - risers/ backlineCharles Signaigo - video directorEric Kilby - tour managerPaula Scherf - production assistantEric Brown - merchandise managerJonas Applegate - merchStephen Carswell - merchBobby Joiner - tour pastorLaurie Cleveland - tour accountantTruck drivers: Kenneth Winter, Leverne Simon, Alynda &Ronnie Ayers, Mark Clayton,Bus drivers: Adam Cox (Newsong Band Bus Driver),"Uncle" Dale Hanson (Management Bus Driver), RayRascon (Crew Bus Driver), Andrew Morten (Hawk NelsonBus Driver), Jonathan Penhollow (tobyMac Bus Driver),Steve Horne( Newsong Bus)Tour producer: Newsong/ Proper ManagementNick Barre, Sarah DrumhellerProduction Company: Axxis, Inc.(Tim Vaughn)Trucking: Georgia Freightmasters, Inc.(Jack Pumphrey)Bus Co: His Majesty Coaches, Hemphill, All AccessTravel:Entertainment Travel(Mary Beth Bocking)Tour Artist:NewsongToby MacBrandon HeathHawk NelsonFrancesca BattistelliStephanie SmithPureNRGTony Nolan- Guest speakersome dates included**Family Force 5*the Afters*Barlow Girlmobile production monthly 15

The Stage is Set....Let’s Roll!Sho-moves Transportation is a full service Entertainment transportation company.We provide trucking solutions for all types of freight for the live entertainment industry.Our Goal...Is to allow our clients to produce the show rather than deal with transporting the show.Shomoves has years of experience in trucking time sensitive shows throughout North Americaand Mexico. With trucks and trailers through our multiple terminal locations we canget it there On Time and when needed!Theatrical Tours Film & Television Expedited Freight Live Sporting EventsConcert Tour Transport Circus Productions & Tours Dedicated DriversTerminals located in Las Vegas, NV Toronto, Ontario, Phoenix, AZ866-407-8881info@shomoves.ca16 mobile production monthly

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VenuesCitizens Business Bank Arenaby jessi wallaceSouthern California’s Newest Gift

he Citizens Business Bank Arena is the newestaddition to Southern California’s venue market.Located in Ontario, CA. the venue is the largestand most modern in the vicinity. The facility openedin October 2008, on time and ready for action. In thesix months it has been opened, it has stimulated thelocal economy by bringing more business to otherlocal companies such as hotels and restaurants, thuscreating hundreds of new jobs. Plus, they brought ina hockey team.For Bookingcontact:Steve Eckerson909.244.5500For additional info.visit: cbbankarena.comRossetti Architects and TurnerConstruction teamed up with the Cityof Ontario and started envisioning thevenue several years ago. Instead of hittingtax payers, the city purchased the landyears in advance, sold off pieces, and thenstarted the ground breaking for the arenawithout a mortgage in place. The arenacan be viewed as a gift from the city tothe people. An investment of $150 millionallowed the arena to be modern, practicaland enjoyable for all. The city made surethe venue got the latest Daktronics equipment,including the Prostar scoreboardand a marquis on Interstate 10. Uponopening, the venue had already sold 36luxury suites and 770 club seats. Thecommunity was excited! The foundingpartner (Citizens Business Bank) is a bankthat started in the local area. Other localpartners include San Antonio CommunityHospital, Montclair Motor Sports andSan Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino.Additional partners are University ofPhoenix, Mathis Brothers and Toyota.Southern California is known for hightraffic. Locals refer to how long it actuallytakes to get some place versus how manymiles to travel. Ontario understood thateven though it is simply 40 miles fromLos Angeles, it can take hours for peopleto get to their various destinations. Theother venues near Ontario were all outdooror smaller, so in order for locals tosee a larger event, they had to drive intoLos Angeles - which can be a headache.Citizens Business Bank Arena is strategicallylocated where three counties meetand close to the intersection of two majorfreeways (I-10 and I-15). It is the first andonly of its kind in a 25-mile radius andserves a market over 4.1 million people.Even though the United States’ economyis in a delicate state, Citizens BusinessBank Arena is finding that consumers arestill buying tickets to shows and the arenais selling out, but sometimes it takes longerthan anticipated. For example, familyshows are selling really well but many ofthe tickets sell last minute. The venue isfinding that a week before the show oreven the day of, it gets a lot of walk-upsat the box office. However, in December,Metallica’s show sold out in just 20mobile production monthly 19

Venues

minutes. The Lakers pre-season gamewas also a sell-out. The venue finds thatover 6,000 people on average attend thehockey games. But it’s not just Ontarioresidents who are attending. Director ofMarketing Sue Oxarart explained, “We’repulling from a very large market, not onlythe Inland Empire (the area around thearena)… when Neil Diamond was here,people came from all over to come seehim in a venue of this size.”Not only was the community kept inmind when planning the venue, but crewswill be pleased to know that load in/load out is a breeze in Citizens BusinessBank Arena. Close to major freewaysand Ontario Airport, transportationis quick and easy. The west end of thearena houses collapsible seats, making iteasy to put the stage at the west end andload right in. The loading dock is closeby, which makes the process smooth. TheCity of Ontario paid attention to detailincluding the acoustics in the constructionprocess to provide the most modern upto-datevenue in the area.So not only did the city keep the communityand crew in mind when planningfor this new venue, but also the environment.Oxarart shared, “AEG has a greatsustainability program. We hope to obtainlead certification for the building. Ourtrash compactor is solar powered, wereduce the lights in the parking lot whenpossible, and we’re already replacing allurinals with a waterless flush system thatwill save 40K gallons of fresh water perurinal per year. Our Hockey team hasinvited local scouts to come in and run upand down the aisles during events, collectingrecyclables so they can get their meritbadges and also help us.”Citizens Business Bank Arena anticipates125 events annually, which is a combinationof sporting competitions, familyshows, concerts and community events.Since opening, the venue has already hadfive requests for weddings. Oxarart concludes,“Our commitment here as a teamis to make the experience a great one foreveryone, whether it be the fan, artist, orcrew. We try to go over the top and overdeliver on everything we’ve agreed to doso you want to come back.” smobile production monthly 21

Fartoo often we think about concertsin terms of the big arena rock showexperience and seldom focus on the intimatemagic of a concert in a theatre. Granted atheatre production lacks the shock and aweeffect of a 20 truck tour. But in many casesthe trade of bigger bang for personal proximitycan be a well balanced exchange of value.JomPm caught up with John Legend in Atlanta and got alook at one of the most soulful shows on the road in thefantastic surroundings of the Fox Theatre. Of coursethis setting comes with a logistical cost that is incumbentto older theatres. By its very nature (with extremely rareexceptions) a theatre is going to be in a busy part of a city.This means badly limited parking for trucks and bussesand severely cramped quarters for load access.Once in the building, the rule that says nature abhors avoid, comes into play as every square and even cubic inchof available space is filled with gear and cases. The slightestbit of friction can turn this experience into somethingmuch akin to a knife fight in a phone booth.Given that John Legend’s career has just left the launchpad on the way to great things, the biggest challenge isbudget - crowded busses, minimal truck space and minimalcrew allocation. All of these issues boldly punctuatethe phrase, “attitude is everything.”Sound Image crew chief, Gary Sanguinet explained,“Touring with this show is a little more difficult becauseit’s not like this production has a huge budget yet. So thebusses are a little more crowded than on most tours, andwe have long drives and frequent ‘three-in-a-rows.” Buthe added, “Everyone on this tour is professional enoughto understand that, and they bend over backward to makeit work because we see that this thing is going somewhereand we want to be there when it arrives.”Another challenge of a theatre show is sound quality.Theatres, especially old theatres, have veryspecific acoustic properties built into them and notwo are the same. Production Manager and FOHEngineer, Gordon Mack clarified the inherentacoustical challenges of mixing this in this setting,“You never know where you’re goingto be setting up on a tour like this.There are overhangs - sometimesyou’re up against a wall and underan overhang. There are all kinds ofdeciding factors.”The challenge was well mounted with sensationalresults the night we caught the show. It simplysounded great no matter where one stood in theroom. That was good news for Adamson Pro Audioas well as Sound Image given that this was SoundImage’s maiden voyage with its new Adamson gear.Performers:Music Director / Keyboards: Eugene ‘Manman’ RobertsGuitar: Sharief HobleyBass Guitar: Kenneth WrightDrums: Rashid WilliamsSaxophone: Allen ‘Bizkit’ ArthurTrumpet: Clayton ReillyTrombone: Stephen TirpakBacking Vocals: Vaughn Stephens, Jessica Wilson,Ashley Simpson22 mobile production monthly

hn LegendBeautifully Donemobile production monthly 23

System Tech Jonathan Ostrinexplained, “There are a lot of reasonsthat this is a very important tour for us.John [Legend] is on the cusp of reallybreaking through, and we want to bea part of it. So no matter what you’redoing out here it’s all about the firstimpression. There is also the matter ofour new association with Adamson. Wereally want all of this to work out.”Ostrin went on to say, “Neither John ormanagement have been half as criticalof us as we are.”Video played a huge partof this show. The systemwas a completelynew LED display calledWinVision, which wasput forth by VER (VideoEquipment Rental).WinVision is a 14 mil productthat looks like something witha much tighter resolution. Andwhile we call it new, we mustqualify that statement by sayingthat it is new to the road withthe John Legend tour beingits first foray into the world ofconcert touring. However, it hasshown up in other productionformats.In addition to its vivid display, it isincredibly light weight at ten poundsper panel, which makes it perfect fortheatres where load baring capacityfrom one room to the next can be separatedby gaping disparity. Additionally,the light weight of the rig makes forremarkably quick and easy set up andstrike. “More often than not we get thewall up before everyone else and weonly need a couple hands to make ithappen,” said Video Led Tech, KarlHansen.Through a combination of structuraldesign and sleek cable management,this system is highly durable. On oneoccasion the sprinkler system went offearly in the day drenching the wall(along with everything else on stage),and the system worked fine for theshow that night.The frame work of the system is soclean that it is secondarily useful as aset element. The video portion of theshow was run through the lighting consolvia media server. Lighting Director,Nick Van Nostrand was careful notto use it strictly as a source of videocontent, but opting at various timesthroughout the show to us it as textureupon which to throw light from severaldifferent angles. This worked beautifullyin contrast to what he was doingon the upstage cyc. The show was litwith a beautiful color pallet.John Legend put on a great show. Butas we all know, without production he’sjust a guy playing quietly in the dark.Given the constraints that can bedevila fledgling act, this production teamshowed up to play. The show had thesound and look of something muchbigger than it was.Gordon Mack put it in a nut shell,“It’s impossible to adequately explainhow proud I am of this crew. I givethem the info they need and no matterwhat the challenges are, I don’t have toworry about it.”Just think of what they’ll do in arenas.7vendorsMANAGEMENT - LA/NYCTHE ARTISTS ORGANIZATIONBOOKING AGENTCAARECORD LABELCOLUMBIA RECORDSBUSINESSMANAGEMENTDL ENTERTAINMENTLEGALMYMAN, ABELL, FINEMAN, FOXTRAVELEXECUTRAVELINTERNATIONALTRAVELBCD TRAVELTRUCKINGJANCOBUSESTOUR BUS LEASINGFREIGHTSOUNDMOVESLIGHTINGUPSTAGINGVIDEOFRANK THE PLUMBERAUDIOSOUND IMAGERADIOSROAD RADIOSCREDENTIALSCUBE SERVICESMERCHANTHILL TRADINGGROUND TRANSPORTDIVA LIMOUSINEPIANOYAHAMAITINERARIESCONTROL FREAKSUPPORT ACTESTELLE24 mobile production monthly

mobile production monthly 25

John Legend crewTour Manager / Tour Accountant: David “5-1” NormanProduction Manager / Foh Engineer: Gordon MackTour / Production Assistant: Savannah DukesKeyboard Tech: Irvin WashingtonGuitar & Bass Tech: Francis SapienzaDrum Tech / Associate Stage Manager: John CooperMonitor Engineer: Paul KlimsonAudio Crew Chief: Gary SanguinetAudio Tech: Jonathan OstrinLighting Director: Nick Van NostrandLighting Crew Chief / Rigger / Stage Manager: Chris StinebrinkLighting Tech: Colin FryeVideo Led Techs: Karl Hansen, Kevin Mcguire26 mobile production monthly

28 mobile production monthly

pm featureadamson/sound image featureAdamson &Sound ImageTeam up for John Legend Tourby Bill AbnerThere’s a buzz aroundAdamson SystemsEngineering these days. Thegang up in Port Perry is used tocreating excitement within theindustry with their innovativelines of speaker systems,components, and technologies,including the unveiling of itsnew speaker system. However,a new relationship with SoundImage, the California-based soundcompany supporting this year’sJohn Legend Evolver World Tour,is cause for even more excitement.Jesse Adamson, Director ofMarketing and Sales at AdamsonSystems Engineering, says it isthe perfect timing for the twocompanies, “We’ve been talkingwith Dave Shadoan and the folksat Sound Image for a couple ofyears now, and this tour is oneresult of those conversations.”Jesse Adamson, Director of Marketing and Sales at Adamson SystemsEngineeringConversations that have apparently gonewell, with both companies coming awayfrom them with what appears to be awin-win relationship. Adamson acquiresnot just a major US vendor and user ofits products, but one of the biggest in thebusiness, while Sound Image becomeswhat could be, the biggest Adamson userin the country, and adds another tool toits arsenal. Dave Shadoan, President ofSound Image is quick to point out, “Ourengineering guys have always liked theirsound systems, but there was nothingpushing us in that direction, and thenWe’re excited to have such a strongpartner as Sound Image that’s goingto represent our products so well”along comes Jesse Adamson. Not onlydoes he want to sell me a PA, but hewants to make so many people like theAdamson PA, that he can tell them tocall me because I’ve got one.”30

Dave Shadoan, President of Sound ImageGary Sanguinet, Sound Image CrewChief for the John Legend Evolver World TourEverybody in the industry knows thatSound Image has great staff, greatservice, and we have anything you askfor. Now if you want Adamson, we got it!While the Adamson badge is wellrecognized in Europe and South America,up until now, it didn’t have a major playerin the United States using its systemsand building brand recognition. Withthe new relationship between the two,that’s no longer an issue. “We’re excitedto have such a strong partner as SoundImage that’s going to represent ourproducts so well,” says Jesse.So obviously, there’s alsosome buzz going on aroundEscondido these days. Shadoanis excited because it opens hiscompany up to a whole newsegment of the market. “I’vegotten two tour bids just in thelast week that specify Adamson.Everybody in the industry knowsthat Sound Image has greatstaff, great service, and we haveanything you ask for. Now ifyou want Adamson, we gotit! We’re going to implementit properly, and we’re gonnawork closely with the factoryengineers to make sure thatyou get whatever it was thatmade you decide that this wasthe right sound system for you.”Part of the process is making surethat Sound Image’s engineers are upto speed on the systems. “We’re notgonna take a guy who’s been out with aVDOSC system or a VerTec system, ora Sound Image system for six monthsand put him into a new Adamsonsystem for the very next tour withouttraining. We’re gonna make sure that ourstaff knows how to use and implementthose systems.” says Shadoan.This past summer, before the JohnLegend tour, Sound Image used theAdamson systems in permanent seasonalAs for the engineers, the ability tointeract directly with the people who aremaking the components and designingthe systems is an added benefit. GarySanguinet, Sound Image Crew Chief forthe John Legend Evolver World Tour putsit like this, “I was amazed by a couple ofthings right away. They were intent onmaking sure that what they built fit thephysical, mathematical model of whatwas set up for them. If you were to go tosome other manufacturers out there andsay, ‘Hey, I’ve got this idea aboutyour box,’ that’s all you’re gonnaget out of your mouth. They’rean incredible company.”In addition to John Legend,Jimmy Buffett, Carlos Santana,and Lenny Kravitz, SoundImage will support over sixtytours worldwide this year,while servicing over fifteenseasonal venues as diverseas Alpine Valley, CoorsAmphitheatre, and The GibsonAmphitheater (formerlyUniversal Amphitheater). It’simportant to note that SoundImage isn’t, never has been,and has no plans to be a onebadgehouse. It is equallyimportant to understand whatits endorsement can meanfor a company like Adamsonthat is on track to becomeY AXIS True Line Source Array a leader in its industry. TheY10, Y18 & T21 SUBintroduction of Adamsonvenues, wheregear into the already massivethey were able to get acquainted andSound Image inventory of is alreadyintimate with the traits of the system.opening up new avenues for both houses,“We had twenty-five or thirty shows ofand will make new choices available tonational acts before we ever sent thethe touring market. &system on the road,” says Shadoanmobile production monthly 31

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