On December 11, 2010 as the weather was turning frigid, Warren Haynes began his 23rd Annual Christmas Jam inside the Ashville Civic Center and the temperature was blazing! This legendary event again hosted a who's who of the music world and everyone was delighted. Warren premiered his new endeavor, The Warren Haynes Band, along side notable artists such as Gregg Allman, The Steve Miller Band, Umphreys McGee, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Missing Cats and John Bell of Widespread Panic.
The event began at 7PM and lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. The focus of the concert is to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, which builds housing for those in need. Haynes has raised well over a million dollars for this noble cause and looks for ways to increase the stake every year. The countless professionals that sign on and happily work for this wonderful charity give a tremendous amount of themselves.
This years edition found production manager extraordinaire Chris Rabold assembling a team that included the unbelievably talented lighting designer Paul Hoffman at the creative helm, along with Bandit Lites and client representative Dizzy Gosnell. Rabold worked his normal incredible visual art that included a “festive” treatment of the audience as well as his normal dynamic stage lighting. For this “happening”, the lighting in the audience was just as important as on the stage in order to help the fans get in and stay in the holiday spirit. To that end, Hoffman delivered a 40-foot oval from which he suspended 40 different size mirror balls, 24 GRNlite LED PARs, and 600 feet of festoon, that floated throughout the arena ceiling. The effect was quite ethereal and it turned the sky above into a true winter wonderland. The wall behind the stage was adorned with a star drop to complete the winter sky picture, and the entire effect was breath taking.
The stage system was comprised of VL 3000 Spots, GLP Impressions, ETC Source 4 Lekos and PARs, Thomas ACLs and Martin MAC 2000 Beams, all controlled by 2 Grand MA Consoles.
As the night unfolded, the superstars on stage all delivered hit after hit and kept the audience in complete euphoria. Video testimony to the brilliance of Hoffman's work can be found all over the internet, with a great deal on You Tube. As with all of Hoffman's art, you simply have to see it to believe it! When the last chords of music ended at 3:15 AM and the elated crowd wondered outside they found themselves in the midst of a huge, wonderful winter snowstorm. Somehow, it magically seemed to be the perfect ending to a perfect night of music, and all of it for a most noble cause, Habitat for Humanity.
About Bandit Lites
Bandit Lites is a global leader in the entertainment lighting marketplace. From touring productions to fixed installations, Bandit Lites has a full staff of highly trained professionals to deal with all types of lighting needs. With offices in Knoxville, Nashville, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Bandit's global presence will insure seamless transitions no matter where your next show takes you.