The new Blast II tour of Japan utilizes extensively customized set electrics engineered and fabricated by City Theatrical from designs by Mike Baldassari. This all-new version of the New York show makes extensive use of LED technology controlled by City Theatrical’s WDS Wireless Data System™.
CTI created custom chasing LED circuits inside of Z shaped twirling batons; gauzy “bed nets” worn and carried by performers while lighted by battery operated Color Kinetics® iColorCoves® with PDS-50™ LED power supplies with built in WDS receivers; two drum walls of eight bass drums each filled with Color Kinetics ColorBurst® 4s controlled by battery powered City Theatrical PDS-375-TRB™s with built in WDS receivers; and a unique gong drum with a perimeter lighted with Neo-Flex™ LED Tube controlled by a battery powered City Theatrical WDS Personal Dimmer™.
City Theatrical’s head of engineering Larry Dunn says, “We are very excited by the opportunity to develop a complete integrated system to implement Mike's extraordinary vision. The unique challenges of the project allow us to draw on all of our design and manufacturing capabilities to provide a powerful, flexible, and beautiful system solution."
Blast II lighting designer Mike Baldassari adds, ”City Theatrical is the only company that I know of that had the engineering and manufacturing talent to fully integrate all of my designs. After initial meetings to describe my ideas, they were able to manufacture all of the solutions with off-the-shelf equipment and customized gear, and in one case create an entirely new invention. Not only did it all work correctly the first time, it’s also robust enough to withstand the rigors of international touring.”
Look for full coverage of Blast II in the September issue of Live Design.