09.27.07

NIELLO AUDI R8 LAUNCH

The new Audi R8 is still the sexiest car I have ever seen. Niello Audi hosted a party for 500 people on the corner of 5th and Capitol. Over 800 showed up for this historic event. There were about a dozen or so celebrities, and half of them brought their Audi's. We were responsible for lighting the entire plaza, and provide outdoor sound for 800. We used a huge generator that we parked a block away, and then ran 200' of 50 amp cable. The sound was handled off the building power, but the lighting was going to need a lot. We also had to light 10 different Audi's as they were driven in by the celebrity owners. The event also included a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show. There was a red carpet all around the plaza. I hired Alan, Mike and Steve for this event. We managed multiple wireless mic systems, intelligent light changes, and thumping Buddha Bar themed music.

06.28.07

THE NEW TRAILER ARRIVED!

Our tiny trailer was simply not big enough any more. We invested about $4,000 in a new 6 x 12 custom trailer. I had them manufacture this model with a 7" lower roof and dropped an inch on the axle so it could fit in my garage. I also had a ramp door put on with drop jacks. Then a side door on the drivers side which is opposite the usual location. I also wanted the LED tail lights and the trailer to be painted black. We bought it in Petaluma at the same place I purchased my first trailer 8 years prior. I got it home, and found out it was too low in the back to make it up my steep angle driveway. I had my father in law weld on 'bogey' wheels on the back. They have worked great ever since. Of course you get a new trailer and you want to slap graphics all over, which is exactly what I did. I think being able to roll all my equipment in has added 10 years to end of my life. Thanks to my graphic design father for the incredible brand identity I needed.

06.08.07

AUBURN FAIRGROUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL, AUBURN FAIRGROUNDS MAIN STAGE.

Jeff from Highway 49 called me and asked if I could do sound for a 5 band music festival at the Auburn Fairgrounds. I brought Mike along, I rented a 16' box truck, and we were on our way. The lift on the truck fit perfectly on the lip of the stage, which made load in and load out a lot easier. Some other vendor supplied lighting, which we didn't find out until we got there. The stage was concrete, with a cover. The best part was the huge amount of available power. I love doing events where there are no power issues. We also found a few people who were volunteering for the event who really wanted to learn about live sound, so they hauled gear around for us. I love doing outdoor events where dirt is not a factor.

04.28.07

NIELLO APPRECIATION NIGHT, SACRAMENTO SHERATON.

The Niello Company once again does an awesome job of showing appreciation for their employee's. This year the appreciation event was held at the Sacramento Sheraton Downtown. We put together a large show with two 10 foot projection screens, stage lighting, and filled the room with sound. I hired Steve Monroe for this event. He was with us at the same event the year before. This hotel is not very convenient for loading in, since the ballroom is downstairs. My two 10 foot truss towers wouldn't fit in the freight elevator, so we had to bring them in through the front door. The hotel wasn't too happy about that. We found out later, the banquet manager isn't very happy a lot of the time, so we didn't feel so bad. We got everything up and running, and my DMX light controller decided to die. The show was starting in less than 30 minutes. We sent Steve to Guitar Center in the rented box truck to get a new controller. He returned, and I frantically read the manual to get it working. The show started right on time. It then took Talitha, Steve and myself about 3 hours to clean it all up. It was a fun event. We simply love the Niello Company.

04.22.07

REACH MEDIPLANE WALK/RUN EVENT, CHARLES SHULTZ AIRPORT, SANTA ROSA.

This was the 6th time we have done this event. REACH Mediplane does fixed and rotary wing medical transport. They hold a walk/run event to raise money for a Santa Rosa Paramedic Scholorship that usually goes to two recipients per year to help pay for school. Since I am a Paramedic, and Talitha was an EMT, we have a passion for groups who feel the need to benefit pre hospital EMS. Snoopy makes an appearance at each of these events, and this year he came into the DJ booth to give me a hug. It was truly a delight. How many people can say they have actually hugged Snoopy.

04.14.07

JEFF & CRYSTAL WEDDING, GRANITE BAY.

Still one of the most memorable events of my career. Crystal is a good friend and it was an honor to be a part of this event. We had planned on doing videography with 3 of us, ceremony outside and reception inside. Early that morning, the guy I had coming to help do videography called and said he had a family emergency. So Talitha and I were doing this event alone and it was going to be a tough day. We arrived and it was rainging like crazy, so the ceremony got moved in to where the reception was going to be. Not only were the two of us doing all the sound and videography, I was also officiating the wedding. There wasn't a single problem all day and night, the event ran perfectly and man oh man was it a good time.

04.07.07

HIGHWAY 49 LIVE MUSIC, HARLEY DAVIDSON, SACRAMENTO.

I found Highway 49 on Craigslist. They were looking for a sound guy. I responded, met with the band, and it's been a great relationship ever since. This event was one being hosted by Harley Davidson of Sacramento. The band was to set up on one side of the parking lot, and we were to set up on the other side of the driveway. My stage snake cable had to run across the lot, which had around 300 motorcycles drive over it through-out the day. The event went great, except for one long episode of lingering feedback. Mike and I tried to hunt it down and finally found it was the omnidirectional mic being used by the sax player. We hooked him into another standing mic and the band played on. The challenge with this band is their size, the number of open mics and monitors. Sandra uses an acoustic guitar which is sometimes a challenge close to a monitor.

03.07.07

THE LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY MAN, WOMAN AND CELEBRITY OF THE YEAR, NIELLO AUDI, SACRAMENTO.

My 3rd year being a part of this special event. Every March, the event is held at Niello Audi. It's basically a race for individuals to raise the most money for the Society. The event usually requires video projection, music and multiple microphones.

02.23.07

2007 MINI COOPER PRODUCT LAUNCH, NIELLO MINI, SACRAMENTO.

This event had a great turn out. Redwood Empire MINI Enthusiasts is a MINI owners club based in Northern California. They came out in large numbers to see the new 2007 models. The food was awesome. I did a prize give away and the crowd was great.