This year's Electric Daisy Carnival drew over 390,000 fans from every state and 40 countries, according to published reports. Lieberman's design on the 200' wide by 80' high EDC Basspod Stage treated them to an eye-popping example of what happens when a lightshow that's pushed beyond the outer limits wraps itself around some of the best electronic dance music.
"Our vision for EDC is constantly evolving," said Lieberman, president of SJ Lighting. "We are focused on creating environments for the audience to experience the show to its maximum potential; and for artists to have a platform to perform and be a part of that experience."
Lieberman expects every lighting fixture in his rig to contribute to his quest to "surprise, intrigue and engage" the audience on a hard-core emotional level, which is exactly what the Nexus 4x4 LED panel from Chauvet Professional did at the 2014 edition of the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. "We used 82 Nexus panels on the Basspod Stage to highlight the truss details," he said. "The panels gave us a lot of dynamic looks, from blinder effects to pixelized details. Their impact was tremendous. They really helped outline the geometry of the stage.
"The Nexus tiles were really the standout product for us from Chauvet this year," he continued. "They are a great complement to our more traditional blinder details. They offered a good balance of effects, were very easy to use, and were extremely durable in an often harsh environment."
Building a massive stage outdoors in the desert is never easy, but this year's EDC project was even more problematic than usual as a result of the higher than normal temperatures and persistently strong winds. "This was a challenging year during set up because of the elements," said Lieberman. "Crews didn't start working until 7 pm and they kept at it until 5 am to avoid the heat. Temperatures of 115° can be extremely dangerous. Handling structure, lights, and other production equipment becomes overwhelming during the day. We asked a lot out of our crew and gear - and both delivered."
As acclaimed as Lieberman's Basspod Stage design was at the 2014 Electric Daisy Carnival, he didn't spend time revelling in its glory. Instead, he was already looking ahead to next year. "Because of the overwhelming popularity of these shows, we have been given the directive to make things bigger, better, more immersive and more creative," he said. "This goes for stage designs, lighting designs, video, special effects - everything. We want all of the advancements in this design to translate into the audience experience, because that's what this is all about."
(Jim Evans)
