The Pepsi Max Halftime Show was performed by the Vancouver-based rock band Nickleback, playing songs off their albums All The Right Reasons, Dark Horse, and Here and Now. The halftime show was produced by Patrick Roberge of Patrick Roberge Productions, alongside production designer Robert Sondergaard and TV lighting director Jason McKinnon of Electric Aura. System engineer was Jason Bolger and production electricians were Charles Arrata, Corey Proulx, and Ken Reckahn.
The stage for Nickleback was erected centre-field with the stage set made up of Jarags stacked like blocks, flanked by video screens on both sides. A catwalk extended from the stage out into the audience. Lighting consisted of over 150 Martin MAC moving lights. Four W-DMX Tranceivers sent a wireless signal from four grandMA Light consoles, two grandMA NSPs and two Vixen Media Servers, programmed by Shaun Forbes.
Jason Bolger explains: "The W-DMX was used to send a DMX signal from two separate universes into the upper levels of BC Place Stadium where there was no convenient path to run cable. There was no question that the system would work flawlessly given the stability we have come to expect from the W-DMX transceivers. Using the Uglybox to measure signal strength throughout the setup, we never saw a level below 98%. This was an excellent way to easily integrate fixtures in the upper levels of a very large stadium into the show."
The Lions defeated the Blue Bombers, 34-23, and became the first team in CFL history to win the Grey Cup after starting the season with five straight losses. Both the game and the halftime show were deemed a major success.
(Jim Evans)
