Eric Wink is one of Charlotte’s leading Theatrical Lighting Designers. When he was approached about a Studio 54 party, I was honored that he thought of me. We had worked together at Charlotte’s Children’s Theatre a couple years back. Being I had gone completely nuts with intelligent lighting from movers to LEDs, Eric thought I would bring the psychedelic element to the design.

I start with two of my favorite lighting element: Fantasy 250s on a 20” mirror ball. The hypnotic lighting effect of the Fantasy broken into over 600 spots circling the room was mind blowing. With a bite of my brownie, I was trippin' just watchin' it go round and round ; ) Betsy Blue the party planner loved it. From the ceiling to the floor the room swirled with color. To compliment the mirror ball effect, two Fantasy Scan 250s cross washed the back wall framing the Studio 50 poster. The broken up image spinning around the room from the mirror ball effect was decoded as a complete image spanning nearly 50 feet.

The moving lights scanned the floor during the DJ set while the LEDs sparkled on stage. The Elation Vision Scan 575s and Power Wash 250s swept the room with a clarity that normally requires haze. Eight Octopod fixtures up lit two dance boxes on each side of the stage placed on all four corners of each platform. The LEDs ran random intensity sweeps and sparkles on the back curtain and on the dancers some only wearing silver paint and under garments. The best description is simply SEXY.

As the band gathered on stage, the Four Vision Scan 575s and two Power Wash 250s slowly pulled in. The movers seized the stage as the band pumped out over an hour and a half of non stop music. The 22 degree beam angle of the Vision Scan 575s completely filled the stage from only 30 feet away without resorting to the prism effect, which greatly reduces the light output of any light. Six Elation Opti Par LEDs lined the sides of stage with the Power Wash 250s providing valuable side washes. Come to think of it, I seldom use front washes unless I have to use dance floor lights. I think front washes are dreadfully flat. I can easily create even stage washes and rich layers of light using only side washes. Front lighting is great if you need to make part of the stage dark for transitions which I never need to do with bands. Most band members move side to side and not front to back. To complete the lighting design, sixteen Colorcast 14s up lit the back curtain making the stage picture perfect.

Ending with first impressions, I used 6 Opti LEDs to up light the entrance. The front of the building is divided into 3 sections. The sides of the building recess about six inches from the center. When lighting architecture one has to highlight the design with layers. For the front of Grand Central, I instructed Paul Emrick, the programmer, to make the two columns of the middle section a different color than the outside even if it was only slightly different. For example, Paul wrote a program that swept pink across a dramatic blue. However, the building looked flat with a solid blue across the front. I had him make the center a light cyan by adding green. The deep blue on the sides made the contour of the building much more dramatic and the program more impactful.

The party was dynamic from music to lighting to interior design to guest. Everyone came in the craziest outfits and wilidest hair. Party on the Moon was the best cover band I have ever experienced. The room was decorated with fabulous fabrics and hundreds of candles. I think Andy would have been proud to see his club immortalized at this party. Everyone left high on life and other things as all good boys and girls should leave Studio 54.