Rumba Room Live has enlivened the entertainment scene in Anaheim with a quality dose of Latin culture
USA - December saw the opening of Rumba Room Live, an upscale Latin-themed nightclub and concert venue in Anaheim, California. Located at the Anaheim GardenWalk and built new from the ground up, the club, which features state-of-the-art Elation entertainment lighting and video systems, has energised the nightclub scene in Anaheim. The 10,000sq.ft venue has the flexibility to host 1,000 people and hold a variety of events yet maintains a chic, intimate feel.
Working with the club’s architect and ownership to develop the design and look of the venue was Michael Betancourt, general manager at Southern California-based Props AV, the production company that designed, supplied and installed the Elation lighting and video package. “When the Rumba Room Live project first came to the table the feel that they wanted to go for was a Latin-themed nightclub and live venue with a sexy Las Vegas feel,” Betancourt says.
“It was a completely new idea for Anaheim. With that being said, the sexiness and the party needed to start on the exterior. Elation lighting features throughout the inside of the venue - lobby, dance floor and stage – but it is outside where the lighting makes its first impression.”
Downlighting the Rumba Room Live facade in a wash of customizable shades are 12 Elation SixPar 200IP colour changers, weatherproof fixtures with six-colour LED multi-chips. “We wanted to really create a sensual yet inviting look and the SixPars do the job perfectly,” stated Ramon Chavez, VP of business operations at the club, who helped oversee construction and operations. Betancourt adds that the SixPars were chosen not only for the vibrant colours they offer but for the punch they bring, alluding to the output from the fixture’s twelve 12W LEDs.
Stepping inside, the lighting scheme begins in the lobby where the interior glass is downlighted using seven Elation one-meter long ELED QA Strips while Elation Flex LED Tape WP downlights the box office counter. The exterior and lobby areas are controlled by an Elation ART500 touch-panel DMX wall controller, an easy to navigate control system with pre-set scenes for simple colour changes.
Moving into the club, guests are greeted by a 4 x 3 LED screen made up of 12 Elation EZ4 video panels, the first of four Elation LED screens in the venue. The entry screen at Rumba Room Live is controlled by via Arkaos Media Master and is used to display the club’s logo and images of upcoming events.
Guests then move into the all-important bar area where two bars are decorated with Elation Flex RGB LED tape which is also used to downlight platforms and floating walls in the club’s visually striking VIP areas.
From the bar area, Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II moving heads lead guests to the dance floor and stage, where the full impact of the visual scheme is felt. Most noticeably are three LED screens made up of 32 Elation EZ4 video panels - a large 7 x 4 centre screen and two smaller 1 x 2 screens placed stage right and left. Control is again by an Arkaos Media Master.
Above the dance floor is a rig of 10 Platinum Spot LED Pro II moving heads, eight Rayzor Q7 LED moving heads, and eight Rayzor Beam 2Rs. Also in the rig are four Sniper 2R multi-effect lights as well as a pair of SixPar 200 LED Par colour changers. Accenting the DJ booth is decorative Flex RGB Led Tape.
For stage lighting, 12 compact Rayzor Q12 Zoom LED wash moving head lights work from a downstage position with 15 upstage SixPar 100 LED Par lights and six Platinum Spot LED Pro II’s upstage and stage left and right.
(Jim Evans)

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