The fast-moving lightshow was designed by Joe Musico and run by lighting director Luis Torres (photo: Tony Cottrell)
USA - At the entrance to Bassrush Massive AZ was a massive art display that featured two cubes, a smaller one wedged inside a larger version of itself. Emulating the signature artwork of the festival’s promotional material, the object attracted the immediate attention of fans, most of whom stepped inside the mesmerizing cubic structure for social media photos. It was the first, but certainly not the last, immersive experience they would enjoy that evening.
Kicking off the Sun Valley’s Fall Music Festival season on Saturday 25 August 2, the event took fans on a head-banging journey deep inside the heart of bass-heavy sound, serving up a relentless sonic barrage from the likes of Zeds Dead, Nightmre, HEKLER and other artists. Keeping pace with every bass drop and trapstep was a searing, fast-moving lightshow designed by Joe Musico and run by lighting director Luis Torres that featured Chauvet Professional Maverick and Rogue fixtures.
“I have been working with Guillermo Roggero from Hardwired Productions for many years, and we’ve been doing shows for many years with Relentless Beats, which produces Bassrush,” says Torres. “These shows have been growing at an incredible rate, and a big reason why is because they really immerse the fans in what this music is all about. Lighting is a big part of that experience. Joe Musico’s design didn’t just light the performances, we use light to grab the audience.”
“Every act was different from every other act, and that made the show interesting,” said Torres. “Some were very chill and relaxing, which allowed us to use darker colours and slow things down a bit. Other moments were very energetic and fast paced, which let us go all out with strobes, vibrant colours, movements, and dimming effects.”
Helping to keep things varied were the 20 Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures and 20 Rogue R2 Washes in the Musico-designed rig. “The Mavericks and Rogues were both very bright, so they had no trouble keeping up with the intensity of our strobing,” said Torres. “They were also very effective with the fog. I really appreciated how their light looked with fog, and how bright and intense both fixtures were in general. Both the R2 and the MK2 Spots allowed me to create very dynamic looks and effects regardless of which colour I used. Plus, the gobos in the MK2 Spot look great with fog.”
(Jim Evans)

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