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February 2011

Upstaging honored as Company of the Year.

Upstaging was recently bestowed the honor of being named Lighting and Trucking Company of the Year. In October of 2010, Upstaging was honored as the Lighting Company of the Year at the 10th Annual Parnelli Awards hosted at The Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

January 2011 brought the honor of Top Dog Lighting Company of the Year and Top Dog Trucking Company of the Year at the Tour Link Conference held in Scottsdale Arizona. The honors continued on to the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles where Upstaging was named Lighting Company of the Year.

Upstaging has a proud history of being a leader the industry with innovative solutions and it’s devotion to building lasting relationships. We are humbled to be recognized by the touring community and our peers for our contributions.

November 2010

Paul McCartney - Up And Coming Tour

The current Paul McCartney tour is something a bit different from what’s been seen in the past. It is the most straight forward and uncomplicated production Paul McCartney has taken out in a long time. It is a production that seems to be built more upon the way the show is traveling than any specific message or creative theme as has been the case in past tours. Click here to read the entire story in this months issue of Mobile Production Magazine

November 2010

Five, Six, Seven, Eight...

Upstaging kick’n with the Rockettes. Upstaging is providing both lighting and trucking support for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tour starring the Rocketts. The massive rig with it’s mother grid system utilized over 150 automated fixtures to create this magical production. Moving this production across the US, covering 19 cities over seven weeks, was choreographed with 22 seasoned drivers and red hot Peterbuilt tractors.

October 2010

Upstaging honored as top company.   

Upstaging accepted a Parnelli for Best Lighting Company at this year's awards event in Las Vegas. Upstaging was in good company as LD Steve Cohen received a Parnelli for Best Lighting Desinger for his design on Star Wars - In Concert (lighting provided by Upstaging).

September 2010

The indie rock band, Arcade Fire hits the road on their North American "The Suburbs Tour". Lighting Designer Susanne Sasic masterfully bring this grey suburban landscape to life with her use of color and light.  Upstaging is always ecstatic to be called upon to support Susanne's designs.  Photos by Steve Jennings.

August 2010

Sting Symphonicity Tour

It might be argued that Sting’s latest tour, Symphonicity, is a case of ‘art imitating life’, yet the addition of 48 members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to his stage has enabled Sting to approach his work afresh – this is not imitation, rather it is reappraisal. That, of course, is exactly what Aristotle meant when he first uttered those immortal words. In the wider context of show design, Danny Nolan has rightly interpreted this shift of focus as an opportunity to reappraise his own methods and, like Sting, Nolan looked to other art forms for inspiration.  Click here to read the complete story as featured in this issue of Mobile Production Magazine .

July 2010

Three steps to achieve a great looking production.  Start with a superb foundation, like Producer and Production Designer Peter Metz.  Add color and pizzazz that compliments and enhances, like Lighting Director Jon Kusner. Finally, use a solid product, like Upstaging. The result is a head turning gorgeous result.  This is exactly the formula Mary Kay follows when they bring over 60,000 women from around the world to Dallas for their Seminar event.

June 2010

Eric Clapton's 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival kept music lovers in awe with it's 11 hour line up of legendary guitarist.  Upstaging played a major role in putting on an event of this scale.  Light & Sound America goes behind the festival for an indepth look at the full scope of Upstaging's responsibilities.  Click here to read the story.

February 2010

Upstaging honored as top company.

Upstaging accepts four industry awards in February. The month started out with Upstaging being honored at the TourLink Conference in Arizona. Upstaging was named Lighting Company of the Year, Trucking Company of the Year, and Innovator of the Year (for it's Hud truss solution). Shortly after receiving these three esteemed awards, Upstaging went on to be named Lighting Company of the Year at the annual Pollstar awards event at the Nokia Theater in LA.

January 2010

Touring Production Companies Step Up to Help Haiti

Several companies whose business is moving stages, lights and speakers around the United States and the world for groups like Sting and The Police have reached out to Wyclef and Yéle Haiti to team up in sending more than 25,000 lbs of medical supplies secured by Project C.U.R.E. <http://www.projectcure.org/>  to emergency hospitals being run by Partners in Health <http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti> and Catholic Relief Services <http://crs.org/>  in Port-au-Prince.
 
The initiative has been spearheaded by two touring production companies, QED Productions and Satellite Office Services, and they have in turn reached out to Upstaging  and Rocket Cargo – companies which between them move equipment for a who’s who of the entertainment community within the US by truck and internationally by air. Upstaging is shipping the medical supplies to Miami on their trucks and Rocket Cargo is lending one of their 707s to airlift the supplies to Haiti.
 
Yéle has enlisted its partner Airline Ambassadors <http://www.airlineamb.org/>  to help with coordination at the airport and, along with the Yéle team in Port-au-Prince, to get it to the two hospitals once it arrives.
 
Hugh Locke

www.yele.org

November 2009

The legendary band, U2 raps up it’s 2009 Live Across America Tour.  Dubbed the 360° tour, the band accomplished a truly intimate 360° experience for concert goers, with it’s cylindrical video system from it’s 150’ tall steel structure and it’s rotating bridges from the floor.  Upstaging was pleased to support this massive tour with over 200 trucks.  The acclaimed 360° Tour is expected to return to the US in 2010.

September 2009

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists, Steely Dan, extend thier summer tour into the fall. Dubbed "Rent Party 09" tour will continue in the US and Canada til the end of November. Long time Steely Dan LD, Jon Pollak, finds himself challenged this time around, with the band playing mostly new material. Upstaging is delighted to provide Jon Pollak gear to craft his magic. Click here to read the complete story Steely Dan .

April 2009

Upstaging provides lighting for the thrash metal band Slipknot. In support of their latest album “All Hope is Gone”, Slipknot Tours North America before heading to Europe for the summer festival season.  The lighting design contains approximately 65 Martin Mac 2000’s, 24 Martin Atomic Strobes, approximately 85 Color Kinetics LED fixtures, 66 Molfays of various sizes, rounding the system out with a handful of pars and beacons, controlled by the Grand MA.  Click here to read the complete story as featured in the April 2009 issue of Light & Sound America.

February 2009

Upstaging once again paired up with Disney and Abbey Rosen Holmes providing lighting services for Cheetah Girls “One World” tour. Upstaging was no stranger working with this team, having worked with both Disney and Abbey on last summers hit Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus “Best of Both Worlds Tour”.  Abbey Rosen Holmes accomplished a sophisticated yet kid friendly show, all while working within budget constraints and limited rehearsal time. Click here to read the complete Cheetah-licious story from the February issue of Light & Sound America.

December 2009

Janet Jackson recently wrapped up the US leg of her Rock Witchu tour.  Jackson is known for her dancing and spectacular productions, this tour proved to be no exception.  Upstaging was In addition to providing the lighting system, Upstaging added to the spectacle by fabricating custom “Blast Shields”.  Each curved aluminum blast shield stood 13’ tall and had versa tubes build in.  With such a sizable presence the Blast Shield were more than just a lighting effect, they became part of the set.  Click here to Rock Witchu. Read More...

November 20th 2008

Upstaging Inc. offers up facility to program AC/DC's first tour in 8 years.

Article

November 9th 2008

Speedwire is introduced.  Another Upstaging Solution, exclusively at Upstaging.

November 4th 2008

Upstaging featured in a Martin Casestory as one of initial users of the Mac III 

October, 2008

Nine Lives and High Art, Upstaging joins forces with creative wizard Roy Bennett to provide lighting services for the NIN – “Lights in the Sky Tour”.  Click here to read the “Nine Lives” story featured in Live Design or click here to read the “High Art” story featured in Mobile Productions.

March 12th 2008

Upstaging is proud to introduce our new and exclusive Automated HUD Truss. The HUD is a pre-rig moving light truss that is easy to use and transport. To download a .pdf spec sheet click here.

January, 2008

Upstaging - Is Happy To Be a Part of Something Bigger

Click Here to see what Upstaging is doing as featured in Mobil Production January 2008 issue

January, 2008

Some 190 million years ago dinosaurs walked this earth.  Today Upstaging moves these dinosaurs acrossthe continent and brings them to light by providing trucking and lighting services for the Walking With Dinosaurs tour.  To step back in time Click Here to read from the mobile Production January 2008 Issue

January 21st 2008

After a great 2007, Upstaging is excited about the upcoming projects for 2008! Winter tours with Kid Rock, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus and the Police world tour reaching all points of the globe ! 

January 1st 2008

Happy 2008 from everyone at Upstaging !

October 23rd 2007

Fall tours with Crowded House, Arcade Fire and Bjork.

Check out this article in Lighting & Sound America on the Australian group, Crowded House return to touring and also production/lighting designer Paul Normandale.

October 2nd 2007

Upstaging and Mary Kay Cosmetics continues its 15 year relationship. 

The Mary Kay Cosmetics Seminar was held this past summer and once again Upstaging was there for the event.  Upstaging's Jerry Swatek, Matt McGregor, Dan Curley, Matt Gorhing, Dave Hetfleisch, Brian Kasten and others were part of a production team that made the seminar "the most exciting night of your life " to the 1000's of independent sales women and men in attendance.  Read more about the event here in Lighting & Sound America's October issue. 

October 2nd 2007

Upstaging Tours Featured in Tour Guide Journal.

Recently Tim McGraw and Faith Hills  "Soul 2 Soul" tour , Bob Seger tour and The Dixie Chicks tour, were featured in publications of Tour Guide Journal.  Upstaging had the privlidge of providing lighting and trucking services to all 3 of these tours.   To read about the Dixie Chicks tour and the Bob Seger tour and Soul 2 Soul follow the links to the left. 

September 9th 2007

Upstaging Rocks in Fashion. 

Taking it to New York’s Fall Fashion week runway, Fashion Rocks celebrates music and fashion.  Artists rocking in style included Aerosmith, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, Fall Out Boy, Fergie, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Ludacris, Martina McBride, Santana, and Usher. The program was taped at New York’s RadioCity Music Hall and premiered on Friday, September 7, 2007 on CBS.

A trendsetter himself, Lighting Designer Allen Branton brought his own sense of style to the event.  Reaching into his lighting wardrobe, Allen puts on 50 VL500’s, 9 VL1000TS, 9 VL3000’s, 6 BigLite 4.5, 18 Martin Mac 700 Wash, 40 Mac 2000 Wash, 12 Mac 700 profiles, 52 Mac 2000 Performances, 32 Coemar Infinity Wash, 80 ColorBlast 12.  Rounding out his look with 18 Source Fours, 132 Pars, 5 Altman 5000L fresnels, 5 Lycian 1271 Follow Spots, various other conventional fixtures, 4 DF-50 Hazers, 1 Power Tiny Fogger, and 2 Martin ZR33 Foggers, all controlled by 2 Martin Maxxyz consoles.

Fashion wouldn’t look so good without the use of a fabulous lighting team.  The ensemble included Gaffer Brad Hafer, Lighting Directors Tom Beck, Brian Stark, Bryan Barancik, Arnold Serame, Lighting Technicians Brett Puwalski, Daniel Bolston, Kevin Royan, Mike Smallman, and Digital Lighting Director Laura Frank.

August 22nd 2007

Upstaging exclusive lighting supplier and North American trucking to The Police 2007 Tour.

Upstaging is proud to once again work with The Police and lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe.  Lighting for the tour has been co-designed, programmed and is being operated by Danny Nolan.  The tour kicked off in the US and Canada and is currently scheduled to run until February 2008, hitting the UK and Europe in September and October. There are two formats for the lighting rig – to fit both the arena and stadium sized shows.  Prior to the start of the Police tour, Nolan and Woodroffe had 5 days of programming sessions in Chicago at Upstaging’s facility with the full working rig, allowing them to structure the set-list and establish the show’s basic footprint. Read the article from September issue of Live Design here:  Live Design-Police

August 21st 2007

Upstaging exclusive lighting and trucking to Walking With Dinosaurs.

"Walking With Dinosaurs—The Live Experience" is designed to thrill, educate and terrify (a little). It's derived from the T. rex-size BBC series that attracted a whopping 770 million viewers from the time it first aired in 1999 and, later, on the Discovery Channel in the United States. The stage version is every bit as ambitious, and realistic. The tour, which kicked off a two-year run in Tacoma this month, features 15 eerily lifelike dinosaurs in a 90-minute stage production that cost $20 million to create—that's more than most shows on Broadway.- Lorraine Ali- Newsweek

August 21st 2007

Upstaging at the Crossroads

This past July, Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival was held at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL.   Upstaging was asked to oversee all production and provide complete coordination of the benefit concert.  In addition to providing the production staff, Upstaging provided the lighting equipment, crew and trucking. Working with Dave Maxwell, Upstaging designed and produced a custom double-sided Versa Tube wall that was used as the divider on a 55’ diameter turntable stage.  The wall was fabricated and built at Upstaging’ Sycamore facility.   The concert was a complete success and the reviews were glowing.

August 20th 2007

From rock legends to today's hottest performers, Upstaging has been honored to have been awarded lighting contracts for the tours of: The Police, Genesis, Bob Dylan, Crowded House, Bjork, Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Muse, Bloc Party and the Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony tour