“I am still there in my heart and soul!” A fan posted this on social media in mid-May about the Deadmau5 Retro5pective show in Brooklyn. Never mind that the concert took place there some three weeks earlier. Chances are that this fan (and many others) will still feel that way three years hence — such is the immersive power of the 3D journey of imagination that the electronic music producer is taking audiences on to mark the 25th anniversary of his iconic career.

This atmosphere was very much in evidence months later at Red Rocks, where the tour’s lighting designer, Erik Mahowald of Bending Lite Productions described the magical chemistry between the Deadmau5’s signature Cube v3 video structure and the rig’s 108 CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M motorised strobes, supplied by Brown Note Productions.

“The Cube v3 is about 12-feet per side, covered on three faces on the exterior with video panels and interior lined with rows of LED pixels,” said Mahowald, who was invited to handle lighting design by Chris Schroeder Productions. “The upstage video wall is about 75-feet wide by 28-feet tall. By using a blow-through screens, we were able to add 40 Color STRIKE Ms behind the video wall on vertical ladders to great effect. Positioning other units on upstage ladders directly behind the cube, we highlighted it, and filled in the blackouts of video on the upstage wall. We also used the Color STRIKE Ms to connect to the crowd with audience lighting.”

As a result of this interplay between video and light, audiences are swept up in an overwhelmingly powerful visual experience that wraps itself seamlessly around Deadmau5’s music. At the same time, the massive cube set against a V-shaped video wall transforms notions of space, while the intense light playing off the cube and going through the wall infuses the entire scene with its own brand of energy.

Regarding the Color STRIKE M, Mahowald says that he arranged 100 of the motorised strobe-washes on stage and positioned the eight remaining units on spot towers throughout the house. “From helping backlight Cube v3, layering additional hits to notes in the tracks, or just adding a little extra push to every look, these fixtures provide a simple yet impactful addition to the show,” he said. “They really fill out the stage without taking away from the center of attention — Deadmau5 and Cube v3.”

Noting that he has “plenty of options for the shows energy and control,” Mahowald builds his show, which is led by video content from 36 North, around the concept of embracing production looks throughout the years of the Deadmau5 show legacy. In creating these looks, his show’s primary lighting colours tend to lean towards blue and light blue.  At higher energy moments, white, green, and red become more prominent in a show that is time lined and busked.

“As soon as ‘I Remember,’ starts, the show switches over to timecode and runs itself, with manual spot calls for guest performers,” said Mahowald, who credits Mario Adato (Show Caller/Director) Daniel Ostroff (Bending Lite Producer), and Josh Gregoire (programmer) with helping the show run smoothly.  “In its early parts, the show really relies on the crowd’s interaction with the stage. At some points, we need to inhibit the energy of the crowd to enhance the energy of the show on stage.  If things are feeling good, we can push a little harder. If the crowd needs a break, we can easily tone down the energy we provide.”

Whether “toned down,” or full throttled, the energy that flows from the stage on Deadmau5 Retro5pective inspires the imagination — which is why it continues to resonate “live” in hearts and minds long after the show ends.

Photo credits:

Brittany Teuber – @brizzzzzle

Leah Sems – @leahsems

 

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