Robe Covert Bat Drive Thru Rave posted: 14/07/2020
The wonderful world of entertainment technology is renowned for those who can think out-of-the-box and this pandemic is seeing no end of creative and imaginative ways in which people and companies are trying to boost morale and support the soul of live performance! Seattle, USA-based Joe Cole, owner of lighting rental company R90, was savoring some good conversation and a whisky-on-the-rocks over Zoom with his friend, attorney Neil Juneja of Gleam Law one Wednesday evening, and like most of us, missing shows, music and the incredible buzz and camaraderie of live events that has temporarily evaporated under lockdowns worldwide.
Musing about drive-in music events they had seen happening in Denmark, Germany, and other European countries Joe and Neil had a flash of inspiration! The Seattle Governor's office had just issued a special guideline allowing drive-in religious services to commence in Washington State!
The next day Neil started drilling down into the stay-at-home laws and the new directive, discovering that religious affiliation is a term open to dynamic interpretation in a court of law, so they decided that a drive-in religious service offering the gift' of music did not actually contravene any current laws.
The Covert Bat Drive Thru Rave was born!
Neil actually engaged in substantial and thorough legal due diligence which included communicating with countless city, county, and state officials. A few days into the mission, no-one had a problem with the proposed project or could find any legal reason for it not to go ahead!
The venue for the initial Covert Bat Drive Thru Rave - a smart scientific nod to the noble winged mammal in combination with the true spirit of underground rave that kept the first events strictly secret - was R90's shop on 1st Avenue South, Seattle.
This has a large loading bay area and a series of roller shutter doors where trucks back up to load gear and sufficient room to socially distance 21 vehicles so they could have the windows down!
Then Joe, lighting designer Erik Mahowald from Bending Lite Productions and Christian Jackson, lighting programmer and another R90 regular who owns a lot of sound kit - started thinking about the music and production.
Erik's lighting design was based around how to fill three loading dock bays with flexible lights that would work from the available power supply. All the kit including the sound system - supplied by Christian for the first events - had to fit inside the bays, so they could simply flip up the shutters - improv style - and let the fun begin!
With a warehouse full of lighting gear and determination to produce something special for what would be the first proper show since the industry shut down, Joe, Erik and Christian measured the bays, built the venue as a 3D visualization model and chose lighting positions in a stunning design that looked great and fit the limited parameters, explained Erik.
This included 15 x Robe MegaPointes and 27 x LEDBeam150s on the lighting rig. The MegaPointes were deployed on the downstage edge of the stage in the central bay for an even spread across the loading dock area, with one more fixture far back inside each bay for high-impact backlight looks and silhouettes.
Erik loves MegaPointes, especially the gobo and prism combination that hits the outer aperture of the fixture to create amazing full looks and intense aerial effects as well as great eye candy, and R90 has made some large Robe investments in the last couple of years.
Three lighting towers were deployed, one in the center of each bay, each rigged with 9 x LEDBeam 150s, and six additional fixtures, with all lights controlled from a grandMA3 console.
The first Covert Bat Raves were electronic and EDM-based, so this selection of lights gave endless options for creating multiple big, bold, bright, diverse looks that kept the energy pumping out and immersing the parking lot in the show.
A lineup of top-level local DJ talent included Darrius, Pezzner, Subset and Powermitten covering a range of EDM genres and creating superlative music, vibes, and a thrilling experience for everyone.
An experimental acoustic set with singer / songwriter / guitarist Glen Cannon enabled them to test drive' a different genre, and Joe notes, for this set up in general, DJs and acoustic sets are more practical for social distancing and to load in / out than full bands would be!
This also leaves the possibility of presenting music lovers and artists with some truly unique solo performance opportunities!
The first Covert Bat events - in tune with the heartbeat of the underground - were promoted only by word of mouth, a move to keep them cool and peripheral on one hand but also for several sensible reasons including safe delivery and, with that in mind, keeping it legal for everyone's protection .
DJ sets for the first raves were limited to 50 minutes because if people stepped out of their cars without being home or on an essential' journey they immediately broke the lockdown regulations.
Secondly they didn't have bathrooms, so guests ware advised in advance and asked to plan ahead on the ablution front!
There were no limits to the number of people per car - provided the vehicle had the corresponding sets of seatbelts - and the occupants had to be from groups or families who were directly quarantined together. Masks and face coverings were also compulsory.
In keeping with religious service customs, audience members could make donations'.
The concept was a massive success, many faces smiled, word soon spread, and the events were hugely appreciated by a live music starved audience.
While Joe and his R90 team are experienced lighting and production professionals, they are also the first to admit that promotion and ticketing i
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Robe Covert Bat Drive Thru Rave posted: 14/07/2020 
