43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Rock the MGM Grand with Shure

LAS VEGAS – Once again there was no red carpet at the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, but the now traditional orange one rolled out in its place at the MGM Grand proved just as able to support a glittering array of Nashville’s hottest talent. On a night highlighted by the presence of country music’s rising young stars and a generation of legendary figures, Shure endorser Brad Paisley took home male vocalist honors for the second straight year, while Carrie Underwood, who opened the show with “I Don’t Even Know His Last Name," received her second consecutive female vocalist trophy.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Korean pop/R&B singing sensation Se7en recently held an album preview party for his first American release, performing to a group of music industry luminaries at Hollywood’s Highlands lounge. For an audience that included executives from Interscope, Jive and Sony record labels and celebrities such as director John Singleton and musician/producer will.i.am, Seoul, Korea-based Avix Tech provided a Meyer Sound system to deliver the dynamic showcase.
 

OXFORD, Miss. – Across America, springtime kicks off the busy season for live sound companies, and graduation ceremonies are frequently a significant part of this activity. Such is the case for Brownsville, Tenn.-based Tennessee Concert Sound (TCS). Since 1999, TCS has handled live sound reinforcement for the University of Mississippi’s numerous commencement programs and, as usual, the company’s arsenal of D.A.S. Audio loudspeaker systems was placed into service for this year’s ceremonies.

ST. SIMONS, Ga. – St. Simons Community Church on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia had the opportunity to build a brand new facility with an expansive 1,000-seat sanctuary, a 400-seat “Children’s Clubhouse Theater” and a 300-seat youth “Rooftop Theater” to replace the multiple cramped services that they had been holding in a rented office park/strip mall. A contemporary church by anyone’s measure, St. Simons peppers their upbeat services with plenty of spirited music and dramatic interpretations of the bible. With lots of movement, vocalists, instruments and set changes on stage – both within a particular service and from week-to-week – the church required a robust wireless microphone and personal monitoring system. Sennheiser’s evolution wireless technology was chosen for St. Simons. 

MONTREAL – She's one of the best-selling recording artists in history, but she hasn't toured since 1999.  Following a record-breaking five-year engagement at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Celine Dion is back on the road with her Taking Chances production tour, the first major artist to carry two Studer Vista 5SR digital audio consoles to handle front-of-house and monitor mixing.

LIVERPOOL, England – ADLIB Audio continues its busy spring with their new V-DOSC system, once again in action, this time on the recent Matchbox 20 UK arena tour, specified by industry veteran FOH Engineer Jim Ebdon. It was the first time ADLIB has worked with the band, but had worked on Rob Thomas’s last UK production tour. ADLIB supplied their most experienced V-DOSC systems engineers – Tony Szabo and James Neale, plus monitor guru Marc Peers who looked after everything onstage.

Miami, Fla. – For those seeking a fine dining experience coupled with some late night music and dancing, the upscale “Dolores but you can call me Lolita” restaurant and lounge is one of Miami’s top destinations. Offering spectacular south Florida sunsets on the restaurant’s open terrace and featuring an eclectic fusion of Brazilian, Persian, Spanish, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, guests enjoy a broad choice of menu options and frequently extend their visits into the wee hours of the morning in the adjacent lounge. The facility recently upgraded its sound reinforcement capabilities, and patrons are now treated to a first-class audio experience courtesy of loudspeaker systems from D.A.S. Audio.

Carvin introduces the new EM900 In Ear Monitor System designed with PLL (phase lock loop) electronics, balanced XLR inputs and rugged metal housings. Ideal for both on stage use and rehearsals, the EM900 In Ear Monitor System is an alternative to cumbersome floor monitor wedges — facilitating greater freedom of movement while enabling one to hear everything in either high fidelity mono or stereo. Performers can use as many as 16 complete EM900 systems simultaneously on stage and any number of EM901 stereo receivers on the same frequency.

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Ryan Adams once said in a radio interview that classic rock is alive and well in America. Truer words were never spoken, especially during the summer, with tours heading out to see America, and Heil Sound microphones are along for the ride.