January 2018

Not even a sudden declaration of war slows down Bobby “Boomer” Thrasher, a “no-problem-only-solutions” kind of guy. In 1990, Billy Joel had done a USO show in Washington D.C., and he wanted to do more overseas. “To make it financially feasible, we tacked on some dates between Japan and Australia,” says Steve Cohen, Lighting/Set Designer for Joel. So in January of 1991, they had a deal that if USO would pick them and their four semis’ worth of gear in Japan and deliver them to the Philippines and then on to Australia, they could do it.

Appropriating the advertising slogan of a well-known insurance company, front of house engineer Chris Conley knows a thing or two, because he’ s seen a thing or two. Conley caught his first break in the late ‘80s while working security at a music club in Detroit, where he was born and raised. One night, just hours before all-girl L.A. grunge-rockers L7 were due to play, the house engineer, Conley’ s longtime friend, received a call.

Cruise Production, 3G and Jonas Provide Audio for a High-Seas Adventure

For the fourth year in a row, Cruise Production teamed up with 3G Productions and Jonas Productions for the Welcome to Jamrock Cruise, a five day reggae festival on the high seas. More than 4,000 fans packed the sold-out Independence of the Seas to enjoy performances by such reggae luminaries as Damian and Stephen Marley, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Cocoa Tea and Tarrus Riley. In all, more than 40 artists and DJs kept the party (and the audio crew) going nonstop with live performances, DJ sets and a reggae sound clash DJ battle. The cruise set sail from Fort Lauderdale on November 13 with stops in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.