Production Profile

“Neil has a way of getting the audience with him one way or another! He’s amazing at that.”

So declares sound designer/FOH engineer Stanley Miller, who would certainly know of such things. In what has to be some kind of record, Miller has embarked on yet another world tour for an astounding 47th year. Honored with a Parnelli Audio Innovator Award in 2009, and recently brought onto the Parnelli Board of Advisors, this is a guy with stamina. He’s the same age as Diamond (74), but as he has throughout his entire career, he continues to embrace and even push the cutting edge of new technology.

It all began, in 1985, in of all places Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and over time has developed into one of the longest running (and highly successful) festival franchises in history. Following the first event, the Rock in Rio concept has spread to Lisbon, Portugal, Madrid, Spain and in 2015, to Las Vegas.

It took 12 weeks, and more than 90 truckloads of construction materials, but what was a dusty, forlorn corner of the Las Vegas Strip was transformed into the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll playground by Brown United. The company’s largest undertaking to date, Rock in Rio USA took outdoor festivals to a new level, incorporating not just multiple stages, but an elaborate VIP area, “Rock Streets” filled with shops and eateries and even a Ferris wheel and zip line.

It’s sounds like another teen novelty act — and in time it may turn out that way — but the American rock/indie band Echosmith is doing the work, writing great songs and putting on engaging live performances that seems to point that they are more than that. But they are young. The quartet is made of four L.A.-based Sierota siblings: Graham (drums/16), sister Sydney (singer/18), Noah (bass/19), and Jamie (guitar/22).

Held in Bayfront Park in downtown Miami from March 27 to 29 — and not-too-coincidentally taking place during spring break and the 2015 Winter Music Conference (the leading industry gathering of EDM and dance music artists and producers) — this year’s Ultra Music Festival continued its 17-year history of success.

Up-and-coming British pop sensation FKA twigs (Tahliah Debrett Barnett) began her career performing as “Twigs,” but after a dispute with another artist using that same name, changed it to FKA (Formerly Known As) twigs, and the new moniker has stuck with her ever since.

Sonny Maupin Helps Bob Anderson Channel Sinatra at the Palazzo Theatre in Las Vegas

There is no shortage of singing impersonators in Las Vegas, of course. But for FRANK The Man, The Music, which opened at the Palazzo Theatre in Las Vegas on Jan. 24, 2015, Bob Anderson is carefully made up to resemble Frank Sinatra in his later years, and the veteran singing impressionist also channels the nuances of voice and mannerisms for Sinatra, who died in 1998, to eerie perfection.

The North American leg of pop idol Enrique Iglesias’ world tour (with co-headliner Pitbull) picked up on Jan. 27 with two packed nights at the 13,000-capacity Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX, before embarking on a long list of arena dates.

“It’s involved,” system tech Frank Sgambellone says, of Usher’s “The UR Experience” tour, in what appears to be an epic understatement. “It’s large, and definitely a show — that’s for sure.” By all measures, the 27-date North American arena tour was a huge success, kicking off from Montreal’s Bell Centre Nov. 1 and wrapping up Dec. 14 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. A well-deserved break ensues before starting up again in Europe and the U.K. in February and March.