30 FEBRUARY 2018 • fohonline.comfohonline.com • FEBRUARY 2018 31

PARNELLIAWARDS

audio • lighting • video • rigging

A huge thank you to our amazing sta� and clients for voting us the Hometown Hero Sound Company of the year!

Top HonorsLifetime Achievement Award: Bobby “Boomer” ThrasherVisionary Award: Jonathan SmeetonAudio Innovator Award: John Stadius

SoundSound Company of the Year: Sound Image / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersFOH Mixer of the Year: Robert Scovill / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersMonitor Mixer of the Year: Greg Looper / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersAudio System Tech of the Year: Vic Wagner / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersHometown Hero Sound Company of the Year: Special Event Services (SES)Indispensable Technology — Audio: Sennheiser/Digital 6000

LightingLighting Company of the Year: VER / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersLighting Designer of the Year: Butch Allen / ParamoreLighting Director of the Year: Andy Knighton / Rascal FlattsHometown Hero Lighting Company of the Year: Brown Note ProductionsIndispensable Technology — Lighting: Philips/Vari-Lite/VL6000 Beam

VideoVideo Production Company of the Year: Moo TV / Jason AldeanVideo Director of the Year: Steve Fatone / Bruno MarsIndispensable Technology — Video: CreateLED/3 Dimensional LED Display

Sets, Staging, Rigging, PyroSet/Scenic Designer of the Year: LeRoy Bennett /Lady GagaStaging Company of the Year: Premier Global Production / Country Thunder FestivalRigging Company of the Year: Atlanta Rigging Systems / Garth BrooksSet Construction Company of the Year: Tait / Lady GagaPyro Company of the Year: Strictly FX / ColdplayIndispensable Technology — Staging: Stageline Mobile Stage/Screen Support Package

Touring/ProductionPatrick Stansfield Tour Manager of the Year: Richard Fernandez / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersPatrick Stansfield Production Manager of the Year: Chris Adamson / Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersCoach Company of the Year: Four Seasons Coach LeasingTrucking Company of the Year: Roadshow ServicesFreight Forwarding Company of the Year: Rock-It Cargo

Congratulations to all! The 18th annual Parnelli Awards will return during NAMM 2019, Jan. 24-27, 2019. For updates, go to parnelliawards.com and namm.org.

The 17th annual Parnelli Awards gala, held Friday, Jan. 26 at the Anaheim Hilton during NAMM 2018, honored Bobby “Boomer” Thrasher, Jonathan Smeeton and John Stadius with the Life-time Achievement Award, Visionary Award and Audio Innovator Award, respectively.

›› Bobby “Boomer” ThrasherBilly Joel, who Thrasher has worked with for nearly 40 years, sent in a video tribute to his long-

time production manager. “There’s nothing he can’t do,” Joel said, noting how Thrasher had assist-ed with everything from fixing Joel’s bikes, boats and cars. Then the laughs started coming when Joel said, “I had my hips replaced last year, and many don’t know that Bobby did that. When my daughter was born, he delivered her, too.”

After the joking, Joel went on to offer his sincere gratitude, for “a long and fruitful collabora-tion. We’ve all relied on you to help you make the trains run on time. From Russia to Manila, Berlin to Cape Town, and around the world dozens of times, you’ve been there, leading the team with your quiet strength. Your guys would go the extra mile for you, and so would I.”

Before Thrasher stepped up to receive his honor, presenters Steve Cohen, longtime LD for Billy Joel, and Rick “Chainsaw” LaPointe kept the tributes coming, with LaPointe underscoring the total devotion Thrasher was able to inspire among his crew. “He fought hard for his crew. And his crew would be there for anything he needed,” LaPointe said. “We would follow him down any given path, any dark alley and any time of day or night.”

›› Jonathan SmeetonOther presenters included Eric Loader and David Milly, who welcomed renowned lighting de-

signer Jonathan Smeeton to the stage. Smeeton, who has lit top acts since he got his start at the dawn of the rock concert era as Liquid Len back in the 1960’s, and worked with a swath of artists from Peter Gabriel to Taylor Swift, seems happy to continue blazing new trails for others to follow. Loader and Milly joked that Smeeton has been around for so long that he egged Thomas Edison on to invent the light bulb just so he could throw ink on his bulb.

›› John StadiusPresenter James Gordon, group CEO of DiGiCo parent company Audiotonix, cited John Stadi-

us’ penchant for a blend of scientific curiosity and taste for danger when he tested the theory of whether the fearsome barracuda would swim away with part of a limb if it were sporting a bright, shiny wristwatch. (In Stadius’ case, thankfully, the fish opted against karmic payback for all the other fish Stadius has caught in his travels.)

›› Remembering Tom…Tour manager Richard Fernandez, last year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree, and production

manager Chris Adamson were among several members of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers camp to receive awards this year. The late rocker had appeared at the 2016 Parnelli gala to give a heart-felt tribute to his crew at the Parnelli Awards before they all hit the road one last time for Petty’s final tour in 2017. Along with Fernandez and Adamson, FOH mixer Robert Scovill, monitor mixer Greg Looper, system tech Vic Wagner and production companies VER and Sound Image were all honored with Parnelli Awards this year by PLSN and FRONT of HOUSE readers.

›› …And, Of Course, RickExecutive Producer Terry Lowe took the stage, calling out the award’s namesake, Rick “Parnelli”

O’Brien’s wife and daughter in the audience and acknowledging members of the UNLV Technical Entertainment scholarship fund, pointing out that all who attend the Parnelli Awards support the future of our industry. He also called out the three lifetime honorees — of Smeeton, he quipped: “Jonathan did some absolute amazing things in the 1960s and 1970s — most impressively, re-membering the 1960s and 1970s.”

›› Other LuminariesHosted by bassist Tony Levin and featuring performances by pianist/vocalist Kiki Ebsen, rock

photographer Neal Preston was also on hand to sign copies of his 40-year retrospective, Exhila-rated and Exhausted, during the cocktail reception and after-party. Along with Preston, additional awards presenters included Chris Adamson, Steve Cohen, James Gordon, Kevin Lyman, Susan Rose, Céline Royer, Nook Schoenfeld and Ed Wannebo.

›› First Time at NAMMMany first-timers to the show and to NAMM seemed to especially appreciate the show. Roy-

er, an up-and-coming LD, commented, “Thanks again for the opportunity, it was awesome,” and spoke of being grateful for the networking opportunities that come with the Parnellis.

Sponsors like VUE Audiotechnik have already committed to being back for 2019, and newcom-ers TLS Productions’ Carl Kedzierski said: “As first time attendees at NAMM, we were impressed.”

“The Timeless team is to be commended for creating such an amazing sense of community around the 17th annual Parnelli Awards,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “Honor-ing the people and companies who ‘make the trains run on time’ at concerts and events around the globe is so important, and to have it all happen at The NAMM Show was a dream come true for me personally.”

And the show was about reuniting old friends. After, Levin got to sit with members of the Joel crew after not seeing each other for decades. “We shared stories and the drink they introduced to me — Fernet Branca — which I’ve been drinking ever since! The show was a lot of fun.”

“The Parnellis were a fantastic opportunity to catch up with old pals,” Adamson added. “The move to NAMM proved to be a huge success, and the production was outstanding.”

But the night in so many ways, belonged to Thrasher and his Joel crew — over 40 members of the band, crew, and his family came out to the event. “We really had a good time,” tour manager Max Loubiere said afterwards. “You guys did a great job!”

The Patrick Stansfield Tour Manager of the Year honoree was Richard Fernandez, for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

Dave Shadoan of Sound Image accepted the Parnelli Award for Sound Company of the Year.

Bassist Tony Levin hosted the event and caught up with old friends from Billy Joel’s crew.

FOH Mixer of the Year: Robert Scovill

Michael Brammer of SES accepted the Parnelli Award for Hometown Hero Sound Company of the Year.

Monitor Mixer of the Year: Greg Looper

Bobby “Boomer” Thrasher with the ParnelliLifetime Achievement Award

Jonathan Smeeton, Parnelli Visionary Award Winner

John Stadius, Parnelli Audio Innovator

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32 FEBRUARY 2018 • fohonline.com

PARNELLIAWARDS

“Thanks for everything, including bring-ing us in on time… what a difference a year makes. I thought everything was just fine and a really good night.”

Stan MillerFOH Neil Diamond2009 Parnelli Audio Innovator Honoree

“The Parnelli Awards dinner this year was a well-produced event, and our guests were very appreciative. I think all involved parties feel the move to Anaheim this year, co-incident with the NAMM Show, is good for all involved. Our Professional Division’s general manager (Akira Mochimaru, PhD.) was present, and this was his first time to attend the Parnelli Awards. Speaking for us “audio guys,” it was touching to see both Leo Beranek (a former MIT Professor) and Ed Long (inventor of Time Align™ technol-ogy) honored during your event’s memori-al segment on those industry leaders that we lost during the previous year. Thanks again.”

David ScheirmanBOSE ProfessionalDirector, Global Concert & Rental Business

“I would say it’s safe to say we would like to continue our participation for 2019.”

Sara ElliottChief Operating OfficerVUE Audiotechnik

“The Timeless team is to be commend-ed for creating such an amazing sense of community around the 17th annual Parnelli Awards. Honoring the people and companies who ‘make the trains run on time’ at concerts and events around the globe is so important, and to have it all happen at The NAMM Show was a dream come true for me personally.”

Joe LamondPresident and CEO of NAMM

“The 2018 Parnelli Awards gala was easily one of the best in its 17-year his-tory. Host legendary bassist Tony Levin kept the show moving and livened the 650 attendees with amazing stories, as did special honorees Bobby ‘Boomer’ Thrasher, Jonathan Smeeton and John Stadius, while the move to the new ven-ue at NAMM went without a hitch. But for me, a highlight was the pre/post-show cocktail parties, which brings the industry together in a congenial atmo-sphere of sharing and good old-fash-ioned networking. Yeah!”

George PetersenFOH Magazine Editor

Parnelli Executive Producer Terry Lowe

Roadshow Services’ David Kiely accepted the Parnelli for Trucking Company of the Year.

Rock-It Cargo’s Freight Forwarding award was accepted by Daigny Maister and David Butler.

Presenter Kevin Lyman

Presenters Ed Wannebo and Chris Adamson

Presenter Rick “Chainsaw” LaPointe

Presenter Neal Preston

The Parnelli production crew.

Presenter James Gordon

Presenters Susan Rose and Danny O’Bryen

Ted Maccabee and Reid Nofsinger of Strictly FX accepted for Pyro Company of the Year.

The Indispensable Technology Award for Video went to CreateLED. Jason Cribbs accepted.

Pierre Luc Rompre accepted the Indispensable Technology/Staging award for Stageline.

Presenter Steve Cohen

The Indispensable Technology Award for Audio went to Sennheiser. Joe Ciaudelli accepted.

Philips Vari-Lite was honored with the “IT” Award for Lighting. Ray Whitton accepted.

Kiki Ebsen

Production Manager of the Year Chris Adamson presented, and received, a Parnelli this year.

The entire production crew

Premier Global Production was named Staging Company of the Year. Kevin Blevins accepted.

The Set Construction Company of the Year award went to Tait. Mickey Curbishley accepted.

VER was named Lighting Company of the Year. Robby Kurtz accepted the award.

Scott Scovill of MooTV with this year’s Parnelli for Video Company of the Year.

PARNELLIAWARDS

Kiki Ebsen performed live at the show.

Thank You to All of Our Sponsors!

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Oppotunities Now Available for the 18th Annual Awards Show 702-932-5585

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