Vicente Fernandez

If you haven't heard of Vicente Fernandez, this talented artist has been compared to the Elvis Presley of the Latin music market. Check out the photo above from Vicente's November 27th show in San Jose, courtesy of our favorite photographer Steve Jennings (http://www.jl-images.com/sjp/)...

American Music Awards 2009

Did you spot our gear? Take a closer look:

http://www.comcast.net/video/adam-lambert-shocking-ama-performance/1339741286/Comcast/popular/

We had the privilege of providing Adam Lambert and Rihanna's edgy sets! Mr. Lambert certainly caused a stir, and I tend to agree with the old adage, "Any publicity is good publicity." Go Adam!

LDI 2009

It's been a long time since we've hit the tradeshow circuit in America, but we are so happy with the positive response at LDI this year, we might just set up a booth again soon! At the show, we had a chance to showcase our new solenoid package (a case of 5 with all the accoutrements), which is available for rental or purchase. Our Aluminum barricade system also made an appearance because we've added quite a few new accessories this year, and, as always, it is available for rental.

For more information on our products, please visit http://www.allaccessinc.com/.

Long Time No Blog...

...But this is really blogworthy!

The MOCA 30th Anniversary Party was certainly a sight to behold! While we do not specialize in Fashion Shows, we been responsible for the success of a few, and, of course, we love a good party. We were extremely pleased about the stage that served as a centerpiece for the evening's entertainment with performances by Lady Gaga and Russia's Bolshoi Ballet.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tim Fallon Joins the All Access Family

After years of freelancing across the globe, Timothy Fallon, Jr. has brought his immeasurable industry experience to All Access Staging & Productions' headquarters in Torrance, California, joining our key personnel in manufacturing. Fallon has worked on prestigious shows such as No Doubt, Black Eyed Peas, Janet Jackson, Rascal Flatts and numerous multi-million dollar corporate projects.

"We're all excited to have Tim as a part of our team,"says Erik Eastland, President & co-founder of All Access. "His years of experience in the corporate world coupled with the projects we've undertaken over the last couple of years are going ot bring a new level of quality to our product."

Welcome, Tim! We're so glad you're here!

Parnelli Nomination!!

Hello Friends,

It's that time of year again. No, not Halloween or Turkey day - it's Parnelli Award season. As an event sponsor, we are looking forward to the night of the awards show where we'll get the chance to catch up with old friends and hopefully make a few new ones.

What's more, our company is pleased to announce that we've been nominated again this year for "Set Construction Company of the Year" for our work on the Dave Matthews Band tour. Thank you for all of your support!

If you are a subscriber of Production, Lights, & Staging News, click on this link to cast your vote: http://www.parnelliawards.com/vote.php

Luckily, there are no hanging chads on the web, so every vote counts!

Our New CNC Machine!

Our in-house capabilities have expanded yet again - we're so excited about our CNC machine that we had to blog about it!

Oktoberfest 2009 (As if you needed another reason to drink beer)

The largest and longest Oktoberfest in Southern California is in full swing here in Torrance, CA at the appropriately themed Alpine Village. The festivities kicked off on September 12th, 2009 and will continue through October 25th, 2009 with a beer garden every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Once you've had your fair share of the beer garden, you can partake in woodsawing, steinholding, cow milking (that's right - cow milking), food, and the much loved chicken dance! Show all your friends your mad dancing skills on top of another great All Access stage.

Star Wars: A Musical Journey

When you thought that Star Wars couldn't get any better... here comes the musical! Star Wars: A Musical Journey first appeared at the O2 Arena in London, featuring scenes from the movies, live narration and the 86-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and choir. Now the show is coming to America...

So where does All Access fit in this extravaganza of music and storm troopers? Check out the pictures above and see if you can spot our handiwork. Do you give up? It's the space-age framing around the gigantic movie screen - among other things! I don't want to spoil the show for those of you who will catch it during the US tour, so I'll say no more.

Star Wars: A Musical Journey is currently in rehearsals. The tour will begin in Anaheim, California on October 1st and is scheduled to play about 40 dates in the United States and Canada before the end of 2009. Get your tickets now!

All Access Staging & Productions at PLASA

Guy, Robert, Clive & Erik were active participants at the trade show this year, and they are all very pleased with the response generated by the first PLASA appearance of our new London office!

Recent News...

We can't believe how long it has been since our last post! We've been busy over here.

Some notable events from the past two weeks:

> Nickelback came to Irvine, and the whole All Access crew banded together to check out the show. We took some awesome photos! Note the cool custom drum riser...

>Congratulations to America's Got Talent winner Kevin Skinner! We've been working with the acts this season to ensure that they each have a little extra spice in the form of staging equipment & accessories. Though we know our gear is not the reason that Kevin Skinner emerged victorious, we'd like to think that it helped!

> Jennifer Davies at our New Jersey office just sent us a great picture of a gig in New York for AOL. It's the photo with the beautiful cathedral in the background...

Terranea Resort

Since the opening of Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes this year, we've enjoyed setting up a few stages for the myriad of events at the hotel. For those of you who haven't had a chance to check it out yet, the resort is located at the former site of Marineland, but you'd never know it. It is perched on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean with views that stretch to Catalina. Its sandy beach, numerous restaurants, and tranquil spa make this resort a lovely place to relax.

The photo here shows our trailer stage, which is positioned to overlook the ocean (that's the blue horizon line in the background). What a wonderful place to listen to live music!

If you'd like more information on the resort, visit the website: http://http://www.terranea.com/#





Note to those who have been following the California wildfires: Terranea was dangerously close to the Rancho Palos Verdes fire that burned 235 acres and damaged 6 homes. We're very lucky that the fire was contained so quickly, and we are so thankful for the fire department's tireless work.

All Access Tradeshow Booth at PLASA 09

We've always enjoyed showing our pretty faces at the PLASA trade show for entertainment technology, but this year, we're debuting our new London office with a small booth. Of course, we'll still visit our beloved exhibitors at TMB! However, we're very excited to have the opportunity to introduce All Access' European presence.

We're ramping up for the tradeshow with cool logo promo materials, product spec sheets, etc. If you're heading to Earl's Court from the 13th - 16th of September, come stop by and say hello! Your friendliness might just be rewarded...

Watch out, Europe! Here we come with turntables in-tow.

Epicenter 09' (The Finished Product)

With 35,000 fans, sunny skies, an All Access stage and 12 hours of live music, the Pomona Fairplex truly was the Epicenter of the rock music scene on Saturday, August 25^th. It’s a good thing that the promoter ordered up a bunch of our aluminum barricade because the crowd really rocked out!

The impressive lineup included up & comers Hollywood Undead and Atreyu, underground sensation Atmosphere, and big name acts Wolfmother, Alice in Chains, Linkin Park, and Tool, to name a few highlights. Despite the devastating loss of Alice in Chains front man Layne Staley in 2002, the band seems to have regained its footing and played a notable set. Headlining act tool Tool also had an incredible and somewhat mysterious set during which front man Maynard James Keenan's shadow was all that could be seen of him.

All Access was responsible for creating the gigantic main stage with a large Versa roof and the Monster Energy VIP structure. If you didn't get to check out Epicenter 09' last weekend, don't worry, we got some great photos of the event and our awesome stage.

Up and Comers

Lately at All Access we've been working with some great new bands. One band we've been working with is Mayday Parade, that originated in Tallahassee, Florida in 2005. Their music is a mix between rock, emo, and indie and they have two albums entitled Tales Told by Dead Friends and A Lesson in Romantics. Click here to listen to their songs and find out more.

Another band All Access has been working with recently is Gaslight Anthem. Gaslight Anthem is a punk/indie/alternative rock band that got their start in New Brunswick, New Jersey (oddly enough near our New Jersey offices). Their first album, Sink or Swim, was released in 2007, followed by their second album, The 59' Sound, in 2008. To listen to their music and see when they are playing near you click here.

Epicenter 09'

So, if last weekend's Harvest Crusade was a little bit too much family fun for your taste, this Saturday's Epicenter 09' might be right up your alley. Not only will you get to see great acts such as Tool, Alice and Chains, and Linkin Park, you'll also get to see the lovely staging designed by your friends at All Access. If you need more information to spark up your interest, click here to listen to samples from the full line up and then (because obviously you'll love what you hear) click here to purchase your tickets.

Another Year, An Even Better Success

In 2008, when our company was announced as number 4739 on the list of Inc 5000's fastest growing companies in America, we were both honored and excited. The competition was steep and yet we were still recognized as one of the best. Even with the hard economic times of this year, All Access has managed not only to remain a member of the Inc5000 but to continue to grow. We have made our way up to 4458th on a list whose top company, Northern Capital Insurance, has gone from a 2005 revenue of $476,898 to a 2008 revenue of $95.0 million. We are proud of this accolade are going to continue to work our way up the list. Click here to see Inc 5000's full list for 2009.

Harvest Crusade 2009

Harvest Crusade is an Evangelical outreach that takes place at Angel Stadium. It has been going on for twenty years, and All Access has provided the staging for many years now. It takes place this Friday thru Sunday, August 14th-August 16th and will feature nightly sermons by pastor, Greg Laurie and performances by Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Relient K, Skillet, and the Katinas. Harvest Crusade also has free admission, so if you are looking for a family friendly weekend activity be sure to check it out! Here are some pictures of the staging we did for it last year.

No Doubt 2009!

We're big No Doubt fans here at All Access! We had the privilege of building much of the band's 2009 tour set. Here are a few photos from the band's stint in LA, which were taken by our friend Tony Geria. If you are interested in learning more about No Doubt's futuristic and stylish sets, you should pick a copy of August 2009's Light and Sound America, where creative director, Ray

Woodbury describes his design idea and All Access is mentioned for our role in making his vision a reality. Click here to check out his work.

Moto X SuperMoto Finals Results

X Games 15 proved to be a highly exciting and adrenaline filled event. While All Access's rider Derek Costella did not steal one of the top three spots, he held his own he and came in 8th with a lap time of 1804.80. He finished right before our former All Access rider, Micky Dymond, who had a lap time of 1807.41. Ivan Lazzarini, the winner, is from Italy and finished had a lap time of 1772.71.

Unfortunately, James Stewart was not able to compete in the race due injuries he sustained during Friday's practice. James Stewart is a great competitor and his fellow riders missed his presence at The Moto X SuperMoto Finals. However, with the exception of James Stewart's injury, the race went on without a hitch.

We can't wait until next year's X-Games!! We're sure that Derek will be back next year, and he'll be faster than ever.

Derek Costella at the X-Games

All Access Racing is the proud sponsor of Derek Costella at X-Games 15. The young invitee will be tearing up the track at the Home Depot Center on Saturday, August 1^st, so you’d better buy your tickets and set your TiVo now.

Our rider, Derek Costella, took his first XTRM AMA Supermoto Championship in his hometown of Las Vegas on May 31^st at the South Point Hotel and Casino and is pumped to ride with a talented group of motorcycle legends in this year’s X-Games. The impressive lineup of riders includes our friend and All Access Racing 2005 AMA Supermoto Unlimited champion Micky Dymond, Supercross champion James Stewart, freestyle motocross legend Carey Hart, and motorcycle hall of famer Jeff Ward (to name a few).

If you aren’t familiar with Supermoto or with motorcycle riding, there are a few things that you need to know in order to look cool at the X-Games. Ready?

Moto X Supermoto: A hybrid race where the track is made up of 30% dirt and 70% asphalt.

Moto X Freestyle: An event where a rider has 90 seconds to perform as many cool tricks as possible in the dirt; riders are judged on both quality and quantity.

Moto X Best Whip: An event where the rider performs a jump and whips the bike around flat in the air; the one who pulls it off the best wins.

Moto X Best Trick: An event where the rider is allowed to perform 1 trick; the best trick wins.

Moto X Step Up: A high jump event on a motorcycle; the highest jumper wins.

Moto X Super X: A motocross race in a stadium with an all dirt track; also called Supercross.

Moto X Super Adaptive: A hybrid between the freestyle category and a Super X race; 2 riders per race are judged on speed and style.

Were you paying attention? There will be a test.

Are you ready for that test now? Fill in the blanks for a little pre-X-Games review:

1. Derek Costella is racing in the ______________ category in the X-Games.

2. _____________ is when a rider performs 1 trick and is judged on the quality of that trick.

3. _____________ takes place on a dirt track in a stadium.

4. The category that is like the high jump in track and field is _______________.

5. _____________ takes place on a ½ dirt, ½ asphalt track.

6. The category where the rider has 90 seconds to perform as many tricks as possible is called ________________.

7. You are going to cheer for _______________ to win in the Moto X Supermoto category.

Answer Key: 1) Moto X Supermoto; 2) Moto X Best Trick; 3) Moto X Super X or Supercross; 4) Moto X Step Up; 5) Moto X Supermoto; 6) Moto X Freestyle 7) Derek Costella (of course)

If you got all of the questions right, congratulations! You are ready for X-Games 15. The rest of you should make some flash cards and try again. Go Derek!

The U.S. Open of Surfing

I’m a little jealous that I wasn’t personally involved with the staging setup for this gig! Located on the sand in Huntington Beach, the US Open of Surfing showcases some insane surf talent for legions of adoring fans in bikinis and board shorts. The event spans from July 18th to the 26th, and the weather has been awesome so far.

We’ve set up several different components on the beach, including the Red Bull Energy station, several truss structures, and a 32’ x 60’ performance stage at 5’ high with a truss grid. If you’re in the neighborhood, grab your bike and head to the beach for some fun in the sun!

Every Tour Has a Cable Ramp... But ours is Better

Imagine you’re putting on a show, and you’ve got your beautiful Versa Stage, your aluminum Versacade, your adjustable staircases with matching aluminum handrail, and next to all of that coordinated equipment sits a highlighter yellow cable ramp. That ramp is like a patch of dead grass on a perfectly manicured lawn.“Oooohhhh, shiny…!” was the first phrase I uttered when I saw the new Versa Cable ramp. The days of florescent orange cable ramps ruining the “look” of your show are over, my friends. Constructed of aluminum diamond plate, the ramp matches our other products, both in appearance and roadworthiness.

We chose aluminum as the material for these ramps because of the metal’s inherent durability but manageable weight. The shininess doesn’t hurt either! Like our decking, the cable ramp sections lock together with rotary cam locks, so you know that they are reliable. Basically, it’s everything you would expect out of a cable ramp, but it comes in an infinitely more attractive package. If you need a cable ramp or have a fetish for shiny objects, drop us a line – sales@allaccessinc.com.