BALTIMORE – Manny Newman has lit hundreds of shows for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong since he hooked up with the road warriors and jam band masters about a decade ago. Like any good LD he has a firm vision of his show in mind when he sets out on a tour, but also like any good LD (especially one who tours a lot!), he also is always ready to adapt his show to fit the characteristics of any venue he encounters.
Such was the case when his client kicked off their 2026 touring season with a show at their hometown Baltimore Sound Stage. Located in the heart of the city’s inner harbor area, the iconic club has a gritty flavor. This led Newman to modify the usual big, psychedelic type of show he conjures up for the band, in favor or a more industrial-tinged one.
“Industrial was not my intention, but sometimes you have to design a rig that just works with the room. If you have not been to Baltimore Soundstage, it’s about a 1000-capacity room with an 11-foot high clearance, and a very visible air duct going across the stage. My idea was to fit as many lights as I can in the small space and keep them visible. The vibe was to get that big pigeon light show in a small room. We actually fit our entire touring rig on that stage.”
Small stage or not, Newman was able to call forth some big and lasting impressions with the colorful (and yes, still psychedelic) looks he created. At times, he split the stage in two, with one color dominating the left side, and another hue on the right. He also used variations in light angles and dark spaces to add different perspectives to the stage.
Key to helping him accomplish this were the 14 CHAUVET Professional fixtures in Pigeon Playing Ping Pong’s traveling floor package — eight Rogue R1X Spots and six Rogue R1 Washes. (The rest of the rig at the venue was supplied by Sonus Productions.)
“I use a lot of side light in my shows. I’m a huge fan of side wash,” said Newman. Downstage wash is important to have, but it can flatten the face, so I always setup side wash. We use our Chauvet R1 Wash as our side wash. They are perfect in terms of size, brightness, and solid color mixing. Side wash adds depth, looks great, and it’s less abrasive to everyone besides the monitor engineers –sorry monitors!”
His Rogue fixtures also helped Newman continuously vary looks during the show with color changes. “I choose colors based on the song to reflect the right mood,” he said. “The band goes in many different directions musically, so my palette of colors is quite diverse during a show.”
Newman positioned his Rogue R1X Spots upstage and mid-stage, using them primarily for highlighting band spots, crowd scanning, and the overall show. The spots were also essential for audience lighting, important to a tour band that thrives on crowd connection.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong haves already moved on to other venues on the 2026 tour and Newman is opening up his show at the larger spaces. Something hasn’t changed; however, his trusty Rogue floor package is still by his side to ensure that every show fits every space like a well-worn glove.
Rogue R1X Spot
