New Year, New Designs
On New Years Eve, the three titans of the Denver underground came together to deliver an intensely powerful and unforgettable celebration. No Expectations, Novation, and The Syndicate collaborated to create a two-stage event that included an immersive floor-to-ceiling lighting rig at the No Expectations mainstage, which Third Rail was able to provide. The freeing dark and intimate experience of a No Expectations show was something we wanted to preserve here so we had to decide how to go big and flashy for New Years while keeping it purposeful and on-brand. A design that we immediately wanted to pursue was to have the letters "NYE" spelled out right in the center of view above the stage. The ability to get this level of control and capability without video wall is a huge reason why we have our fleet of Ayrton MagicPanel-R fixtures. With the individual pixel control and the ability to rotate infinitely, we used these to keep energy flowing and looks fresh. This was also the debut of our original design, the Eyes of Sauron, made of 4 Chauvet Colorstrips and a single ADJ Jolt Bar each. A bold simplistic diamond shape with an “iris” running down the center to give the effect of looming eyes. This design works exceptionally well with the pair of WW2s behind the DJ, giving a great silhouette and making for a moody and iconic look.
“We've found that people really love having something personalized and iconic like that. Seeing your name on a rig that size is pretty cool, and it keeps things intimate by avoiding video wall. We never do the same rig twice, and details like that and the Sauron Eyes are just a couple examples of special looks that we'll bring out for each show.” - Nate Olson
One of the more rewarding factors of warehouse shows are the unique rigs that we can build and tailor to each space. With every new venue is a wave of ideas that can only be executed right there, so every show feels molded to the space. Especially working with teams like No Expectations, they give us a chance to create something special every time.
“What I really like about No Expectations is that they don't throw together a party every week, they curate an event and let anticipation build while the team behind the show works to make it unique and tailor to the venue, culture, and music. That's something I really love to be a part of every time and also what we went for here, trying to make the production look like it belongs in the space." - Nate Olson
With a unique space like this comes unique production, but it also comes with its difficulties. Old buildings like these don’t generally come with an easy load in or much power, if any, and this load in was one of the toughest yet. After getting on site we see that the only way to load in is through a hole halfway up the wall. Luckily the underground is about a bit more than just the music and dancing, it’s also about the community. The No Expectations, Syndicate, and Novation crews all stepped up to help us make the show happen. These acts of care and dedication to the scene are why the underground community of Denver stays strong and remains unstoppable. Low ceilings? Massive truss structures? We have to drop down the chimney? No problem, Third Rail adapts.
“Loading in through an insane hole in the wall 6 feet off the ground was definitely not exciting, but it showed me how real these crews were. They barely knew us at the time and dropped everything to make it happen. Easily one of the most fun shows I've been a part of even through the hardships and I'm glad to have made friends of these guys along the way. Denver's underground really shows out to make these shows happen and the best thing about this community is that the bigger the challenges we face, the greater the sense of community and reward.” - Henry Olson
The juxtaposition of a professional lighting and audio rig with the rugged textures of an old slaughterhouse is a great avenue for artistic expression, combining industrial ambiance with new age sounds and visuals. Koja Sound brought out their system as well, leaving people shocked after walking through dark hallways to find paraflex audio and a lighting rig stretched to the ceiling. It's really a dream to make a feeling of awe like that come together in such a unique and intimate space.
“Such a celebration of what's to come not just for the new year but for us as a collective as well. Whatever your experience this year, troubled and challenging or full of new growth, we all made it to 2026 and that in itself should be a point of pride worthy of celebration” - Henry Olson
A massive thank you to Awkey, and to the NoExpectations, Novation, and Syndicate crews for getting their hands dirty with us!
Check out our super cool cut of the event with all the best moments!