There is a specific kind of magic that happens in the seconds right before a band strikes their first chord. The house lights go down, the crowd holds its breath, and in that brief moment of darkness, the stage becomes a blank canvas.

I’ve been an audio and lighting technician at Livewire since 2017, but my roots in the Fargo-Moorhead live music and event scene go much deeper. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working as an audio engineer and lighting designer with incredible local musical groups like The Forefeathers, Heart and Soul, The Quarterly, and Boots, along with countless high-energy EDM shows. I’ve also had a hand in operating and directing technology for beloved local venues like The Aquarium, Dempsey’s, The Hub, and Sanctuary Events Center. Through all those long days, packed rooms, and late-night load-outs, I discovered a core passion: bringing the music’s energy to light.

What You Feel vs. What You See

In event production, audio is what you feel in your chest, but lighting is what tells your eyes how to interpret that feeling. If a band plays a slow, emotional ballad, flashing bright white strobes completely ruin the moment. Conversely, if an EDM DJ drops a massive, bass-heavy track while the stage sits in a static blue wash, the audience’s energy instantly deflates. Lighting is the visual translation of sound, turning musical rhythm into visual emotion.

Lighting is the visual translation of sound, turning musical rhythm into visual emotion.

Mike Nelson, Audio/Lighting Specialist, Livewire

The Gear Behind the Show

To make that vision a reality, we rely on a massive inventory of top-tier gear. I use our Chauvet intelligent fixtures and moving heads to sweep beams across the crowd during a soaring guitar solo, while Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) and Ayrton fixtures provide crisp, theatrical-grade front-lighting to keep performers clearly visible without washing out the stage.

A band performs on an outdoor stage under string lights in a park at dusk while a crowd watches from the lawn

Matching the Lights to the Moment

Everything is driven by our ChamSys lighting console, which acts as the central brain of the operation. Whether I am pre-programming a structured corporate award show or “busking” live and on-the-fly for a jam band, the console allows me to tap out tempos, trigger intricate color chases, and manipulate the room’s mood in real time:

Low Energy: Deep, saturated magentas and dark blues move slowly to build an intimate, dreamlike atmosphere.

Building Tension: Colors subtly shift, and beam intensity gradually rises to pull the audience directly into the performance.

High Energy: Strobes, vivid color contrasts, and rapid beam movements unleash right at the peak adrenaline moment of the song.

A technician's hands on the faders of a lit lighting console during an event

Whether we are lighting up a corporate gala or a local indie band’s album release show, our team at Livewire brings that same passion to every stage, crafting an environment that brings the music to life for Fargo-Moorhead and beyond.

Livewire by the Numbers

720+ events produced each year
50 states serviced
26 years of experience
900 lights in inventory

From audio and video to staging, lighting, and virtual and hybrid events, Livewire handles production for events of every shape, size and style.

Contact the Livewire team today to start planning your next event!

Mike Nelson is an Audio/Lighting Specialist at Livewire.

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Mike Nelson

Illuminating Sound: How to Match Stage Lighting to the Energy of Live Music