My 2022 Show Video

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Hey gang. Happy July 5th to everyone. I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4th. Personally, I'm looking forward to getting back to the office tomorrow. I need the rest!

My show was one for the ages. It took us 5 hours to set up. We finished right as the wind stopped and the sun started baking us. Right around 12:15pm. So, it was nice to get back into the A/C and grab something cold to drink.

At 8pm we went back and uncovered all the boards. It rained as usual, but we didn't lose any effects. After hooking up all the CAT5 cables to the slats we had some continuity issues with mod 2. Cues 13-17 didn't show continuity. Then we had an "err 3" on another mod. We were able to clear that okay.

Right before showtime at 9pm, a firetruck, ambulance, and police car showed up. Half the audience thought I was a real professional for having emergency services standing by, just in case. The other half thought I was going to be arrested and led off in chains. Turns out a neighbor who lives adjacent to my shoot site had some medical emergency. So, they wheeled her off and departed. Right at 9pm I let a little neighbor kid hit the auto fire button and off we went.

This year we had massive fires! Unfortunately, I didn't have the Go-Pro adjusted to see what was happening at ground level. But I lost 4 boards and almost lost 2 Cobra mods. Amazingly enough, even though I had 2 boards fully engulfed, the cakes on those boards still fired on cue! The bad news is, after the show there were a few cakes that fired as people were leaving and we were running around trying to put out the fires. I was scared to death that someone was going to get hurt, but everything went just fine.

So with that in mind, here's my show for 2022! Let me know what you think.


https://youtu.be/Mf16pbwVSWA

[Engineer Cat]

Fantastic as always.

Great song choices. I looked into using YYZ and I just don't have enough cues to do it justice, but you did.

What was that flashing horsetail effect for the paint it black opener? I need to get my hands on those for next year.

LMAOO "do it again"..... "cut me a check" and "great job Papa" so adorable. :D

[Birdman]

Awesome as always! I'll be commenting more when I get back home and get my laptop fixed.

[Mattp]

Finally had time to sit and watch it,,, just awesome Rick , I want to use a Metallica song one year too ,, great use of all the slices, mines, sweeps.. etc,, somewhere around 10min there was a fan cake of swirls tails to breaks,, do you recall what that was?? I lost a rack to fire also,, I usually wait about 15-20 minutes then check everything went off,, put out all fires ,, then leave it until the morning for daylight cleanup ,,, apparently around midnight my brother said my slice rack was up in flames ,,, he put it out ,, but the rack is toast,, lol

[bigmike06]

Great job as always Rick. I liked the Metallica opening song. I want to do Fuel one year when I have the right product mix to do it justice. I will miss your shows if you decide to retire this year. But I understand your reasoning.

Mike

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Fantastic as always.

Great song choices. I looked into using YYZ and I just don't have enough cues to do it justice, but you did.

What was that flashing horsetail effect for the paint it black opener? I need to get my hands on those for next year.

LMAOO "do it again"..... "cut me a check" and "great job Papa" so adorable. :D

Thanks EC. Unfortunately, I didn't get a check. But the kudo's from my 3 year old grandson made my night for sure. He's a great kid.

The horsetail effect is from Spirit of 76. It's GM421 "20s Waterfall Horsetail."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frVBTZoX-T8&t=1s

I had so much more planned in my head for how I wanted to do those songs, but I just couldn't get the effects this year. Very disappointing. But... It didn't rain, No one got hurt. Everyone seemed to love the show. So..... I'll take it.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Awesome as always! I'll be commenting more when I get back home and get my laptop fixed.

Thanks Birdman. Sorry to hear about your laptop. Hopefully it isn't a fireworks casualty.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Finally had time to sit and watch it,,, just awesome Rick , I want to use a Metallica song one year too ,, great use of all the slices, mines, sweeps.. etc,, somewhere around 10min there was a fan cake of swirls tails to breaks,, do you recall what that was?? I lost a rack to fire also,, I usually wait about 15-20 minutes then check everything went off,, put out all fires ,, then leave it until the morning for daylight cleanup ,,, apparently around midnight my brother said my slice rack was up in flames ,,, he put it out ,, but the rack is toast,, lol

Thanks Matt. That Metallica song is perfect for pyro. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the effects I wanted this year. So, it is what it is. As for the fan with swirls... I'll be honest. I have no idea. All of the slices I used this year were leftovers from previous years, and 6 I was able to get from Flapyro on here. I know that slice was one I got from him, and it came from SO76. It was a 5 shot I believe. That's all I know. Sorry.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Great job as always Rick. I liked the Metallica opening song. I want to do Fuel one year when I have the right product mix to do it justice. I will miss your shows if you decide to retire this year. But I understand your reasoning.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I used fuel a number of years ago with all gold and/or flame effects. It was awesome. Fuel is one of those songs that is just perfect for pyro. I probably still have the script so I can give you the products I used if you're interested.

[bigmike06]

Thanks Mike. I used fuel a number of years ago with all gold and/or flame effects. It was awesome. Fuel is one of those songs that is just perfect for pyro. I probably still have the script so I can give you the products I used if you're interested.

Yeah I would be interested in checking it out.

Mike

[Birdman]

Thanks Birdman. Sorry to hear about your laptop. Hopefully it isn't a fireworks casualty.

Not a fireworks casualty...lol. Just a charger that went bad at one of the worst times for me. I prefer to post on the forums and watch videos on my laptop rather than my cell. I hope I can make up for lost time.

I was happy to hear that setup seemed to go as good as can be expected and the show fired the same. You have been such an inspiration and mentor to me. I understand you are just paying it forward, and I hope I can do the same, but I will forever be grateful for the knowledge you have been so willing to share. I sincerely hope this is not the last we've heard, and seen from you!

[Mattp]

Thanks Matt. That Metallica song is perfect for pyro. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the effects I wanted this year. So, it is what it is. As for the fan with swirls... I'll be honest. I have no idea. All of the slices I used this year were leftovers from previous years, and 6 I was able to get from Flapyro on here. I know that slice was one I got from him, and it came from SO76. It was a 5 shot I believe. That's all I know. Sorry.

Hahaha,,, yeah,, after my show and watching the vid,, I have no idea what half of the stuff was,, but while setting it up and scripting I knew what everything was supposed to do and when… LOL

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Yeah I would be interested in checking it out.

Mike

Okay then. I'll see if I can't dig it up. I'll send it to you in a PM.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Not a fireworks casualty...lol. Just a charger that went bad at one of the worst times for me. I prefer to post on the forums and watch videos on my laptop rather than my cell. I hope I can make up for lost time.

I was happy to hear that setup seemed to go as good as can be expected and the show fired the same. You have been such an inspiration and mentor to me. I understand you are just paying it forward, and I hope I can do the same, but I will forever be grateful for the knowledge you have been so willing to share. I sincerely hope this is not the last we've heard, and seen from you!

OMG... You are too kind my friend. Don't get me welling up over here. It breaks my heart that my mind is 25 and my body feels like 95 and I just can't do what I used to be able to do anymore. It is humbling and immensely gratifying to hear that I have been able to help you (and hopefully others) enjoy a hobby that has brought great joy to me and my family for many many years now.

I don't know.... This next year is going to have to be a soul-searching year for me. My wife who used to nudge me to quit spending a ridiculous amount of money on "fireworks" is now telling me I'm not done yet! She said our two grandkids are finally at a point they can really enjoy them, and I need to keep doing it for them! Then she reminds me our oldest daughter is pregnant with triplets. So I have 3 more reasons to keep going. I need to figure out if it's the grandkids or the insurance money she's really looking out for. :confused:

Having said that.... I sincerely thank you for the kind words. It really means a lot. Regardless of what I decide long term, I intend to remain a fixture here and at PGI. So if I'm ever able to help you or any of my pyro brothers and sisters, please don't hesitate to ask. Knowledge is useless if it is not shared. So I would encourage everyone to pay it forward and share your knowledge and experiences. It's what builds relationships and advances the pyro art we all love.

[Jay_]

Finally got back from vaca today and got a chance to sit down and watch.

Another great show Rick! Loved the music and the finale was awesome. Your crowd was on fire!

Also very envious of your quick setup. Mine was not quite as quick this year due to some dumb mistakes on my part.

Looks like you made good use of your M25's :)

[topshelfpyro]

WOW! Great show as always!!

[Birdman]

OMG... You are too kind my friend. Don't get me welling up over here. It breaks my heart that my mind is 25 and my body feels like 95 and I just can't do what I used to be able to do anymore. It is humbling and immensely gratifying to hear that I have been able to help you (and hopefully others) enjoy a hobby that has brought great joy to me and my family for many many years now.

I don't know.... This next year is going to have to be a soul-searching year for me. My wife who used to nudge me to quit spending a ridiculous amount of money on "fireworks" is now telling me I'm not done yet! She said our two grandkids are finally at a point they can really enjoy them, and I need to keep doing it for them! Then she reminds me our oldest daughter is pregnant with triplets. So I have 3 more reasons to keep going. I need to figure out if it's the grandkids or the insurance money she's really looking out for. :confused:

Having said that.... I sincerely thank you for the kind words. It really means a lot. Regardless of what I decide long term, I intend to remain a fixture here and at PGI. So if I'm ever able to help you or any of my pyro brothers and sisters, please don't hesitate to ask. Knowledge is useless if it is not shared. So I would encourage everyone to pay it forward and share your knowledge and experiences. It's what builds relationships and advances the pyro art we all love.

I suspect you have a few years on me but at 49 I already know what you mean by the body not keeping up with the mind. I've been laid up the last 2 days with a bum ankle that I'm sure was aggravated by all the walking standing etc I did over the 4th and then the housework and entertaining I did at home the rest of the week. But if your wife's on board then I say strike while the iron is hot if you think you're up for it!

I should take my own advice too. My wife is currently still in her pyro high phase and is on board with just about any ideas I throw at her for things I'd like to do next year. Money isn't a concern now but in a few months when I start getting serious into scripting and making product lists that will change and she will be encouraging me to tone things down. Maybe that will change this year since she's now officially my only crew member. She didn't do any actual wiring but she kept a printout of my scripted and made sure everything was wired correctly. Between this and being much more engaged in the whole process she gets it now. She said she liked helping and wants to get more involved next year. I can totally trust her attention to detail!

Comforting to hear you plan on sticking around to offer advice, opinions and the occasional bit of humor. Something makes me believe this isn't the last time we get a show video out of Tampa.

[Engineer Cat]

I suspect you have a few years on me but at 49 I already know what you mean by the body not keeping up with the mind. I've been laid up the last 2 days with a bum ankle that I'm sure was aggravated by all the walking standing etc I did over the 4th and then the housework and entertaining I did at home the rest of the week. But if your wife's on board then I say strike while the iron is hot if you think you're up for it!

I should take my own advice too. My wife is currently still in her pyro high phase and is on board with just about any ideas I throw at her for things I'd like to do next year. Money isn't a concern now but in a few months when I start getting serious into scripting and making product lists that will change and she will be encouraging me to tone things down. Maybe that will change this year since she's now officially my only crew member. She didn't do any actual wiring but she kept a printout of my scripted and made sure everything was wired correctly. Between this and being much more engaged in the whole process she gets it now. She said she liked helping and wants to get more involved next year. I can totally trust her attention to detail!

Comforting to hear you plan on sticking around to offer advice, opinions and the occasional bit of humor. Something makes me believe this isn't the last time we get a show video out of Tampa.

I would really like some help with my shows but It's hard to give up control on things that I just don't trust people with. My wife though has been more involved with helping pick music and she has even learned what many of the different effects are just from helping me create the concept videos. This year when I was having an issue with the continuity check on one of the modules, even though she doesn't know much about them, she had me talk through the things I tried to do in hopes something would trigger my brain as to what could be wrong. Even thought there was nothing she could really do about it she was very helpful so I'm thinking maybe I can get her onboard to learn more. She has picked up a lot just from my constant pyro babble.

Kev, I'm always open to driving out and giving you a hand if it doesn't conflict with my setup plans. I know it's difficult for us to help each other out in the last few weeks before the shows cause we are all scrambling but if I'm available I don't mind helping. I'm just not dragging ISH down that cliff to your shoot site. ;)

[Birdman]

I would really like some help with my shows but It's hard to give up control on things that I just don't trust people with. My wife though has been more involved with helping pick music and she has even learned what many of the different effects are just from helping me create the concept videos. This year when I was having an issue with the continuity check on one of the modules, even though she doesn't know much about them, she had me talk through the things I tried to do in hopes something would trigger my brain as to what could be wrong. Even thought there was nothing she could really do about it she was very helpful so I'm thinking maybe I can get her onboard to learn more. She has picked up a lot just from my constant pyro babble.

Kev, I'm always open to driving out and giving you a hand if it doesn't conflict with my setup plans. I know it's difficult for us to help each other out in the last few weeks before the shows cause we are all scrambling but if I'm available I don't mind helping. I'm just not dragging ISH down that cliff to your shoot site. ;)

This years soundtrack was at my wife's choosing so she was much more engaged. You do realize my shoot site is like 6 hrs from you and that's where I do the majority of my prep work? The offer to help is very much appreciated but that would be on heck of a commitment of you. Although I wouldn't be opposed to collaborating on a show somewhere at some point.

Rick, the offer still stands.....If you decide to do a show on most any holiday other than the 4th, I would seriously consider coming down to FL. to help.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Finally got back from vaca today and got a chance to sit down and watch.

Another great show Rick! Loved the music and the finale was awesome. Your crowd was on fire!

Also very envious of your quick setup. Mine was not quite as quick this year due to some dumb mistakes on my part.

Looks like you made good use of your M25's :)

Thanks Jay. Hope you had a great vacation. Mine is coming up in a few weeks when I set out for PGI.

Baking in the Florida sun for 5 hrs isn't what I'd call "quick", but it's much better than some other years when it was 10 or 12 or more hours.

I had 5 leftover M25's that I threw into the finale. I do think they incorporated well actually. I had one group of mortars that for some reason decided it was going to wait until everything else finished, then it would go up. No idea what happened there. All three mortar stations were fused exactly the same way. Oh well...

[Rick_In_Tampa]

WOW! Great show as always!!

Thank you!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I suspect you have a few years on me but at 49 I already know what you mean by the body not keeping up with the mind. I've been laid up the last 2 days with a bum ankle that I'm sure was aggravated by all the walking standing etc I did over the 4th and then the housework and entertaining I did at home the rest of the week. But if your wife's on board then I say strike while the iron is hot if you think you're up for it!

I should take my own advice too. My wife is currently still in her pyro high phase and is on board with just about any ideas I throw at her for things I'd like to do next year. Money isn't a concern now but in a few months when I start getting serious into scripting and making product lists that will change and she will be encouraging me to tone things down. Maybe that will change this year since she's now officially my only crew member. She didn't do any actual wiring but she kept a printout of my scripted and made sure everything was wired correctly. Between this and being much more engaged in the whole process she gets it now. She said she liked helping and wants to get more involved next year. I can totally trust her attention to detail!

Comforting to hear you plan on sticking around to offer advice, opinions and the occasional bit of humor. Something makes me believe this isn't the last time we get a show video out of Tampa.

Ha... I have a decade on you, my friend. Believe me... I feel every day of it. As for my wife... She's on board alright. On board with me continuing to do all the work. She is not into my hobbies at all. None of them. She entertains our friends at the house before the show, while I do my thing in the field setting up, then she meets me at the shoot site with everyone right before showtime. That is the extent of her involvement with my show. Short version is, she's no help. But that's okay! She does her own thing and that's been working fine till now.

I hope you and the wife can enjoy doing it together for many more years. Enjoy it while you can, then enjoy it when someone else is doing it! That's what I plan to do.

[PYRODAN]

Just watched your show. You really hit it out of the park with your music choices! And your Ohio roots are showing! (RIP Michael Stanley!) As Very nice show!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Just watched your show. You really hit it out of the park with your music choices! And your Ohio roots are showing! (RIP Michael Stanley!) As Very nice show!

Lol... Thank you Sir! This year I wanted to do a tribute to my favorite dead musicians. Of course, growing up in Cleveland Michael Stanley was (is!) a legend. I saw him way back in the day and it was a fabulous night I'll never forget. Neil Peart is the best drummer ever, and I'm a HUGE Rush fan. I tossed in Charlie Watts because Neil Peart was once asked if he thinks he can go on playing like Charlie Watts. He said something to the effect, "I hope not. I'd prefer to go on playing like myself for as long as I can."

I had so much more in mind for those songs, but I just couldn't get the effects this year. Such a shame. But it turned out okay anyway.

[PYRODAN]

"This year I wanted to do a tribute to my favorite dead musicians."
Ok, I don't know if that was supposed to be funny, but I laughed my dupa off!!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Just keeping it real as my daughter says. Just keeping it real. :cool:

By the way... Your Pennsylvania roots are showing with "dupa." lol...

[PYRODAN]

Just keeping it real as my daughter says. Just keeping it real. :cool:

By the way... Your Pennsylvania roots are showing with "dupa." lol...

LOL, Poland, not Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Cleveland. I am second generation American on my moms side. On my dads side (also from Poland) we have been here since 1789. Polish was spoke in both my grandparents house. But they did speak English also.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

LOL, Poland, not Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Cleveland. I am second generation American on my moms side. On my dads side (also from Poland) we have been here since 1789. Polish was spoke in both my grandparents house. But they did speak English also.

Ahh... Just feeling the Pa influence then. I heard that word often growing up in Cleveland. As in "I'm going to beat your...".

[PG2159]

Sorry, I take the ticket for Polish and from Pennsylvania. Grandparents spoke it. I know nothing.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Sorry, I take the ticket for Polish and from Pennsylvania. Grandparents spoke it. I know nothing.

That's the beauty of growing up in Cleveland. All kinds of great ethnicities with great ethnic traditions and food. I miss that the most.

[PYRODAN]

Sorry, I take the ticket for Polish and from Pennsylvania. Grandparents spoke it. I know nothing.

Just remember "Prosze daj mi piwo" "Please give me a beer" And "dziekuje" "thanks" That is Polish, but works in most Slavic languages.

[esgrillo]

Rick, not sure how I missed this post....

Great show as always. I liked the 2 ghost slices going off in reverse pattern... Might have to steal that one lol.

Great song choices! Rush... Moving Pictures album, YYZ. Great choice. I am doing Red Barchetta next year!

You had a very enthusiastic female fan by the camera!

Well done my friend. Hope you got some help this year.