Five Tesla Coils for the Solomun Concert in L.A.

It was another long road trip, this time all the way to Los Angeles to provide Tesla coils for the Solomun concert at Exposition Park near USC. We arrived two days before the show, and the massive stage was already complete. The stage design emulated a power plant with huge smokestacks, and the crown jewel of the monster structure was one of our large Tesla coils.

We started early the following morning, running hundreds of feet of ground, power, and fiber optic cables. This was the farthest run we’d ever made for a show due to the heights of the coil placements and the distance between the stage and front of house.

We had the four smaller Tesla coils assembled and tested before lunch. The large Tesla coil was assembled as well, but we were advised to wait on the Pyrotechnics team to complete their work before we could test it on the ground.

The large coil had to be hoisted nearly 60 feet in the air, fully assembled, to be placed on its perch. This was something we’d not done before, and of course, it was nerve-wracking.

We took a break to grab lunch while the Pyro team finished up. Returning an hour or so later, we were surprised to see the large Tesla coil already hanging from the lift. It was certainly a sight to see, but it was disturbing because we didn’t get to test it on the ground as planned. Of course, this would bite us later.

The toroid of the large Tesla coil was nearly 50 feet off the ground in its final position. It was one of the most difficult parts to get in place.

By evening, all five coils were anchored and ready to test. We started with the four smaller coils, and they worked flawlessly on the first try, but the performance of the coils was affected by the long cable runs. The smaller coils typically produce discharges over 2 meters, but here, they reached only half that.

We had strict orders to prevent the discharges from striking the structure. This required us to point the breakout points upward for all five coils. This provides a spark fountain of sorts, which looks striking but is not nearly as impressive as arcs to ground or grounded objects.

We moved on to test the large Tesla coil, and as I feared, it would not oscillate. By this time, we had the second backup large Tesla coil assembled on the ground. We used it to troubleshoot, and after more trips up and down the lift than I could count, all five coils were working well by around 10 PM.

The day of the show, we arrived early to participate in safety meetings and planning sessions to coordinate with production and the Pyro teams. Thankfully, we didn’t have complicated timing expectations, as many jobs require. The production team wanted lots of discharges on their cues.

Before dusk, we tested all five coils one last time. Everything worked well, and we were ready. After meeting with the Fire Marshal and reviewing safety procedures, I headed to front of house to man the controller while other staff remained on stage to monitor the equipment.

The anticipation until showtime was intense, but the wait from then until the first command to fire the coils was brutal. Would everything work? Would everyone be impressed? Would the clients get what they expected?

The show started with a couple of opening acts as dusk approached. By the time it was dark, Solomun took the stage and started with a bang, firing twenty-foot flames from pyro devices positioned behind the large Tesla coil. It was an epic sight alone, without even firing the coils yet. There were also generous amounts of lasers and projections onto the structure—definitely one of the coolest stages I’d ever seen.

After Solomun had rocked the house for about four or five songs, I got the word to get ready. The coils were armed, and the controller was ready. I could see the tiny green LEDs on each coil from front of house, showing me everything was set. Then the moment came! The director of production gave the signal, and I hit the button!

It was glorious! The crowd went wild. People were pointing and gasping, and there was an audible “woah” sound. Many people thought the coils were just aesthetics for the stage. They were shocked to see lightning shooting up out of the five toroids, especially the crown in the center.

I knew we’d made it when the song ended, and the directors lined up to give me fist bumps! Everyone was ecstatic.

From then on, we fired the coils typically on crescendos for various songs until the director said, “Fire at will!” We then began pulsing the coils to the beat and holding them on for crescendos. I continued to get thumbs up from the directors, and by this time, I’d calmed down enough to enjoy the music, the vibe, and myself.

I estimate we ran the coils for seven or eight songs total before one of the directors told us we could wrap. Solomun finished the show, and we got to relax for a while. It was awesome!

Then came the hardest part of the job: getting that big beast down in the dark. We made it out of there before daybreak, but just barely.

The job was both a ton of work and a ton of fun! I’m happy to say we successfully completed our largest and most difficult job yet, and we did it safely, on time, and on budget!

I sincerely appreciate Solomun and the folks at Framework for trusting Tesla Universe and giving us this great opportunity!

Spark on!

Cameron