Re: [TCML] America's Got Talent

[Joe Mastroianni <joe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I saw Arc Attack at this year's Maker Faire in San Mateo California.  They had a stage dedicated, more or less, to tesla coils.  Arc Attack appeared and then interspersed were talks by a team from UC Santa Cruz who brought a pole pig powered coil whose dimensions I could not determine from a distance.  

The Arc Attack coils, I understand from their on stage banter, are DRSSTCs which were designed by Steve Ward.

The Arc Attack performance is pretty interesting from a live perspective.  The coils are fairly loud - the sound filled a reasonably large hall, unamplified.  And of course the music is somewhat thunderous and compelling.  

The band did not play live on stage, though.  It was a midi playback through various laptops driving synthesizers and a drum banging machine.  I have seen videos where the band actually plays some distance from the coils.   The lead guy in the band (I won't call him a lead singer because he doesn't sing) comes out in a grounded chain mail suit and plays with the arcs in a kind of miming while the music plays.  

My daughter was standing next to me when we saw it, and when it was over she said something that in today's young person language means "real cool".   I think she said it was "sick" or some such.  Actually, "the sickest thing I have ever seen."  

I had to ask her if that meant she hated it or liked it, but she liked it, as she does enjoy my coil as well.   Thanks to Maker Faire my family was introduced to coiling before I started in on doing my own. 

The UCSC presentation was very informative, though a science lecture is somewhat of a different animal than a rock concert.  Though, the UCSC coil was fairly impressive even though it wasn't driven by a synthesizer.  And the talk was very informative.  They also had a guy come out in a grounded suit, but there was less pantomime than a sort of subdued terror.

I personally missed seeing Greg Leyh there.  It was his twin coils two years ago that got my wife interested in coiling, and thus had her thrust me into this sport.  (Yes, the wife asked me to build my first coil.  I was working on other things at the time.)  Now I'm thoroughly hooked.  I don't think the wife expected I'd be taking it this far when she asked me to build her the first coil.

Though I consider myself blessed to have a spouse who not only approves of my coiling, but encourages it.  Makes one believe in the whole idea of "soul mate".

Cheers,
Joe


On Aug 11, 2010, at 8:10 PM, Brandon Hendershot wrote:

> Hi,
> Yeah, I think so. I haven't seen them yet, so I wouldn't really know...  Are they any good? I mean, I'm sure they're good, but do you think they'll get far? Sorry if this is considered slightly off topic.
> Brandon
> 
> On Aug 11, 2010, at 4:16 PM, "Alice" <alice33@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Are you by any chance referring to ArcAttack being on America's got talent?
>> 
>> Becky
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brandon Hendershot" <brandonhendershot@xxxxxxxxx>
>> To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 11:57 PM
>> Subject: [TCML] America's Got Talent
>> 
>> 
>> Hi Guys (and Gals),
>> Does anybody know when those guys will be on? Tonight's "YouTube Night", so I don't think they'll show. I haven't seen them at all, are they good? Anybody else plan on watching that?
>> Brandon_______________________________________________
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