Jimmy Buffett makes unplanned appearance, backed by world’s largest mobile HD LED

GULF SHORES, AL (July 15, 2010) – Sometimes, you just have to be creative. When tropical storm Alex forced the postponement of a Gulf Shores charity concert to benefit victims of the BP oil spill, LuLu’s at Homeport Marina was left without an act to entertain the large crowds expected on June 30 and July 1.

Fortunately, when your name is Lucy Buffett, you’ve got an ace up your sleeve. Lucy convinced her brother, Jimmy Buffett, to make an impromptu, surprise appearance with his Coral Reefer Band at her harbor-side restaurant and bar on June 30.

But this was no lazy day in Margaritaville. Special accommodations for staging, video, sound and other logistics had to be made at the last minute to enable the legendary performer to do what he does best.

It helps that a resourceful company like BSUN Media was on the job, and willing to jump through hoops to help pull off an event that, thanks to frenzied alerts on Twitter and other social media, soon drew thousands to LuLu’s.

GoBigger on barge at Buffet Concert

The third key ingredient was “GoBigger”: the world’s largest mobile high-definition LED screen. The massive 19′ x 33′ unit, featuring Daktronics HD-16 LED video technology, was provided by GoVision (www.jumbo.tv), one of the nation’s premier suppliers of turnkey mobile LED units and customized modular LED walls. GoVision’s technicians worked with BSUN Media to float the 53′ trailer-mounted unit on a barge just off the dock – another impressive feat of ingenuity – and integrated the screen into LuLu’s audio and video systems.

“It all came together smoothly thanks to an outstanding group effort,” said Brad Sundberg, owner of BSUN Media Systems (www.bsunmedia.com). “LuLu’s staff, the Buffett crew and the BSUN team worked together to pull this show off virtually overnight, and GoVision’s flexibility and technical support were huge contributors to our success.”

“You might think we bent over backwards on this event because it was a Jimmy Buffett show,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of Argyle, TX-based GoVision. “But the truth is, we didn’t know who was performing until the eleventh hour. We’ve made a name for ourselves over the years as client-service specialists, and I think we earned a couple more gold stars on this job.”

The charity concert, Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live From the Gulf Coast, finally went off on July 11 a mile down the road, and was simulcast back to LuLu’s on another giant screen. Since GoBigger was already booked, GoVision sent the next-best-thing: its 9′ x 16′ “GoBig” unit. The show, carried live on the CMT network and CMT.com, featured a Parrothead’s delight of greatest hits, along with guest performances by singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester and New
Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint.

“As I said in my newsletter,” said Sundberg following the event, “if we at BSUN Media Systems can float a 33′ HDTV on a barge and have it online in seven days for a secret Jimmy Buffett concert, is there really anyone else you should consider calling if you need a 50″ plasma installed in your family room?’”