Movin’ & Groovin’ with ADJ

ADJ users may be all too familiar with packing our portable but effective products into the back of their trucks, but you’d be hard pushed to find many who perform inside them… But, after combining ADJ lighting with one truly inspirational idea, Mobile Groovin Bus does just that!

There is no doubt that ADJ products have been used across the globe in an assortment of situations, from small family parties to huge multi-faceted events; from the familiar and formal, to the weird, wacky and wonderful! This is down to the versatility offered by our products and the practical features they include, which equips them for a range of situations and helps make setup a hassle-free affair.

Even by ADJ standards, the concept brought to life by ‘Mobile Groovin Bus’ is a strange one – but it works! Just imagine three 1967 VW campervans, each fitted out with powerful sound systems and atmosphere-enhancing ADJ lightshows… that’s what DJ Pat – the man behind Mobile Groovin Bus – provides for his customers, making for one of the most unique mobile entertainment solutions around and some of the most innovative use of ADJ products we’ve seen yet!

“I’ve been a DJ for 20 years now and I’m always looking to do fun new things,” explains Pat, who is also a qualified MC, former voice-over actor, and auctioneer. “I saw pictures of people that had converted a trailer to use for outdoor events here in San Diego, and though the idea was interesting to me, there wasn’t anything cool about a rolling trailer! I did think about doing it out of my truck somehow, but – again – what is cool about a Nissan Pathfinder?! So, I started to think about using a classic car of some kind and that’s what got me started.”

It didn’t take that inspiration long to manifest itself into something more, and Pat’s plan really started to gain momentum when he decided on using VW buses from 1967 – popular for their vintage looks, and associated with music, traveling and the bohemian culture synonymous with California.

“I wanted the vehicle to be something that SCREAMED California. I started looking around but I realized that the profiles on the old-school 1940s beach cruisers are fairly low, so performing on a console out of the back would be impractical,” Pat says. “One day I was doing a site walk-through at a property I was performing at in Huntington Beach, California and while I was at a stop light I saw it – a greenish and primed grey Volkswagen bus. I said to myself: THAT’S IT!”

Once he’d acquired a few more VW campers, Pat toyed with naming the company ‘West Coast Movin’ Music’ but decided it was too long. He then came up with ‘Mobile Movin’ Bus’ and when a friend suggested swapping the word ‘movin’ for ‘groovin’ the Mobile Groovin Bus was born! Then followed the task of giving each vehicle its own unique personality, something Pat achieved by naming them. So far, the fleet consists of Sydney (blue), Filmoure (green) and Kaitlyn (red), each fitted with the license plate ‘gruvin1’, ‘gruvin2’ and ‘gruvin3’, respectively.

As a part of his Mobile Groovin Bus service, Pat acts as DJ, supplies the lighting and even offers a photo booth service – all from inside one of his brilliantly quirky buses! This all-in-one package – as well as the appeal of having a vintage VW campervan as the entertainment for your event – makes Mobile Groovin Bus perfect for weddings, parties, corporate functions and outdoor events, such as fundraisers, fun-days, company picnics and festivals – not to forget beach parties! Of course, Pat has to make sure his lightshow is on a par with the visual impact provided by the bus itself, which is why he turned to ADJ to supply him with an expansive range of bars, pars and moving effects.

“For the inside lighting I used ADJ Mega Go Flood Bars, for a cool nighttime application. For the outside I used Ultra Go Par7Xs and the Monster Fun lights, which are perfect for dancing crowds,” Pat tells us. “In each bus I also have an American Audio VMS4.1 [MIDI controller] and I use American Audio UNI LTS laptop stands too.”

The 54 powerful tri-color SMD LEDs found in each of the Mega Go Flood Par HO allow Pat to fill the inside of the vehicle with luscious washes of vibrant smoothly-mixed color, which can be matched to – or contrasted with – the color of the bus he is performing in using 35 built-in color macros. With a wide 120 -degree beam angle, these battery-powered linear bars immerse the interior with potent colored lighting, while the included scissor yoke lets Pat hang the fixtures or set them on the floor of the bus.

Meanwhile, boasting an impactful light source of 25 1W colored LEDs and 72 white strobe LEDs, the Monster Fun was another wise addition to Pat’s setup. Its fast-moving two-in-one effects allow him to generate pure lighting excitement for his audiences by bringing an energetic mix of colored moonflower effects and intense strobing to the dance-floor. Also, the fixture’s low weight (10 lbs.) and compactness made it easy to mount on the VWs. Using Sound Active mode, Pat can trigger these effects as soon as the music starts, turning the VW bus into a flashing party pad into which guests can climb to have their photo taken in the booth.

Flexible and convenient due to its rechargeable battery, the Ultra Go Par7X was another great call by Pat. Without the restrictions of wires, he can mount the fixtures wherever he needs them to be, with their 3W tri-color LEDs capable of generating far-reaching washes that cast the dance-floor in rich, smoothly mixed color to provide a unique atmosphere for guests. Of course, with strobe and pulse effects at hand too, when the guests get groovy Pat can quickly take the party up a gear!

Innovative, wholly unique projects like Pat’s Mobile Groovin Bus are what ADJ lighting is all about, and it was a pleasure to have helped him succeed in bringing it to fruition. Fitting a stunning lightshow, a sound system, a photo booth and a DJ into one VW bus is no mean feat, but with our compact, highly effective lighting solutions at hand, Pat was able to do just that; supplying his customers with a movin’ and groovin’ lightshow that will generate pure lighting excitement and a crowd-pleasing party atmosphere, wherever the road takes it!

To learn more about Mobile Groovin Bus and connect with Pat online, please check out the following links:

Website: www.mobilegroovinbus.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mobilegroovinbus

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BusGroovin

Instagram: www.instagram.com/mobilegroovinbus/

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mgroovinbus/

Gear List:
ADJ Mega Go Flood Par HO
ADJ Ultra Par7X
ADJ Monster Fun
American Audio UNI LTS (laptop stand)
American Audio VMS4.1 (MIDI controller)
American Audio VMS4 Flip Case
Accu-Cable

For additional questions, please e-mail: marketing@americandj.com

For more information Contact ADJ:
U.S. Office - Tel: 800-322-6337/+1-323-582-2650 • Web: www.adj.com