Tarik Smith and Chauvet Professional Transform City Tavern Club

History runs deep at the City Tavern Club. Built in 1786, the venerable Federalist structure (one of the last such taverns in the US capital) counted George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson as regulars. Today, the iconic venue hosts a variety of upscale events, and although it provides an evocative setting, power limitations in the 233-year old building can present challenges for anyone looking to light these affairs.

At a recent, corporate showcase at the historic building, Tarik Smith of Atmosphere, Inc. met these challenges and transformed its interior with elegant uplighting created by wireless, battery-powered WELL Fit fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

"As with any historic venue, the biggest issue is power, so I had to pay a lot of attention to the design," says Smith. "The limited power draw at the club meant we had to go wireless, but I still needed even, colorful light that would create an immersive, welcoming atmosphere."

Smith tapped 60 WELL Fit fixtures to illuminate the main hall and upstairs lounge area. The compact dimensions of the WELL Fit units allowed them to blend easily into the background, while their four RGBA LED's offered a wide palette of rich colors to deliver a bright, even uplight wash to the walls and architectural columns.

"For the Main Hall, I really wanted to create an entirely different look for the room," says Smith. "The WELL Fits helped transform the space, to the point that even the house staff was impressed with how different it looked. I also used a few WELL Fits to lead guests to the restroom and to the upstairs lounge area. The wireless connection of the fixtures held strong, even going around corners."

During set-up the day of the event, a last-minute curve was thrown Smith's way when the client made a surprise request for pin spotting on the champagne table. Smith, however, wasn't fazed. Jumping on his motorcycle, he raced to Atmosphere Inc.'s warehouse to retrieve six Chauvet DJ EZ-Pin IRC fixtures. Because of their compact size, the fixtures fit easily into his motorcycle bag for a fast return to the City Tavern.

The hail Mary addition of the EZ-Pins "made things exciting," Smith recalls. And his resourceful quick thinking was something that the City Tavern's first generation of customers would have undoubtedly appreciated.