This is an actively updated page.   Last update occurred on 03/19/08 12:20 PM

The 90's

The 90's was a decade of change.  A decade that defined the direction of the company.  It was a transitional 10 years we started as a fledgling wanna-be audio company and exited as a full service professional production company.  We struggled, we persevered, we prayed, and we loved every minute if it.

TIMELINE 1989-1990

The Barren Cross era.  Paul mixes front of house for Barren Cross on the Atomic Arena & State of Control tours.  Through the late 80's and early 90's Paul is FOH for two of the three largest Christian Metal bands of the era.  Second only to Stryper, both Barren Cross & Bloodgood with the help of West Coast Sound & Light set the bar for professional touring in the Christian music industry.  An onslaught of bands follow in these two giants footsteps, but by the end of the decade, none will equal the magnitude of these early tours that served to shape not only this company, but literally all of hard Christian music.
At the beginning of the State of Control tour, WCSL purchases it's first truss lighting system and the companies name officially changes from West Coast Sound to West Coast Sound & Light.

During the early U.S. Barren Cross tours, our truck at the time was known as "The Big Orange Dog". 

At the closing of this era in the companies history Paul wrights the book "Rubber Meets The Road" documenting the Bloodgood/Barren Cross years and is published by HM Press in Texas. The book will later be re-released as an audio book on CD-ROM.

Photo below is Paul in 1989.
 

Rachel Rachel 1990

TIMELINE 1991

Our sixth console comes online. A 32ch. STS. It did many a fair and was later sold to Sound Visual Products, and is still in use by them today.

TIMELINE 1992-1993

In the 80's WCSL was the king of Christian Metal.  In the early 90s the musical trends fell towards Country music.  Although we still did a lot of rock acts, throughout the early 90's we worked with some of the biggest names in country.

Jellyfish 1993

Bloodgood 1993

Flotsam & Jetsam 1993

TIMELINE 1994-1995

In 1995 Paul buys out Chris and embarks on a new era of sole proprietorship.  The Doty's and the Gray's maintain a strong friendship to this day.

Chris opens his own highly successful business "Grayline" and settles into civilian life.  The Gray's soon add two more children to their family bringing the total to four.

WCSL FOH circa 1995.  Our 7th console, an Allen & Heath 40ch. GL4.  White EQ's, dbx 160's (The last years of analog loudspeaker control)

TIMELINE 1995-1996

The quality of shows continue to grow as the quality and amount of equipment continues to increase.

TIMELINE 1996

In 1996 WCSL shows up twice in one year on MTV.  The WCSL lighting rig is seen in No Doubt's live video, and later in the year our full sound and light rig can be seen in McDonalds "Big Mac Arena" commercial.

TIMELINE 1997

1997 marks the beginning of WCSL's involvement in NHRA drag racing when Paul goes to Sonoma for the first time to run audio for field cameras at the Autolight Nationals.  The companies involvement has been a steady one with ESPN through Diamond P Sports through the end of the decade.

TIMELINE 1998

Anticipating a strong future for an emerging technology called the internet, WCSL launches wcsl.org in February.  The site boasts six pages and draws an average of 4 hits per week.  By 2000 the site is frequented by an average 100 visitors a day and is 75 megs in size  By it's 10 year anniversary in 2008 the site approaches a gig.  To this day many people are taken back with the fact that we've been on the net long enough to own a four letter URL.

WCSL becomes the first sound company to go back to Altamont Speedway after the fateful Rolling Stones show of 1969.  When we threw the switch on the generator and the McCauley Stage Array sound rig came to life, projecting live music onto the Altamont hills for the first time in almost 30 years, we had a sense of  being part of music history.  It was an honor.

Equipment upgrades from 1995 to 1998.  WCSL replaces "The Big Orange Dog" with a 24' GMC diesel rig.  The company begins a growth trend that would include a new large format 40 channel console, and a new then state of the art McCauley Stage Array PA and new high end monitors.

September 1998, WCSL adds a 16 box McCauley Stage Array system and 60 more feet of truss to it's inventory, effectively doubling the size of the company.  West Coast Sound & Light provides 2 full size main stage sound systems and staff for the first time at any event at the 1998 Pasta Festival.

What a year 1998 was for WCSL!  We had the privilege to work with some of the biggest names in music, politics and sports.  Pictured above: Willie Nelson, The late Steve Allen, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Glen Campbell, 13 time NHRA Funnycar champion John Force (posing with WCSL owner Paul Doty), & Travis Tritt.

TIMELINE 1999

If the 80's were about metal, and the early 90's were about country, the late 90's and beginning of the new millennium is about Jazz.  WCSL has established itself as California's premier Smooth Jazz sound company catering to the biggest names in Jazz.  Paul is routinely found behind the console mixing sound for the likes of Slim Man, Steve Reid, Native Vibe, and a list of the who's who in Jazz.

Left: WCSL owner Paul Doty, Right: McCauley owner & designer Tom McCauley

WCSL provides sound for 9000 people at CSUS. Two of the days featured Bill Cosby.

In 1999 WCSL launches it's own line of speakers.  WCSL monitors become a huge hit with bands and churches.  WCSL begins to build it's own arsenal to the delight of many happy musicians and promoters.  By the new millennium the number of WCSL products built and sold number in the hundreds.

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