When do you say enough is enough for YOUR backyard show?

[topshelfpyro]

so, I haven't done a pyromusical since 2022.....I did a small little 250 cue show(mostly cakes and 62's) to get rid of product last year with no music and all the regulars said it was great! LOL !! This year I'm doing a pyromusical again and I finished with run time of 19:28:00 1141 cues + some DMX flames (I really like single shots). I believe the music dictates the pyro and I really like instrumentals. I think if I started over I could save alot just shooting mostly cakes instead of all the singles but to ME that's not really a pyromusical it's shooting fireworks while music plays.

How do YOU limit yourself (assuming you have the equipment already and you can figure out how to pay for the pyro) to "less"? Do you set a hard budget and not go over no matter what, do you limit yourself in some other way? Do you do F' it "send it" kinda like me? I'm really not complaining just getting others opinion since the audience doesn't seem to care, know or understand the true effort, time, and $$ that is put into these kind of things. I do know, at least in my case, it's as much for me as it is for others.......but dam. FYI I don't have to deal with a wife. LOL

My shoot site is about 100' wide of open air above if that matters

[KDirk]

My shows (not really pyro musicals by definition) are constrained by budget (typically no more than. $3K of product at wholesale) and hardware/equipment (I've 262 cues via Cobra, and as many custom built racks as I can reasonably store now). Given economic realities (I have no wife looking over my shoulder, but do have other bills to pay) I don't see my shoots getting any bigger in the foreseeable future. I'm also limited somewhat by the shoot site, which is adequate for the scope I've put on, but doesn't leave me much leeway to go bigger.

So, I'll try new products, but the total year to year spend will not increase in all likelihood. This year is "up in the air" anyway, since I do a show strictly for a family get together on the 4th, and more than half of those who'd normally attend won't be around this year. That has caused me to kind of say "screw it" since I don't feel like spending the money and effort putting it on for a substantially reduced audience.

I have enough product on hand still to do a show of reduced scale and duration, but right now I'm just not feeling it. Present thinking is that I'll come back bigger next year for the semiquincentennial, which may also give me time to add some more firing modules for added cues, but I'm not even sure I'll buy more modules yet. May just stick to what I've already invested in. If I buy anything additional, I'd really like to get some thunder pots or signal cannons to add some louder reports.

[topshelfpyro]

KDirk - I feel you on the economic realities. I have accumulated all my equipment over the last 8ish years. I have 1296 FireTEK cues, 32 craigco racks, 720 mortar tubes and racks, a PA system etc, etc. Equipment wise i feel I have plenty now. There are things I would like to have like moving head flammers but they are not within reach cost wise.

I think your budget is great! Do you feel more constrained by the budget or the equipment? Time?

Thunder pots! I have 3 but never incorporated them. I have had some success matching the time time Fuse of a boom can and hanging it on a stake.

[KDirk]

Topshelfpyro-

my major constraint is time. I'm a self employed plumber, and work a lot of hours. I get minimal assistance with prep and setup, so 99% of the effort falls directly on me if the show is going to go on. Equipment wise, I'd like more discrete cues; 262 is a decent amount, when used in conjunction with chain fusing, but really I'd like the ability to have discrete control over more firing points. Budget wise, $3K annually has pretty well been the limit that I can blow on product - and make no mistake, that's a lot, as I always have a decent amount left over every year since I started buying that much 4 years ago. Really, I could probably get by with about $2000-2200, but I kind of prefer to bank some year to year in case my budget gets hit for some reason, that way I still have something to shoot if I can't do a big buy in the run up to Independence Day.

This year I was a little lean on extra cash to burn, so I only picked up about $1000 worth back in early April. Since I may not be doing a show this year after all, it'll all be held (including last year's surplus) for use next year unless there is a last minute change in plans. If that happens, I'll throw a show together but will probably not be up to previous standards. I'd posted about it previously, but several of the people who normally would be present for my big show decided to make other plans (out of town vacation) for the week of July 4th this year. It was a poke in the eye (even if it wasn't intended that way) since the BBQ and big show had become an annual tradition for several years running now.

Since I'm still kind of pissed about that whole turn of events, and don't feel like shooting a show for just the handful of people who might still show up (only because the time and money involved is harder to justify with a much lower turnout), I figure this year will be a non-event now. Maybe I'll do a few things for my own entertainment, but it won't be the normal full scale production. That also gives me an opportunity to go even bigger next year, since I'll undoubtedly buy more product, and if I can swing another firing module.and maybe a few other upgrades, it should make for one heck of a show in 2026, well beyond my previous efforts.

[displayfireworks1]

You guys bring back a memory for me. This had to be over 10 years or so ago. I was at a pyro event, this man recognized me and we started talking. He purchased my ATF/DVD package and obtained his ATF license. He and his friend that was also with him told me he purchases 1.3 fireworks and shoots them for fun on his family property. I ask him “Do you mind telling how much you spend”? He responded “17 thousand dollars” Since I figured he had some disposable income, later in our conversation he told me his family builds skyscrapers. He told me what state he was from but I’ll keep that part private. I forgot to remind one of my advertisers I found that ATF licensed customer for him. LOL
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On a side note, there are fireworks enthusiast spending large amounts of money on this hobby. But then again if you check out my latest video New Years Eve display in my backyard. I made the whole neighborhood cheer with a modest number of 200-gram products on a firing system. It’s all relative. I just hate when I hear fireworks enthusiast get too frustrated with the cost and not purchase or shoot anything. Then they want to sell their firing systems etc. I suggest to either have smaller displays but make them more intense and/or try to find a way to help fund the displays from those that would normally be in attendance. Solicit the funding in the days leading up to the display. There are various ways to do that.
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[topshelfpyro]

Topshelfpyro-

my major constraint is time. I'm a self employed plumber, and work a lot of hours. I get minimal assistance with prep and setup, so 99% of the effort falls directly on me if the show is going to go on. Equipment wise, I'd like more discrete cues; 262 is a decent amount, when used in conjunction with chain fusing, but really I'd like the ability to have discrete control over more firing points. Budget wise, $3K annually has pretty well been the limit that I can blow on product - and make no mistake, that's a lot, as I always have a decent amount left over every year since I started buying that much 4 years ago. Really, I could probably get by with about $2000-2200, but I kind of prefer to bank some year to year in case my budget gets hit for some reason, that way I still have something to shoot if I can't do a big buy in the run up to Independence Day.

This year I was a little lean on extra cash to burn, so I only picked up about $1000 worth back in early April. Since I may not be doing a show this year after all, it'll all be held (including last year's surplus) for use next year unless there is a last minute change in plans. If that happens, I'll throw a show together but will probably not be up to previous standards. I'd posted about it previously, but several of the people who normally would be present for my big show decided to make other plans (out of town vacation) for the week of July 4th this year. It was a poke in the eye (even if it wasn't intended that way) since the BBQ and big show had become an annual tradition for several years running now.

Since I'm still kind of pissed about that whole turn of events, and don't feel like shooting a show for just the handful of people who might still show up (only because the time and money involved is harder to justify with a much lower turnout), I figure this year will be a non-event now. Maybe I'll do a few things for my own entertainment, but it won't be the normal full scale production. That also gives me an opportunity to go even bigger next year, since I'll undoubtedly buy more product, and if I can swing another firing module.and maybe a few other upgrades, it should make for one heck of a show in 2026, well beyond my previous efforts.

Time- it's always a problem. I've learned to figure 2x-3x whatever I "think" it will take. I'm prepping fireworks now for the 4th on my days off work. Like you i'm mostly by myself. I'm fortunate that I have space to do this on my friends property. I have over bought every year for years. I now have a container for fireworks on my friends property which I never thought would happen. Yea, I got annoyed in 2022 over some things and did nothing in 2023.

you can almost never have to many cues! After my first pyromusical I advocate 1 cue 1 item and bought mods every year till I had what I now have. So much better than serial wiring. I still chain fuse cans sometimes for sky puke.

Do you post your shows here? I like watching what others do

[topshelfpyro]

You guys bring back a memory for me. This had to be over 10 years or so ago. I was at a pyro event, this man recognized me and we started talking. He purchased my ATF/DVD package and obtained his ATF license. He and his friend that was also with him told me he purchases 1.3 fireworks and shoots them for fun on his family property. I ask him “Do you mind telling how much you spend”? He responded “17 thousand dollars” Since I figured he had some disposable income, later in our conversation he told me his family builds skyscrapers. He told me what state he was from but I’ll keep that part private. I forgot to remind one of my advertisers I found that ATF licensed customer for him. LOL
.
On a side note, there are fireworks enthusiast spending large amounts of money on this hobby. But then again if you check out my latest video New Years Eve display in my backyard. I made the whole neighborhood cheer with a modest number of 200-gram products on a firing system. It’s all relative. I just hate when I hear fireworks enthusiast get too frustrated with the cost and not purchase or shoot anything. Then they want to sell their firing systems etc. I suggest to either have smaller displays but make them more intense and/or try to find a way to help fund the displays from those that would normally be in attendance. Solicit the funding in the days leading up to the display. There are various ways to do that.
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$17,000 LMAO thats pretty funny for a "backyard"

I agree Dave most spectators are quite happy with whatever for a backyard show. We are the ones that take that to the extreme. As long as I have a place to shoot i'm going to shoot something. Every hobby I've ever had was expensive, I'm the one that made this hobby expensive, equipment wise, but now i'm thankfully down to just buying fireworks every year. I just need to constrain myself a little better hence why I asked the question on how others constrain themselves.

[Salutecake]

So after I read Dave's post, It struck me, Do we do this for ouselves or for an audience? As a hobbyist I like to think I do it for some type of self satisfaction, but on the other hand it is nice to hear the audience cheer.

[BMoore]

My biggest constraint has always been time. Budget is a close second, but I'm truly maxed out on what I have the time to do. I have never attempted a true pyromusical and it amazes me at what a lot of backyard guys are able to pull off. My show is more of fireworks with music in the background. I try to do some rudimentary theming with the soundtrack based on what is happening in the sky, but I don't think anyone really picks up on what I'm going for besides me. That is where my talent is limited. People who put together true pyromusicals are artists plain and simple.

I've come to the realization that no matter what we do, it's really going to blow the crowd away, especially for any newcomers. When people hear backyard fireworks show they are thinking about an assortment from the purple ghost and a couple guys with cigarette lighters. When they see something that is on par or better than the public displays, it's unlike anything most of them ever realized was possible.

My advice is to figure out what you are capable of and enjoy and do THAT very well and to the best of your ability and don't worry too much about things you've seen other people do. Sure, you should experiment and raise the bar but don't kill yourself (literally and figuratively) trying to do it. We are our own worst critics and most guys who burn themselves out do so because they can't get out of their own heads.

[topshelfpyro]

So after I read Dave's post, It struck me, Do we do this for ouselves or for an audience? As a hobbyist I like to think I do it for some type of self satisfaction, but on the other hand it is nice to hear the audience cheer.

YES! When the audience cheers all the effort seems to be worth it at that time. I have come to realize that there is only 2-3 people that will even notice mistakes or whatever when the show is in the air so let it go.

[topshelfpyro]

I've come to the realization that no matter what we do, it's really going to blow the crowd away, especially for any newcomers. When people hear backyard fireworks show they are thinking about an assortment from the purple ghost and a couple guys with cigarette lighters. When they see something that is on par or better than the public displays, it's unlike anything most of them ever realized was possible. LOL! 100% When I asked my friends if I could do a fireworks show in their yard (I live in a subdivision) and they agreed, they didn't truly understand till I rolled in with a 26' Uhaul.......That was the first pyromusical try and it wasn't great but learned a ton (mostly everything takes 3x longer than you think. 2 years later and 200 people showed up for the "backyard"

My advice is to figure out what you are capable of and enjoy and do THAT very well and to the best of your ability and don't worry too much about things you've seen other people do. Sure, you should experiment and raise the bar but don't kill yourself (literally and figuratively) trying to do it. We are our own worst critics and most guys who burn themselves out do so because they can't get out of their own heads. THIS! We have to get out of our own heads and keep enjoying the hobby, artistry, fun!

[PyroFL]

I used to ask myself that same question every year “When is enough … enough?”

For me, it came down to why I do it. Like you said, it’s as much (or more) for me than the audience.

I’ve done the stripped down “get rid of inventory” shows and the crowd still cheers, but I walk away feeling like I just pressed play instead of telling a story.

Once you go full pyromusical with tight sync, singles, DMX and intentionality behind every cue there’s no going back mentally. You know what it could be and yeah the average person may not know the difference between 400 cues and 1,100, but we do.

Our internal standard is what drives the madness.

I’m currently sitting on hundred of hours planning for a 18 minute show because my brain won’t let me do less even when my wallet and body beg me to stop.

My limit now isn’t a hard budget or cue count, it’s when the effort to satisfaction ratio flips.

If it starts to feel like a chore or if I can’t enjoy the build up, that’s when I know I pushed too far.

So no, I don’t have a magic formula. I justify it by telling myself this is my art form, my therapy and if I’m going to do it, I’m doing it right and extreme. Go Big or Go Bigger!!

Sometimes that means sending it as is.

Sometimes that means scaling back with intention, not just to save money, but to preserve energy and focus for the right moments.

Having a 100’ wide site, that’s what I have.

Perfect for storytelling with layers. Single shots give you control. If you love them like I do.

Just remember: fewer cues with stronger structure can still feel huge when it’s built right.

Bottom line … if you know why you’re doing it, you’ll know when enough is enough even if the answer changes year to year.

[KDirk]

I haven't done a true pyromusical, and don't really intend to; that's a level of planning and execution I'm not aspiring to reach. In fact, for the longest time I really disliked background music with fireworks, and still favor a show with just the sound of "booms" going off. But, because others in attendance suggested some music years ago, I began putting together a playlist of songs that I like, with some input from family and friends. Most of the music I use is classic 70's and 80's rock, and some are picked for their "adjacency" to the theme of fireworks. I used "Blinded by the Light" during last year's show, for example. Almost always have "Nothing but a Good Time" by Poison and "Kickstart my Heart" by Mötley Crüe in the playlist somewhere. The lengthy intro to "Money for Nothing" has been the opener a few times now.

I have an exceptionally well done live performance of "America the Beautiful" by Ray Charles with a full orchestra, taken from an obscure TV special I found on YouTube that always gets slotted in mid-show to kind of mellow things out a little before the big finish. I usually close with the 1812 Overture. Every year I make some tweaks to the playlist, so it's not 100% the same every time. A couple of my nieces and nephews have taken a greater interest in music as they've gotten a bit older now, and will make suggestions that I try to accommodate.

Obviously I do this largely for myself, as I enjoy it as a hobby. But having others there to enjoy it is central to the experience being worthwhile, not much point in blowing multiple thousands of dollars and dozens of hours of work just to entertain myself for 20-30 mins. I have other hobbies that are more practical for solitary pursuit. This year I'm genuinely annoyed by the fact that most of those who'd normally attend chose to make other plans, despite being aware of this being a defacto family tradition now, after several years of doing it. 52 weeks in year, 12 weeks of summer, and yet the decision was made to flake on the 4th of July party. Well, maybe I'm being petty, but this hasn't much incentivized me to do the work for putting in a show.

Concerning number of cues, while I'd always like more (and a cue to feature ratio of 1:1 would be awesome) there are limits on what I can justify buying in hardware. I'm about there now, really. Between the cost of firing modules, igniters (whether talon or e-match style) and the storage space for modules, slats, cables, and racks (before even getting into product storage) I really can't see expanding my Cobra setup much further than maybe another couple of modules. And of course, the more of that I add, the more setup time is involved in fusing, wiring, etc. I pretty well have to impose a hard limit on what I do just as a practical matter. Even with unlimited funds and a larger shoot site, time is the impediment to going any bigger than I have up to this point in time. While a show that was orders or magnitude bigger would be fun to do, I'm feel like I've already surpassed the level of this being a mere hobby. I'm certainly not a professional, but I'm a long way from the amateur backyard pyro I was as a teenager.

For now, I'm keeping my powder dry, and contemplating my options. I'm not buying any additional product now, maybe after the 4th of I find some good discounted overstock. If I end up doing a show this year, it will be a much smaller, less involved affair.

On a related note, has anyone noticed multiple listings for Cobra hardware on eBay? Makes me wonder if the tariff mess/uncertainty about the future of the hobby has already driven a number of people out in frustration. I've seen (and purchased) used Cobra gear on eBay before, but presently there is a decent amount of it, and more than I'd expect in the run up to the 4th. Typically see it being unloaded more after Independence Day.

[Birdman]

I came to the conclusion that limiting my cues was the best way to help me stick to a budget and keep setup reasonable. With only about 200 cues to work with it's rather easy to stick to a reasonable budget and setup.

I like to have music accompany my shows (it's a stretch to call them pyromusicals). My audience generally doesn't care about the music. The music gives me a backdrop in which to choreograph a show around. And while shooting to music can burn up cues and product quickly, I also found music can be good "filler" to stretch a show out when you operate on a rather small budget. I find scripting to music easier then not having anything to draw inspiration from.

I often said I do my shows for me and I'd do them if I were the only one watching. That was until this year. I'm going to have a much smaller audience then usual this year and that snowballed into other reasons to pass on doing a show this year. My 4th of July has been mostly all work and little play now for 6 straight years. I can't deny I'm looking forward to just lounging around, eating, drinking, boating etc. for a change. I'll also get a chance to to watch some of the fireworks people have around the lake for a change. I'm usually too busy setting up or breaking down to enjoy them.

As for pleasing audiences....that's easy. Give them some sky puke at the end and that's all they are waiting for and will remember. It's like going to see a one hit wonder band play. Sure everyone enjoys the other songs but they are all there to see them play that on hit song.

[MontanaMike]

I don't have the budget or the time to do a full-on pyromusical, even though that's what I'd love to do. We have 180 cues (Cobra) and I can't really see the equipment growing beyond that.

Our show is all consumer product. In the early days we flirted with the idea of using some 1.3 product (my co-shooter is on our local fire department so we have access to it) but truly, the amount of extra setup and work involved with the bigger product doesn't necessarily result in a better show. Our show is nothing special from a pyrotechnical standpoint, yet every year I have people say "that was the best show I've ever seen" and "that's just as good as Disney, maybe better!" (I know they're wrong on that but who am I to argue, right?) Our show is basically a bunch of stuff going up, we try to hit the musical cues as best as we can for consumer product, and throw a whole lot of shells up at the end for the finale (mixed with one or two cakes for added glory).

Our soundtrack is very popular. I edit the songs down to 1:20 or less, so we usually have about 14 to 18 songs in the show. I tell people, if you don't like a song, just wait a minute.

I do wish that WFBoom would get into Articles of Pyrotechnics product. That's the biggest enhancement I could see our show moving towards -- not an increase in size, but an increase in quality. We don't have any warehouses near us that sell AP product so we are content with standard consumer stuff for now.