Grand Stage Lighting

I absolutely LOVE Grand Stage Lighting. I was in a bind and needed a lighting company that would give me a quick turnaround. I was referred to GSL through a friend of mine that owns a production business, so I knew he was sending me to the best in the business… s/​o to Jacob!
I worked with Justin to get an order put in for uplighting for a vehicle and GOBOs. He definitely educated me on what was cost-​efficient vs. convenient. GSL walked me through the process of setting up the lighting on-​site and it was super easy.
I love their professional and laid-​back atmosphere and I like that their location is centrally located downtown with an area to park for free. GSL makes working with them easy and enjoyable. Will definitely be using them again.

WONDERFUL! Incredible service, advice, and assistance from beginning to end! The knowledge of the staff is amazing and they actually take the time to give you their professional thoughts on how to design your event’s lights. Thank you!!!

Such a great resource for theatre companies! Have rented lots of lights and appliances, And it’s always a breeze!
Thanks for the great service!

I am thoroughly disappointed at Grand Stage Lighting, and especially at their customer service.
I had placed a make-​up kit on hold. I got there to purchase it, and they told me that they had sold it. How are you going to sell what someone has placed on hold? To make matters worse, they had sold out of the make-​up kits, so I did not have other options, nor was I offered any by the salesperson. I understand that I had the make-​up kit on hold for a long time. I would understand them selling it if I had not specifically told them when I was coming in. When I was placing the kit on hold (in store, in person), I specifically told them that I would be coming in on Wednesday. I received the okay sign from one of the older salespersons (who was extremely sweet, nice, and helpful). Not only did they break their promise with a customer, they basically told me it was my fault. When I told the guy that I specifically asked to hold the kit until Wednesday, he replied– «I don’t know, I wasn’t there when you placed it on hold». If that is how they handle customer transactions every time, I am appalled. So am I supposed to figure out when exactly that specific salesperson is working to place anything on hold? Then he proceeded to say, «didn’t class start a week ago? you had plenty of time to get it».
Seriously?
I was not offered any other options, and he simply shrugged, telling me that he was not there when I placed the item on hold, and that the item was on hold for too long. If they could not hold the item for that long, they should have explained the hold policy, not give me an okay sign.
I doubt I will be visiting here ever again, especially when that guy is working. I should have gotten his name.

Rented a smoker and purchased a bottle of fluid for the smoker. I asked both the guy in front and in back if the fluid they sold me was the right one and was told yes. Well, they sold me the wrong fluid and my smoker stopped smoking and instead spit out oil on a dance floor. Upon returning the guys admitted they sold me the wrong fluid but would not refund the paymet for the unused smoker. The counter guy (dirty teeth and a cocky jerk) did not apologize and said that I needed to call in if there was a problem, hard to do at 1:30 AM Sunday Morning. The counter guy was not only incompetent, he was a jerk. I have had clients who rented from them and the equipment is often old, beat up, and with no manuals. There are much better options in Chicago. The guys who work in the pickup area are very nice and helpfull. Just lose the guy up front with the filthy teeth and the «Im the only game in town» attitude.

I found a new «toy» store!
I couldn’t find Gaffer’s tape to save my life. Despite being told it could be found at Home Depot, it turned out not to be the case, and no one who works there knows what gaffer’s tape is. (and it’s expensive!)
I finally did a search and got creative in my wording — and VIOLA! There it was!
Once I made it to their store — o WOW they have LOTS of stuff! Latex … appliances … lighting … mylar … tripods … makeup … WOW!
The people there are nice AND They’re helpful!
I’ll be back again and again!

First of all, Grand Stage’s main work is to set up theatrical productions. But this is not the only job they will do. Although they are not a company that focuses on wedding execution, my husband and I were extremely happy with them and their customer service for our wedding reception.
I was set on having chinese paper lanterns hanging over my dance floor. Our dance floor was on the deck of the restaurant overlooking the Chicago River. I bought my paper lanterns and got so excited on how the overall look of the dance floor would be achieved with those lanterns that I didn’t think much about the day-​of execution. There were no pillars on the deck that I could tie strings to. In addition, the staff at the restaurant where we had our reception couldn’t install it for us. It was something about how the restaurant staff were not insured to climb heights for installation by the deck and the restaurant manager highly recommended us to get a professional company to do the installation for us.
Pat has been such a pleasure to work with throughout. I described to him exactly how I envisioned the lanterns to be hung on poles and we ended up renting 6 poles and 6 bases for those poles from Grand Stage. Granted, our business with them is obviously nothing because their main line of work to set up theatrical productions, but they were still extremely professional and helpful to us. Our business wasn’t too small for them, or at least they did not make us feel that way at all. My husband and I went back and forth about how installing paper lanterns on our dance floor was a «want» and not a «need» when we went through our budget. However, Grand Stage’s pricing was way more affordable than we expected and we definitely were able to fulfill this extra «want» of ours for our wedding décor. I am pretty sure that we paid only a fraction of what would have cost us if we went with a company that primarily focuses on the wedding industry itself. Pat was there to set up the poles and hang the lanterns for us, and at the end of the event, he came back to strike the poles and remove the lanterns. What a fantastic job he did.
I definitely recommend Grand Stage if you have any installation needs that may not necessarily be related to theatrical productions. No business is ever too small for them.