Napan creates musical light show for Halloween

Daylight really does a disservice to Mike West’s Halloween display.

When the sun is up, you can’t see the lights. You can’t hear the music. You can’t fully appreciate the synchronicity of the lights and the music.

“Come after 6 p.m.,” said West. Or better yet, after 7 p.m. when it’s really dark. At Mike West’s house “it’s all about the lights.”

West, who lives at 870 Central Ave. in Napa, has become known for an elaborate sound and light show at his modest Napa home. For the past five years he’s created the custom light and sound spectacular and this year’s is his best yet, said West.

“I’d always been into electronics,” said West, who is a trained electrician. “It started early and stuck with me.”

In 2009, West was studying broadcast engineering at Napa Valley College when his professor showed a video of an electronic musical Christmas light show that the professor had created.

“That’s cool,” West remembered thinking.

Inspired, West decided to make his own Christmas display, eventually adding a Halloween show as well.

Both include a computer-controlled light show with more than 15,000 lights and custom display boxes with animated faces that “sing” along to the music and lights that are synchronized to the beat. To top it all off, visitors can listen to the music via 87.9 FM, broadcast using his own radio transmitter.

West said he spent years designing the lights and music using software called Light-O-Rama. This year, he’s had much more time to devote to improving his seasonal showcase. In June, he fell off a ladder, broke his leg and had to have surgery. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to fewer electrician jobs.

This year, West built eight electrical controller boxes to organize his lights and show. Fortunately because the lights are all LED, they don’t run up his PG&E bill, he explained.

It takes him about five weeks to set up the display, not including the time he spends on the light programming. That takes about eight hours per song. And he’s got about 20 songs.

His song selection includes “a little bit of everything,” said West. There’s “Phantom of the Opera” music but also songs such as “Thriller,” “Purple People Eater,” “Party Rock Anthem,” “Ghostbusters,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” “All About That Bass” and “Call Me Maybe.”

What inspires his song selection? “Just being different,” said West.

That difference seems to be working. West said he often hears honks or words of encouragement, from neighbors and driver. “It makes me feel good when people enjoy it,” he said.

“With all that’s gone on this year,” it’s a pleasure to spread some happiness, said West.

And that happiness will continue for many weeks to come.

“The day after Halloween I start tearing this down and start working on Christmas,” he said.