October, 2025
Ska music has captivated the world for generations. The expressive and energetic nature of the genre makes it perfect for live performances. Driven by their lifelong passion for ska music - sparked during their time living in Tokyo in the mid-1990s - Tim and April Receveur founded the Supernova International Ska Festival in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2014. The couple started the gathering as a grassroots, one-off house show. The event has since grown into the largest ska-centric music festival in the U.S., eventually finding its home along the scenic shores of Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, where it is held today. The festival brings together eras of ska, rocksteady, and reggae, and has featured foundational artists such as Derrick Morgan, The Skatalites, and Doreen Shaffer, alongside contemporary acts such as The Pietasters, The Aggrolites, Fishbone, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and more.
Showtime Sound LLC of Frederick, Maryland has provided full-scale event production services for Supernova for the past 7 years. Their extensive expertise in audio, staging, lighting, video, and backline services support the festival’s high-quality presentation and seamless live experience. Marc Chauvin, Showtime’s Chief Technology Officer, details, “The Supernova International Ska Festival is one of our favorite clients. Since 2018, we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with Supernova Ska Fest to bring their vision of a grassroots festival to the ska community from around the world.”
Showtime is known for elevating events in all ways, especially during long-term client partnerships like Supernova. When the opportunity presented itself to incorporate Telefunken Elektroakustik microphones into the festival, Showtime was elated. Chauvin explains, “Since 2023, we’ve been able have the support of Telefunken, one of the festival sponsors, to utilize the M80 series of dynamic microphones to enhance the overall festival experience for artists and attendees.”
Telefunken had partnered with Showtime in the past, during their work with comedian Kevin Hart, and of course, during multiple music festivals. The team knew that the M80 mic especially would be perfect for Supernova. Unlike the midrange-heavy tone of many popular handheld mics, the M80 employs a low-mass capsule and ultra-thin membrane to capture every nuance of a performance with amazing balance and detail. Telefunken Live Sound Engineer and Lead Dynamic Tech John Maguire explains, “In a festival setting, you have fast changeovers, maybe you only get time for a line-check. So, it’s crucial to have a vocal mic with solid feedback rejection that you can trust to sound good when you pull up the fader.” Not only do the mics sound phenomenal, they look great as well. Maguire adds, “Our M80 and M81 fit right in while standing out at the Supernova stage with our many different color options.”
This year’s 2025 Supernova International Ska Festival was one for the books. After a decade of energetic performances, Supernova expanded their reach by adding global livestreams with performances by bands like Less Than Jake, Mustard Plug, The Flatliners, and Voodoo Glow Skulls. They even supported The Flatlinerscelebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2005 debut album, Destroy to Create, with the band performing the album it in its entirety. This was a U.S. exclusive performance for the album. The festival was undeniably one of the best yet - No doubt thanks in part to the contributions of Showtime Sound LLC and Telefunken. Chauvin concludes, “Having the support of a manufacturer that we regularly use in comedy touring, corporate events, and festival production helped ensure that this event provided the best experience for everyone.”
ABOUT SHOWTIME SOUND LLC
Showtime Sound LLC is a full-service event production company located in Frederick, Maryland that provides a wide range of audio, lighting, video, staging, and backline for any size event or venue. The Showtime team specializes in production integration. They design, build, and move events from large clubs to touring arenas to outdoor stadiums. From start to finish, Showtime Sound LLC provides turn-key event production. https://www.showtimesoundllc.com
More details on Supernova International Ska Festival can be found at https://supernovaska.com
More details on Telefunken Elektroakustik can be found at https://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com
*Photos Courtesy of Cloud Bobby Photography
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