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Showtime Sound Blog

Showtime Partners with Stringjoy to Bring Backline Clients the Best Instrument Rental Experience

August, 2024

Topics: production events Tour Touring news audio sound event production Showtime touring audio tour production arts tech New Technology live events music live music rock music concert Tour gear showtime touring partnership backline gear event production solutions band life mandolin guitar strings stringjoy strings instruments guitar banjo bass strings banjo strings mandolin strings

Showtime Partners with British Drum Co. to Bring BDC Kits to US Backline Clients

December, 2023

Topics: production events Tour Touring news audio sound event production Showtime touring audio tour production arts tech New Technology live events music live music drums drummer del amitri rock music concert British Drum Co. drum kit Touring Drummer Tour gear showtime touring partnership backline gear event production solutions snare bdc band life

Showtime Vice President Shawn Hocherl Featured in Voyage Baltimore

July, 2023

Topics: Event Planners Corporate Planner Festivals Tour Touring news Lights Lighting audio sound event production Drive-In video LED LEDWalls LEDtech university events education l-acoustics Showtime touring audio tour production comedy tour Kevin Hart trade show

Showtime Travels to USITT for the Latest in Live Event Technology

March, 2023

Topics: Event Planners Corporate Planner Festivals Tour Touring Lights Lighting audio sound event production video LED LEDWalls LEDtech LED Display absen university events education l-acoustics Showtime touring audio tour production trade show conference

Local Look - Showtime Sound LLC featured in PLSN Magazine

Article from PLSN Magazine • Kevin M. Mitchell • October 2022

Our team specializes in production integration,” says Showtime President/CEO Scott Tydings. That means we can design, build, and move your event or tour from large clubs to touring arenas to outdoor stadiums. From start to finish, were your team to get it done.”

Showtime is also in it for the laughs—literally. In addition to its work in several markets, including touring, corporate events, and installations, they have carved out quite the niche in the comedy world. Currently Tydings is out as Production Manager and FOH engineer with one of comedys biggest stars, Kevin Hart. Showtime is also supporting John Mulaney and Bill Burr, and in the past has toured with Amy Schumer, Louis CK, and done work with Chris Rock.

The company started out as Showtime Sound LLC in a two-car garage, but quickly grew into other production disciplines, Today we are an event solution company, handling audio, staging, video, lighting, and even backline musical instrumental rentals,” says Showtimes Director of Operations and Production, Brian Linnemann.

Footloose Beginnings

Tydings notes he was a touring audio engineer carefree and foot loose” until the early 1990s when he came home, started a family, and got a real job.” But he couldnt exercise the live event bug out of his system, so he invested in some gear and started doing local work, primarily with bands. One he mixed for was Vs. the Earth, where he struck up a friendship with drummer Shawn Hocherl. I had done some work with Scott when I wasnt touring, and then in 2006, we founded Showtime because we saw a need for high-end event production services based in the Frederick, MD area,” says Hocherl. The company branched into lighting and video to respond to customers. Every aspect of our company develops the same way: Clients ask for it, and we get it to them,” Tydings adds. In the beginning, we would sub out for something like video, but then we realized we could do it so much better ourselves. Thats how we got into lighting, video, trucking, backstage management—and now were even supplying furniture for backstage. We were going into arenas not even finding a decent chair or a nice couch worthy of an A-list superstar.” He pauses and then adds with a laugh: Next on my list—catering!”

 Right now, were focused on expanding our corporate division,” says Linnemann. That area was growing nicely pre-pandemic, and now its a bit of a scramble as we spend half our time trying to track down former clients and seeing what we can do for them. But there are a lot of opportunities for corporate work in our Baltimore/Washington region.”

 Speaking of the pandemic, we want to thank our core team of employees that stuck with us at Showtime through it all,” adds Hocherl. Thats the reason why we are still here and able to continue to successfully serve our clients. Gear is great—but for us—everything we achieve is because of our people.”

The Showtime team is also a scrappy bunch: When one of their truck drivers on the Mulaney tour had a sudden death in the family and needed time off, Linnemann himself got on a plane and went to St. Louis to drive the truck to its next stop, Kansas City. I joke that we all wear all the hats,” he says with a laugh.

Strong Inventory

Along with Tydings and Hocherl, around 20 employees plus many subcontractors keep Showtime running smoothly, working out of a 19,500 sq. ft. warehouse in Frederick, MD, which houses a strong inventory ready to address client needs. We have strategic partnerships with the best manufacturers to provide clients with the best solutions including L-Acoustics, Telefunken, AVID, Absen, Chauvet, MA Lighting, and AC Lighting,” Tydings says.

Staying current, Showtime recently invested in grandMA 3 consoles, and in Astera LED-based lighting gear including their Titan Tube product. Were trying to get Astera more in the corporate world,” Linnemann adds. There is a lot of raving about their products.” Upping their video inventory is a priority which they met with investments in Absen Polaris PL3.9 Pro (XL) LED video panels. Thats a great product because it is IP65 rated so it works inside and outside, even in bad weather.” Among Showtime's inventory is also a Stageline SL100 mobile stage. They also have their own wood shop and build their own road cases, recently investing in a CNC router to expand that division. Today we are completely turnkey,” says Tydings. We have made the best investments in people and equipment to execute superior experiences.”

Rock Star Comedians

Matching gear with client is part of Showtime's expertise. Those Absen video panels are ideal for their touringcomedy clients, like Hart and Mulaney who can sell out Madison Square Garden for three nights. Understanding how that gear works for the client is also important: while a 16:9 aspect ratio (landscape) is the norm for a rock show, for standup comedy a portrait aspect ratio works better. That way you can really see all the energy coming from a performer like Kevin Hart, as every part of his body is used to set up that punch line,” Linnemann says.

Tydings, who has developed a close working relationship with Hart, is out for a fourth time with him. He is methodical,” he states. He is a workhorse who has a routine that works well.” Developing that routine is an 18-month process. Hart starts a new tour by working up bits way in advance, and when he has 45-minutesworth, Tydings gets the call. They then hit the smaller theaters and build out the show further until its close to the 90-minute mark and ready for the arenas. Conversations are had, and Tydings starts giving Hart production options to choose from. Kevin is more production-wise than most comedians; hes able to put on a rock show without a band.”

Previous tours of Hart's have indeed been rock-concert size, the last one needing 13 trucks carrying a stage with trap doors, pyro, and 360 LED lights. For this current one, the comedian elected to go for a simpler, more intimate take. The setup includes a motorized 40’ wide x 30’ tallred Austrian curtain and custom 40’ x 24’ deep Marley black stage floor that features a heart-shaped logo. Theres a Follow-Me Performer Tracking followspot system used with two Robe Esprite fixtures downstage, and a third one above, able to always follow Hart as he moves all over the stage. This is particularly important as the stage lighting overall is dimmer than on previous shows. Tydings, with Showtime's support, has certainly met the inherent challenge of ensuring that a single guy with a microphone on a stage connects with those sitting in the far reaches of stadium or arena. 

The Showtime Advantage

Showtime's client list reflects the array of market segments they support, including the Maryland Special Olympics, the Supernova International Ska Festival, and the Taste of Country Music Festival. Installs include Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric and Pier Six Pavilion, both in Baltimore. Corporate clients include the Baltimore Ravens and Salesforce. They were also there for University of Marylands Commencement Ceremony for 12,000 graduates held at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. And when a client needed high resolution LED scoring tables for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®) Basketball Tournament, the Showtime team did a custom build featuring Absen LED panels to fit the events specific needs. From construction, to content review, to courtside action, Showtime delivered the LED scoring table solution. Showtime also handled the North American Timeless tour of II Divo that was heavy with Chauvet Professional fixtures. The touring rig included a collection of 22 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures, along with 20 Rogue R1 FX-B multi-beam moving heads, and 7 STRIKE 4 multi-format blinder/strobe lights.

 “There are a lot of mega corporations out there where youre the client, but that comes with a number," says Linnemann, explaining what he sees as the Showtime advantage. "We can get to know clients better, learn what has worked with them in the past, and help them make their events the best they can be. Were small enough to be able to design and create a production package around what their priorities are. We give our clients a much more focused experience.” 

Topics: production events Tour Touring Lighting audio sound event production touring audio PLSN magazine

Showtime Sound and Telefunken set the Gold Standard on Tour with Kevin Hart

August, 2022

Topics: Tour Touring comedy audio sound microphone l-acoustics comedian Showtime touring audio tour production comedy tour reality check Telefunken Kevin Hart

Aaron Kovelman and “Showtime at the Drive-In” Keep Shining with Chauvet Professional

Article from PLSN Staff • News • January 22, 2021

FREDERICK, MD – How long will the Covid-19 lockdown last? Like everyone, Aaron Kovelman can’t answer that one. But there’s one thing the Director of Design and Production at Showtime Sound LLC is sure of: The company he works for will continue to bring safe, socially-distant entertainment options to people for the duration, with an assist from Chauvet Professional.

More details from Chauvet Professional (www.chauvetprofessional.com):

Showtime Sound demonstrated this commitment throughout the fall and into the holiday season by staging “Showtime At The Drive-In,” a series of concerts coproduced with AutoFlex Entertainment.  Held at an improvised drive-in venue at the Frederick Fairgrounds, the series featured popular artists such as moe, Grace Potter, KIX, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Goose, Dark Star Orchestra, Mt. Joy and Blackberry Smoke.

Holding over 300 cars spread out over a wide area, the drive-in offered an experience that’s far from the ideal concert setting, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. “All of us are determined to provide people with the best possible show, regardless of the circumstances,” said Kovelman. “With everyone so spread out at this site, we had to create visuals that were very bold and looked good from any angle.”

Helping Kovelman and his team accomplish this goal was an almost exclusively CHAUVET Professional rig that was anchored by 16 Maverick MK3 Profile fixtures. The powerful 820-watt LED movers played a variety of roles in lighting the concert series, including the very important task of engaging the widely dispersed audience with dynamic and colorful crowd lighting.

Calling the Maverick units, the “workhorses” of his rig, Kovelman positioned eight of them on towers. Their 51,000 source lumen output gave him more-than-ample punch to cover the audience with light, while the 120ﹾ rotation allowed dynamic crowd sweeps.

 Kovelman drew on the CMY + CTO color-rendering capabilities to set an immersive tone throughout not only the stage, but the entire venue. Using the house tower-mounted fixtures, an array of bold primary colors, as well as softer pastels created a uniformity for attendees and performers alike.

The remaining eight Maverick MK3 Profile fixtures in the rig were arranged across the upstage deck. From this position, they were used to create gobos from behind the bands, adding depth to the relatively small stage.  Kovelman also added to the dramatic effect of the light-shows by relying on the profile to silhouette band members. For added color, 16 Rogue R2 washes were flown overhead to help wash the performance area.

“We incorporated as many high energy looks into our show as possible,” said Kovelman. “There were challenges involved in this project, not the least of which was setting up the stage and rig while maintaining social distancing, but the results spoke for themselves.  As we’ve been planning for the next round of events at the venue, fixtures like the MK3’s will certainly be a key part of it.

Topics: production events Tour Lighting audio sound dc events event production socially distant events Drive-In covid concerts

Showtime Sound LLC Taps CHAUVET Professional For Il Divo Timeless Tour

BALTIMORE – Music is indeed the universal language. Clear proof of that truism becomes readily apparent every time Il Divo takes the stage. A multinational classical crossover group created by Simon Cowell, the quartet not only includes artists from different countries, it also happily transcends national boundaries in its appeal to music lovers. Since its formation in December 2003, the group has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has chalked up platinum hits in over 35 different countries.
Topics: production events Tour Touring Lights Lighting

Future so Bright...Showtime Sound LLC Expands Lighting Department

 

Topics: production events Festivals Tour Touring Lights Lighting

THE LATEST BUZZ ON SHOWTIME SOUND - L-Acoustics Gets It Right For The Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee

June 2018

 

Showtime Sound LLC deploys Kara and Kiva II controlled by LA Network Manager allowing Chris “Cap” Capaletti to run a nearly one-man sound show

The article below was featured on L-Acoustics.com

 

Topics: Insider production events Tour Touring comedy news