Pre show

Hum of hvac, hello, click and whirl of a processor power on foot steps away. Mechanical whirl of movers homing, foot steps back, cause that’s my job, impatient tapping, really heavy breathing, rustling of fabric (phone out of pocket) impatient taping hurried walk away. Quickly, muffled until the multi part click of a door closing Indistinct chatter from the hallway. Chatter up on stage, a 30-60 short cackle laugh. A far bit of metal thunking, a jingle of keys. These are really nice, but they keep falling out of the programs, and I keep stuffing them back in. See that’s why you can do this I am 88 years old and still don’t know when to say no.” Thunk of door  Few minutes. Footsteps  Whoosh of air push up an plastic on metal clink of faders. “This is what boredom looks like” Do you have homework? “No, I did it all already?” Thunk of door. Hello. Spots They chatter about who is going to show up tonight. Yada, Yada, yada. Footsteps and thunk of door a few moments. Thunk of door. “Hello tech.” The director. How are things in here? Apathetic response. She had nothing for us, but wants the piano respiked. And plans to make that happen now. Good for her. Well I should pay attention now.

Nah, Thunk, Hello. Hello. The pair of sound guys. The younger one goes on about his kid, uhh I kinda care. The older one walks into the amp/ storage room. Loud clang and the younger one shouts about how he does not want to change anything. A bunch of technical jargon about how the speakers are set up and if they are ganged at the speaker or coming into the amp. The older says the delay is off in the house in general. This is followed by the decision that they could only change the delay at the amp rack, did not want to change it without knowing the wiring. Wait a moment. They have been working this show for year. They have been the most knowledgeable sound people to touch the board, most likely since the space opened. How in the world have they not figured this out and programed it into the very nice digital board, saved it as a default set up and called it done? I have been here for one weekend to call the show and I know that your board can put a delay on your signal, without touching the amp rack. Why O gods’ do you not know this? WHY?