So for a brief moment in time, I, the lowly sound guy, had enormous power!
The Story begins late one Friday afternoon. I received a call from Andy, the technical director at the Breslin Student Events Center on the campus of Michigan State University in Lansing, Mi. And wanted to know if I could be front-of house mix engineer for an upcoming event the following week.
Sure, I said, searching my calendar, half-listening as he described the event. Then, whoa, back up. You want me to mix for who, doing what?
Patient Andy repeated the details of his request. The farewell tour of President William Jefferson Clinton, better known to many of us as simply "Bill", was making a stop at the Breslin Center, and could I handle FOH because Andy needed to provide event production?
Uh, sure, was my reply. Or at least something like that.
Why do they call it "red" tape?
First, the background check. Nothing to worry about, right? Perfectly understandable, in fact. We certainly don't want a raving lunatic with clear line of sight to the stage being given an all-access pass to a date with the leader of the free world.
Still, the background check was unsettling, kind of in the way that a cop following you on the highway is unsettling. You haven't done anything wrong, aren't planning on doing anything wrong, no outstanding warrants, but...
Fortunately, the great forces surrounding "Bill" deemed me worthy of presidential access. Or at least I hadn't done anything horrible enough to find objectionable. And thankfully, they didn't ask my voting record!
System set-up and testing, the day prior to the event, was laid back. Secret Service personnel were cordial, even friendly and downright chatty at points. Not quite what we've heard about these folks. I was tempted to ask one for his cool sunglasses... but why push it?
Our set-up was almost ridiculously simple. We'd be using the house system that I had been involved with the design and installation of, and I'd be manning the house console. Two Shure SM-57's were attached to the Presidential podium and plugged in to an adjacent I/O panel feeding the system. Two more Shure mics (BG3.0's) would be employed for off-stage announce.
In addition to the house mix, I was to supply two stage mixes (one for Bill, the other for dignitaries); a mix to four stage lip speakers for the front seating rows, two press feeds (one redundant). A CD player supplied pre- and post-event music. (This is also called "rope" music, I found out, because it's played when the president moves along the ropes, shaking hands with the crowd.)
So in comparison to live, festival-style events, this would be a piece of cake. Or so I thought...
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Studies in the hierarchy of power
Event day dawned bright and sunny, matching my mood as I used my "special" parking pass to park right next to the Breslin Center. Lowly sound guy as presidential heavy-hitter - you bet!
Just as quickly, the pedestal that is delusion of grandeur was kicked from beneath me. No credentials at the gate. "No tickee, no entry" as they say. Fortunately, a Secret Service person passed by the gate, gave a "thumbs up" to the door personnel, and I was in.
Well, sort of... I found that the metal detectors used for presidential events are rather powerful Trip one: cell phone. OK. Trip two: keys. Of course. Trip 3: A stick of Juicy Fruit. Darn those foil wrappers!
As this played out, I noticed a heated conversation, the gist of which was the MSU marketing director arguing with security about admittance of a certain basketball player who turned out to be Charlie Bell, MVP of the national championship team, and who was supposed to present Bill with a team jersey during the event. Hah, I thought smugly - lowly sound guy more important than big man on campus! (Fortunately Charlie was allowed in to make the presentation.)
All was set as I arrived at FOH, and then some White House Communications personnel asked me to lead them to some vending machines on the loading dock. Snack time. No problem. Returning, I was told by the same security personnel who had seen me the day prior and in the time before the event and just five minutes prior (!) that my credentials didn't allow access to FOH.
Perhaps intelligence, rather than diligence, should be of higher criteria with respect to security personnel. Sorry, just an observation... anyway, I looped way around the back stage area, encountered much more reasonable security people, and was back in my FOH loft with time to spare. Plenty of time - it turns out that Bill has a promptness "issue" - on average, he was two hours late for every scheduled appearance throughout his two terms.
(Divulging the "high-placed" source of this information could result in trouble for the lowly sound guy, so my lips are sealed.)
Thoughts within the big moment
All White House and Secret Service personnel remained surprisingly laid back, even as event time approached. This was true even just minutes prior when a certain, specific press feed, overlooked by the communications team, needed to be provided.
Lowly sound guy sensed trouble, but fortunately the system installation at the Breslin Center created an easy solution. With tons of I/O plates around the main floor, we did a simple patch from the console's Aux out into the I/O network and made this feed available where it was required.
No time for level checks at this point; the event kicked off within 30 seconds. As the show unfolded, things went smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, that lowly sound guy got to thinking.
Let's see - I can just hit this mute button and 12,500 in attendance won't hear the words of our esteemed leader. Neither will the international, national and local press on hand, and they won't have a recording either. Oh, the national archive recording being done, as at all official presidential events would be silent as well. Likely the most verbal president in our history, and I alone have the power to silence him.
Look at me, ma! King of the world!
Ah, well. Sometimes intelligence, and certainly professionalism, is indeed a factor in the qualifications of even the most lowly of sound guys. Or maybe I'm just not quite that stupid. Or brave. Whatever the case, no way was I touching that button.
My brush with sonic greatness concluded without a hitch. As Bill made his long exit over the course of 7-8 songs - surprised he didn't get "rope" burn - a White House communications staffer leaned over and commented "He seems to live for events like this. I wonder what he's going to do after he leaves office?"
To that, the lowly sound guy firmly offered no comment, choosing instead to bask in the glory of a unique opportunity to be involved with the flow of history.
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