17/10/2025
I worked my first PAC show at the Luhr’s Center in Shippensburg, PA as a stagehand for George Thorogood & The Destroyers! Load-in started at 9 a.m. and it went smoothly with a very organized system.
The tractor-trailer backed up to the loading dock, and the touring crew, local crew (which I was part of), and the crew from the production company Black Walnut Productions all lined up to unload. Each person grabbed the next case coming off the truck and rolled it inside. The first case I handled was George Thorogood’s personal dressing room case, which I delivered straight to his room! Once everything was unloaded, we got to work setting up. Most of the focus was on hanging lights on the electrics. We also built the drum riser and attached lights there. A backdrop curtain featuring illustrations and sayings from his songs and tour was flown in and looked incredible. Load-in took just under two hours.
During the show, I was a stagehand on stage left, right next to the monitor engineer, which gave me the chance to watch him work. Since the touring crew handled most of the details, I did not have much to do during the performance itself. Doug, another local crew stagehand, was very helpful and a great person to learn from. I did assist with the changeover for the opener, Canyon Lights, by helping swap out the backline. Hearing George Thorogood perform “Bad to the Bone” live was an awesome moment. At 75 years old, he is still touring, which made being part of this show even more meaningful.
After the performance, George stopped to talk with the local crew for a moment, and I got to shake his hand!
Load-out was incredibly fast. We had everything torn down, packed up, and loaded onto the truck in just 45 minutes. This was the perfect first larger-scale show to be part of, and I am very grateful for the opportunity!
