Showco Archives

05/30/2026

From behind the console to helping shape some of live music's most memorable performances, Showco and Clair Global alumnus Bruce Jones has spent decades at the heart of the concert industry.

I'm sharing this interview from a few years ago by Galactic Musician featuring Bruce, who has served as Front of House engineer for artists including Santana, Counting Crows, Scandal, and many others throughout his remarkable career. Bruce has also been a valued contributor to the Showco Archives, helping preserve the stories, memories, and history of the people behind the music.

If you've ever wondered what life is really like behind the mixing desk, or how a career in touring evolves over decades on the road, this is a great watch.

Bruce has also generously contributed items from his personal collection to the Showco Archives. If you'd like to explore his Crew Closet collection, visit:
https://shop.showcoarchives.com/collections/bruce-jones-closet

Every purchase helps support the preservation of live music history while also benefiting music industry professionals and related charitable causes that support the people behind the music.

Thank you, Bruce, for continuing to share your knowledge, stories, and experiences with the next generation of live sound professionals and music fans.



https://youtu.be/BlkBtAzgPKw?si=QwvODRTBsApP9Ftq

Bruce Jones - Sound Engineer - Music Band experience

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

One of the most rewarding parts of running Showco Archives is hearing from the people who were actually there — not just the crews and engineers, but the extended family of friends, supporters, backstage regulars, and fellow travelers who shared those moments in time.

Recently, Linda Heath reached out and shared these wonderful photographs, memorabilia, and memories from her time around the Showco and touring world during the mid-1970s. Included were backstage photos connected to Average White Band, a rare 1976 AWB Showco tour shirt, and even a surviving 1974 memo from Showco’s Keny Whitright.

Linda spent time around Max’s Kansas City in New York during the era when bands, crews, and road family all crossed paths there. Through friendships with Derek Wilkinson (“Uncle Wilko”), Barry Owen, Bill “Doc” Gans, Keny Whitright, Buford Jones, John Blusutta, and others, she experienced a remarkable slice of live music history — from AWB to Bowie, Bad Company, James Taylor, and Led Zeppelin.

As Linda put it:
“It was a great 3-year period of my life some 50 years ago now.”

These personal memories and surviving artifacts are exactly what help bring the archive to life beyond just dates and equipment. They remind us that this history was built by real people, friendships, adventures, and moments that still resonate decades later.

Huge thanks to Linda for trusting the archive with these memories and helping keep the spirit alive.

You can now view the newly added images and memorabilia on the Average White Band archive page here:
https://www.showcoarchives.com/average-white-band-1975-1979?rq=AWB
and the inter-office memo here: https://www.showcoarchives.com/1970-1974?rq=1974

Average White Band

05/29/2026

Podacast now online:

Inside the World of Showco Archives with Indigo Kretzschmar-May, Johnny Roberts and Blake Dewberry

Check out their podpage and find all the links to listen and watch:

https://www.geezersofgear.com/inside-the-world-of-showco-archives-with-indigo-kretzschmar-may-johnny-roberts-and-blake-dewberry/

05/29/2026

Guess the console where this module is from?

05/28/2026

📚 Another incredible live music history discovery…

Huge thanks to follower Bud Hathaway for letting me know about his book *What About the Fans?* — which features several Showco mentions throughout, including stories and photos involving Showco alum Johnny Roberts. Of course, the moment Bud mentioned Showco connections, I immediately bought a copy. 😄

The book is filled with firsthand memories from the fan side of the barricade, but what makes it especially fun for us archive folks are the little backstage and crew-world references sprinkled throughout.

One passage recalls David Lee Roth joking from the stage:
“Hey, there’s too much feedback Johnny!” — referencing none other than Johnny Roberts at monitors during the legendary US Festival performance. Many of you may already recognize that moment from the archival video already preserved on the Showco Archives website and YouTube channel. (I did not record the footage — just preserving and sharing it.)

The book also includes a heartfelt thank you to Johnny for his kindness over the years, along with some fantastic candid photos from the Van Halen and ZZ Top days.

These kinds of unexpected finds are exactly why preserving this history matters so much. The crew names, stories, inside jokes, and memories are still out there… sometimes hiding in places you’d never expect.

Thanks again to Bud for the heads-up and for helping preserve a little more of the story. These are the kinds of discoveries that make running the archive so rewarding.