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Tops in Blue: Behind the glitz and glamour

  • Published
  • By A1C Tabatha McCarthy
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --   As the lights start pulsing around the auditorium and the music hits its peak, the Air Force's famous Tops in Blue begin their performance at Patriot Hall in Sumter, S.C. Behind the glitz and glamour, lighting technicians and audio engineers are who make the show happen.

Beginning with a worldwide Air Force personnel audition at multiple levels of talent, about 6 technicians are selected to begin a 60-day training period at Lackland Air Force Base, TX.

After training, the talented specialists begin a fast-paced 10-month tour all over the world, stopping in all 50 states.

"I joined Tops in Blue because I wanted to give back to our fellow troops overseas," said Senior Airman Craig Zimmerman, Tops in Blue stage director. "To give them something to look forward to when speaking with their families state side."

Making performances happen for troops overseas isn't the only thing the technicians do, they're also given experiences throughout the entire tour which they'll carry throughout their life.

"Tops in Blue has given me the most challenging yet exciting time of my life," said Senior Airman Mike Williams, Tops in Blue and Blue audio engineer.

A typical day on tour consists waking up early to visit the show location to plan the set up of lights and sound and meet with their crews to make it happen.

Before the show starts, all technicians check microphones, frequency, test lights and crews get with vocalists and chiefs for a pre-show meeting.

During the show if something goes wrong, technicians must fix the problem immediately without being seen.

The typical issues that occur are lights going out, performers unplugging cords walking on or off stage, props being knocked off, and microphone or sound frequency needs adjustments.

"If something goes wrong we need to know what went wrong, where and how to fix it," Williams said.

Not all things that go wrong are negative- some are just funny.

Williams spoke about the time in Germany, "Staff Sgt. Mark Lindquist, the host, was imitating William Hong. As he sprinted down the aisle yelling 'wait, wait,' he tried to find a way on stage. He reaches the front of the stage confusingly looking around and thinks he sees his opening on the side. Lindquist runs up the stairs and bounces off a hidden prop behind the curtain and into the flower bed which lay along the front of the stage."

Some of the technicians have had years of experience and others pick it up instantly. Where tasks come down, no matter the experience level, the technicians must be able to perform them.

Aside from the actual show, Tops in Blue promises commanders, chiefs, shirts and supervisors that their Airmen will come back even better Airmen than they left.

Physical training tests are still conducted during the tour, as well as career development courses and computer based training.

Most technicians agree Tops in Blue is a great lifetime experience and after the tour is finished they are will go back home with knowledge of new specialties they'll use the rest of their lives.