Club XL in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania features a mix of live bands along with DJs and EDM. The venue celebrated their grand opening recently with a lineup that included Puddle of Mudd, Saving Abel, Tantric, etal.
Located in a gentrifying industrial area near downtown Harrisburg, Club XL features a complete light show with lasers and CO2 cannons, high energy sound system, LED video wall with numerous video screens to simulcast the entertainment located throughout the venue. When it came to choosing a sound system, Hershey Solutions teamed with local production company Alliance Audio to recommend RCF.
The system design features 10 HDL20-A line array cabinets in left-right hangs, with four SUB9006-AS dual 18-inch subwoofers under the stage. The layout also includes a large dance floor, elongated bar area and back room. There’s an intimate VIP deck that offers guests a luxury experience with comfortable couches and barrel chairs with superb sightlines to the stage. There’s even an outdoor patio where you can sit beneath a 200-year-old tree, enjoy the beautiful stone fireplace and one of several fire pits, and still have a full view of the entertainment inside.
“We first became involved in the audio and lighting design for the club back in 2015,” says Hershey Solutions owner Justin Hershey. “Club owner Phil Dobson owns a number of venues in the area,” targeting this one to be the largest showpiece. “For this one he wanted a live music club with a full sensory experience.”
An old warehouse converted into the club with cement floor, metal ceiling and glass garage doors made the design a challenge. “We did include acoustic treatments in the design.”
From the initial concept, “There were a lot of changes in the time between the original design and final product,” continues Hershey. “These changes were brought on by the need to meet as many tech riders as possible once a major concert promotion company got involved in the venue.” In addition, “the club owner was looking for a venue that could facilitate the needs of touring bands and DJs and provide the audience with a Las Vegas Club-style experience. He wanted to hit all senses, from a top notch sound system to the most intelligent lighting fixtures we could fit in the room. There are also CO2 cannons, lasers and a large LED wall that serves as the backdrop for the stage.”
As a production company providing stages and systems for mid-size events in the region, Alliance Audio owner Gary Greyhosky was well aware of the acceptance of the RCF system by national touring acts. “Knowing the club was looking to bring in both big name regionals and national acts, I knew the aggressive quality of the RCF HDL20’s was the right solution,” Greyhosky says. “Plus the low profile of the SUB9006’s to fit under the stage (which was only two-feet high) and give me enough low frequency energy for their EDM was a perfect solution.”
Doing regional production work and having long-term working relationships in the area, Greyhosky knows while sound is critical, “in this market we have to be conscious of inventory costs and event budgets. It’s all about value.” And with that, he simply states, “RCF provides that answer. Enormous bang for the buck.”
“The sound and lights have been unanimously praised by touring and local acts alike,” Hershey notes of the club’s first couple months in operation. “The RCF product has been rock solid and smooth as butter. It allows engineers to whisper an acoustic performance to the audience…or knock bottles off the bar with EDM, and everything in between. It has been great to use a product that offers us that flexibility.”
