San Francisco landmark The Fillmore, operated by Live Nation since 2007, recently received a complete audio upgrade anchored by Meyer Sound PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeakers in a project supplied and installed by UltraSound, another company with deep roots in the history of the city’s post-1960s music scene.
“Our prior Meyer Sound system maintained our reputation for more than 15 years,” notes Matt Lawsky, on The Fillmore staff since 1999 and principal production manager since 2011. “But it was clearly time to move forward. We had first looked at a LEOPARD solution, but the timing worked out perfectly because, just when Live Nation gave us the green light, PANTHER had come out. UltraSound recommended it, and the cost was a wash because with PANTHER we need only seven boxes per side whereas LEOPARD would require 10 or more. So, we went with the very latest Meyer Sound technology.”
When The Fillmore reopened in 1994 after a five-year closure due to earthquake damage, UltraSound installed Meyer Sound MSL-3 systems in the room, and returned in subsequent years to deploy MICA line arrays with M3D subwoofers, culminating in this year’s new system.
“It has been an honor to have provided all The Fillmore audio systems for nearly three decades,” says UltraSound CEO Derek Featherstone. “And all have been from Meyer Sound.”
Lawsky adds, “Very few venues have the luxury of being in the neighborhood of a world-class audio manufacturer. In fact, I could stop by the Meyer Sound factory on my way home. It would be madness not to take advantage of that.”
With a capacity just shy of 1,200, The Fillmore is categorized as a club by default as shows are general admission for an open floor with limited seating. As such, The Fillmore now becomes the first club in the world to offer a system with PANTHER arrays.
“PANTHER is amazingly versatile in any environment because of its light weight and compact size,” says Featherstone. “I hope young engineers will experience PANTHER in the club environment here and then, when their bands grow to major touring acts, choose to carry it with their production.”
In addition to the seven-each PANTHER arrays, the new system also includes two ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeakers as front corner infills plus a third ULTRA‑X40 for overhead center fill. Interim bass power is supplied by six 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements, pending replacement by the newly introduced 2100-LFC elements later this year. Artist foldback is courtesy of 10 MJF-210 stage monitors.
Contributing to the system renewal alongside Featherstone was UltraSound operations manager Josh Osmond, with Jason Mills serving as the on-site manager.
Michael Bailey, Live Nation senior vice president, has been a fixture at The Fillmore since 1987, working first for the owners at the time, soon afterward for Bill Graham Productions, and eventually for Live Nation. “When the 2100s are in, we will have the ultimate club showcase for Meyer Sound PA technology,” he says. “Bands, and engineers from other clubs, can come here, listen to the system, and be inspired to upgrade the sound at similar venues around the country — or the world.”
Lawsky notes, “This is a relatively small room with a very high-intensity usage. Off-the-shelf solutions don’t work here. We have bespoke demands, and I’m grateful for the way that Meyer Sound, UltraSound, and our crew from IATSE Local 16 have worked hard to tailor this solution to our needs.”
For Meyer Sound founders John and Helen Meyer, the latest upgrade to the venue continues a long tradition of supporting the arts in the Bay Area. “We came to shows here in the sixties, so this is special,” Helen Meyer recalled at the system’s inauguration ceremonies. “We want to thank everybody from The Fillmore, Live Nation, and UltraSound for making this happen. We are Bay Area natives, and this is the kind of thing we love to do. It’s in our DNA. We hope everybody will enjoy the result.”
Over its six-decade history as a rock venue, The Fillmore has hosted not only legendary acts in that genre but also luminaries of blues, jazz, soul, and rap. Today, the venue continues this tradition with a calendar of bookings spanning not only rock music and all its sub-genres but also Latin, reggae, hip-hop, R&B, and pop.
