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ROCKstar of the Month of January: Cory Shy

January 25, 2017/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

With so many large events happening for us in January, it only makes sense that our first ROCKstar of the Month for 2017 is one of our top project managers, Cory Shy! Cory has been an RTH team member for 6 years now, originally starting as a part-time technician and continuing to work his way up to more leadership roles through our production sector, RTHAV.

A renaissance man of the production world, Cory is well-versed in many different fields ranging from video, to lighting, to audio. Most recently, Cory has taken full control of the Today’s Bride Wedding/Fashion Shows. With Rock The House (RTHAV) acting as the official production partner for these shows, there are a lot of moving parts involved in making an event of this magnitude come alive. However, having proven his responsibility and leadership skills time and time again, Mr. Shy handles projects like this without a hitch by expertly directing fellow team members to ensure everything runs at company standards.

A Few Fun Facts About Cory Shy:

Favorite Cartoon Character? Rocko from “Rocko’s Modern Life”
Favorite Movie? The original “Jurassic Park” (After seeing the film with his brother in theaters when he was about 6, it lead him to read the original Jurassic Park novel, as well as other works by author Michael Crichton.)
Favorite Artist(s)? Flaming Lips
Pre-Event Snack? Ohio City Subs’s “C-Town Slugger” … By far the best gas station sandwich around.
Guilty Pleasure Song? Katy Perry – California Gurls
Favorite RTH Event? About two summers ago, both Conny sisters got married and we collaborated on two massive tent weddings at Conny Farms with our sister company Selective Sound Entertainment. The setups took a whole week (each), and featured thousands of feet in string lighting and over two dozen different chandeliers.
Favorite Thing About Being on the RTH Team? The ability to have different work stations at various job sites makes it something fresh and new every day. Some things remain constant, but the people and clients always change, and it allows you to work outside your comfort zone. Plus there’s a great team behind us that enables us to always have what we need and work at such great venues.

“Cory’s a terrific team member to have and a great part of our roster. He continues to increase his responsibilities so that as we grow, we grow together.” – Ben Allison, Production Manager

Regardless of all his accomplishments during his time at Rock The House, Cory continues to credit our team for contributing to his success.

“I’d be nothing without the people that guide me… The people who have taught me, work alongside me, and have helped me achieve the level of production our shows have, and require. I wouldn’t be where I am without them… It’s a big group effort. – Cory Shy

Congratulations to Cory again on being awarded the ROCKstar of the Month, and we thank him again for all his hard work, dedication, and service! Interested in working with Cory Shy for your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the RTH Photo Archive.

RTH Signature Event: The Duve Wedding

December 29, 2016/in All Posts, Disc Jockeys, DJ Akron, DJ Cleveland, DJ Columbus, DJ Pittsburgh, DJ Toledo, DJ Youngstown, Gay Weddings, Industry Professionals, Weddings /by mhadder4561

Rock The House makes dream weddings a reality for hundreds of couples each year. However, it’s not every day that one of those couples is a member of our team! A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of helping our own Marketing Manager, Nick Duvé and his husband, Stephen Duvé, celebrate one the best nights of their lives in one of the greatest weddings productions we’ve ever put on.

As a former DJ and Host at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and a connoisseur of ‘Fairytale Weddings’, as well as his time spent with us at Rock The House, Nick has seen just about any wedding possibility you could think of. That all being said, Nick had gathered plenty of ideas for his own wedding throughout his years in the industry… and he had all the resources to make them happen. With the help of Meredith Masaveg of Rain Wedding Planning, Nick and Steve began planning their big day.

“This wedding was much more then just about Steve and I. It was about celebrating all of the friends and family who have helped us along our journey. We wanted to give them an experienced they will never forget and with the help of some very talented vendors, and I think we accomplished that”. – Nick Duve

The Duvés decided that the Akron Art Museum was the perfect location for both their wedding ceremony and reception to take place. An already stunning venue, Rock The House provided full production and lighting work throughout the museum, while our sister company Selective Sound Entertainment provided ceremony services, with Vice President “Jay R.” Rich as the officiant and first DJ. Chairs the wedding and reception were provided by Be Seated. After the ceremony guests were invited onto an outdoor dancefloor for cocktail hour, before stepping inside the newly-transformed art museum for the dinner reception.

A beautiful ceremony is only complimented by an unbelievable reception, and that became no clearer to guests than when they first stepped inside the building. After a 5-star dinner provided by Driftwood Catering and frosty desserts brought by Mason’s Creamery, guests were personally invited once again onto the outdoor dancefloor by Nick and Steve for their first dance and formalities. However after a short time of dancing, guests were stopped by RTH MC Sparky B. and invited back inside the building for a very special surprise from Nick and Steve. The Duvé’s weren’t done quite yet.

When guests arrived back inside, they were in awe to see a Vegas-inspired dance club, which had been in plain view the whole time, but simply hidden behind a wall of drapery! The perfect light show was coordinated by an RTH lighting designer as Sparky B. continued to hype up the crowd! Lights were only the beginning, as the Duvés surprised their friends and family with music by celebrity DJ Brian Dawe of VH1 & MTV! The night to remember was all captured on film by Matt Reisinger of Elite Entertainment, and still-frame images were shot by Marc Anthony & Tony Ryan Photography. Special thanks also go out to L’Nique Linen Rental, Nikki’s Perfect Petal Designs, Paul Mitchell the School: Cleveland, and Justin Campbell from the Akron Art Museum, who all did their part to make the day a success for the Duve’s! You can find more pictures, and videos from the Duvé Wedding by following the hashtag #HereComeTheDuves.

Want Rock The House to make your dream wedding a reality? Contact our team of event professionals today to see what we can do for you! Photos courtesy of Marc Anthony & Tony Ryan Photography and The Rock The House Photo Archive. Videos courtesy of Rock The House and Matt Reisinger of Elite Entertainment.

ROCKstar of the Month of December: Sean Tyrrell

December 22, 2016/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

December is here once again, which makes this our last ROCKstar of the Month for 2016! As a company that does work in many different sectors of the event industry, we found it only fitting that we choose a ROCKstar with many different talents; Sean Tyrrell.

Approaching his 4-year mark with Rock The House, Sean has filled a wide variety roles throughout the company. Originally starting as a dancer and party motivator in the spring of 2013, Sean has since moved in the direction of a technician, working regularly in our warehouse and behind the scenes at many events. Most recently, Sean has really showcased his passion for lighting, becoming one of our most skilled lighting designers, and even working on shows with artists such as rising pop sensation Alex Angelo. Sean also has many interests related to DJing, and still dances at RTH shows from time to time.

A Few Fun Facts About Sean Tyrrell:

Favorite Cartoon Character? Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch), because he knows when to be serious, but still has a little bit of a crazy side.
Favorite Movie? Disney’s “Motorcrossed”
Favorite Artist(s)? Childish Gambino
Post-Event Snack? Gyros!
Favorite RTH Event? The year we provided production for COSE at Kalahari. It was a great event all around, and that place is a really cool venue.
Favorite Thing About Being on the RTH Team? My favorite part about working for Rock The House is the opportunity to be a part of a team that puts on such awesome events.”

“I love having Sean as part of the RTH family. His team mentality and versatility make him unique. Whether he is a party motivator, photo technician, LD, camera operator, ceremony engineer, or simply working in the shop, he continues to grow and develop himself, all while helping those around him do the same. This Swiss Army knife skillset lends itself to continually strengthening our teams and events.” – Ben Allison, Production Manager

Sean proves to be a valuable asset to our team, and we know that he will only continue to impress us with his talents for years to come. Thank you again, Sean, for all that you do for Rock The House!

Interested in working with Sean Tyrrell for your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started!

ROCKstar of the Month of November: Travis Rose

November 15, 2016/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

As 2016 slowly begins to wind down, our ROCKstar of the Month for November is none other than our Talent Director, Travis Rose! Also acting as one of our finest Lead Entertainers, Travis has been a part of the Rock The House team for almost 5 years.

Photo courtesy of Making The Moment Photography

Born to perform, Travis has been rocking stages since he was only 3 years old! This trend only continued over time, as Travis began DJing during his college years at Bowling Green State University. After completing his undergrad at BGSU, Rose continued to pursue his academic studies at Lake Erie College, where he would go on to earn his Masters Degree in Business. Aside from entertaining and supervising our entertainers, Travis has done nearly every job in the company at some point or another.

A Few Fun Facts About Travis Rose:

Guilty Pleasure Song? Anything Stevie Wonder (BUT ‘Sir Duke’ really gets him going!)
Favorite Artist(s)? Kanye West, but believes Michael Jackson is the most influential musician in history.
Pre/Post Event Snack? Sugar-free Red Bull is always a go-to before a show, but afterward you can catch him heading to Taco Bell for Fourth Meal.
Favorite Thing About Being on the RTH Team? “You get to be such an important part of some of the biggest days in peoples’ lives, and getting paid to make people happy is a pretty cool job.”

While we are very happy to declare Travis as our Rockstar of the Month for November, it is bittersweet as he steps down from his role as Talent Director and continues to advance his career away from Rock The House. As a valued member of the RTH family, Travis had the following to say about his time as Talent Director:

“One of the most rewarding things about this role at RTH is developing up and coming entertainers, and sharing my insight that I’ve learned throughout my career to watch them develop into ROCKstars themselves. I feel honored to be the Rockstar of the Month, as I know I work amongst a team of VERY talented individuals.” – Travis Rose

Travis has been a great employee throughout his time at Rock The House, and it is clear that his influence on our company has been a positive one.

“There’s some employees that respect a position, while others respect the person in it… I think its very rare that we find someone who deserves so much respect, but never has an issue getting it from our employees. As a human resources manager he was fair, but always placed the best interest of our employees as a high priority to help them grow, and to make the best working environment possible for them.” – Ryan Konikoff, Chief Operating Officer

We wish Travis Rose the best on his future ventures, but are happy to say that he will still be working as one of our finest entertainers! That means no worries if you’re interested in working with Travis for your next event.. Just contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of Making The Moment Photography and the Rock The House Photo Archive.

RTH Signature Event: Sam’s ROCKING Bar Mitzvah

November 1, 2016/in All Posts, Bar / Bat Mitzvahs, Disc Jockeys, DJ Akron, DJ Cleveland, DJ Columbus, DJ Pittsburgh, DJ Toledo, DJ Youngstown, Industry Professionals /by mhadder4561

Cleveland has been deemed as “The Birthplace of Rock N’ Roll” ever since Alan Freed first coined the phrase in the 1950s. While that may have already been 60 years ago, the spirit of the music still lives on just as it always has in our great city. Young Sam Heller couldn’t help but feel the same way, and decided the only true place he wanted his bar mitzvah was not only in the rock and roll city, but at the epicenter of it; The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Take a look at how we at Rock The House were able to ROCK Sam’s Simcha, providing him and his guests with an evening full of incredible fun and great memories!

It was the direction of the Joe Mineo Creative team that really brought the night to life, transforming the Rock Hall into the party of the year! Sam’s celebration started with one of our rockstar DJs and one of our signature Ultimate Video Dance Party setups, with wireless LED uplights, strobe lighting, 70″ monitors, and truss structures transforming the dance floor into an ocean of light and sound. Guests were kept entertained both on and off the dance floor with a series of multiplayer, interactive games; Including RTH favorites such as Rockshots, RTH Game Show Mania, and even giant versions of classic games such as Jenga, Connect 4, Pick-Up Sticks, and Scrabble. Another hit attraction was the new RTH Coinless Claw Machine, which allowed guests to test their skills and attempt to win themselves an additional party favor! Rock The House also provided a custom photo opportunity, bringing in one of our professional photographers to take beautiful portraits of the guests. As the night continued on, guests enjoyed musical entertainment courtesy of The Pella Singers, and some fine cuisine catered by the 5-star staff from Executive Caterers.

Throwing parties for a living may seem redundant after a while, but never for us at Rock The House! It brings us quite a bit of joy to be continually called upon to provide great celebrations for Sam’s family. The 2nd in his family to have their Simcha ROCKED, we always enjoy the challenge of thinking up fresh and exciting party options to create the best night possible for the family. We also love working at a premier Cleveland venue such as the Rock Hall, and working with their fantastic event staff! Last but not least, a big thanks goes to Event Source, Aable Rents, and Be Seated for helping with select item rentals, and Marc Golub Photography for taking some incredible pictures of the night!

From Simchas to weddings, there’s not an event out there that our team can’t ROCK! Contact our team of event professionals today to see what we can make possible for your next celebration!

ROCKstar of The Month of October: Kevin New

October 19, 2016/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

October is one of our busiest months of the year, so it’s only fitting that this month’s ROCKstar is one of our hardest working MCs, Kevin New. Finishing up his 14th season working with us, Kevin has been performing as an MC since he was 18 years old.

Although Kevin has been performing for RTH for 13 years, his experience performing stretches back to his youth. Starting his entertainment career at 7 years old, Kevin worked at Six Flags Amusement Park as a boy, and even spent some time touring Italy for vocal performance! In addition to these experiences, Kevin would later take his talents to Kent State University, pursuing Vocal Performance in the form of a college degree.

A Few Fun Facts About Kevin New:

Theme Song? “Piano Man” by Billy Joel (But his favorite song would be “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon)
If You Could Be A Superhero, Who Would It Be? Superman, because of his ability to fly!
Post Event Snack? I always stop at the Circle K near the RTH office for an energy drink and some Cool Ranch Doritos.
Who Do You Look Up To As An RTH MC? Is There Any Advice You Have For Future Entertainers? I try to take away nuggets of wisdom from each of our entertainers. Each MC is unique and seasoned, and I enjoy learning from each of them! That’s something I always tell our new entertainers; Don’t be afraid to learn by trying something new.

Kevin was born in El Paso, Texas, as the 10th and final child of his family. With the age difference between him and his siblings spanning up to 25 years, time only continues to make the New family grow. As of now, Kevin has 34 nephews (not counting 12 great niece and nephews), and three children of his own with his wife of 6 years, Kellie.

“Kevin New is the consummate professional. Any client who is fortunate to have Kevin as their MC is in for a wonderful night. Kevin not only is a talented entertainer but he embraces concierge level customer service. Rock The House has been fortunate to have such a loyal and talented entertainer on the entertainment team for the last 13 years. Kevin has performed on over 400 events, and we look forward to watching that number grow as time goes on.” -Travis Rose, Talent Director

You can find Kevin any given weekday working his full-time job as Branch Manager for Dollar Bank in North Olmsted. A very hardworking individual, we appreciate all the work that Kevin does for our company and our customers! Interested in working with Kevin for your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started!

Your Guide To A Hauntingly Good Halloween Party

October 4, 2016/in All Posts, Disc Jockeys, DJ Akron, DJ Cleveland, DJ Columbus, DJ Pittsburgh, DJ Toledo, DJ Youngstown, Industry Professionals, Lighting & Drapery, Photo Booth Rental /by mhadder4561

With the leaves falling from the trees and the summer heat drifting away, it can only mean one thing; Fall is finally here! With Fall comes pumpkins, football games, flannels, and of course, Halloween. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, Halloween is the perfect time to throw some of the craziest parties of the year. As your friends and neighbors prepare by decorating their houses and making fun costumes, here is your guide to throwing a spectacularly spooky soiree they won’t soon forget! Putting on a Halloween celebration may seem like a monumental task, but really it can be broken down into three main facets: Lighting, Special Enhancements, and Entertainment. Luckily, Rock The House is not only able to provide you with all of these things, but we’ll even walk you through each step of the planning process! Here are a few of our ideas, if you dare to dream big!

Lighting:

Lighting is a very powerful tool for any event you may be throwing because it allows you to not only transform the look of any space, but also the mood that is set by that space. Orange uplighting on a bare wall is a great way to give your guests a mysterious feeling as they arrive, or use it on some white drapery to make your own wall! Black lights are also known to set an eerie tone, and can be a great addition to any room’s design. While these lights are used to set the room’s general atmosphere, there are also advanced lighting options that will help bring your party to life after it kicks off! Strobe lights, hazers, and blinders are all great ways to turn your average room into a full-fledged Halloween production. Freedom sticks and gobos are some other good additions that can really bring a space together nicely.

Special Enhancements:

Once you’ve got the lighting in place, it’s time to polish off your production with some extra flare. Fog machines are a great accent to our advanced lighting choices, or you can add some chandeliers to give the room a touch of aged elegance! Also don’t forget about any of our fantastic extra entertainment options, such as Rockshots, LED Ping Pong, Giant Foosball, and more! Our selection of games and extra activities are a great way to ensure that guests will stay entertained both on, and off the dancefloor!

Photo Opportunity:

Another special enhancement that is a must-have for any Halloween party is one of our many different photo opportunities! Photos booth options have become a new staple piece for guest interaction, and can be very appealing to those who may be a bit too shy to put their dancing shoes on. Not to mention that if you’re throwing a costume party, your guests will be itching to get a picture of themselves in their new attire! Add social media sharing, and guests can easily share their photos directly to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even have their pictures sent to them instantly through e-mail or text message.

Entertainment:

When all the lighting and production work is done, you’ll still need to entertain your guests! Whether you prefer live entertainment or a good old-fashioned DJ, Rock The House is always ready to make your party ROCK! Our masterful DJ/MC pairs are trained to play for any kind of crowd, and our in-house, award-winning party band Rock The House LIVE is able to play a wide variety of genres from funk, to rock, to today’s biggest hits. No matter which option you prefer, you can be sure that all your guests will be out of their seats, enjoying themselves the entire night! As you can surely see by now, trick-or-treating isn’t the only fun thing you can do in October. Now’s your chance to throw a party so good, even ghosts from last Halloween will want to attend! Contact our team of event professionals today to get started, and mention this article and receive 5% off your Halloween event. Images courtesy of Google Images and the Rock The House Photo Archive.

Rock The House 2016 Company Party Recap

September 16, 2016/in All Posts, Corporate Production, Industry Professionals, RTH Gives Back / Charity Work /by mhadder4561

Every week of the year, members of our talented team of entertainers exceed expectations to make events the very best experience they can be for our clients and their guests. For this reason, we have the Rock The House Family of Companies Party; a night full of awards, music, dancing, and soon-to-be great memories! As our way of showing gratitude for all the hard work our employees do every week, we present our 2016 Rock The House Company Party Recap!

The grand celebration took place on August 16th at Camp George Forbes in Beachwood, with dinner being served by Driftwood Catering. Over 110 RTH team members attended the party, which featured a variety of activities including a photo booth, an ice cream cart, and even a bonfire. While we appreciate every employee that comes to our annual company party, there are a few entertainers that deserve special recognition this year. A few of them include Faucet Award winner Nick Lockhart, Renaissance Man Award winner Travis Rose, and the newly-named Rock The House Employee of The Year, Nick Duve.

Jay_R_Rich_1500_Awards

Also, we would like to extend a special congratulation to one of our lead entertainers Shawn Smutak (Left), who was commemorated for his completion of 1,000 events! A similar award was presented to Selective Sound’s “Jay R.” Rich (Right), following his completion of over 1,500 events throughout his career. The night was closed out with our company-wide DJ Battle, where Matt “Mattitude” Novick was crowned as the winner.

Rock The House is a very unique company filled with many unique individuals, and we wouldn’t trade any of them for anything. Events like our annual company party help our staff grow closer together as a whole, and is the reason our company’s culture is unmatched by any of our competitors. Plain and simply, it is because our entertainers love what they do. Thank you to all our DJs, dancers, MCs, technicians, and executive staff members for all that you’ve done this past year! Great job team!

Interested in working with our staff to make your next event ROCK? Contact our team of event professionals to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

RTH Signature Event: MOCA Cleveland Art Gala

September 13, 2016/in All Posts, Corporate Production, Industry Professionals, Lighting & Drapery /by mhadder4561

Each year, the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) holds an annual fundraiser in which elite members of Cleveland’s community come together to support the arts. This affair, also known as the MOCA Gala, is a night full of laughter, conversation, and delicious food provided by Marigold Catering. Returning as proud production partners for the past 3 years, it was our distinct pleasure to provide audio, video, lighting services for this year’s MOCA gala!

As event professionals who know the impact lighting can make on an event, Rock The House aspired to design a clean look associated with the gala’s main theme; “LEAP”. Led by Founder/CEO Matt Radicelli, the RTH team wasted no time designing a sky-like atmosphere, illuminating the normally-white room with light blue accent lighting, dabbled with the occasional cloud or two. Accomplished using uplighting and gobos mounted from overhead support beams, the final look left the white room appearing to have painted walls, with no distinguishable lighting sources viewable from the entrance.

In addition to lighting, Rock The House also provided audio and video services, allowing key speakers to present with ease, as an overhead projector displayed visuals that may be relevant to any of the presentations throughout the gala. Truly a night to remember, Rock The House would like to thank all guests in attendance who came to show their support, as well as the staff of the Cleveland MOCA, The Element Band, and everyone else who made the event possible.

Interested in Rock The House’s production services for your next corporate, non-profit, or social event? Contact our team of #EventProfs today to visually stun your guests at your next event!

ROCKstar of the Month for September – John Vlach

September 8, 2016/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

After a summer full of hard work, we can’t think of a more deserving person to call our September ROCKstar of the month than our in-house graphic designer, John Vlach. In just under two years since starting at Rock The House, John has already advanced from an intern during his schooling, to full-time in the office, working alongside the marketing team.

John says his favorite part about working for Rock The House is the privilege of expressing his own creativity, and that he’s not constantly being watched or critiqued while he works. He prefers the flexibility and organization structure of Rock The House, so there’s never any overwhelming pressure and deadlines are easier to meet. “Creativity is not something that can be rushed… The final product will never be as good if the process isn’t given enough time or if there’s too much pressure”, John says.

A Few Fun Facts About John Vlach:

Guilty pleasure song? Rachel Platten – “Fight Song”
Pre-event snack? Chicken Nuggets
Post event snack? … more Chicken Nuggets! “They’re easy to eat when I’m driving home!”
What is your biggest fear? Spiders or Bugs of any kind.
What’s your favorite movie? Caddyshack
What’s your favorite song/artist? Paramore
What pro wrestler fits you best? CM Punk

Handling many of our designs and video editing tasks, John also captures videos at many of our events! While he may shoot videos for many different shows, big productions like last year’s Shaker Prom or S.W.A.P. 2016 (An EDM, rave-style event featuring DJ E-V) seem to be his favorite.

“John is a model employee. His passion and love for his craft has elevated the quality of our video and graphic designs. I am proud to have John as part of my marketing team and I really looking forward to seeing him expand his role at Rock The House.” – Nick Duve, Marketing Director

You can check out some of John’s most recent work for us on our YouTube channel. Keep up the great work John, and thanks for everything that you do!