COURTESY OF MOONLIGHTING SERVICES, LLC.

Although most students on campus have long been familiar with the Ivies headliners A$AP Ferg, Vanic and Smallpools, only some students have heard the name Moonlighting Production Services, LLC. This production company has been working with Bowdoin to provide light fixtures and sound services for the yearly Ivies concerts and many other Bowdoin events for over 20 years.

Founded in 1987, Moonlighting is based in Portland, Maine, and is one of the largest event production companies in northern New England. They have worked in a variety of different settings from providing rentals to middle and high schools in Maine to servicing the T-Pain concert at Bates College.

Founding Partner Gary Massey has worked with Bowdoin for around two decades.

In the first few years of Bowdoin’s partnership with Moonlighting, the company mainly supplied commencement lighting fixtures before expanding its involvement to include events like Spring Gala, Upright Citizen’s Brigade shows, theater and dance performances and more.

“There’s a certain amount of institutional knowledge that we have at our company of how events occur, and have occurred, at Bowdoin,” said Massey. “In this business, long-term relationships don’t always happen, but when they do, it’s fun.”

“In the service industry, you’re only as good as your last job, and I think that the fact that we’ve been able to maintain a relationship with Bowdoin College for [approximately] 25 years probably says that there’s mutual respect,” he added.

Massey explained that the close partnership between the company and the College has even reached the point where Tony Sprague, director of events and summer programs, can omit some job-description details since Moonlighting is already so accustomed to Bowdoin’s needs.

Director of Student Activities Nate Hintze appreciates Moonlighting’s reliability.

“They are incredibly helpful in working with the artists and their management when it comes to backline needs or sound and lighting requests. They know Bowdoin so well that they understand our budget and the limitations of our spaces … I never worry about them for any of our shows,” he said.

Hintze said he does not anticipate hiring any other local production companies in the near future.

“We have such a great relationship [with Moonlighting] that I haven’t seen the need to look for other options … It’s comforting to know that Moonlighting is going to come in and do a great job.”

COURTESY OF MOONLIGHTING SERVICES, LLC.