Call Time

Call time is the scheduled time a person or group is expected to arrive and be ready to work. On a concert tour, there are multiple call times throughout a show day: crew call (when the touring and local crew arrive for load-in), production call (when the production manager and department heads arrive), artist call (when the performer is expected at the venue for soundcheck or other obligations), and bus call or lobby call (departure times).

Why call times matter

Call times are the backbone of the day sheet. Every other event — load-in, soundcheck, catering, doors, set times — is built around them. When a call time slips, the entire schedule shifts. This is why tour managers are militant about confirming call times during the advance and communicating changes immediately.

Local crew call times

The venue's local crew — stagehands, electricians, riggers — have their own call times, typically negotiated during the advance based on production complexity and union rules. Getting local crew call times wrong (too late for a complex load-in, too early when the venue isn't open yet) costs time or money, usually both.