Has he ever asked you – completely out of the blue – one of the most intriguing and difficult questions you’ve ever been asked? Ya know, like an inquiry that left you thinking for hours on end? Maybe even still today?Because, you see, Tim McCormick could do that. He could play games with us because he’s got “people” in the trivia industry. Yes, “people”.Like …How many individual bricks were used to construct the Great Wall of China?McCormick floated on a boat (or sailed on a ship) for 21 years and his employment centered around the vast amount of entertainment offered on cruises. His first position was Lounge tech, and then he climbed the ladder up to Sound tech then Senior tech to Fleet audio supervisor and finally, Project manager/designer. But then a real-life pandemic crippled the planet’s global economy and erased every business not deemed essential, and those orders unfortunately included the Love Boats of the world. So, he and his bride, Nicole, returned home to Marshall County, and McCormick now is hosting those trivia evenings, designing and installing sound systems, and resuming his status as a self-proclaimed “band hippie.”Oh, and approximately 3,873,000,000. Bricks, that is, in the Great Wall? No worries, though, no one knew that number. Except, of course, that trivia guy named Tim.McCormick, his wife Nicole, and his friend Joe Twigg, were recently able to meet the legendary Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals.What was the scariest thing you saw in the sea during your years working on cruise ships? In the mid 2000s, I witnessed a Cuban refugee rescue. There were about 20-25 refugees in a makeshift craft starting to sink. The ship’s officers and certain crew, after USCG approval, went out and rescued them, via the vessel’s lifeboats. It was harrowing to watch as they were inches from disaster. What’s the difference between a “boat” and a “ship”? The main difference is size and technology. Boats are these bass and pontoon craft as well as barges and ferries we see all over the river. Their purpose can vary and they tend to navigate in a smaller body of water. A ship is, by contrast, far larger in size in terms of tonnage, as well as way more complex in technology for navigation. A ship has a more dedicated purpose, like a passenger vessel and an oil tanker, etc. They tend to navigate in far larger bodies of water. Tim traveled to Hawaii with his parents Don and Ellen before his father lost his battle with cancer in February 2019.Did you expect to find an active live and local music scene when you decide to return home to Marshall County? I always knew there was a bit of a scene. I didn’t realize how active and vast it actually was. Obviously, during the pandemic, it was nil, but once things started to relax a bit, I was fortunate enough to get to work with some venues and folks and get back in the business, so to speak. I’d like to see it expand, though. Tons of room for improvement. Do you believe Waterfront Hall will spur more economic development along Water Street in downtown Wheeling? I would like to believe the Waterfront Hall will be a catalyst for others in that general area. Time will tell. But since the opening the place is pretty much full speed from doors open to doors close. I see tons of potential for what that whole area could become. It’s just going to take time, investments, and proper management. All of downtown is under a major revamp, and I’d like to believe the city would like to see the waterfront area packed with activity and commerce. During the Bluesfest After Parties at Waterfront Hall, McCormick met with Jan Dijkstra and Billy Evanochko of Billy the kid and the Regulators.If you could select one band or performer for booking at Wesbanco Arena or the Capitol Theatre, which would it be and why? The Tedeschi Trucks Band. I’m a jam band hippie at heart. And love to dance and groove. TTB offers a bit of everything. Derek Trucks has been smoking a guitar since his early teen years. And it only makes sense, being that his father is Butch Trucks, drummer of the Allman Brothers band. Then you add his wife Susan Tedeschi in, with her beautiful voice as well as guitar talent. An amazing and accomplished rhythm section. And top it off with some killer horns. It’s a bluesy, soulful, jam influenced show that is hard to beat. Lots of people look past us jam folks for one reason or another.
