Hey everyone!! Just wanted to let you all know that E must have made his way to Orlando alright, as a very good friend of mine, Alina, who I actually met on another music board for Duran Duran, saw Elliott tonight at the Virgin Mega store in Orlando, and she talked to him as she works there! I "helped" her to become a fan of his and she was so bummed that she had to work tonight, RIGHT across the street from the HOB at the store, and miss the show, but I am thrilled to let everyone know that she did get to meet him in the store;) I got a text earlier tonight that said "Elliott came into the store and OMG, he is SO SWEET!!!!" ...lol;) So this isn't really from the show, so to speak, but still a small encounter can still mean the world to someone, and she is just an absolute doll!! Can't wait to hear the recaps of the show!! xoxo

Awwww, how very cool! I am so happy she was able to have an Elliott moment, even if she oculdn't make it across the street to see him perform.

I am anxiously awaiting recaps too....WOOOHOOOOO!!

DREAMA!!! love ya girl...you in chat? I am gonna looksie...;)

nice story Yellin.....any E encounter is worth reporting!!! :)

Sarah (a frequent poster) just posted this as MJ's about the Orlando concert so I brought it over here:


"Anyway, back on track - the concert was GREAT. I’m really glad we got there early. Well, on time, really, but you know what I mean. My roommate and I both loved both opening acts. Josh Hoge has SO much soul in his voice, but on the whole, his songs seem pretty versatile. He was fantastic - his whole set was acoustic. His “breakup” song, 360? Yeah, totally identified with that, and I told him as much when I got the chance to talk to him later. Oh a little Josh Hoge scoop - he’s been signed to a new label out of New York and is going into the studio in January to begin recording a full length album that will be released sometime next spring or early summer, they hope. He’s also been signed to an endorsement deal with Geico and has some big things with them in the works. And yeah - he’s not bad on the eyes at all. Okay… The Last Goodnight - also fantastic!! My roommate loved the 80’s influences in their sound. *cough* At first, I thought the lead singer looked a little like Adam Levine, but as their set continued my roommate pointed out that he looks more like a non-tatted up Joel Madden, and I TOTALLY see that! Anyway, we both agree that The Last Goodnight should definitely make it big. The band is tight and they have a great sound. It’s obvious that they’ve been playing together for a while - their transitions are seamless. It’s also obvious that their target demographic is young females - not unlike Maroon 5 - and the ladies there tonight certainly responded well to them. And my roommate and I both recognized their single as a song we’d heard before, so that’s a good thing. Anyway, we really really liked both opening acts. So, if you’re going to an Elliott concert - make sure you get there on time!!!

Okay… Elliott!!! Love him. The crowd was crazy for him, and he made several comments about how loud and great we were. Heh. :) Sway is still doing backup for him, and they sound really good harmonizing. Elliott looked and sounded really great… “Trainwreck” live? Magic. That’s seriously my favorite song on the album, and yeah, it was great. I also really liked “Alright”, “Free”, “Take My Breath Away”, “Movin On”… you know, I really liked the live versions of all the songs. The live versions have a more funky feel, which I LOVE, because Elliott’s voice lends itself very well to more than just straight up R&B. His voice is just fantastic, and his timing is just perfect. He doesn’t do too many runs, and the ones he does, he puts in just the right places. Great musical instincts, that boy. And his band is fantastic.

I really started liking Elliott after I saw him on the tour of the season 5 top 10. This is the first time I’ve seen him on his solo tour, and while I won’t necessarily travel a long way to go to a concert, any time he’s in Orlando or Tampa, you better believe I’ll be there. His stage presence has improved a million times over from the Idol stage, and it’s great to see him interacting with the crowd. He’s not necessarily a natural born performer - but, you know performing skills can be taught and learned. A voice like that? Cannot.

We didn’t get to meet him *sniff* but you know, it’s okay. They kicked us out before he could come out to the merch table - Sunday night is a big club night at the HOB, so they had to open back up pretty soon after the concert ended. We waited by a fence that his buses were supposedly behind, but one of the roadies said he most likely wouldn’t come outside the fence. Boo. That’s okay though. :)

Anyway, the crowd was pretty diverse. There were some parents there with young teenagers. There were some older teenagers there. There were some grandmas there, too. :) But, most of the crowd seemed to be in the 20-50 age range, with more guys than I expected. The House of Blues is a GREAT venue for a concert, and I especially like this one, because it’s less than 10 minutes from where I live. Heh. And you don’t have to pay for parking, which is even nicer.

So yeah… come early, hang out by the merch table between sets, because you might get to meet Josh Hoge ;) (but don’t let a random drunk girl take your pic with him because she’ll cut off his head in the pic), and come expecting a great concert. Totally worth it!!

Thanks for bringing that over, jamie. I'm glad Sarah had a great time. :)

Greetings, ya’ll!

I attended Elliott’s concert tonight at the HOB in Orlando and felt like I owed you a recap. Even as I type, I’m not sure what to say.

I arrived early and inquired about a meet and greet. Apparently, one had happened earlier for radio contests winners (I had entered but didn’t win, sigh). I met some fellow fans and I apologize for not remembering specifically which boards they post on: AngELL, Sandy B, and their husbands, PoorMe, Rick, and a couple more whose names escape me at this late (early?) hour. They had arrived earlier and saw Elliott outside the venue. He told them that he’d be back out for a meet & greet after the concert, so I was satisfied. I had a gift for him and wanted to get a hug.

I had dinner with some friends there at HOB and got into the "pass the line" line (yes, it's a separate line but you get to go in first).

The concert was terrific. The show was not a sellout, but there seemed to be a good-sized crowd. Lots of people on the floor and stationed on the bar level, and I could see that the balcony area (with seating) looked full. It wasn’t packed too tightly, and everyone seemed friendly and polite. We got some great spots near the front, to the left of the stage. This particular stage is probably about 6’ off the floor, so I could see really well.

The crowd gave a warm welcome to Josh, TLG, and of course Elliott. The performers were all appreciative of the applause, and both Josh and TLG thanked all of us who showed up early to hear them. Everyone sounded really good tonight. Elliott sounded in top form, and bounced around the stage quite a bit. He was wearing his usual holey jeans, black Converse sneakers, a white tee with an argyle-patterned sweater vest, and his fedora. He took his hat off after about the third song, and tried to poof up his curls a bit to eliminate his “hat hair.”

The set was pretty standard: he opened with “Alright,” to thunderous applause. The rest of his set, in no particular order, included: “Movin’ On,” “Wait for You,” “Find a Way,” “One Word,” “I’m the Man,” “Train Wreck,” “Free,” “Take My Breath Away,” “Sharin’ the Night Together,” “In Love with You Forever,” and “Little Ghetto Boy.” He also sang “A Song for You” as his encore. His set lasted nearly an hour. At the end of his set, he mentioned the “Inspired by Diabetes” campaign, and the other one that is raising money to provide insulin to kids in developing countries. He waved, said “see you in a few,” and left the stage. I assumed “in a few” meant minutes, but now I’m not sure. Maybe he meant years?? As they left the stage, I saw a white towel fly right in front of me, and my left hand shot out and grabbed one end. The other end was grabbed by a fellow concert goer. This guy and I engaged in a friendly tug-of-war. His date seemed uninterested, and he relinquished it to me. So I stood there, holding a slightly sweaty towel, and realized that I had no idea who had thrown it. I still don’t. A couple of people thought it was Elliott’s but several of the guys had towels, so I’ll never be sure.

Many of the band members came back into the club after the show. My friends and I met quite a few of them. I had a really nice conversation with Joonie, and talked to Sway and Josh as well. All were very warm and friendly. Then the club employees kicked us out. Only those with special passes/wristbands could stay, and apparently we didn’t have those. I had a small gift bag for Elliott – just some items that I thought would be helpful “on the road,” and was afraid I might not get a chance to give it to him. So I gave it to Sway. He assured me that he’d give it to Elliott.

The club staff suggested waiting outside by a gate leading backstage to see if Elliott would come out. A crowd of perhaps 30 people gathered. There was a bus just behind the gate. I figured he’d want to shower and rest up a bit.
So we waited… and waited. My friend Tracy teaches kindergarten, and finally had to leave just before midnight. My friend Stacey also took off just after midnight, as she also had to work the next day. I stayed with my friend Dawn, who’d just arrived from Connecticut. Several people would ask other band members (mostly from TLG) whether Elliott was coming out. All they could say was, “if he said he was, he will.” As it got later, some fans near the gate were talking to people from his team and said, “If he’s not coming out, just let us know.” But no one had an answer.

Finally a couple of younger girls were poking around one of the backstage doors leading into the club, and managed to get a peek inside. He was actually inside the club. I’m not sure what happened at this point – they got him to come out, though I got the impression he had not planned to do so and was practically dragged to this small area outside the door and under the stairs. It was nearly 12:30 a.m. by this time and there were maybe only 15 of us left – a manageable sized-group, but some of the fans did seem to be crowding him to get photos, autographs, etc. AngELL and her husband were still there, and she had a camera (they’re not permitted in the club, so I had left mine in the car). She was primed to take my photo, and I would take theirs. Finally, I would get a few moments with Elliott – and would definitely be worth the wait!

After posing/ signing for maybe 5-6 fans, he pulled back and said, “Thanks everyone, I have to go,” and turned to go back in. Unfortunately for him, the door was locked. He began to pound on the door for someone to open it. A few of the fans laughed and again approached for a photo. I think he was probably feeling a little overwhelmed at this point, and as soon as the door opened, he was whisked inside. Boom! The door closed.

I just stood there for a moment, stunned, as the reality sank in that I would not meet Elliott tonight. This is the second time I’ve had such a near-miss and it’s hard to take. I felt truly invisible (I had been hanging back a bit to give him some space, so we never even made eye contact). I turned to AngELL, and I could tell she felt terribly for me. I just shook my head and told her “that’s the story of my life.”

So I’m feeling rather deflated tonight. I enjoyed every minute of the performance (and have *someone’s* sweaty towel), and don’t believe that I’m entitled to anything else for my money. But I'm still disappointed. If anyone has encouraging words, I could really use them!!

CathyEM...I am bummed for you ! So sorry for your disappointment ! Hang in there Girl and thank you for the Recap !

We actually did NOT get to see E at all (other than the concert) today or tonight...but we did wait the 2 hours and hoped to help Cathyem take a picture..We were also hoping to get a pic of my DH and I together with E that we were thinking of turning into a Christmas photocard and sending out with E's CD as gifts...
We felt sooo bad for Cathyem as we had met E at other venues and we were sooo hoping this would be her special day! No one deserves it any more than you do, Cathy! Please don't feel too disappointed...my husband and I didn't meet E till our third concert. Hang in there!! Glad you got the towel--I think it was E's!

Hey, AngELL -- Sorry -- a couple of fans did tell me that they'd met him earlier. You and SandyB were the first ones I connected with today and somehow I got confused. Maybe it was PoorMe who met him earlier??

Anyhow, I did really enjoy the concert. Elliott did express his appreciation for his fans from onstage, with call outs to the E-trainers and Yaminions. I just wish he'd extended that appreciation a bit!

I wish I had the time/resources to go to multiple concerts but this is pretty much all I can do right now. If he comes back to Central Florida I'll certainly see him, but my rose-colored glasses are gone now.

Aw Cathy, I'm so sorry you didn't get to meet Elliott last night! It took me three different concerts too - and even then, it almost didn't happen. Some venues make it harder than others, some schedules make it harder than others, sometimes there are circumstances that just make it impossible. It makes me sad to hear you feel disillusioned by this. Elliott does the fan meet thing as much as is humanly possible, but sometimes he is pulled in another direction and can't be everywhere at once - he may not have realized that everyone was going to be kicked away from the merch table after the concert when he promised to sign there.

I'm glad Sway got your package for him - if there's one thing I have learned from the reports back from people who have talked with these guys - it is that they DO notice and they DO appreciate the love that's passed on to them through these gifts.

he probably wasn't happy about the fans being kicked from the merchandise table either...since they can make some easy money there.

Very odd, since he is one of the most accessible people I've ever seen when it comes to pics and meet&greets.

Cathyem. I'm so sorry that your evening didn't work out perfectly. I have been to see Elliott three times and only was able to meet him on the third concert. Sometimes there are things that are just beyond his control. Of any person I've ever been to see in concert, he is the only one who makes himself so available before and after concerts. It was such a goal of mine that I tried not to get discouraged and tried to think of it like I still had something wonderful to look forward to. I'm sure it is especially disappointing because so many others have reports and their pictures to post when they meet him. I am happy for you that you enjoyed the concert. My hope is that someday your wish will come true.

ETA: is there any chance at all that you could go to Ft. Lauderdale?

Cathy, I honestly know how you feel. Didn't get to meet him at the Bowery (not his fault) and trying not to sound negative, I'm almost afraid to go to the next concert in November because I'm afraid I will miss out again and then walk around depressed because I didn't get to meet him. We should be happy that we can see him perform in person and it doesn't cost us an arm and a leg. I think being on the etrain we all feel like it's mandatory seeing all the pics, etc, I guess it just makes us feel a little left out. lol Well, let's think positive... next time!

Exactly! I've gone from knowing I would be too embarrassed to even consider trying to get a pic, to choosing clothes "just in case". The reality is I've gone to plenty of concerts before and never even considered meeting any of the performers a possibility.

The one time I did, it was pure coincidence and a real throw-away experience. Of course, now I wish I had a got a copy of the picture from Suzy B since it was sooo mid-80s -- clothing, hairstyles, and uhm, Wang Chung. :rotfl:

I understand the disappointment. Because of the nature of American Idol, there is a greater expectation and closeness to the performers and most of the idol people do make themselves much easier to meet than other artists. Elliott seems very friendly but meeting him before/after the show is still not a lock.
It's probably better to go to the show hoping to meet him but not expecting to.
Reading about other people meeting him probably makes it feel worse but how many people ever go to a concert and meet the artist? It's pretty rare.

EEk. This is post #999. I better have something really important to say for post #1000. :think:

[QUOTE=jamie50,Oct 29 2007, 08:47 AM]

'Reading about other people meeting him probably makes it feel worse but how many people ever go to a concert and meet the artist? It's pretty rare.'

Most of the concerts that I ever went to were after the people became really famous so there was no expectation of a meeting. But the fact that so many of you have met him makes us have expectations at this point in his career. I realize the poor guy can only do so much and I certainly would never be so bold as to go inside and practically drag him out (above post) but, darn it, all I want is one picture and I know with his talent that time is running out. lol

I HATE to say this but there were a couple of conjectural thoughts....someone said that Elliott had cousins in the area and he called out from the stage to one family in particular...Perhaps he was visiting with them?? And we know he is a HUGE baseball fan. The final World Series game had just ended when Elliott finally came out...I am conjecturing this because my own husband was in the bar watching the World Series game in Birmingham when he should have been watching E with me --my husband missed the whole concert and afterwards felt just terrible because he loves E too..he actually tried to message E on his myspace and apologize to him, lol because I made the mistake of telling E afterwards that DH was watching the game (E seemed excited and started asking DH about the game, lol)...
But talk about the venues being unpredictable! We had not expected to see E at all in Birmingham....felt that we had already had "our share" of him...but HarleyWoman asked me to take her picture and that's how it happened..I actually feel guilty "seeing" E now when so many others have not yet..
I hope and pray, Cathy, that you will meet him! I'm a believer in answered prayers cuz that has happened for us!
ETA: We drove more than 7 hours to see the Orlando concert. My husband actually
missed BOTH his beloved Red Sox win the WORLD SERIES and his beloved Patriots kick butt against the Redskins Sunday night to see E...so he really DOES love E!

double post /hiccup!

I was thrilled at the Orlando concert--even though I didn't "see" E-- that I met Cathyem, Rick, Elliottcrazy, and Poorme and also other amazing E-fans not part of Etrain or other E fan groups waiting at the bus afterwards. Also was able to get pics taken (both me and DH) with other beautiful people--the ETrainers of course, and Ely, Sway, Joonie, Josh and to get lots of love and hugs--from Russell and Kurtis too! So if they come out at all, stay tuned for pictures. It might take awhile cuz I'm on a slow dialup while we are in Orlando for a week....

Aw-w- darn. I can understand the disappointment you all must have felt not meeting Elliott. I think he is doing the best he can to meet his fans. I've seen times when he had to "buck' his handlers to accommodate some fans. I am dreading the time when he will no longer be so accessable. Maybe you'll get another chance.

I know how you feel. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet Elliott. I felt the same way
the first time I went to see him. There will be a next time.

Cathy I'm sorry it didn't happen for you. I really think it was probably a combination of several factors much as AnGELL described, with it being the World Series, possible family members town and a need for the venue to clear out.

While I was fortunate to meet Elliott once, I'm not counting on it in Boston, as we now know he's going to be in the Hollywoood Christmas parade the next day. Might not leave a lot of extra time for him to hang around after.

I am glad you enjoyed the performance and got the towel. Hopefully you will get another chance. I'm sure it was nothing personal at all. :hug:

Aww, Cathy. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet Elliott this time. But you never know...the next time might be IT and then it will be very special. :)

Man cathy, my heart aches for you hon. I compleely understand your disappointment. Hubby & I drove over 800 miles total, to see Elliott in Richmond. I camethisclose to meeting him, but everything was crazy & my name was on a list, but not the list the people had, so I wasn't able to meet Elliott that day. I was bummed but I still had the best time at the concert & connecting with so many fellow Etrainers. I was able to meet him at my SECOND concert, but even that wasn't an 'official' M&G, as it was at the busses after the show.

And I agree Rooney, with so many pics & recaps of Etrainers meeting Elliott, it seems as though odds are any Etrainer/Yaminonion/efan who wants to meet Elliott, WILL. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out. We all know that Elliott loves his fans & it is so rewarding when we get to share a fans' experience of meeting him. Same as it hurts when a fan DOENS'T get their experience.

It is true that Elliott is by far the MOST accessible artist that I know of. He tries his best to be available for the fans, even when he shouldn't. (as in not feeling well, etc) It is a wonderful gift for us fans, but on the rare occasion that Elliott ISN'T available, especially for those who have never met him & have followed him since AI...well, it sucks. A lot.

Hang in there cathy, YOUR time WILL come & when it does, it will help ease the disappointment you feel now, if not eliminate it completely!! :glomp:

I think this pretty much sums it up.

Cathy, I am genuinely sorry that you were not able to meet Elliott. I've been there, and know the deep disappointment you are feeling. It does get compounded knowing that there are some who get the chance to meet him not once, but several times. It's hard to get over. I went to a concert once where it seemed that everyone around me was on his M&G list but me. I had a long lonely drive home, and I felt like crying the whole way.

But I've been able to meet him several times since. And I know you will too. Everyone here will be hoping and praying along with you that it happens.

I am so sorry you did not get to meet Elliott. I'm sure you will have a second chance. Sometimes it seems like it just happens as was the case for me. I was lucky enough to meet him because I met up with some other e-trainers who just seemed to know when and where to be. I am forever grateful for that. Hang in there because he really is a sweetheart.

Cathy..it was great meeting you last night. Sorry you feel a bit deflated..I think we've all come to 'expect' Meet 'N' Greets as part of the whole experience...but is it any wonder he didn't come out?? I think he left everything he had on that stage last night..!!!! He was incredible & gave his all.
I'm sure you'll get luckier next time..:)

Cathy I am in the same boat as you- For me there were three tries and I thought the third would be the charm but Elliott, sweet soul that he is got behind in schedule because he visited a young woman in the hospital. I can only admire and respect him for that.

Join me in the anticipation of that meeting that will ONE SPECIAL DAY take place.

CathyEM, I don't know if this news will make it better or worse for you but I read at another site that Elliott did come back out and he signed autographs, gave hugs and took pictures with the people still waiting. He got to everyone. She posted a picture. She said about 10 people were left. I hope it makes you feel better that he did come back as promised.

Hope you get to meet him soon.

All I can tell you is that he was coaxed to come out of the club by a couple of fans around 12:30 a.m., when there were around 15 of us there. He posed for photos with about 5-6 people, then (according to my friend), two security guards opened the door and told him that he needed to come back inside. Once that door slammed, I left. I have no idea if he ever came back after that, but after standing in increasing rain for two hours (having been on my feet for about six hours) and having the door slammed in my face, it was time to go home.

I understand why you were ready to go. You had a long day. I'm sorry that you missed meeting Elliott. The person said that he did come back and he got to everyone still waiting and did not leave until after they were all through. Since there were about 10 people left, he must have come out soon after you left.

Glad that you enjoyed the concert.

Just curious -- can you point me to the site where this is posted? I'd like to talk to that person. I have a feeling that they just THINK Elliott got to everyone.

Thanks!

It can't be easy being Elliott...when everyone wants a piece of you...think he needs to clone himself quick!

Hmmm... and I think I have some of his DNA...

(wicked laugh)!!!