ok pt one of my Boston/Roxy recap....

Well, where do I start? I guess I will start with the fact that despite my mom's terrible shoulder pain from surgery, and her CONSTANT (right chloe and Sheryl?) cough from allergies, she decided to tough it out and come with me to Boston!! So we headed out by bus at about 7 am on Saturday morning out of Bangor, Maine, and arrived in Boston at about 11 am. We grabbed a cab and headed to the hotel and checked in, and waited for Chloe, Sheryl, Rick and Millie to arrive, and rested our weary heads a bit until they did at about 2:30ish. They arrived without Millie in tow and said she would be there, but decided to go with Angel instead;) I intruduced my mom to everyone, and gave hugs all around, and it was wonderful meeting Rick for the first time. You are such a gentleman and a sweetheart, and you just fit in so wonderfully with the E-train family! Of course, you are a hoot as well...heheeee!! We got some word about soundcheck starting at about 4 pm and where to go to be there for it, so we all got ready, and headed down to the lobby to call for a cab to take us there. Ok, TWO cabs, cause one wouldn't take all five of us. The guy and younger girl at the desk were so nice, and the girl was flipping out when we told her we were going to see Elliott, and how we had met him before and all of our stories, and she was just dumfounded, and of course, Chloe gave her a button, lol. We told em both to come on over to the club after they got out of work, but they didn't get off till after eleven, so it was out of the question. The taxi's were taking too long, so we took a vote and decided to have Chloe try and drive us there. The girl at the dest printed out directions, and off we went. Of course, driving and directions in BOSTON, are unlike anywhere else, and after a few wrong turns here and there, and a nice taxi driver giving us some directions again, we lucked out and found it, and got valet parking right next to E's bus! We happened to see Ollie by the back entrance and asked him where we should go, and he pointed us in the right direction, and so off we went to soundcheck!!!!!!! It seemed so surreal to me to be just "hanging out" in the same room with all of E's band, TLGN's band and crew, and even sweet Josh, who I had yet to meet prior.

more to come...

aaagggghhhh--how could you tease us like that-- haha
cant wait to hear the rest

robyn

part 2....

We happend to run into Clovergirl (Karen is it? hi hon!) outside freezing her butt off all alone waiting for E to maybe come out and sign a baseball she had, as she has yet to get an autograph or anything, so Chloe said, "come on with us" and she came into soundcheck with us, and was so appreciative and sweet. First person that came up to us inside was Cyndy, (musicmaker111) and wow, what a DOLL!! I swear, could the entire E-train family be made up of the cream of the crop of human beings on this planet, cause people just don't get any better, than those on the train! She had won tix to the soundcheck through a radio station, and had gotten there a while before we did, and was thrilled to see us..and likewise! We all kind of wandered around and I decided to sneak over to Josh who was just standing around, watching the crew set up the stage. I said "Hi Josh, you likey my shirt?" and for those who didn't see what was on the shirt I made it said "ELLIOSH..Take it or Leave It!" with a pic of E and Josh getting ready to hug, ya know Elliosh, like Brandgelina? The back said YAMIN-HOGE 07 and I was hoping he and E would sign the back of it for me. He looked at my shirt and with one raised eyebrow said "huh, what I really like is that the red in Elliott's shirt matches my underwear in that pic"...lolllll;) I said, "well, yeah, why do you think I chose it?" and he laughed. Then I said "see my E-train tattoo?" and showed it to him and he had posted in a blog recently how one of his fans got his name tattooed on her ankle, and he gave her free concert tix for life because of it. So he said..."ummm, did you get free concert tix for that?" and I told him that I was gonna have to talk to Elliott about that very topic and he said "good..tell him to take care of ya!" and I laughed. I asked him to sign the back of my shirt and he did so graciously. What a charmer he is. Must be the southern boy, or maybe the Jack Daniels in him..hehe!!

Shortly after talking to Josh, we saw Elliott come in from the back and I said "mom, mom that's Elliott!' and she acted all dumfounded like "where? where?" and I pointed him out and if looks were worth a million bucks, I would be rich right now, ten times over!! Chloe, mom and I walked over to him and Chloe gave him a hug and said "do you remember yellin?" and he said OF COURSE!! and gave me a huge hug and said "hi sweetie how are you?" I told him I was fabulous and asked him if he was taking care of himself..lol, we are all his surrogate moms;) He said he was, and then I introduced my shy ol' mom to him and he was sooooo sweet. He was like "mama yellin!! so nice to meet you;) and my mom was beside herself, arm in a sling and all, gave him a big hug, and I think she even FORGOT about the word PAIN for a moment...I mean, because pain and Elliott just do NOT go hand and hand. That was a moment I had waited a long time to see, and everything in the world was worth it to see that moment with my mom and Elliott;) We asked if we could have a photo of us together with him, and he said " SURE..mother and daughter..awwww" and poor chloe couldn't see through my camera, but got the awesome close up shot I posted (after a few tries...poor E he is so patient and wonderful..lollllll) and Rick should be here maybe tomorrow with a few AWESOME ones he took too;) Elliott signed a CD case for my mom and he said "is it ok if I put it to mama yellin?" and my mom was just so tickled by that... "of course!" she said and he wrote "Mama Yellin, thank you for your support and God Bless ~ Elliott Yamin" which to my mom who has been a sunday school teacher, and just an angel on earth for so many years, meant the absolute WORLD. I haven't seen her that giddy since a Clay Aiken show, and she didn't get to meet him!! I then asked E if he would sign the back of my shirt, and he signed it "Love Ya Debbie!" Elliott Yamin, and Rick I think got picks of both Josh and E signing my shirt;) The fact that he wrote "Debbie" and not "yellin" and he knew my name, just floored me, cause he always calls me yellin, and how many people does this man meet on a daily basis? This is just a small PIECE of what makes him stand out from the pack, I mean, lil' ol me? ok big ol' me but still...heheeee!! We got to watch him do a soundcheck for a couple of songs, Free and Take My Breath Away (which I posted vids of) and he was such a riot saying "check one two, I need a shower, I stink, I need running water, check two, check" lolllllll;) Watching my mom watch him and sing along just made my heart and soul smile;) It is these kind of moments that one remembers in life ya know? It is never about the kind of car you drive, or how big your house or bank account is, but showing your mom a good time and seeing her happy;) God is good.

When Elliott came back off of soundcheck and before he went in for a shower, I decided to give him a snowglobe that I had made the night before, with a photo inside of him and Jaime on one side, and him and his mom on the other. I wish I had a picture of his face when he was looking at the globe, (wait, I think Rick DOES have one!!) shaking it like a 6 year old boy, and he was just overjoyed;) He thanked me so much, and hugged me again, and said "your just too much, I love it thank you!" awwwwwww;) Then chloe decided to give him a GORGEOUS/ADORABLE um...hanukkah bush/x-mas tree that she had decorated with little ornaments all that were photos of E with family, and e-trainers and friends, and things he loved. Boy didn't he love that tree, and it was almost like getting to see what he would be like during the holidays;) He hugged and thanked her and again was so floored and appreciative. Chloe, you always come up with the SWEETEST things for Elliott;) I loves you!!

I then had Chloe ask Skeeter, the drummer from the last goodnight, if he would be so kind as to take a photo with me, since I was a fellow drummer and loved him to death, and he was soooo sweet!! He was like "ohhh awesome of course!" and took the pic with me;) Chloe had also surprised me earlier in the day with a signed drumstick from Skeeter that she um "caught" (or at least her bag caught it..HA!) in NY;) Wow, what a day so far!! I still wanted to get a pic with Curtis, and he so graciously also agreed, and took that gorgeous pic with me that is posted;) He is just a DOLL!!

Ok so, mom and Sheryl, and Rick decided to sit for the show, and chloe, cyndi and I decided to stand front row center, as SOON as we saw they were letting people in, we took our spots. I have NEVER had such an amazing spot in my life and the stage was so low, it was almost just like they were all performing just for YOU;) ....

More to come...;)

what an amazing recpa so far-- I have tears in my eyes-- c'mon deb-- more ,more!!

haha-- i know it takes time-- took me over an hour to do my Troy recap

I am patiently waiting

robyn

:awe:

Aww...so true, Debbie. You just made me tear up a little there...made me miss my Mom and wonder whether she would have liked Elliott, too, if she were still here...

I'm glad you had a fabulous time. I'm excited to hear the rest of your recap! :)

Thanks for the wonderful recap...

May I ask a question: where did you stay in Boston and would you recommend it? Any other E-Trainers with suggestions for reasonable downtown hotels/B&Bs?

Thanks so much!

I'm so glad you have such a great memory for all the details of Saturday night! Right now it's a little bit of a blur except for Elliott shaking my hand, Elliott giving me a hug, Elliott singing (only to me ha ha). Just kidding, it was a privilege to hang out with you guys.

I can't say it enough ... Elliott is one of a kind and has the best friends/fans in the world!

As far as the question on hotels, I was solo so I stayed at the Marriott Courtyard attached to the Roxy. It was $209 which included all taxes and valet parking. It is an older hotel that Marriott acquired, so my room was not large but the furnishings such as king size bed, bedding, flat screen tv were all top quality. I requested highest floor because I read the club was extremely loud till the wee hours. Whether it was the club or a wedding that was in the ballroom, it even carried up to the 12th floor, and the beat went on until past 1am. That would probably be a deal breaker for me next time unless I needed to be at that specific hotel for proximity to the Roxy, the Wang or the theater district and couldn't find a better option.

pt 3..."in the end it is about the friends you make.."

Okay, so I guess I don't need to go on about the actual show, the set list, yada yada, except I will throw in a few very important points about this very SPECIAL night. First of all, you should have seen Elliott popping out from behind the curtain up high behind the stage when The Last Goodnight was performing!! Omg, you all would have DIED!! He was gettin DOWNNNNNN with his bad self, and he put those hip wiggles on film to shame!! During Elliott's set, we got the pleasure of being doused with Elliotts, spit, sweat, and tears...no blood..geesh!!! We were all laughing cause he would sing something like FFFFFreeeeeeeee and the spit would come flying out....and we would all be duckin'....lollllllll;) I think the front row needs tiny little umbrella hats..HA! It is a good thing I love that man to death that is all I can say!! He definetely sings with everything in that precious body of his, and gives it ALL he has got..and then some!! He puts new meaning to "say it, don't SPRAY it.." only maybe in his case it should be "sing it, don't fling it?" No matters, it is all good;)

I think one of the cutest parts of the show, was when he was singing Movin On, and Josh joined all of us "ehem...fan girls" in the front row, and yelled, and flailed and screamed, and was grabbing at Russell and E...OMG what a RIOTTTTTTT!!!! That was something you just HAD to be there for!! Josh is a hoot and a half. The place was packed, the crowd was amazing, and they all did the chanting "ELL-I-OTT, ELL-I-OTT" over and over until he came back out for ASFY, which as you can see in my video, tore at your heart strings. Before he sang it, he talked about how it was Boston where it all started for him, and that song, and you could tell he was getting emotional. One thing about Elliott that I will ALWAYS say, is that he is the type of human being that I believe to my very soul, will always stay grounded. He would never let it get to a point where he COULDN'T be, he just wouldn't have it. I get so angry when I hear people say "oh those American Idol losers" and act like just because they were discovered on a TV show, that means they have less talent then say...Brittany? Elliott Yamin has more talent in the bitten off fingernail of his little pinky, than ALOT of the so called "artist" do these days..or ANY days. He is one of those rare diamonds in the rough, a new gem just discovered by a gemologist, he is one in a million. And guess who gets the pleasure of supporting him, listening to him, and appreciating him? WE DO. If I do nothing else in my lifetime, well then I know I done SOMETHING worth while and good.

After the show we were hurried out as there was um "another party" coming in after, so there was no Elliott around to sign autographs etc after this show. I did however catch up with Josh after the show, who was QUICK to ask me if I had talked to Elliott about the free tix for life cause of my tat, and I told him "nope, didn't get a chance" and he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "well I take care of my people, you need to TALK TO HIM!!" We laughed and he asked me if I was going to DC and I told him I couldn't, cause I was there from Maine with my mom and I have kids yada yada, and he said, "well I WILL see you next year doll...NEXT YEARRRRRRR I WILL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!! He was (how perfect)"yellin'" it it out across the room..lollll!! I walked back over and he gave me a big hug and a kiss and told me thanks for coming out. Yep, your as good as the company you keep, and Elliott knows how to pick his friends and opening acts;)

We tried to see if E was coming out, but decided to go find the car, which happened to be valet parked right across from E's bus, and we completely lucked out...or well, an ANGEL was looking over us, (I swear it was 10 below outside..or it FELT IT!) and E came out to get on the bus just as we were getting ready to leave, and so we ran over, and he hugged and kissed Auntie Sheryl, Chloe, and thanked them for everything, then I gave him and he gave me the biggest hug, and I even gave and got a kiss, and he said "I love you guys" and I told him we loved him, and to be safe, and then he even gave my mom, mama yellin', a kiss and a hug, and she swears she will never wash her face again;) It was the PERFECT ending, all be it, bittersweet, to the most fabulous night ever.

I guess I have to leave you all with this. As I really took in, and enjoyed every single second of last night, and all the joy, and laughter, and happiness it brought to me, and so many with me, and around me, I realized something. If you could look up a definition for Elliott Yamin in the dictionary, he would have to be described as--- the first disease or infection that a human being would actually WANT to have. One that invades the very essence of what makes you YOU. One that flows through your veins, enters your soul, and pierces your heart with a flood of emotion. A constant feeling of good, happiness, joy, love and genuine appreciation for all that exists. Yeah, imagine ...all that and that VOICE too. I tend to think that with all of his simple and perfectly placed imperfections, he IS perfection. It has nothing to do with putting him on any pedestal, or raising him up to any higher standard than anyone else. It just IS who his is. And the thing is, everyone who is TRULY around him, that he embraces, and that embraces him, is exactly the same. Sorry, I had to get it out. That is my story, and I am stickin' to it;)

xo Yellin4yamin4life;)

That was just fabulous Yellin! I love living vicariously through all of these recaps and yours was so, so sweet. I can identify with your mom since I have had surgery on both of my shoulders but, I'm sure Elliott would be the best pain killer out there. Thanks for taking time to write that outstanding recap.

okay Yellin, seriously....you've got to stop. I can't cry anymore...........

I feel the same way^^^

and this, too................

:grouphug: Now I'm going to cry myself to sleep....it's all good, though

Wow, Yellin....that was beautiful. Really, really beautiful. I share every one of your sentiments about Elliott and the people who love him. And you, my dear, are one of the best examples of that.

Yes, yes, and YES!! All of the above! Anyone who has a heart can't help but feel this too!! Thank you for your recap and your reflections! So right!

AMEN sistah yellin...AMEN! :awe: :elliottcap: :wub:

Great recap, Deb! I esp. liked the part where mama yellin' meets Elliott in person. And you are so funny. Thanks for sharing your sentiments and wonderful experience with us! :)

I watched the video on YouTube and have to confess a pet peeve (that I am sometimes guilty of): I can't stand to hear others sing along when all I want to hear is Elliott's voice. I found it particularly irritating in this video, because often times people weren't even in synch with him (with Elliott, that's nearly impossible because of his freestyling).

Any other thoughts on this??

Loved your recap, Yellin. It was a great read. I'm happy that everything turned out so well before, during and after the concert. I love seeing my mom happy so I think I understand how it must have made you feel to see your mom so happy.

Elliott, Josh and TLG must have had a blast on the tour. I wish them all much success and happiness.

:oops: Sorry! I know how you feel, it irks me too!!But I swear, the only part I started singing was when he sang "I love you for my life, you are a friend of mine" I couldn't help myself!!! The rest of it wasn't me, honest!
Seriously though, it IS annoying, people want to hear Elliott, I know, it was beyond my control. Yellin should have :whip: :fryingpan: :poke: :clubbed: :bricks:
Next time I'll be more aware
My bad :sorry:

That was beautiful-- just beautiful. You really put all of my feelings into words.

Thanks for that wonderful recap-- I'm glad Mama Yellin got to experience our E.

I am touched-

robyn

Beautiful.

To prove your point, even though I showed up by myself. I knew as soon as I was taken under the wing of Etrainers all would be well. Thanks for a heartfelt story of a night I won't ever forget.

Yellin! :rocker: Your experience was awesome! Thanks for sharing!

kAREN,
Can't resist..........
You were the wind beneath our wings!!!!!!!!! :grouphug:

Yellin, thanks for such a beautiful recap! It was funny and heartfelt and I'm so happy that you and your mother had such a memorable night!

Deb, excerpts of your recap is archived here:
http://etrainstation.com/index.php?showtop...0&#entry7084428

Yellin that was fantastic. I wish I was as good with my words as many here are. Beautiful, and I'm real happy you got to experience it all with your Mom. someday I'll get to meet you... although I felt like I was right there with you. Thanks for the recap.

awwwwwwwww, ty guys;) It is easy to write like a poet, when Elliott is walking, talking, singing, LIVING poetry;)


and ty tx!! I am archived, how awesome is that!! hehe;)