With apologies to one of the all-time literary giants..."It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." (with a few HUH?? times thrown in for good measure)
Worst of times first:
As I told Chancie today...One of the worst happened late Saturday night. I wrote a 6+ page recap with just the start of all the gory details of our DC trip. I went to save it, and Word froze up on me. Tried everything under the sun, but AutoRecovery didn't kick in. Apparently there's some update out there that's hosing up applications right and left. I've def. got a love/hate relationship with my laptop, and would like to think that Santa might bring me a new one, but I believe I may have been too naughty, so Santa will probably save the trip this year... :-(
Oh well, no one wants to read that much stuff anyway, so I'll settle for some highlights; however, I'm hoping that Chancie and Emmy will pop in with any additional details as they see fit. Warning: None of these events are in chronological order.... total stream of consciousness going on. My brain can be a scary place, especially when tired and affected by the ElliHogeSyndrome. OK.. here goes:
Worst of times:
1) Husband FREAKING out over me going to the 9:30 Club. Apparently he used to go there back in the early 90's when it was in a rough neighborhood and catered to a rougher crowd and he was very much a wild child. (His mom says she was scared of him and his buddies back then…) Check out wikipedia entry for full story – mystery smells, mosh pits, punk bands, a bit of a drug culture…. Was relieved to read that the venue was moved across town in the late 90's. He relaxed a bit, but insisted on periodic phone calls to ensure our safely...
2) Driving around every round-about in the city trying to find the venue. Did you know that there really are 25 V's in the alphabet and 15 Vermonts? I'm convinced the DC road planners were evil maze builders in an earlier incarnation. Egyptian catacombs perhaps? I was soooo glad Chancie and Emmy were in the car(although Emmy was engrossed in last minute sombrero decorations!) We decided that if the crowd was light, it wouldn't be due to a rainy Monday, but rather the fact that folks were probably still trying to navigate through all the crazy round-abouts. At one point, as we were crossing Pennsylvania Avenue (the 12th time or so), we discussed the possibility of popping by to see if "W" might want to go with us to see his old pal, but worried that he might not have gotten over E being late to meet him last year. We also figured we couldn't afford to get further off-track. Might end up in Brazil.
3) Never receiving tickets in the mail for which I paid $12.00 in "convenience fees" (what a misnomer) and another $4.00 for postage. (It's a week later now, and I STILL never got them…) Mean ticket man at will-call also wouldn't give them to us until right before the door opened. Note to self: Never use tickets.com as a ticket broker again. Slow boat to China is faster. Perhaps should have relied on my husband's artistic skills (see next section on fake id's.)
4) Anal Gestapo 9:30 spy lady insisting that I erase the video clip of Anton onstage in the yellow tank top with Josh. Grrrrrrr. Almost ruined Josh's set for me until he looked down and gave me a little wink. (It could be he had something in his eye, but I prefer to believe he was winking at me...) No call-outs like Harley gets, but I'll settle for a wink!
5) Worst part of the whole night? I lost the diamond from my wedding/engagement ring a little bit before the show started. Major, major bummer. Yes, another diamond can be purchased, but it's just not the same as THE ONE that your husband picks out for you, and that time of our lives was so very special... (Silver lining in this – reflecting on the memories of when he first gave me the ring… Jacuzzi in Taos in a romantic B&B after a day of skiing and the most surreal Christmas Eve ceremony at Taos Pueblo. Thousands of people marching in unison, nothing but the sound of drums, our feet keeping time, and the cedar fires crackling while a soft snow fell. Maybe we can go back and recreate the experience with the replacement diamond???? Might be worth the angst from Monday night. But I digress…) Other pluses to this: The "mean" ticket man (who later was working the merchandise table) turned into a white knight trying to help me find it… jumped up on the counter with a flashlight and searched all over the place. A somewhat funny aside here... This search at the merch. table was taking place about 20 minutes before the show started. The merch. guy said that he was going to call Josh to help out. I know I gave him the strangest look ever and he looked pretty confused when I said, "Oh no... he doesn't need to be bothered about this... he's gotta get on stage..." Then he gave ME a very strange look... Then around the corner comes the Josh he was talking about... who happened to be the big tattooed, pierced guy with scary looking ears that we were all afraid of when we were standing in line. Turns out he was the floor manager! Just goes to show you can never judge a book by its cover. He was an absolute sweetheart!!! He cut a path through the crowd up to the front of the stage, then crawled up underneath the stage, shining flashlights everywhere he could to help me look for it. No luck unfortunately, but people can really be so very nice. Except for Gestapo lady. She never turned nice.
HUH? Moments:
1) The place my husband was scared for me to attend had the following rules:
a. Very important: Rule 1: Absolutely NO stickers allowed inside. When the TLG Street Team came up to us in line, I told them I was already on their mailing list, but would really love another sticker or two... Well, the guys came back with about 100 - on the QT - and said to hide them b/c they had found out that the venue didn't allow them inside. What? Are we going to engage in some wicked sticker karate or something? Get them caught in each other's hair and cause a disturbance? I can the newspaper headlines now... "Sticker shock at the 9:30 Club"..... Weird item to ban.
b. The most stringent age-ID system ever. Chancie didn't have her driver's license, but pulled out her government ID and AARP card… the Gestapo lady (See 4 above) was at the door and was unsure if she should let Chancie in. Huh? We've all heard of kids creating fake ID's (see hubby wild-child comment above - he's a gifted artist and made a lot of $ in high school apparently helping folks get into the 9:30 Club, etc.) , but don't think I've ever heard of folks using fake AARP cards to get into a club... I may have to get John to start designing some for me for the future.
c. Gestapo lady confiscated my…. SHARPIE when I came in the door. I was giddy with excitement to call my husband with the safety update and to tell him about this dangerous place that was afraid of letting in Sharpie-wielding AARP fans bearing stickers…. I mentioned to Anton later that he better be careful about signing autographs. The evil lady might confiscate his too…He was as confused as I was and laughed at the one that I HAD been able to sneak in. Anton said it was the biggest Sharpie he'd ever seen... The lady only confiscated the normal-sized one. She would have had major Sharpie envy had she only known what I was packing in my purse that night... (and very grumpy when she found out what I really did about that videoclip...)
Best of times:
1) Chatting with Walter (one of E's Richmond buddies). GREAT guy, and I wish him the best of success with his new endeavors
2) Chatting with Elliott on the sidewalk. His phone kept ringing, but he ignored it and devoted all his attention to us, even though we interrupted his smoke-break. (My husband would have been grumpy about that, not getting his full nicotine fix, but not Elliott!) He absolutely loved Emmy's printouts from the Richmond paper and was delighted that she had a copy for him. She's a real doll btw, and Elliott continues to demonstrate such respect for all of his fans, and his humility just amazes me. I had to laugh when he asked if we were planning to stick around for the show. Silly boy, did he really think we just were wandering around the streets of DC in the rain for fun? Oh... I had trouble getting the daggone tape off my CD and he said, "Here, let me take care of that for you...." Awwwwwwwww.
3) Brandon working his magic to allow the 4 of us into the soundcheck. As you all know, he's really a class-act. Just the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet and so down-to-earth! The soundcheck was a first for me, (I'd gotten to Norva too late to enjoy the one there) so this was a real treat and totally unexpected. Kinda funny... Ollie was giving Russell "down the country" about something he was doing or not doing on the stage... I was kinda surprised to see that! Elliott was a little hoarse and was bundled up, but looked cute as could be. Josh was back at the bar near where we were standing, and was clowning around a bit (what a shock!)
After they finished rehearsing, Elliott made his way over to us, and since Avril was the major planner, we were delighted that she got to have lots of one-on-one time with The Man! He loved her and the CD's she brought him and he gave her lots of hugs. She started to float out the door after the meeting, with that oh-so-familiar look that we all get after one of his hugs. Luckily we were there to remind her of the necessity of pictures, b/c she was definitely in that la-la land zone and would have been kicking herself later on. BTW.. She's a beautiful girl inside and out!! I was so happy to have met her and look forward to seeing her and chatting at many more concerts in the future!
4) Seeing the Packer's Cheesehead Sombrero on the stage that I had gotten(with a lot of last minute decorating help from Emmy) for "Jose Hoge" (See his blog from Oct. 26 re: Columbia, MO show) Kicking myself for not making him put it on for a photo opportunity, but didn't want to force the issue... it was enough that he made it part of the set!
5) Chatting with Ely outside the venue. Truly, the guy has the most mesmerizing eyes and quite the devilish smile… And one word for his skills on the keyboard – AMAZING. His belt buckle messages are...um.. interesting, if not terribly subtle. (While the discussion wasn't in the league of JackieB/Sharon's chat, he did spend a pretty good amount of time talking with us and taking pix. Nice guy! He talked about the upcoming videoshoot for Stay Beautiful and told us the storyline, but I'll be daggoned if I can remember what he said... the mesmerizing eyes rendered me rather weak-kneed. I managed to ask him how Mama Rise prepared for 25 hungry musicians descending on the house up in Toronto. He laughed and talked about what a good time they all had just chilling out and eating way too much... Said his dad kidnapped Elliott for awhile though while the rest of the guys were in the basement goofing off. He said that they'll be going out on a European tour, which will be really exciting. Also said that they're really psyched about going to Japan, but they need to change the CD cover for some reason (the eyes did me in again and I lost track of the details). Also said that Kodak had picked up POY, so the song will be featured on some upcoming commercials... super cool! I remember asking whether they liked touring with Rocco Deluca or Elliott more. No contest... Elliott of course - said it was like traveling with your family and that they all hated it to end. Did I mention he has gorgeous eyes and his keyboard skills are amazing? Jackie, I'm impressed with your restraint...
6) Speaking of amazing… Glen Sobel on drums. I hadn't focused on him too much in the last few concerts, but man, oh, man, that guy is phenomenal! Haven't gotten to meet him yet, but I hope to get the chance sometime. We saw him outside the venue chatting with Russell, but they seemed pretty engrossed in some stuff, so we didn't get the nerve to go interrupt their discussions... I still feel kinda like I'm intruding on their downtime whenever I see any of the guys outside the venues before shows.... Anyway, back to Glen...playing drums for the Monday Night Football is a pretty cool deal too! Maybe next time I'll get up my nerve to say hello...
7) Russell was smiling and laughing A LOT all night! Relieved to know his family and friends in Bangladesh are doing OK after the storms. I had emailed him on myspace when the news hit, and he wrote back a really nice, reassuring note, and was most appreciative of the concern. Outside the venue, we asked him again if they were still OK and needed anything and he said he was grateful to everyone who had contacted him about it, and that they're all doing fine.
8) Aaron… oh I just love him!!!!! That million-dollar smile can melt mountains! He came out when we were in line with a quick hug and smile, but dashed on out to the buses with Ollie, so we didn't get to chat with him unfortunately. Up on stage, he was his typical FABULOUS self. I could watch him all night and never get tired or bored. He's just got the BEST energy about him; and Sway... love his exuberance, sweetness, and great voice. Again, he always looks like he's having the time of his life - and is so nice to all the fans! He and Joonie chatted with us outside the venue early on.. REALLY nice guys; Ollie... was very impressed with his Caveman impersonation! He, too, was having a really fun time; and Joonie... I'll always love him for what he brings out in E with ASFY. Brings the tears out every time! And he's gorgeous to boot!
9) And then there's Elliott! He just keeps on getting better and better. The love in that place for and from him was palpable. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I imagine it's like the folks at Woodstock felt - just one big ole lovefest! This night in particular. It's just so funny to meet him - rather soft-spoken, unassuming, and all-round sweetheart. You instantly fall in love with the twinkly eyes, the smile, the curls, the laughter, and the "Hug Ya Like Yamin It" moments. And then when he takes the stage - WOW! He becomes larger than life and draws everyone into that magical musical sphere with him. He's not just performing on a stage, he's singing with every molecule of his being, and it's etched there on his heart for the world to see. On the Montel show, when he said that music is something inside of you, that you need to really feel it... he's the epitome of that. Donny Hathaway is looking down on this boy and has got to be blown away!!!
It's just such a pleasure to witness this metamorphosis. And I've said it before, will say it again (and we've all read each other's comments with the same thoughts).... to think that he has really just now taken his first baby steps in this business. It's just unfathonable to think of what lies ahead. At each concert, he shows just a little bit more of that big "P" word that Simon first threw out. At the last few shows, he's done the short little impressions of Josh and Kurtis... which were spot-on! He had Kurtis's hyperactive dance steps down to perfection (in addition to the voice!) Yeah... we've all backed a winner, folks! In so many ways!
OK, back to the show... I was tickled to death to look up at one point and get a little wink and finger waggle from him. Swoon. (I remember as a very small child going to an Elvis concert with my parents- in his later years- and being totally perplexed why all the ladies were screeching whenever Elvis would move a finger their way. Now I understand.) I thought the fella standing behind us was going to need to be taken out on a stretcher when E started with the hip action on "STNT"... very NICE indeed! E's def. got some moves on him. I'm still struggling to keep my composure when I see that kissing scene in the One Word video. E's ladies (and several men apparently) get all kind of hot and bothered by that. And the best thing is that he doesn't get it! (I wrote Jackie the other night while a rerun of Jay Leno was on with David Hasselhoff. I was in hysterics... he was so full of himself, doing the "Don't you think I'm hot, ladies?" dance.... Not anywhere even close to the same league as Elliott!!!!)
10) The look on Joy's (WholeFamilyLovesElliott) face while he was singing… Just priceless. She was there with her daughter, who gets the award for most devoted fan of the night! Bless her heart, she had brought her homework and was working diligently to get it done under the stagelights before the show began! Don't think I could concentrate that much if I tried! (WholeFamily... snagged 2 water bottles, E's setlist, some confetti from when Sway poured it over Ollie's head… and Emmy ended up giving her E's towel as well.) I'm jealous. (But I snagged Ollie's setlist :-)
11) Anton coming out during Josh's set wearing the same Josh Hoge shirt that I happened to have on… but I think he wore it so much better! I'm starting to fall in love with Anton too, I believe. You've all read about this, so I won't go into details, but it was WAY cute. Oh... he was a hoot after the show as well, vamping it up with Trey... and then running up to Josh to get a JHoge autograph on his belly. I told him if he gets it tattooed, Josh will probably give him free tix for life... They both thought that was pretty funny. Oh... I also mentioned to him how much I enjoyed the live chat. He said they had such a fun time doing it that they're going to try and plan one for at least every month or two. Yippee!!!
12) Seeing Josh come out during TLG's set in his shorts. The boy seems to have a lot of trouble remembering his pants. Not a bad thing for him to forget IMO. Now if only he'd forget his shirt .... (Oh Kurtis teased everyone with a possible disrobing as well - he's REALLY cute btw and looked a bit embarrassed by all the exhortations to "take it off" when he said it was hot on stage... would have been JUST fine by everyone for him to get comfortable on stage....Shoot, all of 'em should feel comfortable taking off whatever they want... We're just wanting to be sure the guys don't suffer from heatstroke, you know. ;-) ... Maybe next tour they'll get more comfy with us. As Josh sings... "It's gettin' hot in here..."
13) All the guys coming out with a toast for Elliott during the first half of his set. Josh was carrying the tray, so that left little mystery as to what golden liquid was in the cups! Not sure that phrase sounds entirely right now that I'm reading it back, but I'm too tired to rework it too much. Jack Daniels of course!!!!
14) Seeing Batman, the Caveman, and the huge gecko come out and dance during "Movin' On." Who knew a gecko could move so well? I'm thinking "Dancing with the Stars" would be a good next step. The whole night just felt like a huge celebration with all of your best friends.
15) Loved TLG... again. Kurtis jumped off the stage and worked his way through the crowd, which was very much appreciated by everyone. All the guys sounded really tight, and seemed to be having a blast. The Josh/Caveman appearance was pretty hysterical for all involved! Did I mention Ely has gorgeous eyes? lol.
16) Hearing all of the guys profess their heartfelt LOVE and admiration for each other, and in particular, Elliott. Very special moment for everyone in the house. Especially Elliott I'm sure. I was wiping away tears all night long. How often do you hear a bunch of guys telling each other that they love each other? Just beautiful!
17) Talking with Trey after the show. I adore him… he's another humble, grateful guy with a huge heart and wonderful spirit. He's excited about his upcoming recording and trip to Singapore in the spring!!! Can't wait to follow his career. He showed his colors again today with his blog, promoting Brooke Fraser and her beautiful video about Rwanda. Be sure to check out his myspace. Quality guy, through and through!
18) OK.. my FAVORITE time of the night… and perhaps all year. My boy Josh (he may have been a little toasted, but that was fine)… I got to speak with him and get several hugs at first while he signed various CD's and such. I finally remembered to ask him about the white and blue wrist bands that he always wears… and he gave it to me!!! Then he started telling me some really special stuff that I won't go into detail over, but it was just thrilling, so I started jumping up and down for him and he just laughed at me. Then he said some things that proved just how deeply he feels about his fans… and it was so heartwarming. Anyway, we chatted a bit more, then when I felt I'd hogged his time enough, I went to hug him goodbye, and he gave me a kiss instead (yep Robyns... on the lips!). (By the time the night was over, he had given me 3 or 4! Watch out Harley... I'm moving in on your boy! But I don't think either of us can compete with Claudette.) Anyway, I started to leave, but remembered that I wanted to give my contact information to the floor manager (the pierced/tattooed/strange eared Josh in case my diamond showed up when they were sweeping), so I came back into the main hall and Josh (Hoge)started yelling at me to hold up, he had something for me. I smiled and said Oh..OK and was a little surprised and not a little curious. He finished signing stuff for/posing with the folks he had most recently been talking to, then grabbed something, wrote on it and brought it over to me and said he wanted me to have it…I couldn't believe my eyes when he handed it to me and nearly started crying.. it was the access tag he had worn throughout the whole tour… you know, the one that they all wear around their necks with Elliott's picture on it and the tour dates on the back. I was totally and completely blown away! He hearts me! :awe: Snagged another kiss and literally floated out to the car and smiled all the way home to Richmond... Probably the only thing that kept me awake since I'd only had 1 hour of sleep the night before...So… I guess this means, when I'm 90 years old and in my wheelchair, I'll be begging the grandkids to take me to the Jhoge concerts (with my fake AARP ID card in tow, hiding the sharpies and stickers. May need to become a diehard Cheesehead too (sorry Jackie!). I truly love that boy and really hope he makes it big, finds long-lasting joy with the love of his life and never has to dwell on "360 girl" ever again! (Little does that girl know, but there are now a LOT of additional "Mama Hoges" running around that'll make her life miserable for hurting that boy)! Then again, good music came of it... I wish him all the best that life has to offer...The talent is a given; it's the heart that has me hooked.... I can see why Elliott and Josh get along so well. They're truly cut out of the same fabric.
OK… I'm probably way past the original 6 pages and know that there's a lot more I could write. Overall, I'm just so sad it's over, just when I'm really getting into TLG!, but am hopeful that there will be a reunion tour at some time. They all seem eager to do it, so I'll keep my fingers and toes and eyes crossed. I'm thrilled for everyone on that tour because they all clearly enjoyed it so much, got some good exposure (and good reviews), and made it so much fun to be a fan. Who knows what "management" thought and whether it was more or less than they expected re: numbers (I'm hoping they were pleased.) But more importantly, it's clear they all made some great music together and gained some very valuable, lifelong friends along the way… and hey, isn't that what life truly is all about?
And to any of you guys reading this, please know, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for sharing all of your stories, your kindesses, your laughter and tears, and most importantly, YOUR friendship. I value it greatly! Looking forward to many more wonderful times down the road!
As my old buddy Bryan Harvey wrote in one of his last songs before his death:
"Do talk to strangers,
Don't stray long from home
Take lots of pictures…
Rely on your friends."
So... I'm relying on you all for many more pictures, more chats, and a lot more fun along the way! Chancie/Emmy - THANKS for all the fun the other night!!! (And Jackie... remember, you promised!) :-)
Goodnight, all my friends....
But it's surely a far cry from our "last good night," don't ya' think?
Sorry for the melodrama... I'm tired. And as I said earlier, my brain gets a little scary at times when it's tired.... and mushy over the boys! Thanks for your patience and fortitude reading all this!