It's fun being a groupie, part 2

Originally posted on MySpace on April 20, 2007.

Well, I did see John before the show, but the encounter was brief. He was running VERY late...about an hour...thanks to rush hour traffic. His dad actually drove him to the venue, in a silver Dodge pickup. John and I exchanged hellos, and I told him I was looking forward to the show. I also mentioned that I spoke to his aunt before he arrived. His aunt? Yep, although initially, I had no idea who she was. As I was waiting for John to show up, an older couple appeared in the parking lot, saying something about soundchecks. As the gentleman went to check out in front, the lady came up to me and asked if I was attending the meet-and-greet. No, unfortunately not, I replied, but did say I was waiting for John to arrive. I told her my bit about the groupie road trip, and she offered a story about being at a show, and someone asking if she was familiar with Five For Fighting. Her reply...I should, I changed his diapers when he was a baby!

When it came time to line up for entry into the show, I found myself in the enviable position of being FIRST IN LINE! My Pass The Line receipt got me in the right line, and I had the good fortune of arriving before others with first entry privileges. Thus, I scored the very best spot right up in front of the stage...I had an excellent view of the piano, which was only about 15 feet away! For some reason, everyone else who came after me chose to sit in back...I guess they didn't want to stand. Soon after, three nice ladies came and stood next to me. They were pretty big fans, and I soon found myself telling them all about my road trip, My Space, my FFF stuff, etc. It was great because I had someone to talk to, and I wouldn't really be alone watching the concert.

Like usual, John was terrific! The show was running late due to sound problems before it started, so John cut way back on the stories. There was one minor glitch about halfway through I Just Love You...John's microphone went dead. He quickly grabbed the mic behind him that was set up for his guitar numbers, and continued on with the song...that was fast thinking! When the concert was over, my quest for stuff began...guitar picks, setlists, etc. For some reason, guitar picks are pretty scarce on this tour so far...are conservation measures in force? I had my eye on John's water bottle sitting on the piano. I watched and waited for the stage crew to start breaking things down, but they were a little tardy tonight. In the meantime, the club staff were trying to shoo everyone out. Finally, I saw my chance...one of the guys came close enough for me to ask for the water bottle. He was puzzled at my request, but handed it to me anyway. It was better than nothing, and some people might consider it better than anything!

So, tomorrow, show #4 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. With the activities I have planned for the day, I probably won't make it to the theater in time to see the bus arrive. But, I might be able to say "Hi" to John again before the show. After all, isn't that the groupie thing to do?