The Late, Late Show with James Corden...and a band called One Direction

It was raining when I left Fresno, CA this morning.  Three and a half hours later, I reached cloudy Los Angeles.  Hey, where's the sun?  Today was a big day.  I was going to see The Late, Late Show with James Corden.  On my previous road trips, I almost always made it a point to see The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  Alas, he decided to call it quits...he's hosting a game show now, Celebrity Name Game.  I had seen Corden's rendition of The Late, Late Show on television and I must say, I'm impressed.  He's good.  Funny, clever and very, very entertaining.  Needless to say, I wanted to see his show.  I signed up for and got one of their free tickets for a taping of the show.

When I got to Los Angeles, I decided to grab lunch at the Farmers Market, which is adjacent to CBS Television City...where I would be attending the show.  I got a corned beef dinner from Du-par's...very tasty!  While I was eating, it started raining pretty good.  Even though I had an umbrella, I didn't have to use it for very long.  The personnel in charge of the show taping let people in early to get out of the weather.  As we sat outside in a sheltered section of the building, I chatted with a father and son vacationing from the East Coast. 

As we entered the studio, I was seated front row center in the main section.  I was envious of those chosen to sit in the cushy seats closest to the stage, but I would later find out I was the lucky one.  The show's guests would be the boy band One Direction, and there were quite a few fans in the audience.  I wouldn't count myself as one of them.  I only know one of their songs, and in general, I just don't listen to pop music. When I entered the studio, I noticed right off the bat how different it was compared to when Craig Ferguson hosted the show.  It was quite a bit nicer, lighted signs, a bar plus there was a house band fronted by comedian-musician Reggie Watts.

After the opening monologue and a hilarious video of Corden playing dodgeball with the One Direction guys, it was time to get the party started.  One by one, the current members of One Direction...Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Liam Payne...entered the studio from the top of the stairs and down to the stage.  Those sitting on the aisle got high fives from the guys as they passed by.  They had announced beforehand it was the band's first public appearance since Zayn Malik left the band earlier this year.  For the rest of the show, Corden chatted with the guys.  I found myself liking them, and I was impressed by Corden's hosting skills.

It was toward the end of the show that the magic happened.  One Direction joined Reggie and the house band and they performed a song I was unfamiliar with.  The whole audience was on their feet, clapping and cheering.  Suddenly, One Direction...led by Corden...slowly began to make their exit, and came by the railing where I was standing.  To my complete surprise, Corden took both my hands AND THANKED ME FOR COMING!  If that wasn't enough, Liam shook my hand, and Louis gave me a fist bump as they filed out.  Last in line was Harry, and I got one last hand slap from him.  The only one I missed was Niall, but that's OK.  I just experienced a Directioner's dream and even I couldn't help but feel touched by...their hands?  Joking aside, I had a great time, and I look forward to seeing The Late, Late Show again on a future road trip.  And, who knows...I'll probably check out more of the lads' music.

Before heading to my pit stop for the night, I went back to the Farmer's Market for some take out dinner.  I got my favorite Brazilian grill from the Pampas Grill.  Great grilled meats and delicious fried plantains.  SO YUMMY!  And, no, I didn't eat the whole thing!  I always get enough for two meals.  Yes, it's that good! 

Tomorrow, I'll be spending almost all day doing the Warner Brothers Deluxe VIP Tour.  Five hours of behind the scenes where movies and television shows are made.  I've done this particular tour a couple of times in the past, but I like to revisit to see what's new.