Post by TuckedAway on Aug 23, 2010 3:01:58 GMT -5
I'd like to start with this initial warning... Y'all, this is going to be a fucking long wall of text.
There. That's y'all's warning.
So, as some of y'all know, I teach English. School starts back tomorrow. Well, technically today, but anyway... Because of that poor timing, I was very hesitant to even attend this show when it was announced. I wanted to be responsible and put work first.
If I had done that, it would have been the biggest Gooey mistake I'd so far.
Another factor into this, which I'll touch briefly, is that I have seen them before. No, not twenty+ times like some awesome Goobers... But, this show was my seventh time to see them since the '99 Dizzy Tour with Sugar Ray being my first. So, I thought... Okay, I've seen them; I can miss this one and be responsible.
Also, I've met them before, a while back (that's a story...), so I didn't necessarily think I'd really be missing out on, say, an IM M&G should I skip this show, either. Plus, I figured, if I entered for one, I wouldn't get it anyway, etc...
But, then some of y'all encouraged me to go... How I'd regret it if I didn't. Well, y'all all know who y'all are, and I couldn't be more thankful for y'all for encouraging me because I really wasn't going to go, and I couldn't be happier.... At all... If I hadn't, so thank you.
Now, whenever the Dolls play Houston (and I mean post-DUTG) they play at this place called The Woodlands (that's short for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for the Performing Arts)... It's an outdoor amphitheatre that sits close to 17k, including having people on the hill... For there is a pit, a section of seats, then another section, and then a large hill which is the GA section.
I mention this because the four other times I've seen them at this venue (two other times at a rare smaller theatre and a bar for a radio thing, and the seventh time being tonight)... I've always been on the hill. ....And, the Dolls always hit Houston in August or September, it seems... Wherein our typical temperatures are hellish.... Today's heat index, for instance was in the 107-112*F range... plus humidity. (Just file this info away.)
I went through all that because the following is the one bad thing about this show... So few people came to this concert that the Hill was blocked off and people were moved down to the seats to fill them up. Not a single soul was on the hill, which I believe can comfortably hold at least 7k... So that's seven thousand un-sold tickets. (I'm sure the Houston Chronicle and/or Houston Press will have a field day explaining THAT with the Dolls' irrelevancy... )
Anyway... My point being, I was sick of being on the hill. I wanted to be close again, like I had been in '02 at a small venue. So, despite some moral disagreements, I said, "Fuck it." and purchased some Silver ViP tickets, and ended up with Pit - 5th Row, Seat 32. (And, yes... The pit actually had seats. I'd never seen that before at this venue, and I was just there earlier this month seeing Aerosmith.... They didn't have seats.)
I also entered to win a M&G.
which I won.
I will spare y'all all my anxiety preceding this show. If you Follow me on Twitter, then you'll know I was a fucking basket case all day.
So, tune in now if you've been glossing over things...
My friend (I'll call her D) and I get to the venue and park a little after five. The gate opens at six. Show started at seven. I had my instructions to go to Will Call, and I did, and they said they didn't know what was going on with the M&G, to come back later.
Okay. So, D and I went into the House of Blue Hospitality suite... It's this semi-new thing at the venue, since Houston finally (relatively speaking) has a HoB. We waited, and gates opened a little late. We went in, and bee-lined for the Merch booth and got our stuff. (No, I did NOT go for the signed setlist, nor for the signed drumheads... Yes, plural. And, no, sadly, I didn't get anything from GRO or SF.)
After we got our merch, we went and found our seats in the pit. We were in the second-to-last row in the pit, so no, I was not on the rail... But! We were right in the middle, slightly to Robby's side. It was a great spot.
So, we're looking at our stuff and I remember that I forgot the EP, so I ruuuush back to get it, and while I'm there, I zip over to the will call booth again to try and find out about the M&G. I get the M&G info first. It tells me where to go and gives me a little wristband. I then go to Merch and get the EP.
I realize I don't have much time, rrrrruuuush back to the pit, and give D the EP. Then I'm off to M&G land!
*cue dream-sequence music, y'all.*
I find the little gate I'm supposed to go to; there's already this.... double-line forming. (Meanwhile, GRO has taken the stage, and yes, I did not see their performance at all, but I heard it, and really enjoyed what I heard.) I pick the side in the shade and take a spot. More people come, we wait some.
As I'm waiting, I meet this lady... And, get this y'all... Her name's Corinna. She lives, at worst, ten minutes from me, and actually wants to teach at my school, and is currently teaching at my former Junior College. She'd been a fan since SSCW, and she used to live in Las Vegas. From there, she and her friend would fly to Texas tour stops and to LA to see them as often as possible. She told me about how she and her friend, who's now in Arizona, used to draw pictures of John and Robby back when they worked together! She was really cool; I gave her my email.
(And, in case anyone's wondering... She was a total Obzezzive and her friend? Yep, you guessed it... a total Fanatak.)
They usher us through this gate... Into a sort of patio area. ...We all slump, thinking we were going into air conditioning... Nope. So, as we wait, Corinna and I, and another very nice Goober, talk and all... How we're all hopeful about Something and blah blah... and then everything changes.
The Dolls come out behind us, from this door, and we all cheer a little. John first... Then Robby and Mike and the photographer (I believe in that order). John waves to us all and they're all, "Heyyy" and one saucy fan calls back, "Welcome to Houston... In AUGUST!"
We all laughed.
John just dazzled and charmed, flashed those pretty whites and did that semi-roll'd-eyes expression and said, "Yeah, this is my second shirt today..." More laughter.
The Dolls line up.. R, J, M... and then I realize that, oh... I'm closer to the start than I thought... Oh, okay... sure, alright.... And I also realize that, oh, fuck.... You do it in front of ALL the other winners.
Cue a mild panic attack because although I know Y'ALL know I love one of 'em to a ridiculous degree... I don't want these people to know! omg... OMG OGMGJSJIGVSIVGFW PANIC AT THE MEET AND GREET!!!!
....I calm down.
Then my turn comes....
The nice lady before me is finishing... And Robby, after checking his phone really quick, looks to me, like, 'Okay, you're next' sort of look. I start to head in, but I see she's not quite done, so I shake my head a little and point to her, and he looks, and nods.
Then she exits, so now I get to go! Yay!!!!
I go to Robby, and he holds out his hand, and literally introduces himself, "Hi. I'm Robby." and gives me this look, and I'm trying not to blurt, "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE OMG!!!" So I say, "Hi, Robby, I'm Jessica."
(Pause, y'all... and take note... I did NOT call him "Mr. Takac" like I did last time! Go me.) He leans closer, like he didn't hear me, which totally makes sense... I talk really softly... So I repeat my name. He smiles and repeats it. (Tuck that away, y'all.)
He smiled... oh god he smiled...
Ahem...
I suddenly remember there's two other men... And politely go to John and shake his hand and say, "Hi, John. I'm Jessica. Nice to meet you." He does that pretty smile and says, "Nice to meet you," back. Then, I kinda lean and shake Mike's hand and rinse and repeat.
Then they start gettin' all in position, and I remember to ask for my hug, so I step back over to Robby and go all, "Oh, my gosh, Robby, could I ask you something?" (And, y'all, it probably came out "Wobby"...) I kinda don't wait and sort sigh/blurt/beg, "Could I have a hug?" He smiles.
Oh god.. he smiles......
ahem...
So, we hug, and I forget how to breathe... And, I momentarily feel awful for him, for having to touch me because it's Houston... In August... I'm in black... and I just know the sweat's soaked through the lace on my back, and poor Robby has to deal with that.. ewwwwww.... Whereas, I'm super lucky and just have this... Sweet, mild warmth to hold. And I even think, "Oh, well, now we're even for the last hug eight years ago... He was dripping wet that time... He still smells like soapy, though... That's nice..."
But, he's wonderful, and he handles it in stride, and actually really hugs me... Maybe he likes oranges...? IDK.... Nah, he's just wonderful and being in his arms with my chin on his shoulder could very well be the greatest place in the whole wide world!!!
Or, well... That's what I think, anyway.
So, then we part, and I turn and see John looking at me, and I don't really know what to do, so I just kinda squeakly sigh, "Well, I guess I can hug you, too... Sure, you can have a hug." And he's all, "Okay!"
So... (more hug... porn...? y'all) .... John and I have a a quickie compared to the awesomeness Robby and I just had... So, true to my nature, I've got one arm still kinda around Robby, and... Y'all... I start in with John, and I have to go the side-hug route, and he sees this, and goes with it.
....Y'all. I hug students with side-hugs... I just blew my chances at full frontal huggage with John Rzeznik... and I'm so okay with it. And so we have our little hug... And I suppose it's just a knee-jerk reaction, but when I unwrap my arm to drift back to Robby, John tugs me closer by my hip, and...
SNAP! PICTURE!
Some laughter from other fans.
So John's wonderful and charming, and I look at him and he's all, "No, we'll do it again. That's not it. This one will be a good one!"
And it would have been... Had I not heard a fan say, "She must like Robby..." which causes me to want to laugh and hide all at the same time, so my eyes slipped shut...
SNAP! PICTURE TWO!
And, then it was pretty much over. I smiled and nodded and said good byes and thank yous to all three; told John specifically, "Good luck with the new album!" He thanked me, and then I was gone.
...Just like I am now...
I'm exhausted, and I have to be "awake" in two hours.... So, I'll finish up tomorrow with some haphazard parts about the show...
Oh, and yes... I took piccies... and vids. They'll be up ASAP, too.
Thank y'all for bearing with me. I'm just so happy.
There. That's y'all's warning.
So, as some of y'all know, I teach English. School starts back tomorrow. Well, technically today, but anyway... Because of that poor timing, I was very hesitant to even attend this show when it was announced. I wanted to be responsible and put work first.
If I had done that, it would have been the biggest Gooey mistake I'd so far.
Another factor into this, which I'll touch briefly, is that I have seen them before. No, not twenty+ times like some awesome Goobers... But, this show was my seventh time to see them since the '99 Dizzy Tour with Sugar Ray being my first. So, I thought... Okay, I've seen them; I can miss this one and be responsible.
Also, I've met them before, a while back (that's a story...), so I didn't necessarily think I'd really be missing out on, say, an IM M&G should I skip this show, either. Plus, I figured, if I entered for one, I wouldn't get it anyway, etc...
But, then some of y'all encouraged me to go... How I'd regret it if I didn't. Well, y'all all know who y'all are, and I couldn't be more thankful for y'all for encouraging me because I really wasn't going to go, and I couldn't be happier.... At all... If I hadn't, so thank you.
Now, whenever the Dolls play Houston (and I mean post-DUTG) they play at this place called The Woodlands (that's short for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for the Performing Arts)... It's an outdoor amphitheatre that sits close to 17k, including having people on the hill... For there is a pit, a section of seats, then another section, and then a large hill which is the GA section.
I mention this because the four other times I've seen them at this venue (two other times at a rare smaller theatre and a bar for a radio thing, and the seventh time being tonight)... I've always been on the hill. ....And, the Dolls always hit Houston in August or September, it seems... Wherein our typical temperatures are hellish.... Today's heat index, for instance was in the 107-112*F range... plus humidity. (Just file this info away.)
I went through all that because the following is the one bad thing about this show... So few people came to this concert that the Hill was blocked off and people were moved down to the seats to fill them up. Not a single soul was on the hill, which I believe can comfortably hold at least 7k... So that's seven thousand un-sold tickets. (I'm sure the Houston Chronicle and/or Houston Press will have a field day explaining THAT with the Dolls' irrelevancy... )
Anyway... My point being, I was sick of being on the hill. I wanted to be close again, like I had been in '02 at a small venue. So, despite some moral disagreements, I said, "Fuck it." and purchased some Silver ViP tickets, and ended up with Pit - 5th Row, Seat 32. (And, yes... The pit actually had seats. I'd never seen that before at this venue, and I was just there earlier this month seeing Aerosmith.... They didn't have seats.)
I also entered to win a M&G.
which I won.
I will spare y'all all my anxiety preceding this show. If you Follow me on Twitter, then you'll know I was a fucking basket case all day.
So, tune in now if you've been glossing over things...
My friend (I'll call her D) and I get to the venue and park a little after five. The gate opens at six. Show started at seven. I had my instructions to go to Will Call, and I did, and they said they didn't know what was going on with the M&G, to come back later.
Okay. So, D and I went into the House of Blue Hospitality suite... It's this semi-new thing at the venue, since Houston finally (relatively speaking) has a HoB. We waited, and gates opened a little late. We went in, and bee-lined for the Merch booth and got our stuff. (No, I did NOT go for the signed setlist, nor for the signed drumheads... Yes, plural. And, no, sadly, I didn't get anything from GRO or SF.)
After we got our merch, we went and found our seats in the pit. We were in the second-to-last row in the pit, so no, I was not on the rail... But! We were right in the middle, slightly to Robby's side. It was a great spot.
So, we're looking at our stuff and I remember that I forgot the EP, so I ruuuush back to get it, and while I'm there, I zip over to the will call booth again to try and find out about the M&G. I get the M&G info first. It tells me where to go and gives me a little wristband. I then go to Merch and get the EP.
I realize I don't have much time, rrrrruuuush back to the pit, and give D the EP. Then I'm off to M&G land!
*cue dream-sequence music, y'all.*
I find the little gate I'm supposed to go to; there's already this.... double-line forming. (Meanwhile, GRO has taken the stage, and yes, I did not see their performance at all, but I heard it, and really enjoyed what I heard.) I pick the side in the shade and take a spot. More people come, we wait some.
As I'm waiting, I meet this lady... And, get this y'all... Her name's Corinna. She lives, at worst, ten minutes from me, and actually wants to teach at my school, and is currently teaching at my former Junior College. She'd been a fan since SSCW, and she used to live in Las Vegas. From there, she and her friend would fly to Texas tour stops and to LA to see them as often as possible. She told me about how she and her friend, who's now in Arizona, used to draw pictures of John and Robby back when they worked together! She was really cool; I gave her my email.
(And, in case anyone's wondering... She was a total Obzezzive and her friend? Yep, you guessed it... a total Fanatak.)
They usher us through this gate... Into a sort of patio area. ...We all slump, thinking we were going into air conditioning... Nope. So, as we wait, Corinna and I, and another very nice Goober, talk and all... How we're all hopeful about Something and blah blah... and then everything changes.
The Dolls come out behind us, from this door, and we all cheer a little. John first... Then Robby and Mike and the photographer (I believe in that order). John waves to us all and they're all, "Heyyy" and one saucy fan calls back, "Welcome to Houston... In AUGUST!"
We all laughed.
John just dazzled and charmed, flashed those pretty whites and did that semi-roll'd-eyes expression and said, "Yeah, this is my second shirt today..." More laughter.
The Dolls line up.. R, J, M... and then I realize that, oh... I'm closer to the start than I thought... Oh, okay... sure, alright.... And I also realize that, oh, fuck.... You do it in front of ALL the other winners.
Cue a mild panic attack because although I know Y'ALL know I love one of 'em to a ridiculous degree... I don't want these people to know! omg... OMG OGMGJSJIGVSIVGFW PANIC AT THE MEET AND GREET!!!!
....I calm down.
Then my turn comes....
The nice lady before me is finishing... And Robby, after checking his phone really quick, looks to me, like, 'Okay, you're next' sort of look. I start to head in, but I see she's not quite done, so I shake my head a little and point to her, and he looks, and nods.
Then she exits, so now I get to go! Yay!!!!
I go to Robby, and he holds out his hand, and literally introduces himself, "Hi. I'm Robby." and gives me this look, and I'm trying not to blurt, "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE OMG!!!" So I say, "Hi, Robby, I'm Jessica."
(Pause, y'all... and take note... I did NOT call him "Mr. Takac" like I did last time! Go me.) He leans closer, like he didn't hear me, which totally makes sense... I talk really softly... So I repeat my name. He smiles and repeats it. (Tuck that away, y'all.)
He smiled... oh god he smiled...
Ahem...
I suddenly remember there's two other men... And politely go to John and shake his hand and say, "Hi, John. I'm Jessica. Nice to meet you." He does that pretty smile and says, "Nice to meet you," back. Then, I kinda lean and shake Mike's hand and rinse and repeat.
Then they start gettin' all in position, and I remember to ask for my hug, so I step back over to Robby and go all, "Oh, my gosh, Robby, could I ask you something?" (And, y'all, it probably came out "Wobby"...) I kinda don't wait and sort sigh/blurt/beg, "Could I have a hug?" He smiles.
Oh god.. he smiles......
ahem...
So, we hug, and I forget how to breathe... And, I momentarily feel awful for him, for having to touch me because it's Houston... In August... I'm in black... and I just know the sweat's soaked through the lace on my back, and poor Robby has to deal with that.. ewwwwww.... Whereas, I'm super lucky and just have this... Sweet, mild warmth to hold. And I even think, "Oh, well, now we're even for the last hug eight years ago... He was dripping wet that time... He still smells like soapy, though... That's nice..."
But, he's wonderful, and he handles it in stride, and actually really hugs me... Maybe he likes oranges...? IDK.... Nah, he's just wonderful and being in his arms with my chin on his shoulder could very well be the greatest place in the whole wide world!!!
Or, well... That's what I think, anyway.
So, then we part, and I turn and see John looking at me, and I don't really know what to do, so I just kinda squeakly sigh, "Well, I guess I can hug you, too... Sure, you can have a hug." And he's all, "Okay!"
So... (more hug... porn...? y'all) .... John and I have a a quickie compared to the awesomeness Robby and I just had... So, true to my nature, I've got one arm still kinda around Robby, and... Y'all... I start in with John, and I have to go the side-hug route, and he sees this, and goes with it.
....Y'all. I hug students with side-hugs... I just blew my chances at full frontal huggage with John Rzeznik... and I'm so okay with it. And so we have our little hug... And I suppose it's just a knee-jerk reaction, but when I unwrap my arm to drift back to Robby, John tugs me closer by my hip, and...
SNAP! PICTURE!
Some laughter from other fans.
So John's wonderful and charming, and I look at him and he's all, "No, we'll do it again. That's not it. This one will be a good one!"
And it would have been... Had I not heard a fan say, "She must like Robby..." which causes me to want to laugh and hide all at the same time, so my eyes slipped shut...
SNAP! PICTURE TWO!
And, then it was pretty much over. I smiled and nodded and said good byes and thank yous to all three; told John specifically, "Good luck with the new album!" He thanked me, and then I was gone.
...Just like I am now...
I'm exhausted, and I have to be "awake" in two hours.... So, I'll finish up tomorrow with some haphazard parts about the show...
Oh, and yes... I took piccies... and vids. They'll be up ASAP, too.
Thank y'all for bearing with me. I'm just so happy.