I Think I’d Die…I Know I’d Cry…When I Met the Band

I hope that everyone has been enjoying this week’s theme of meeting the band.  It is definitely nice to get some additional voices in here besides Rhonda and myself.  We have more to come but I thought I would break from the guest bloggers to offer my story.  Like Rhonda, my official “meeting” of the band did not take place through a contest or an official meet and greet but a cd signing, where I was one of many, many people who got the chance to walk in front of a table where one’s idols sat and watched them sign a cd for me.  My story is more recent than Rhonda’s as it took place in December of 2007.  The signing took place in a Chicago Best Buy the night before the band was to take part in the Miracle on State Street show at the Chicago Theater.  I went to the show and the signing with a good friend whom I also worked with at the time.  Here’s how I described the experience in diary form in my Duran scrapbook with additional commentary from today in parathesis:

Thursday, December 13, 2007:
This was a busy, crazy day but one that I will always remember.  It started out rushed as I had to get myself packed and drop off the cat before school.  (My cat stayed/stays with my parents while I’m gone.  What can I say…spoiled!)  We left work at 2:30 as planned and Madison by 2:45.  We were confident that we would make it to Best Buy in Chicago where Duran was holding their cd signing event.  Of course, we had to stop by another friend’s work, first, to pick up the wristbands and cds that she got for us last week.  (I don’t remember the exact details but you had to buy a copy of Red Carpet Massacre to get a wristband.  Luckily, I had a friend who could do that for us so we didn’t have to make an additional trip.  This made my third copy of the album, an album I don’t especially like.  Alas…)  The drive was uneventful until we got into traffic!  We were anxious to get there but kept our cool.  (On the outside, at least!)

After meeting my friend for the quick pass off of cds and wristbands, we arrived at Best Buy at 6:35.  Even though we didn’t see the band arrive, I was on the phone with another friend when they walked in so I got to hear the screams!  (LOL!)  We quickly got in line and realized that we would have to brave the cold for awhile.  (It was December in Chicago.  This means it was dang cold.  All things Duran are worth it or so we like to say.)  I ran inside to go to the bathroom and straighten myself out a bit after work and the drive.  It started to feel like a reunion then as I ran into other friends inside.  All of them had been through the line and had nothing but wonderful things to say about the boys!  My level of excitement increased!  Soon enough, I rejoined my friend outside and patiently waited.  We were never so happy as to get inside the doorway and we did get a chance to make friends with the Chicago policemen who were manning the door. 

While waiting in line inside, I called Rhonda.  I was missing her terribly and really felt that she should be there with me.  Anyways, during the conversation, we decided what I was going to say.  Some of the things included:  How many of the fans have embraced Dom Brown, suggesting that they play Vegas before March (would have worked our schedule!), giving support to John in hopes that he doesn’t have to sacrifice as much, musically, during the next album (thankfully, he did not!), etc.  Is that what I actually said?  Absolutely not.  Anyway, I wasn’t that interested in getting my cd signed because I had already one a signed one from DDM (my second copy).  I was hoping to get my Broadway Playbill signed instead.  Unfortunately, when I got to the front of the line, some guy told me that it had to be the cd.  Great.  Fabulous.  Wonderful.  Okay, onto Plan B.  I already had the wrapping off the cd.  I thought I was prepared.  Nope.

So, there I stood right in front of the guys and unable to rip the sticket off the cd case to get the insert out.  I mumbled an apology to Katy who was standing to the left of the table.  She smiled at me and said, “Were you like that with homework as a kid, too?”  I answered back about how I was a teacher now so I should know to be prepared.  At this point, Simon seemed frustrated with me and said, “Just give it to me.”  I told him I would get the insert out and I did before handing it to him.  Then, I found myself saying something about having to work today and how traffic sucked, which I’m sure he did not care about.  As he handed the insert to Nick, I thanked him and moved on, grateful to be done with Simon.  (By the way, the order was perfect for me.  It went Simon, Nick, Roger and John.  I obviously focused my energy on John.)  Nicked looked at me and smiled.  I smiled back and again found myself rambling about how I should be more chatty.  Yeah, smooth.  Not.  Clearly, I couldn’t remember anything I had planned to say.  Fabulous.  Roger was next.  I greeted him and asked how he was.  He looked at me and answered with a simple, “Fine.”  Obviously, he wasn’t in a mood to be chatty.  Okay.  It was fine.  After all, I had saved all my coherent thoughts for John.

John helped me feel comfortable right way since he asked for my name.  I gave it to him and then asked, “Wear any fun socks lately, John?”  (A little history lesson here that some of you I know will remember.  A number of members of the Church of the Bass God from DDM sent him socks for his birthday in 2006 after noticing the frequency of silly socks he kepts wearing.  I sent him a pair-James Bond ones.  Then, at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans in 2006, I held up a sign asking him to show his socks.  He did.  All I saw, unfortunately, was the bottom of his shoe.)  After the question, he was instantly confused.  I repeated the question and added, “You know the Church girls sent you all of those fun socks.”  He then beamed and said, “Oh, yeah.  That was totally fun!”  I commented that I was the one to send him the James Bond ones.  His response was very sweet, “You did?  Then, I got scarves next, right?”  I nodded while he continued to say about how fun those gifts were.  Seriously, if I wasn’t a huge fan, I would have been after that.  He seemed genuinely pleased and had a big smile on his face the whole time.  *squee* 

After that, we moved along and joined a group of people for dinner across the street.  Everyone was so excited by the signing and were looking forward to the show!  Good times!

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Looking back on the experience, that entry in my Duran scrapbook still seems right on.  Of course, I left out a key piece.  I blame Rhonda for making Simon…short with me.  After all, I was on the phone with her right up to getting to the table.  If I wasn’t, I am sure that I would have been completely ready!  LOL!  I am still thrilled by how sweet John was and I’m still proud of what we as a group of John fans were able to do with those socks and scarves.  The insert hangs on my wall proudly to this day and I can’t imagine ever taking it down.  Good times, indeed!

-A