Party Like a Rockstar

I wouldn't be telling you the truth if I told you that this weekend was all about helping the people of retail.  It wasn't.  It's Tuesday, the week of Christmas, and this past weekend was awesome. 

This year has been filled with more ups than downs, more good than bad, and more sweet than sucky.  This past weekend was just another example of the awesomeness of this year. 

Let me start off over a month ago.  You know, way back when the December train was just leaving the station.  I looked ahead at my schedule and I noticed that I had a Sunday off and also the last Saturday before Christmas.  I was pissed the hell off.  Who gives a commissioned sales rep the day off on the busiest Saturday?  Well my disappointment turned to excitement just 3 short days later.

I was Facebook chatting with, my friend, Kasey Crabtree.  Just, know you, typing the shit [or whatever you call it when you just BS on Facebook.  I think it's called wasting time].  She invited Jenn and I to go and see Trans-Siberian Orchestra [TSO] on the 19th.  That just so happened to be the last Saturday before Christmas.  That just so happened to be my day off.  The chances of this happening are like 31:1. 

Now I have heard stories of Kasey and TSO.  Late night parties.  Going to other cities to see them.  I mean she waxed poetic about it because she has been doing it for like 11 years.  I mean you could sit there and say, I saw them in Montreal in 2000 and I was front row center.  She would yawn at your story and say, well I have VIP passes and the band knows my name.  [I was paraphrasing as if Kasey were me].

So when she offered to take Jenn and I, what was I going to say?  No?  Oh no.  The answer was yes, and I put it in all caps.  So you knew it was serious.  That particular day was also Kasey's birthday and she said she would rather spend it with Jenn and I that evening at TSO.  So I was down.

Flash forward to last Sautrday.  Jenn is fighting with her inner self about what she should wear and I was dressed and ready to go.  The baby was ready for grandma's and I was just glad that we were going out.

Now after hearing the stories Kasey told, I was honestly expecting to just go and see the show in a good seat.  Honestly.  That was it.


When we met Kasey at the Q, she went to will call and got our 'tickets'.  Our tickets were a laminate that said VIP and the tickets to our seats were wristbands that said VIP 7:30.  I was amazed, but then again, I was just expecting to see the show from a better seat than I had last year when I paid for them.

So we give Kasey a hug and realized we forgot her birthday card at home.  I was a little mad at myself.  So then Kasey said, "before we head to our seats let's take a walk upstairs in catering."

What?

Yeah, so we walked over to an elevator, you know the elevator down a short hallway that looks accessible and also off limits?   Yeah, that elevator.  We get on.  We head up to catering.  It was surreal.  I have been backstage many times before with other concert venues, but never for a show this big.

Catering at a show this big was awesome.  It was located behind the stage on the luxury box level.  It was very rockstar.  We helped ourselves to dippin dots and just shot the shit for a minute.  I was still kind of blown away that we got this far and no one questioned why I was there.  It was quite the opposite.  All the security guards were talking to Kasey.  "Hey Kase". "Happy birthday Kasey", "who do you have with you tonight Kasey?"  At every moment Kasey introduced me as a blogger and podcaster and also a good friend of hers and then she would say, and this is his awesome and very lovely wife who is cool with everything.

It was awesome.

As we went back to the same elevator we ascended to catering in, we descended to the 1st level.  The only indication as to where we were going was a piece of gaffer's tape that said, Stage, next to the 1 button.

The doors open.  This is much like how I would imagine going to heaven would be like. 

My wife's mouth was just hanging open at the wonderment that was the backstage area.  This was her first time backstage at a huge show.  Kasey commented on the moment Kate Hudson walks backstage in Almost Famous.  You need to soak it in.  Backstage there was chocolate fondue, candy, red bull shots, you name it, it was probably there.

We literally walked through the stage to get onto the floor to find our seats.  We got all those looks of, who are they?  How'd they get backstage?  You know, the looks you give people who walk out from behind the stage and you wish that you were them. 

Our seats were in the VIP section that was elevated behind the soundboard.  They were amazing seats.  A good friend once said, if you go to a show and want to hear the concert as it is meant to be heard, sit behind the guys who are mixing it.  Same goes for the lights.  Just so happened to be that they were both in the same spot.  

Once the show started, there was no doubt we had the best seats in the house.  It was exciting.  The house lights dimmed.  The stage came to life.  The show has started.

Throughout the show, the band often goes into the first few rows.  I have always wanted to be the guy in the front row they slap hands with.  Why?  I have no idea.  Well, the rear platform, near where we were sitting, was better than that.  Why?  Well because it allowed us to get this close to the performers.

she was standing on the chair next to me!

Then she got on the platform and ascended to the amazing heights to close the show!

After the show, the room cleared out, and we were still there.  Talking to the lighting crew guys and then we went backstage again. 

I had an opportunity to meet the drummer Jeff Plate and he handed me a card for his side project.  I can't wait to play some of this stuff on my podcast. 

I just realized that this blog is getting long and drawn out so I will end it before I tell you that the after party with the band was awesome [for as long as we were there, but we had to exit early on an account of feeding a baby]. 

I just wanted to thank Kasey and I encourage you to go visit her newly launched blog.  She launched it on the very Saturday we ventured into the Q to see TSO. 

For all you twitter peeps, I will have a new list of people to follow from the band TSO.

I am tired just reliving this in my head, and I left out a bunch of stuff.  Whew!