So I posted in the random thread that I was thinking about going to an O.A.R. instore performance/meet & greet...i didn't know if i was gonna go cuz i didn't really want to go alone..but i did..and i'm so glad..ended up being the best day i've had in a VERY long time..
so i told my boss that i had an appointment that i had forgotten about yesterday afternoon so he let me work through lunch so i could leave an hour early...(i didn't want to risk getting stuck in traffic for forever) so i got to the store at 4:30 and saw that people were already lined up..well when i walked up to the line i saw that everyone had a wristband..basically you had to buy the cd to get a wristband, but that guaranteed you admission to the show/meet & greet so i got out of line and went inside and bought the cd, even though I already have it..so i got my wristband and got back on line..because i got there so early i ended up being #37 on line(they numbered our wristbands because after they played their set we were all supposed to go back outside and get back into order in line for the meet & greet). they were supposed to let us in a little before 6, and then they were supposed to start at 6..well at 6:10 we were still outside..FINALLY they let us in..well since i was there so early i was right up front, like what could be considered the 2nd row i guess if you wanted to classify it by rows(everyone was just basically thrown together in a clump) and i look up and see someone trying to come from the stage through the crowd and i see that its marc(the lead singer) so he pushes on through, and i'm guessing that 99% of the people there didn't really know what the band looked like because NO ONE was phazed by that at all..anyway, after mark walked by me i look over and i see benj (the bass player) sitting about 2 feet away, we made eye contact and whatnot..still waiting for the show to start, standing around chatting w/the kids (and when i say kids i mean kids..i was definately one of the oldest people there..) when i feel an arm on my shoulder and someone says 'excuse me' and kind of moves me out of the way..i look around and its marc again trying to get to the stage, and right behind him is richard (the guitar player)..so they play their set, ended up playing a lot longer then i had expected them to..they played for over an hour, i was only expecting like a 4-5 song set.. after that we all have to go back outside to line up for the meet and greet...well when we were leaving i spotted this kid from their messageboard(he had told me what he was going to be wearing since i was scared about going by myself) so i met up with him, and we were chatting and as we were leaving i see benj again just standing there talking to some guy, so i butt in really quick so that i could get a picture with him.. after that scott(the messageboard kid) and i headed back outside where employees of the store are telling us to go to the back of the line,they aren't going to go in order by number..so we start to head back to the end of the line when scott just ducks to the very front of the line so i go with him...well while we're standing there i look over and i see jerry (the saxophone player) standing there talking to some people..and i really wanted to go over and talk to him, but i didn't want to go alone because i had no idea what i was going to say but obviously scott couldn't get out of line too...so i finally got the courage to go over there..while i was walking over there benj was standing there talking on his cell phone and we chat (again)..went over and said hi to jerry, introduced myself..made pretty much a complete idiot of myself because i had no clue what to say, took a picture with him and then got back in line because it was time for them to go inside.. so exciting because we were the first people on line we didn't have to wait..so we go up and handed them our stuff to sign, i introduced myself to chris (the drummer), said hello again to jerry ('long time no see' is what he said to me
) and made some stupid comment about how great i thought it was that they're constantly giving shoutouts to the members of their messageboard(which they do and i just think thats awesome that they participate in their online community but also acknowledge and appreciate the fact that people are there contributing too).. and they kept passing my thing down the line to sign, and somehow i missed marc in my incessant ramblings so i was like "sure, marc..just push me out of the way but don't say hello" and he smiled, shook my hand, introduced ourselves..moved on down the line said hello/introduced myself to richard, then benj was last and he smiled at me again and said something but i forget what..i felt like a stalker all the times i ran into benj
anyway..that was it.. it was so freaking awesome i can't even explain..i felt like such a starstruck kid, but i'm SO GLAD that i went...it just really makes me appreciate their music even more
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