|
Post by tightrope on Aug 4, 2019 17:10:03 GMT
You know why the girls are doing this? Because they know some of us have no self control! (me!) If they posted their whole chronicle at once, I'd scroll right down to the Damey posts first! This is more enjoyable. It's like they are being guided by the Great One himself!
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Aug 4, 2019 17:39:34 GMT
I have no doubt you are right! I think his voodoo will linger on for some time.
|
|
|
Post by nobodyschild on Aug 5, 2019 1:00:27 GMT
Here’s the next part! (Sorry I haven’t got any pictures).
Our tour eventually dumped us out into the cafe area, where Mike Stevens happened to be taking a break, and we got to chatting with him as he munched on a piece of bread. He was a very nice chap and had a good sense of humor too, asking us in mock offense “What, no requests?” since we hadn’t shouted out any during soundcheck. By this time, I wished I had, but I’d kept my mouth shut... mostly because I didn’t want to catch them with a song they probably hadn’t been practicing, but also because I was still quite shy at soundcheck and didn’t want to overstep or anything like that. Still, to salvage my slightly injured pride (I didn’t want him to think we didn’t know any songs, after all) I told him that well, I would have, only Tightrope wasn’t on the setlist. “Oh yeah, we used to play that one a lot,” he told us, and went on telling us all about it, playing it for other concerts and things like that. We also had some great conversation about those little specially-molded earpieces that everyone in the band’s got, which allow them to hear themselves and even talk to other people without having to use the on-stage mics where everyone would hear it, and also how different it is touring now versus back in the day. We mentioned we’d come to the Sacramento show and had totally loved it, and I’d misheard Mike’s asking us where our seats were tonight as where were our seats had been in Sacramento, and I just started laughing since they’d been practically along the back wall. After the confusion was cleared up, our dad was boasting about how big of fans us girls are (he’d slipped into this habit ever since we’d started our experience, and even though everything he said was true it was just a bit embarrassing for him to keep telling everyone, haha). So he’d told Mike that we had counted down the days until the Sacramento show with “The Daily Jeff” since day number 228. Now we were really embarrassed—we didn’t want him to think we were weird stalkers—so we had to jump in and explain that it was sometimes a picture, or a meme, or a comment from a YouTube video, or an interview, or really just anything to do with ELO, one a day to count down (because really, it’s a way better method and more entertaining than crossing days off the calendar). As we were about to leave he told us with a grin, “Well, I’ll have to tell the band to make it really good tonight since you’re watching.”
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Aug 5, 2019 1:58:03 GMT
The concert I attended was opened with "Tightrope". Laughed at your dad telling everyone about your fanatism. Don't worry, I'm sure at some point Mike Stevens was a fan of someone else as much as you two are of Jeff so I doubt he considers you stalkers. Good on Stevens for being cool.
|
|
|
Post by Grroosss on Aug 5, 2019 2:58:12 GMT
so who's taking the pics where Dad is in the image? it seems like there's some mystery camera person floating around to document the trip. Sort of like how they filmed "The Office". Our “mystery camera person” was Emilie! She was kind enough to take several photos and share them with us afterwards.
|
|
|
Post by nobodyschild on Aug 5, 2019 5:33:23 GMT
Helmut83 lucky!! I was hoping they would open with it this tour, but Standin in the Rain was really epic too.
|
|
|
Post by 88keys on Aug 5, 2019 15:42:24 GMT
It's so cool that Jeff got to meet some of us younger generations of fans! Oh and it's also kind of cool that you got to meet him!
|
|
|
Post by elophile on Aug 5, 2019 21:13:32 GMT
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Aug 5, 2019 23:01:27 GMT
Sitting here open mouthed having just surfed this whole tsunami of joy and barely concealed jealousy in about five minutes - and I haven't missed the best bit either What a fairy tale, for you two to go and win the big prize, I was so chuffed when I found out but of course not a tiny bit as chuffed as you *cheers* Thanks for sharing it all with us (I agree with me bestie BSJ that it's probably wise to post instalments, for the same reasons). I don't know how everyone has been able to bear the suspense though. This has to be the best forum happening EVER So now there's nothing else to do but...*takes deep breath and joins in* JEFF! JEFF! JEFF! JEFF!
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Aug 5, 2019 23:28:45 GMT
I agree with me ninja twin that this is the top of the list, top of the heap, in forum history! I don't want it to end!
|
|
|
Post by elophile on Aug 5, 2019 23:30:01 GMT
Sitting here open mouthed having just surfed this whole tsunami of joy and barely concealed jealousy oh my god! too funny!
|
|
|
Post by nobodyschild on Aug 6, 2019 1:08:41 GMT
I agree with me ninja twin that this is the top of the list, top of the heap, in forum history! I don't want it to end! Uh oh BSJ be careful what you wish for...it will never end, not if we never post the end of our story (muahaha!) just kidding—I’m actually rather bursting to tell. My one friend who actually knows of ELO is probably sick of me fangirling uncontrollably, and it was useless to tell any other friends, they just went “oh is that that one guy from that one band you really like” Thank goodness people on here have good taste and will appreciate all the little details of the whole story (Basically, this is me just saying a big Thank You to everyone on here for making up such a wonderful community & providing a place for me to talk about ELO!! Especially as a teen, I did not have this before, so hooray for all you fellow forumheads!) Anyways, if sissy has done her homework, the next installment will be up soon and we will be *that much* closer to the moment we’ve all been waiting for...
|
|
|
Post by Grroosss on Aug 6, 2019 4:16:56 GMT
I can’t agree enough with what nobodyschild said. Forumhead group hug! And, as promised, I’ve got the next installment... and if I’m not mistaken, it’s the last bit before... JEFF! JEFF! JEFF! JEFF! So, without further ado... Back out in the hallway, we met Craig Fruin—earlier Emilie had told us “Oh, you’ll recognize him, he’s very tall, he’s literally like the tallest person you’ve ever seen”—and he was indeed very tall! A stark contrast to Dhani Harrison, who, just then, happened to be walking down the hallway! We shook his hand and chatted with him for a few minutes; he was full of energy and very sweet. We told him we’d seen him in Sacramento and had really enjoyed the show, and he assured us “It’s on a whole new level now”. We mentioned something about the music festival Lollapalooza, which would be taking place in Chicago the next weekend—“Yeah, I’ve played there a lot... It’s always on my birthday, August 1st”—and so we wished him a happy early birthday before Emilie escorted us to the VIP lounge to wait for Jeff to arrive. There was a photo booth set up in the VIP lounge, with the best props EVER: While we ultimately wouldn’t have a good chance to tell Jeff about the forum, it didn’t go unmentioned that night... We had definitely been getting some looks from other tables, presumably ‘cos of our age, and eventually a lady from a nearby table came over—and asked if we were the Omaze winners since she’d recognized us from the forum! We had a nice little chat with her; she’s not a forum member yet, but said she might join soon... (If you’re reading this—Come join us! We don’t bite, I promise!)
|
|
|
Post by elophile on Aug 6, 2019 12:46:25 GMT
So good! Jeff is coming next installment? The suspense is killing me!
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Aug 6, 2019 16:32:39 GMT
Oh my goodness Grroosss and nobodyschild ! This is a wonderful write-up of your experience. This is the best story of any adventure I've ever read. You know how to build unbearable suspense and Jeff's been given an excellent build up for a dramatic entrance .
Mike seems cool and a great bloke, he's really just a huge fan like the rest of us but he also gets to stand next to his hero every night. Almost like you did - getting to stand on Jeff's spot on stage! A Jeff's-eye view indeed .
Great pictures too, you both look so happy and amazed at the experience. I'm not sure this forum can top this event - the grand meeting between the Master and two incredible forum representatives.
Jeff couldn't hope to have met better fans than you two. I can't imagine how exited you were waiting to see him!
|
|