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Madison
Square Garden meet and greet (March
16, 2001)
Following
are the highlights from the BEST meet and greet ever - sorry, it's kinda long!
(Keep going - I've got photos. Click to view them full size.)
The
event was compliments of WPLJ radio and a friend won the opportunity in a
contest for me. I went with my husband, Anthony, who was thrilled to be able to
meet the band again. I brought my YOSLY
quilt and a group photo taken of Anthony and I with the band taken in September
(see the Amherst meet and greet for photos.) for
autographs. I also planned to ask each band member who had the
duplicate Mad Season quilt that I sent to their
manager as a gift to the band. (Josh confirmed it was delivered, but didn't know
who had it). Anthony was tasked with having CDs signed for friends.
We met
our group at the radio station and were told we couldn't take our own photos
during the M&G - the radio station was going to take a shot for us (bummer).
We were lead down to the box office area to meet a larger group
of fans about a half hour later. The
group was divided into two smaller groups - the one we were in was lead to
"The Green Room" first by ascending a complex series of escalators. (
I'm pretty sure we were lead "the long way" in a successful effort to
confuse us.) We entered a room pretty high up with a view of the city
streets. It was about 30 feet wide and 100 feet long. There were a
few couches, chairs and small conference tables scattered around the room.
We
waited about ten minutes, during which the radio station advised us we could
take our own photos since we would only have about 20 minutes to get autographs
(Yay!). The plan was that the band members would circulate and we were
encouraged to approach them so we didn't miss anyone. (That worked for me
- I'm not shy!)
matchbox
twenty entered room with their body guards, manager and family from a stairwell
at the end of the room (we did not enter this way).
The band members split
up and Brian approached us first. I
introduced myself and reminded him that we had met before. I don't think
he remembered me, but he did remember my Mad Season quilt. He told
me that he did not have the duplicate. He was then called away so that the
band could be presented with an award.
I'm not sure what the
award was for, but each member and their manager, Michael Lippman, was given a
shadow box-style plaque. It depicted the Mad Season cover art with a CD
embedded in it. The band and Michael were then arranged on the couch for a
professional photo. We fans with cameras circled around behind the pro
photographer to get shots of our own. I found myself directly behind the
pro and, on impulse, I shot my hand up behind his head to make "bunny
ears" with my fingers (how seven-years-old!). Rob thought that was
funny and laughed (Anthony said he was making silly faces, but I couldn't see from
behind my victim.)
Once
the photo was done, Brian came back to us. I was curious about the
bus tour so I asked him how many they traveled with. He said they
have five now. Two for the crew and three for the band - normally
the band only has two, but Kyle's wife and daughter were traveling with them
since it's spring break. (I assume that to mean that his wife goes to
school). Brian posed for a photo and moved on.
 Next we
approached Paul (Sorry - it's a crappy picture of Paul, but it's all I have!). He didn't have my quilt either - he thought Adam
might. I shared with him my nightmare from the night before: I asked each
of them if they had the quilt and they casually told me they gave it to a
janitor at the studio. He laughed and assured me it didn't happen.
He said that gifts and letters from fans that are sent to them typically get
held until the end of the tour. They get together and go through the
stuff, and any items not sent to a specific member get divvied up between
them. That's reassuring for all of us!
Jason
came up behind Paul to see the YOSLY quilt, so I introduced myself and we
shook hands. I shared the photo of my Halloween
costume with them and they got a big kick out of it (I showed it to all of
the band members eventually.)
 Next we approached
Adam. He pretended not to understand the YOSLY quilt for a moment.
(No, he didn't have mad season either!) He remembered meeting us
before. While he signed the quilt, I looked around and realized that
Michael Lippman had left the room (I wanted to meet him). I asked Adam
where he went and he said that Michael went down to watch Lifehouse. I
said I'd like to hear them too, but I'd rather be with the band. He said
"Quick! What does Lifehouse sing? Sing some for me." I said I
only know "Hanging by a Moment." He told me to sing with him
(that's what we're doing in this photo). So I started and he immediately joins me, but REALLY off-key.
Well, if you've ever tried to sing with someone off-key, it's pretty much
impossible! I stopped singing. He said, "Let's try
again." So of course I did, and he sings off-key again! (I'm such a
sucker.) I laughingly tell him that I think they should turn his mic off
during the show since he obviously isn't feeling well! He said,
"Let's try one more time!" and starts singing "Tom Dooley"
or something like that - it was familiar enough that I could join in. That's
when I looked up and realized that we had attracted the attention of most of the
people in the room. It was pretty funny! He told me he loved me and
I said I loved him too.
 Rob was next. His
hair was shorter and I told him I liked the cut. He said he had just
gotten it that day. I told him he could have called me and I'd have done
it for him (I'm a freelance stylist - sorta another hobby). He was
impressed with my new quilt. I told him I had it with me during the
Storytellers taping and that I was sitting on the floor, at his feet, with it in
my lap. I told him I remembered him looking at it but I didn't think he
was registering what he saw. (He agreed.) He told me they had just
seen some of the footage from the taping that day. I asked him if he had
the Mad Season quilt and he said he did (finally!) and that he really liked
it. He told me that he was building a house and that they were building a
trophy room and he was going to hang it there once it was finished (what an
honor!).
 During all this stuff,
Anthony was gathering autographs and taking pictures. And he took one of
Rob and me. Then Rob says "Hey, we didn't get our picture
taken!" I said, "Yes, we did." (I'm such an idiot.) "He said
no we didn't - not with...Adam." So Adam jumps in the mix and we're all
huddled up and I'm getting suspicious that Adam's up to no good. (I have a
stupid look on my face in the photo because I was worried Adam was doing the finger-rabbit-ear-thing to
me as payback for the stunt I pulled on the photographer earlier.) So I asked if
he was and he said he wasn't. I said "I feel you doing
something." Adam said, "My hand is right here." (near my hip) and
Rob said, "Look out, that's not his hand." I went to move on to
Kyle and Rob gave me a BIG HUG and said, "Thanks for all the love."
 We
ran over to Kyle
since the session was wrapping up. I forget the exact dialog we exchanged,
but he told me that he and his wife get compliments on their quilt all the
time. I told him I was confused, because Rob just told me he had my
quilt. Kyle said "The red one?" I said no, I thought that
one was done by Shellie (sorry if I'm wrong!). 
Adam, who was sitting
near-by, jumped in and confirmed that it was someone else's and that they
were two different styles of artwork. He then proceeded with some
explanation of the differences. Kyle thought it was quite a
coincidence that they had two quilting fans.
Adam was concerned
because he thought I gave the quilt they autographed for me back to them.
He wondered why I would do that. I reassured him that I made another one
for them (and that they weren't getting this on either!). He was relieved.
By now Jason was
calling my name since it was time to go. (Anthony and I were the last to
leave.) Kyle posed for a quick picture and we were hustled out the door.
From there we went down
the show. Our fan club seats were 7th row, just right of center
stage. We caught the tail-end of Lifehouse's performance and all of
Everclear's. matchbox twenty came on around nine. During the show I
raised my YOSLY quilt (to the annoyance of the people behind me - I stopped as
soon as they asked me too - sorry!) Adam saw it and mouthed my name, and
Rob looked me in the eye and nodded - very cool!
Check out my full
concert review.
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