I remember the day that I found out that Al was going to be playing the Orange County Fair in 2002. I wanted to go about as much as I wanted to continue breathing, but I knew it would take a lot to get me there. For a start, I had no job, plus I was a college student, so I obviously couldn't afford to go all by myself.
Thus started the Campaign to Get Me To OC. I begged and pleaded with my parents, and pointed out the opportunity to have a vacation while we were out there, and that I'd never been to California, and that my mom could show me where she'd lived when she lived out there...you get the drift. I also offered to do whatever they wanted if they'd let me go. (A risky offer, but one I was more than willing to make.)
I was standing in the driveway with them one day, and they were ribbing me about my promise...you know, saying they'd make me lick the gutters clean and things like that. Finally, they relented and told me that we were going!
We ordered our tickets the minute that they went on sale. (My mom spent a long time fighting with our internet connection and a stubborn website. Thanks, mom!) When we finally got the tickets, three were in row B...and three were in row A! I was in shock!
We finally made it to California, where I met up with a bunch of my Stupid friends.
There were six concerts that week. All of them are kind of a blur, except for the following important events:
Daily: dancing the Time Warp with various others (always Moonbeam, sometimes others like Fred and Tony Goldmark or Kristi and Brenda) in front of Dr. Demento.
Quasi-daily: getting drenched with the Nirvana water.
Monday: The first concert of the week! Also, this marks the first time that Al plays Party at the Leper Colony in concert, as well as Your Horoscope for Today. Dog Eat Dog is dusted off and brought out of retirement, resulting in much joy for the fans. This is also the day that Al said Hi to Kevin during Yoda.
Wednesday-ish: Al's pants rip right down the middle during the Medley
Friday: Moonbeam creates her historic sign: Miles, I Want To Have Your Babies.
Second concert: During Melanie, Al shoots me several significant looks. At the appropriate moment, he kneels and sings directly to me! During Smells Like Nirvana, Al tosses the cup right at me. It hits my hand and falls behind me. Lightning fast, I whip around and grab it.
It was an excellent week, and one I'll treasure forever. I met my best friend, Moonbeam, that week. There were parties every day hosted by Cid and Kevin. Karaoke baby! It was one of the best weeks of my life.
Index
Poodle Hat Tour