But Beautiful

Unlit stage

It's about 4.30p on Friday, the first full rehearsal day of the Academy of Country Music Awards. I'm sitting in the back of the floor of the ACMs. It's so amazing to look up and see this enormous stage engulfing the floor and ceiling of the Grand Garden Arena. To think of the perspective from boxing, to hockey to supercross to ACMs, it's pretty amazing. It's so hard to explain the scale of the stage. It's like being a Barbie in a dollhouse. None of it is real, it's all kind of just chunks put togehter but that all work in perfect harmony to create this amazing false reality - But Beautiful.

Lit stage

When the show lights are off and the house lights up the actual set is gray, white and chrome. Very bland. Much like the color of concrete. But when the set is in action it comes alive with depth, vibrance and motion. 

At the Grand Garden Arena the house seats are green, teal really. I hate the color but because the MGM Grand's trademark green, it works for us. And when the show lights in the house hit them, they look fantastic!

Backstage looking towards
dressing rooms

The week has gone by quickly. No real drama to speak of. Not sure if it's because this is my 5th year on this show and we're just good at it or if there's something different this year. While things have gone smoothly, there's definitely a different feel - there's a camraderie that's missing this time. We all still get along famously but somehow it feels a bit disjointed somehow. I can't quite put my finger on it but something is definitely off. Maybe because there's no drama there's nothing really to bond us together. Everything is just kind of swimming along nicely. Nothing wrong with that.

Wanna know where Toby's sitting?

It's amazing to see this all come together though. 2 prerig days, 6 load in days, 3.5 rehearsal days. 300+ stagehands, 300 ushers, security, EMS & metro officers and countless of us nameless, faceless schmucks like me behind the scenes making little things happen to accomplish the same goal. It's really kind of cool.

The arena is quiet. They're on a meal break. A group of special needs kinds are funneling into the arena to watch the rehearsals. What a fun experience for them. I've been doing this for a while and even I'm blown away by the magnitude of this stuff sometimes, I can't imagine what it must feel like for them. 

Just spoke to Katie, the ACM social network PR person. Very cool. No issues with my Tweets. In fact, she loves that I'm Tweeting, especially behind the scenes pics. Stuff she doesn't have time to get to, the stuff only someone like me has access to. 

5.30p the crew is back. Rehearsals commence. People and equipment buzzing on stage. 

Fans waiting for glimpses
of their favorite country singers

5.50p JaneDear Girls, The Band Perry & Sara Evans are getting set to do a rehearsal for their tributes on the live taping for Girls' Night Out on CBS. 

This is the first time I've really parked my butt in the arena and watched any part of the rehearsals for this show, ever. It's funny that when I was Mandalay Bay to watch Chris Botti's rehearsal for the Latin Grammys last year I was at full attention - and I had butterflies. This time I have zero intrest in the bands performing other than that they put on a great show for the fans. I'm not even sure who they are - and that's ok. I don't think you have to like every type of music to appreciate them as musicians. But I love watching the people who are lucky enough to have guest passes to see their favorite artists perform. They have a glow. And I recognize it. It's a rush to see your favorite performer live and in person. You feel like you're privy to a secret or an inside joke. 

Blake & Reba's view as they
hit the stage

After a to go box from Chef Eric at Seablue I'm finishing up some blogging and work. I missed Darius Rucker & Martina McBride's rehearsals but am going to try and catch Toby Keith's coming up in about 30 minutes - if they're on schedule. He's performing a song that sums up where I would like to be right now. 

 briefly spoke to Max. He was over @ Mandalay and said everything is going well over there. He said they're done. Acutaly that doens't surirpse me because really, it's jsut a stage. it's not like it's like our awards show stage here. At least i don't think so. i havent actually seen it so i'm assming it's not a monstrocity. I hope Mark comes back though. i got to see him last night. he came to my office. I think to say hi. maybe he was looking to talk to me about the stupid golf cart but i think he came to check in with me. at least that's what i'm telling myself. Then at the very end of the night, like around 10p i went into a hissy fit because i didn't know about a shoot out back and i had to keep a couple ushers around to securite the locker room hallway. he was sweet. I walked into the DCP offices and he was sitting there talking to Nicole. He got up and walked backstage with me. He looked tired but he still got up. We meandered and talked a little business, a little nuthin'. He still makes my heart bounce. I cna't help it. it's involuntary. That's how I know i really like him. He gives me the oooie, gooies. So good. I miss this feeling. My head knows he's not into me at all or he would have made it known. But my heart tells me, wait Aim, maybe there's something there because he's still coming to see you when he doesn't have to. he's still smiling at you. The relationship i'm having with him in my head is so much better than the one we're having in real life. 

Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Me! Today is gonna be a great day. Today is my 1 year anniversary of the start of my heart-healthy journey. 40+ lbs down only 13 more to go to match the weigh on my drivers license. Stupid milestone, I know but it's the only one I could think of that seemed attainable. In total I've still got about 40 more to go. Knowing that I can do 40 in a year and this year flew by, another 40 doesn't seem so daunting. 

I'm taking this day to be sickeningly self-appreciative, self-agrandizing, self-congratulatory & self-absorbed. (Yeah, I know. It's just like any other day in the life of...) If you're around me, I make no apologies. Just know it will be over by tomorrow. 

Academy of Country Music Awards

Academy of Country Music Awards

Here's a link to my FB page of photos of silly behind-the-scenes footage from the Academy of Country Music Awards load in & rehearsals. A full recap of the ACMs, All Star Jam and Girls' Night Out to follow after the live ACM broadcast on CBS this Sunday & Girls' Night Out live taping on Monday. 

If you're coming out to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for any ACM related event, Tweet me @AmyZopfi. I'll give you a behind-the-scenes tour! 

Smile

Today someone made me Smile. She paid me a tremendous compliment and it made me smile, wide - and on the inside. I'm sure to her it was just a casual observation, an unmemorable comment or auto-salutation like, "How's it going?" She had no way of knowing (and still has no idea) that her words at that precise moment made all the difference. Thank you Beverly. 

What A Difference A Day Made

What A Difference A Day Made.

On Thursday, April 1, 2010, I made the decision to change my life, for me. It sounds so drastic when I write it. In truth it wasn't a big, momentous occasion. It was a subtle mind shift that was really only recognizable to me. I did it not for any altruistic reason, just a simple one - to get healthy. A little over a year ago I got a wakeup call from Doc Johnson. Congratulations kid, you're officially a diabetic. I had been borderline for a year or 2 prior, like a time bomb waiting to explode. I knew it; I felt it but I had no desire to change. I was comfortable with my life and it was working for me.

So on April 1, 2010, I made a decision to make some changes, slowly, in stages. I knew if I tried to do it all at once I'd fail. No one would notice but me so I wasn't under any kind of pressure except the expectations I put on myself. I still don't know quite why it stuck this time. Maybe it was timing. Maybe it was Doc putting the fear of God into me. Maybe it was me finally realizing I've got one life and if I screw it up, no one give a fat rat's ass but me. 

I had no real plan other than to take this in stages. The 1st step was to quit drinking. LT took me to Seablue on March 31 last year for one last hurrah and I never looked back. I wasn't a chronic alcoholic but definitely a binge drinker. I can't count the number of bottles of Cote du Rhone, Prosecco, grappa & scotch I've been thru over the years at my Happy Place, but I'm certain it's in the hundreds. My liver had the enzymes to prove it. Cutting booze out of my diet had the single greatest effect on my body. Within the first 10 days days I lost almost 10 pounds. That's quite a motivator. 

2nd stage, start exercising. That happened around May 1, 2010. Now when I say exercising I mean simply walking. I have paths in my gated community so I just walked them. Every day. Started out with a brisk 1 mile. Did that for about 2 weeks, then added another mile working my way up to 4. Now I manage to hit about 4.5 miles a couple times a week alternating between walking and jogging. I never thought I'd say this but I actually like jogging now that I can do it without feeling like an emphysema patient. Getting motivated to go more than a couple times a week is still challenging, especially with my schedule, but once I get out there with my iShuffle blasting Chris Botti I feel alive and it gives me a chance to think - to clear my head. Clearing my head is more beneficial to me than the actual physiological effects exercise has on my body.

Stage 3, eat healthier. This was the hardest part for me, not because I eat a bucket of KFC every night but because I HATE cooking. Absolutely loathe it. There's a reason Seablue is my Happy Place. I love it when someone else cooks for me. So instead of trying to be someone I'm not I just found 2 or 3 healthy things that didn't set me into a rage to prepare and have been eating those 3 things for a year. Ok, well honestly, I've been eating those 2 or 3 dishes AND Seablue for a year. Hey, I'm not an idiot. 

Stage 4 I quit smoking. I think November 13th was my last Dunhill. I never really considered myself a smoker - even though I was. I probably averaged 2 packs a month. Some nights I might have smoked a pack in one night and then not again for a month. I didn't smoke at home, didn't actually crave them but smoked when I drank, when I was stressed at work, when I was with people who smoked or just because I needed an excuse to get out of the office and go outside for some fresh air. (Yes I'm aware of the stupidity of that statement.) Quitting smoking was probably the easiest for me. I miss the camaraderie of smoking backstage with the crew during a show though. I smoked Dunhills, blue box, thanks to Hunter S. Thompson. I used to carry them in the small of my back in the waist of my pants. The box was shaped perfectly for that. 

5th stage was to get a personal trainer. Got him at the end of November. I went for about 3 months. I stopped going because I realized that while his method of discipline and approach may have worked for some it was ultimately up to me to fit this into my lifestyle if I was going to maintain any sort of momentum. Trying to make my lifestyle fit his regimen was a recipe for failure so I quit. Now I'm continuing on my own and continuing to lose weight and stay fit. I think in the upcoming months I'll try and find another trainer. 

That brings me to present day - 363 days later. I'm down 40+lbs, back to non-diabetic blood sugar levels, no more medication, normal cholesterol & blood pressure, a 'poster child' for diabetes as my endocrinologist calls me. Not exactly sure what's in store for stage 6 but I'm guessing it has something to do with finding purpose & love. Otherwise why bother with any of it, right?

It's Probably Me

I pulled a classic double booking tonight. I met up with my friend Brent and his girlfriend Katie at Seablue for drinks around 6ish. I thought they had tickets for KA tonight so I was planning on maybe 45 minutes with them. Turns out they're going to see KA tomorrow night so we spent a couple hours catching up. It was so fun to hear stories and get to know Katie. Great girl. Smart. They're one of those sickeningly beautiful couples we all love to hate. Problem is, you can't hate them because they're so fun.

By the time 8.30p rolled around I was famished so I said goodbye to the adorable couple and headed back into Seablue for dinner. I shot M an email to see if he wanted to join me. I was pleasantly surprised he was able to sneak away for a bite. These dinners & chats in my office have become comforting & comfortable to me. I missed them when I was away over the weekend. Dangerous stuff. I know I shouldn't play with fire but I can't help myself. He's just one of those people you want to be around. I've only got him for 2 more days so hopefully we can spend at least more dinner up at my Happy Place again. If you see an Asian girl with long black hair and a smile on her face at the end of the bar by the well at Seablue It's Probably Me. Pop over and say hi. 

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Monday. I don't normally go to work on Mondays because I'm usually working Saturdays but Gaga was on a Friday and no one really cares that I drove to Riverside, CA to see Chris Botti on Saturday. Technically that wasn't really work so it's back to the grindstone. 

I don't mind though. Coming up on Sunday, April 3 is the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs) at the Grand Garden. ACMs come with some of the greatest people I've ever worked with. I'm not a fan of country music - at all - but they make this event so fun. Yes, it gets nuts and occasionally we butt heads but then have a good laugh at the end of the day. My friend Erick has the 2nd best laugh on the planet. (1st goes to Adam: you know you deserve it!) It kinda sounds like Barry White suffocating while moaning and inhaling, "AH, OH." Deliciously absurd. I love it. Nothing better than a laugh that makes you laugh.

I love this show for other reasons too. This was my first awards show I help construct operationally from the ground up. It's kind of like my baby, my legacy for when I leave the Grand Garden. I'm extremely proud of the relationships I've built with them and even more proud of the sustained friendships. That's what makes this job great, tolerable even. You can put up with douchebags in house for 24 hours or ridiculous clueless convention clients for shows like this. At the end of the year you just hope the good ones outweighed the bad ones. If they did you smile to yourself thinking of the memories. If they didn't you pat yourself on the back for not telling anyone to go fuck themselves... at least to their face.

And on that note, I think I'll call it a night. 

03.26.11 Chris Botti @ Fox Performing Arts Center - Riverside, CA

03.26.11 @ 8.00p - Fox Performing Arts Center, Riverside, CA

Botti

Chris Botti – Trumpet

Billy Childs – Piano

Mark Whitfield – Guitar

Billy Kilson – Drums

Tim Lefebvre – Bass

Andy Ezrin – Keyboards

Lisa Fischer – Singer

Caroline Campbell – Violin

Corona Symphony Pops Orchestra, Walt Straiton – Conductor

Jeremy Plotnikoff – Tour Manager

Fox PAC - Riverside, CA

6.30p I made it in ridiculous time. 3:03 from my doorstep (actually from the gas pump) to the Fox. Riverside is a quaint little town nestled in the midst of some not so modern digs. Since I drove I wore shorts and a tee and had to find a McDonalds or something to change into my obligatory black. I found one at the corner of Eucalypus & University. It's a new, swanky Micky D's with wi-fi, Miles Davis muzak, modern furnishings, frappa-mocha-crap on the menu & a LEED certification in the bathrooms. There are a couple of homeless people in here; I don't blame them. I'd rather spend my time tapping on my Air in here than in the Applebys I passed earlier. Across the street is a tattoo/piercing place. Maybe the ideas is to get drunk on a McCafe and go get a tat of Tweety Bird. Yeah, there's a better chance of me discovering the origins of the universe pre-Big Bang than getting a tattoo. At least this month.

Fox PAC - Riverside, CA

It's 6.46p. Doors for Chris Botti's Fox Performing Arts Center show in Riverside, CA are are 7.00p. Show set to being at 8.00p. I expect the same set list but hope that there's a little something different than in previous shows. There seems to always be a little local flair. I believe he's playing with the Pops Orchestra tonight so maybe that will jazz things up a bit, different than the orchestra in St. Louis. I've only seen Botti a handful of times. Apparently there are people who have seen him north of 100 times. Now that's commitment. 

I park in the lot on the corner of Mission & Market. I checked out the Fox PAC website and this was one of the lots listed. The gates were up so it was a free for all. Plenty of parking, although I'm not always wary of things that are too good to be true. Oh well. They can't tow 300 of us in 2 hours. I hope.

Balcony house right

Fox Performing Arts Center looks like an old Spanish fort. It's got an old time ticket window out front that is more for decortation than functionality. From the outside it doesn't look like a proscenium is inside. Fox is tiny. Probably seats about 1,500, a perfect setting for this kind of act. Since I'm a venue geek I like to roam around to check out the digs. The thing I was most impressed with? The bathrooms. They were clean, sleek, still had old time charm with the white subway tiles but the thing that stuck out was the cavernous feel to them. It's not often you find this kind of space in a venue bathroom, much less an older venue, much less a WOMAN'S bathroom. Kudos Fox. 

View from the FOH mix

There were a deceiving number of levels to the theatre but only 2 for seating: the balcony and the main floor. At 7.35p I head to the balcony where a 25 year old usher tells me I can take a pic but that pictures are not allowed "at all" during the performance. How adorable. Yeah, whatever sweetie. The balcony was cozy and a comfortable distance to the stage. Not terribly deep either so I'm guessing the experience from there wasn't bad for the price. If I weren't a snob I'd buy balcony seats for one of these shows just to get the experience. Maybe if I hit a 2-date stop I'll check out the cheap seats for one of them. The only complaint I had was that the ushers didn't wear nametags or anything that identifyed them as ushers. They were good about making sure you knew who they were but when I had a question it was awkward to interrupt their conversations with patrons hoping that they were in fact ushers. 

Botti (but look at Lefebvre. Hee hee)

They had 3-4 ticket takers scanning tickets at the door. At first mine scanned "stop." It's funny, I know full well my ticket had never been scanned because I was the original purchaser and I didn't resell it so in theory there should only be one unique barcode. We have issues with third party brokers reselling multiple copies of the same ticket scamming people so I found the whole excercice entertaining and interesting. In the end the ticket taker just switched the device to scan me back out and in again. All's well. 

Botti on Caruso

7.47p I head to my seat. Section VIP, Row 2, Seat 101. House right, on the end. Perfect. I have to tell you that in my environment it's unheard of that a regular patron can just go on Ticketmaster and get this seat. But that's exactly what I did. I come from the world of casino & promoter ticket holds - meaning the casino and the promoter hold back most of the prime seat locations for their guests, VIP fan clubs, ticket packages, whatever. The closest Joe Schmo can hope to get when casually buying off Ticketmaster is the upper deck. I am always shocked at the availability Botti gives his fans, either via tickets or personal accessibility. Shocked. I take the long walk down the isle to the orchestra pit. There are 2 rows right off the stage separated by a partial barrier to the first row. I'm on the end so even though I'm in the 2nd row there isn't anyone sitting in front of me. I'm 4' from the stage which is only 3' high. I don't suppose Botti gets too may stage divers. Being so close is fun because you get to see things that you wouldn't from 20 rows back but it does have it's drawbacks. I'll get to those later.

Campbell, Fischer & Botti on Nessun

Around 7.50p Jeremy Plotnikoff is checking out the stage, places water and Botti's mute. I'm continualy amazed that they just drop that thing, wherever, however. Sorted musicians start hitting the stage, quietly warming up. The cellist on the end is scrolling thru her iPhone. Maybe she's Tweeting like me. She's prob emailing her manicurist for an acrylic fill on her nails. They're enormous. 


Botti crowds don't vary too much. Upper middle class, predominately older couples but this time I see more younger ones than in St. Louis. 80% white, 5% African-American, 15% other (and yes I'm in the 'other'). I happen to notice the current walk in music is Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now.  


8.00p and Jeremy is darting thru the orchestra pit and around the stage. Clearly something was either missed, missing or messed up. I wish I knew. I find that just as interesting as the music. But that's because, like I said, I'm a venue geek. (Turns out the audio engineer hadn't brought Botti's mic back to the dressing room so he was running around trying to find it.)

Campbell & Botti on Emmanuel

8.04p Conductor Straiton & band hit the stage, spattering of applause. Then Botti walks on and full on crowd eruption. Begins like all shows with Ave Maria into When I Fall In Love followed by Caruso.


The set list is the same so I like to take note of things that are different. After Caruso Botti introduces Caroline Campbell. Everyone looks stage right for her entrance. Nothing. I see Jeremy look quizzingly and dash away. Botti realizes he's confused his set list and it turns it into a great comedic diversion. That's the beauty of him. He's comfortable winging it on stage. I'd imagine it's because he does it with his instrument every night. So in lieu of Caroline he corrects himself with the story leading up to Miles Davis' Flamenco Sketches. 


Up next is a favorite of all the Live In Boston fans, Hallelujah. Because Whitfield was literally right in front of me, I had the best vantage for this tune. So cool and intimate to actually hear them take breaths or hum or shuffle their feet. 

Look Of Love with Lisa Fischer is after Hallelujah. So beautiful. Because I'm so close I noticed things I didn't before. Tonight was shoes. Lisa has some serious high strappy sandal platforms. Like 4' high, high. Caroline doesn't wear shoes, Botti's got military-shiny buffs on his and Whitfield has on military boots that were so substantial that I tried to take a pic of them. It didn't really turn out. Where do you even get a pair of boots like that? Like I said, I'm noticing things I don't normally. Sorry.

Whitfield: bad boy of jazz
has some bad ass boots on!

Finally Botti gets to officially call out Caroline Campbell for Emmanuel. She's in a gold lamay v-neck sleeveless gown. She's so thin you can see here sternum bones. You know how people say their dogs resemble their owners? This is a case of a violinist resembling her instrument. I'm just jealous. I'd love to be that defined. 

9.05p Intermission. Sitting next to me is an adorable couple who look to be in their 70s. She's got a fur on so once again, my seatmates are not worried about their social security benes running out. They're from San Diego and drove up to see the show. Turns out they saw Botti at his Vegas date at Texas Station last year when I did. We reminisced about how great that show was, how the energy transformed the place despite the lack of an orchestra. He commented on Chloe, the guest singer Botti had that night. "What a voice." They've seen him a couple other times too. That's what I wanna do when I'm 70. Travel with my hubby to see great music, at my leisure. Now all I need is to find a hubby. But that's another post entirely. During the performance I was sneaking pics. The cute couple asked, "Did you get any good shots?" No, mostly thought because I'm using my BlackBerry. I hate this phone. I may have to bite the bullet and buy my own iPhone and just use the CrackBerry for work. The thought of carrying around 2 phones makes my stomach turn though. 

Botti & Childs after encore

Jeremy is going over things with the stage manager (presumably). Something was going wrong with the audio during the show. Luckily I'm so close I hear the music directly from the instruments and the fill speakers in front of me so I don't notice much. I did hear a couple of audio pops but the casual listener wouldn't really care. Speaking of Jeremy, looks like the kid got his haircut. He's got that fresh, clean cut look tonight. 

So back to my comment about pros and cons of being this close to the stage. It's good for all the obvious reasons. But what I didn't anticipate is how you miss out on the group dynamic. There are 1,500 people behind me and instead of feeling like I'm with them, I'm separated. I couldn't gauge the overall energy of the theatre. Yeah, I know. Boo hoo. Poor me. But it's an odd sensation. I don't like not knowing what's going on behind me.


9.17p The orchestra is heading back to the stage. The cellist is back on her iPhone. Jeremy & the house guy are still milling around the stage, fussing. (I heard after the show when I walked by the mix, the stage manager said, "It's the sound guy's fault." They were unaware I eavesdropped on their comment and said, "Isn't it always.")

Hallelujah

9.20p They're back with the song that keeps me paying for a ticket to the same show: The Very Thought Of You. The Snaps. This time Botti & Fischer head out to the audience. They start out house left but at some point Botti meanders to house right, right next to me. It's weird though. When he's so close I don't feel like I can actually look at him. Like it would be rude. (For the prudes, skip immediately to the next paragraph!) Plus I'm sitting and he's standing and he arches his back sometimes so his junk is like right there. Yeah, I know some girls would be thrilled but I'm a little more subtle than that. Quite awkward.


Botti gave his standard line, "Where'd ya go?" referring to the audience that has stopped snapping. They immediately start back up again. Botti & Fischer head back to stage and finish up with Whitfield fading to delicate silence. 

Kilson chomping gum

Botti introduces and thanks the conductor Walt Straiton and the Corona Pops Symphony Orchestra. I have to say Straiton looked like he was having a blast. He's got a warm smile. He kinda looks like Terry Fator, the ventriloquist who won America's Got Talent a few year's back and now has his own gig at the Mirage. I wish I could have spoken with him.

Cinema Paradiso is next. Always a favorite. Even when you hear it hundreds of times it's so wispy and nuanced that one never tires of it. At least I don't. For me it brings back the images of the movie. Of Toto and Elena in love. Of Toto on the handle bars of the bike. The end kissing scene is perfection. 

Lefevbre on bass

Kilson kills it on Indian Summer. I Tweeted to Tim Lefebvre that he and Kilson both make faces like they're on the shitter. (Hey, this is a blog not a NY Times review.) But they do. Lefebvre looks like he's in a death metal band but plays with such tenderness and touch that sometimes I have to close my eyes to not get distracted by the juxtaposition. He makes me laugh. He's like 10' tall, lanky and looks like he just got done puking in a trash can from a previous night's exploits. People like that are always the most fun to hang out with. 

Joann & Plotnikoff on Nessun Dorma

Take a bow, Joann. You deserve it!

Had to get a pic with superstar Joann!

For the Nessun Dorma gag Botti calls an up audience member named Joann. She's had her arms up in the air with her 'Amens' all night praying to the temple of Botti. She's even had a couple conversations - mid show - with him. Totally comical. He calls her up on stage to take the sticks and she just hops right up, hugs him, goes to the mic and talks to us, almost like she's a plant, not a real audience member. Whitfield has to grab her arm and drag her to the drums. Adorable. This girl's got spunk, no fear. She does her thing and takes a bow. I wasn't a fan of the Nessun gag but after seeing Joann, I've change my mind. I guess it completely depends on the person he picks. If (s)he's got personality, the gag works. If not, it's a dud.


Botti ends by asking the orchestra to take a bow and hit the bar. He finishes up with Childs on his childhood inspiration My Funny Valentine. This song has now become a toss up for me as my favorite. It's Valentine, Paradiso & The Snaps. 

Money shot

10.27p The show ends and Botti announces quite casually he'll be signing CDs in the lobby. Place clears out quite quickly. I originally get in line for an autograph and realize that I don't actually have anything for him to autograph. I refuse to buy another CD with music I already got off of iTunes and signing a Ticketmaster print-at-home ticket is not exactly save-worthy so I hop into the "picture" line.

Autograph/picture line in lobby

After he's done signing autographs he does quick pics with people. This never ceases to amaze me. But this time what I realized is how conscientious Jeremy is. He's actually the one taking the pics. He takes your camera, YOUR camera, and takes the pic for you. He's been doing this so long and seen so many different smartphones, PDAs & digital cameras that he knows them all. How to focus, zoom, reset. He actually retook pics for people (including me) when they didn't turn out so well. For one sweet Asian couple he actually set them to the side to see if they could clean their lens and let them come back and redid their pics. This is unheard of for someone to do, much less a tour manager. When it was my turn he took a pic of me with Botti. Then he said, "Wait, let's do it again," and took a second. On my way out I looked at both and was grateful once again. The first one was ok and would suffice but Jeremy took the time and care to snap another knowing full well there were 100 people in line behind me. These guys know how to create an experience for the people shelling out $100 to see their show. 

Childs & Botti My Funny Valentine

I was thinking there's a distinct similarity between the 2 shows I saw within a 24 hour period: Lady Gaga & Chris Botti. They both have a remarkable ability to connect with their audiences and on a deeper level with their fan base. While Gaga didn't announce on stage she'll be signing autographs in the lobby after her show, she did do a m&g with about 50 people backstage after her Grand Garden Arena show. I watched how she interacted with them. This wasn't just a part of her job. She gets something out of this. At one point one of my guests was about to leave after the pic and autograph and Gaga stopped her and asked her assistant to go grab some bracelets to give to them as a gift. It wasn't like it was a big deal but it was a small gesture that my guests will remember for a lifetime. Jeremy taking the time to get quality pics for us is the same thing. It shows they get that this is an experience for us, as ridiculous as it sounds. And it makes me better at my job too because I see how happy it makes people, me being one of them, so I try to do the same even when I'm a crabby brat and all I wanna do is get these people out of my venue and go home.

AZ CB M&G

Got my pic done around 11.00p and after a quick potty break I'm on the road back to Vegas by 11.11p. The air from Riverside thru the Cajon pass was thick with fog. I brought my 4-disk Sinatra Reprieve collection and sang my ass off to pass the time. It's funny, I can't remember what time doors are for the ACMs but can remember the words to virtually every track on that box set. I made it home by 2.25a - just over 3 hours. Not bad. Not a bad night at all.


For more photos (albeit crappy) head to my Facebook page. 

03.25.11 Lady Gaga @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

Lady Gaga

I'm not a big Lady Gaga fan. Much like country music, heavy metal, rap & hockey, I appreciate the genres but I'd never buy a ticket to see any of them. The beauty of my job is I get to see the inner workings of these events and have a deep appreciation for things other than just the music or sport.

Big Monster

Much like Bon Jovi, Gaga has a couple of early entry groups. One was a VIP Gold Hot Seat which was a ticket package that entitled them to a VIP room. The second group was the Little Monsters. They got to enter the floor 15 minutes before the general public to jockey for positioning along her stage. I had so much fun watching, interacting, tweeting, being entertained by these guys. The outfits ranged from jeans and a tee to full blown costumes. I admire the commitment and bravery it takes to pull off some of this. For me, simply diverging from my traditional black Talbots is what I consider fearless.

Best people watching all year

The production team Gaga had was stellar. Yes, we had challenges throughout the day but they didn't freak out. They treat us with respect and get the fact that they're 'in our house' and work with us as a team to accomplish the same goal. That doesn't always happen. More often that not we get the I'm-gonna-get-what-I-want-by-being-an-asshole attitude. Either way the job gets done but it's so much more fun when you work with people who 'get it.' And the people who aren't assholes get what they want a whole lot faster than those who are.

DJ opener

Gaga has a female DJ to kind of warm up the crowd. I caught her enough to take a quick pic. Reminds me of a rave club DJ, not that I've ever been to one. The crowd was still trickling in. Aside from the early entry, the arena was only about 1/2 full.

Opening for Gaga around 8.30ish was Scissor Sisters. Admittedly I've never heard of them but prior to the show started following them on Twitter. I'm actually bummed I missed them because judging by their interactions with fans on Twitter, I might have enjoyed it. I was dealing with typical fight night stuff: handling guests, managing employee gripes, taking care of VIPs (or people who think they're VIPs and aren't but I don't have the heart to tell them they're not) and hanging with the crew.

Gaga appears

Gaga hit the stage around 9.45p, late. But she hit with flair. Her show is a mish-mash of your typical concert, theatre, broadway & performance art. I know everyone compares her to Madonna but when you see her show it's hard not to. And I don't think that's a bad thing. She is ripped like an athlete, dances like a stripper on a pole and sings the crap out of her songs. I only caught about 4 songs but liked what I saw. The energy from the crowd was definitely helping the overall vibe. The Little Monsters love their leader.

GA floor

The show is a GA floor meaning: no seats, everyone stood. I used to hate shows like this but I'm growing fonder of them. Security hates them because when there is a problem it's so hard to get to it quickly. And because people are drinking and standing in close proximity for such long periods of time, people always pass out. But what's cool for me on GA floor shows is we create 'moats' on both sides of the floor. Kinda like safety corrals so we have unobstructed lanes from the back of the arena all the way up to stage right and left. I love these lanes because I can move around the floor quickly without bumping into people.

Virgin Moble m&g winner

It's no surprise to anyone that Gaga is extremely pro-GLBT. She does a gag in her show where she calls an audience member from her (tour sponsored Virgin Mobile) phone. It's actually kinda cool. His phone rings, spotlight hits him, his face hits the screens and he freaks out. It was actually really heartwarming. He was so excited he started to cry. "I am here because of you. This is why we all love you Gaga!" I think he was from Brazil. He was so adorable. He got to be a part of the meet & greet after the show.

I had pre-arranged with the tour rep to have my meet & greet guests escorted stage right after Paparazzi. From there they'd watch the final 2 songs and be brought backstage immediately. If you've never been stage right or left for a major concert, it's kinda cool. The sight lines are awful and it's just full of production people but it makes you feel kinda special.

Kids waiting for Gaga m&g

I was in the middle of dealing with a guest so I hustled backstage to meet up with them after the show. I had 1 Japanese couple who just got married and 2 girls who's daddy was a player. They were all adorable. This meet & greet was approved at the last minute so none of them knew it was happening until they arrived. The bride didn't even have anything for Gaga to sign so she had her sign her purse. In all honesty, if our casino thought it was important enough to get her into it, she could afford to buy a new one. The 2 girls were about 18 and very sweet. From Oklahoma I think. Somewhere in the south. Thick accent. The newlyweds and teenage girls were the 2nd & 3rd groups to meet Gaga. The first was the Virgin Mobile winner. He was even cuter in person. It's amazing what an effect Gaga has on these kid's lives. She gives them hope thru music. Being gay now isn't what it was 30 years ago. We've come a long way but it still can't be easy in some communities. The never ending bullying and self-destruction is devastating to so many kids and families. It give me hope that someone like Gaga can inspire and truly tell these kids to hang in there. You were Born This Way and it's ok.

Paparazzi (actually legit press)
waiting for escort to shoot show

After my guests did the meet & greet we started to walk out of the dressing room hallway when the tour rep called out my name. He wanted them to hang out because Gaga wanted to give them some bracelets. They were just those rubber things a la Lance Armstrong but the fact that she didn't want them to leave without giving them something was really insightful to me. She wasn't just going thru the motions of the pics and autographs. I've seen enough of them to know. She was actually looking AT these kids. Powerful stuff for a petite thing who wears meat.

I'm still not a big fan of her music but I'm a huge fan of her message. Well done Lady Gaga. Well done.

For more (terrible) pics from my (terrible) work BlackBerry camera head to my Facebook Gaga pic page.

Set List
Dance In The Dark
Glitter And Grease
Just Dance
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
The Fame
Love Game
Boys Boys Boys
Money Honey
Telephone
You And I
Monster
Teeth
Alejandro
Pokerface
Paparazzi
Bad Romance
Born This Way

The Text

The Text to Mark Matukewicz on Thursday, March 24, 2011 @ 11.52p.

I had a great time with you tonight. In case I forget to tell you, I like you a lot. I know it's a ridiculous notion since we don't live in the same city but it's been on my mind for awhile and I think it's important that you know.

Born This Way

I'm headed to my next Chris Botti show on Saturday. It's in Riverside, CA - short jaunt from Vegas. Just what I need to recharge my emotional batteries before the true madness of the Academy of Country Music Awards starts next week. But before then comes Lady Gaga on Friday. Her new single Born This Way is #1 on Billboard and #1 on Top 40. 

She's been to the Grand Garden Arena before. Last August I think. I didn't get to see much of that show because there was lots of patron drama throughout so I vowed this time I'd try and take in as much as I could. Last time I got stuck talking down a bi-polar mad woman who may or may not have been doped up on something, or maybe she wasn't doped up on something and that was the problem. It was exhausting but part of the job. Unfortunately that lasted for over an hour before security dragged her away. I felt bad for the first 30 minutes she pleaded her case to me why she should be allowed back into the arena after being kicked out and I actually was sympathetic and tried to help her, but by minute 31 I was ready to be done with it. I love me some Botti but I'm never going to pitch a tantrum and bawl my head off because I didn't get to see him or threaten harm to myself or others if he doesn't get my personal message. It's when you witness the desperation and true fanaticism that you start to feel for celebrities. I get that they shouldn't bitch that every toilet seat they sit on isn't a new factory sealed one but no one deserves to be hunted by crazies. 

People come out of the woodwork when the arena has high-demand, high-calibre artists. Not only friends, business associates & acquaintances asking for hookups but employees who give every excuse in the book why they need to be at this show. It's comical. There's a page on Facebook literally called I hate people that only call me for free tickets. Close to 31,000 people like it. There's nothing more annoying than getting a text or DM from someone you haven't spoken to in ages asking for a hook up. 

I hope to do a full blog on Gaga just like the past couple of shows. So hang up the Telephone, put on your Poker Face, tell all the Boys Boys Boys that you're Starstruck & Speechless but oh So Happy I Could Die. Tell Alejandro & the Summerboy you're done with the LoveGame & the Bad Romance and that you're gonna Live Your Life making Money Honey, just Chillin. And with that Eh, Eh Nothing Else I Can Say.