Joe Columbus 07-08-07
Yesterday
My day started out okay. Scott said there might be a chance he'd get home in time to go to the show but that he'd call me later. Well he didn't call until 4:30! He said he was on his way home so I scrambled to get ready. He got home about 5:15 and he decided he was just going to take me up to the fairgrounds and drop me off. He'd was filthy from working all day and was afraid we'd be late if we waited for him to get ready. Bless his heart, it turned out to be a good thing because I wouldn't have done what I did if he'd been there!
I got into the Celeste Center at 6:50, Rick was supposed to go on at 7:00. I found my seats, row 18, right side of stage. At about 5 minutes after, the lights went down. Several girls up front rushed the stage so I thought, what the hell! I made my way up front and managed to squirm my way up against the stage just to the right of Rick's mic stand. Seconds later he hit the stage, looked right at me and said "Hi there!"!!!! I didn't know the first song he did but then he went into Affair of the Heart and Rock of Life. Woo hoo!
Next was Don't Talk to Strangers and WOW!!!!!!! He sang part of the song and then started sticking he mic toward the audience for the line "Don't talk to strangers" over and over again. Finally he started picking out individuals in the crowd to sing it. One girl kept refusing so he came to the edge of the stage and sat down. Right next to me. My hand ended up on his leg and my, well, boob was pressed aganst his calf! He pulled the girl who was refusing to sing, up to him and tried again. No go, so he put his legs over her shoulders and held her there til she sang the line! He must have taken at least 15 minutes with this song because next he went over to the right side of the stage, hopped into the crowd and perched himself on the arms of some girls wheelchair to sing a couple of lines. You should have seen her face, it was priceless! I actually found out later that she was a longtime fan/friend of his. On his way back to the stage, he grabbed a little girl and brought her with him and had security bring up three other little girls. He chatted with them for a minute and then had them sing the line.
He did another song or two then came over to the edge of the stage once again. By this time I'd been pushed back just a bit. He wiped his face with a towel, looked at me and said "are you ready?" I yelled yes and he threw his towel at me! Unfortunately the girl next to me was a few inches taller and she grabbed it before it got to me. Rick frowned, leaned waaaay down and handed me a pick!
A song or two later, he put on a head set and came down into the crowd. He gave several people, including me! hugs as he went by and finally he ended up in the middle of the front section for a medley of songs. While everyone else surged toward him, I stood still and finally backed up so that I was once again against the stage. At one point he grabbed someone's cell phone and started calling people in their phone book!
After that he came back to the stage, finished up his set, left the stage, came back for his encore and was shirt less! Woo hoo! Damn for a 57 year old man he sure is in good shape!
Through the whole show I kept expecting security to run me off, as everyone else who was up front had a big fanclub sticker on, but it never happened. As everyone filed out I waited until some of the roadies came out and I got one of the setlists. My first one!
Rick came out for a fanclub thing but unless you had a sticker, the State patrol would run you off, so I headed outside. By the time I made my way through the crowd from the fair, to the back of the venue, there were about a dozen people waiting by the gate. A few moments later, 2 suv's went by, one with Rick in it. He rolled down the window, just enough to stick his arm out and wave.
I found out later that he rarely signs or poses for pictures except for fanclub members unless you bump into him at his hotel. I was by myself so I had no way to follow. :(
Tired and flying high, I made my way to McDonald's where I had arranged ofr Scott to pick me up. I got home about 10:30 but didn't get to sleep until after 3 though!
I tried to add some pics to this post but for some reason they aren't showing up. Grrr.
Pics are located at
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v379/lpprdlvr/Rick%20Springfield%2008-05-06/
I got into the Celeste Center at 6:50, Rick was supposed to go on at 7:00. I found my seats, row 18, right side of stage. At about 5 minutes after, the lights went down. Several girls up front rushed the stage so I thought, what the hell! I made my way up front and managed to squirm my way up against the stage just to the right of Rick's mic stand. Seconds later he hit the stage, looked right at me and said "Hi there!"!!!! I didn't know the first song he did but then he went into Affair of the Heart and Rock of Life. Woo hoo!
Next was Don't Talk to Strangers and WOW!!!!!!! He sang part of the song and then started sticking he mic toward the audience for the line "Don't talk to strangers" over and over again. Finally he started picking out individuals in the crowd to sing it. One girl kept refusing so he came to the edge of the stage and sat down. Right next to me. My hand ended up on his leg and my, well, boob was pressed aganst his calf! He pulled the girl who was refusing to sing, up to him and tried again. No go, so he put his legs over her shoulders and held her there til she sang the line! He must have taken at least 15 minutes with this song because next he went over to the right side of the stage, hopped into the crowd and perched himself on the arms of some girls wheelchair to sing a couple of lines. You should have seen her face, it was priceless! I actually found out later that she was a longtime fan/friend of his. On his way back to the stage, he grabbed a little girl and brought her with him and had security bring up three other little girls. He chatted with them for a minute and then had them sing the line.
He did another song or two then came over to the edge of the stage once again. By this time I'd been pushed back just a bit. He wiped his face with a towel, looked at me and said "are you ready?" I yelled yes and he threw his towel at me! Unfortunately the girl next to me was a few inches taller and she grabbed it before it got to me. Rick frowned, leaned waaaay down and handed me a pick!
A song or two later, he put on a head set and came down into the crowd. He gave several people, including me! hugs as he went by and finally he ended up in the middle of the front section for a medley of songs. While everyone else surged toward him, I stood still and finally backed up so that I was once again against the stage. At one point he grabbed someone's cell phone and started calling people in their phone book!
After that he came back to the stage, finished up his set, left the stage, came back for his encore and was shirt less! Woo hoo! Damn for a 57 year old man he sure is in good shape!
Through the whole show I kept expecting security to run me off, as everyone else who was up front had a big fanclub sticker on, but it never happened. As everyone filed out I waited until some of the roadies came out and I got one of the setlists. My first one!
Rick came out for a fanclub thing but unless you had a sticker, the State patrol would run you off, so I headed outside. By the time I made my way through the crowd from the fair, to the back of the venue, there were about a dozen people waiting by the gate. A few moments later, 2 suv's went by, one with Rick in it. He rolled down the window, just enough to stick his arm out and wave.
I found out later that he rarely signs or poses for pictures except for fanclub members unless you bump into him at his hotel. I was by myself so I had no way to follow. :(
Tired and flying high, I made my way to McDonald's where I had arranged ofr Scott to pick me up. I got home about 10:30 but didn't get to sleep until after 3 though!
I tried to add some pics to this post but for some reason they aren't showing up. Grrr.
Pics are located at
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v379/lpprdlvr/Rick%20Springfield%2008-05-06/
posted by lpprdlvr at 10:35 AM
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