I could not be more excited . . . .I finally got to meet Liz at the Benefit show in NY last night! Allison and I kept going over to her dressing room for about two hours to see if she was there. In the mean time, we chatted with her band for a while....Janet's so cool!
Finally at about 10:00 or so I saw Liz coming back, so as she was going into her dressing room I said "Liz" and I introduced myself and then Allison introduced herself. But, Liz had to get ready so she said she'd come out and talk later.....do you know what she did? She had her manager come out and get our cds to take inside to be signed. Then, she told him to let us in! We got pictures, and then ran upstairs to see the 7 song set list.
(Glory, Uncle Alvarez, Never Said, Mezmerizing, Polyester Bride, Perfect World, Divorce Song.) After, we went back downstairs and got to talk to Liz for another 10 minutes or so. She was the absolute coolest person! It was so nice to get to finally meet her!
Crap! I don't even know how to begin! Last night was the most incredible night........just thinking about it makes my heart nearly stop..........well, um, let's see..........I know Sara already posted something, but since I have no idea what she wrote, I'll just tell the story from my perspective. Sara,
Marino, and I got there around 8 and then Marino (married w/ a 10 month old!)went on to be bad and meet lotsa women......tsk, tsk...........so Sara and I scoped out the area, then asked a security guy where Liz was. He said she was downstairs, so we ran down there and found her dressing room, which was towards the back near coat check. We asked the lady (Angie) who was
guarding the entrance if Liz was there, but she said she wouldn't get there till later and she was at her hotel. We harrassed her for awhile and tried to make friends w/ her, and she told us to check back in a little while. The downstairs area was set up w/ kinda dim red lighting and these white mattress things arranged around the room, and there was one right outsude the dressing room, so Sara and I hung out there for awhile. Some guy walked out of the dressing room and another guy goes, "Jebin! How ya doing?" I went up to him
and was like, "Are you Jebin w/ Liz?" or something to that effect, and he said yes so we chatted a bit and he signed my Juvenilia (which was the designated signing case since there's a lot of white space) and I got a picture w/ him. Then I talked w/ Ric for a minute or two while he signed, but I don't think I got a picture w/ him b/c he had important matters to attend to or something. I talked w/ Buddy for a sec at one point, and he
signed "We played "Allison" during a show once.....did you hear that?" Then I thought I saw Janet go back and forth a few times, so I asked the sound guy (Ed Tyner or something.......you can find his name under Johnny Feelgood for claps and some other stuff) to get Janet to come out and talk to me and Sara.
He also signed Juvenilia just for fun. She seemed kinda surprised to have people waiting outside for her, but she must be THE SWEETEST person I have ever met. She has a wonderful sense of humor and talked to us for at least 20 minutes, possibly more. We discussed different shows and she made some
funny remarks about how Liz got someone to do her make-up for her, while Janet has to do it herself. She then told us a funny story about how when Liz went on Rosie they made her sing in front of Rosie's desk so she wasn't on camera. I thought she'd have been ticked, but she told us that she'd let someone else do her make-up (there's a dash, right?) and the lady made her
look really goth and terrible. I told her my Chapel Hill story and asked her about playing w/ Alanis. She said it was cool, but she prefers playing w/ just Liz. Sara and I got some pictures w/ her and she signed my Juvenilia "Allison -- you're like our personal Magellan!" She was so adorable and had
awesome clothes. If you have a chance to speak w/ her, DO SO IMMEDIATELY! Wait........the next time they're playing is at Lillith, but if you're lucky enough to go when Liz is playing, try and meet Janet too.
Anyway, after about 2 hours of mixed mingling and keeping watch outside w/ Janet, finally Liz arrives, w/ about 10 minutes until set time. Sara runs up to her and introduces herself. I was going to also, but I was talking to Janet and didn't want to snub her and make it seem like I didn't care about our conversation since she's so awesome. Anyway, I finished my sentence and run up, and I'm like, "Hi...I'm Allison" and she reaches out her hand halfway then puts it down and I'm in a daze so a second later I put my hand up and she laughs since it was kinda dumb-ly awkward. Angie tells her that we've been waiting for two hours and we're die-hard fans and would love to have a
picture w/ her. She's like, "Oh yeah, sure, cool" but her manager's like, "Actually she needs to get ready" (if I have any facts wrong, please excuse.......I was about to cry I was so fucking excited!) so she apologized an said she was really late and had to prep but we could come back after the show and chill. So Sara and I sit back down and then the manager comes out
and says, "Do you have anything for her to sign? She doesn't have time for you to go in and talk, but she can sign something for you." I was like, holy shit! The fact that she had about 10 minutes to get ready and she still wanted to put aside time and actually remembered that we were out there was so great! So we handed him Juvenilia and he ran back in. Around this time I
saw this guy also waiting out there so I asked if he was somehow affiliated w/ Liz. Turns out he was Mike, this super cool guy who's also on supports whom I'd intended to meet there. Then the manager comes back out and says that the two girls (Sara and I) can go in quickly and get pictures w/ her. They're letting us in and Angie or someone stops him but I lied and told them
that he was my chaperone so they let him in. I was on such a natural high. We dash in and I could hardly see the surroundings, I was so frantic. She's just standing there in the middle of the dressing room smiling and waiting to
have pics w/ us. So Sara stands next to her and someone took a pic of the three of us and then I tried to take a picture w/ Mike w/ his camera but I was so jittery and spazzing out that I couldn't see through the viewfinder thing so I was getting really upset and Liz is like, "Shit! She's getting frantic!" Then the manager starts getting pissed b/c they're supposed to be upstairs and I'm nearly hyperventilating w/ the damn camera so I just take the picture according to how I think the pic should be taken and Sara, Mike, and I all kinda chain b/c Mike's friend Scott was holding a place in the front of the stage upstairs and we wanted to go up quickly and get in front.
We all made it to the front row. I was about a foot at most away from her. The set list was practically in front of me, a little to the right, so Sara and I set up our crappy recorders right next to the little stage. I got the whole thing on tape, but my recorder has a big fuzz factor, but if anyone
wants copies, just e-mail me and we'll work something out. We already knew the setlist (Glory, Uncle Alvarez, Never Said Mesmerizing, Polyester Bride, Perfect World, Divorce Song though not in that exact order) but itw as so great. It was so adorable during Divorce Song, I think, whe she tried to do
hand motions at the totally wrong time........like, "when you did the things you said were up to me" so she just had her hands out and just made like emphatic gestures, although she did some ripply hand thing during something appropriate that I can't remember. Also, at the end of DS, she started
talking w/ Buddy and then they both went to the mics and started going "OOooooooohhhh-oooooooohhhhhh!" kinda train-whitsle-y..it was really cute. Although they said no flash photography, I was very naughty and took lotsa pics......she was so close! And my zoom was so good! Then I got busted, but I'd already taken a bunch, so it was ok. I was more worried the guy who
yelled at me about the cameras would notice the recorders, so I made a big action putting my camera in my case and apoloogized a lot.
Even though I knew the setlist, I yelled for Conversation Overheard Between 2 Bouncers and at one point she leaned forward and went "what?" so Sara said it to her but she didn't understand. I also yelled for Blood Keeper for fun. Oh,
and I took a close-up of that star thingy on her cream guitar...hopefully it'll come out. Oh, and I'm getting triples of my photos, so hopefully I can send-lend a set to someone who wants to scan them onto a site, since I can't do it, although I may want a pic to put on mine, if I'm able. She played both
her cream one w/ the star and that red one, so I guess whichever one broke is now repaired.
Oh, and she did that back-stretch thing that she knows really sets ppl off, but the guy came and harrassed me then, so if you've never seen it, sorry!Right after the show, since we figured they wouldn't play an encore, the four of us (Sara, Mike, Scott, and I) ran back down to take station outside the
dressing room. I honestly cannot remember what happened for awhile, but finally Liz came back out and talked to us, along w/ another girls on supports (Sarah Russo......is that your name?) and her friend and we all chatted w/ Liz for a few minutes. She signed my Juvenilia and Guyville, and all of Sara's liner notes and her set list. Sara told Liz that people were selling set lists for $40 at roseland, and Liz is like, "Shit! Are you
kidding me? I should start signing my underwear!" We told her that I'd been yelling for conversation the whole time and her eyes bugged out and she's like, "How the hell do you know that song?" I told her that I'd also screamed for Blood Keeper and she's like "Only about three people had that.....I'm starting to wonder how these things are getting out there!" or something like that. I asked her about new stuff and she said that she's been writing more and by sometime in the coming week she has to go to the studio w/ "7 new very excellent songs" and she seemed kinda worried that people had songs she hasn't released yet, or maybe she was just shocked. I'd asked Janet about bootlegging earlier, and she said that everyone's fine w/ it and that she
often e-mails people asking for shows, but they never believe that she's really who she claims to be.
Liz also added that she's putting a girlysound song on the next album and she stopped to think of it........I said "Hello Sailor" just b/c I love that song and no one ever mentions it, and she's like, no, and starts humming the beginning parts. I go "Can't Get out of What I'm Into!" and we both start singing it. So, technically I sang w/ Liz. Yeah! I wish I'd bootlegged our
conversation. Conversation Overheard Among 6 obsessed fans and the coolest person ever..........So, that's the latest on the next album, and maybe I'm totally wrong, but either she or Janet said that she wants a new album by Sept, but maybe after if they get delayed. I love that song! Sorry to be all snotty, but I was so elated just singing that w/ her in this surreal setting.......it was such a dream.............I still can hardly believe it. So we chatted some more and Sara mentioned that she's learning to play Perfect World and has some trouble w/ the part right before the chorus, so Liz kinda hums it and says, "Oh, I can show you how to do that" and points into her dressing room, but we never did. : (
Anyway, I know I'm missing stuff, but she told us a bit about how she used to sing in choirs and loved to sing but was embarrassed and then just decided to go for it and suggested to take lessons and just go for it. Then it turned out that Liz had some old friends there who had come to see her, so she's
like, "I'm really sorry guys, but I have some friends here that I haven't seen in a long time, so I kinda have to get back in there." She was so sweet! So we let her go, but as she walked back there, I ran after her and asked whose eye was in the inlay of spaceegg. She shrugged and said some friend of
hers (Barbara?) took the picture and she didn't really know. So, we still don't really have an answer, but that's as much as I could find out. Whew! I keep on thinking about it and getting teary. Honestly, that had to be one of the best nights of my life....nothing can compare to the excitement and the awesome ppl I met....(Mike, e-mail me or something!).......now if
only my road test next Thursday will go so well........
The whole experience was just so wild....like I felt so strangely sedate while more excited than ever..........I felt such a sense of closure considering my failed attempt and near-miss in Feb in Chapel Hill and considering all the shit and stress I go through during the year, this was just an awesome....something........I can't even describe it but I feel so much at peace w/ everything! I just kinda wished I'd talked w/ her a little longer since I didn't want to cut in since she really liked Sarah and her friend. Oh well..........sorry this is soooooo massive, but the night was quite long and eventful. Now I really need to sleep, if I can! I was up till three last night just listening to the bootleg and being all giddy. Anyway, if I think of more, I will most definitely clog all your mailboxes again.
- --Allison
Here is the story of the Sanctuary for Families benefit show:
For those who haven't been keeping up, Liz played at a benefit in New York City, Thursday, June 10 at The Altman Building, 135 West 18th Street.
Sanctuary for Families is an organzation the helps the those who've experieced domestic violence, and their families. This event was intended to raise funds, and also to raise awareness about domestic violence. The 20-30 year-old age group was the target audience. (umm...You are a target market)
I drove up from Philly to see the show...and there was virtually no traffic, at least untill the Lincoln Tunnel. Those taxi drivers will cut you off.....flip you the bird....then kick your dog. (just a total disregard for public saftey) However, I couldn't believe how easy it was to get into Manhattan at 7:30 in the evening. (Sorry to those who are kicking themselvesnow)
The Altman Building, at least the first floor, is a large, wide open, "studio" space. It had high ceilings, exposed steel beams, wood floors. It's a very modern space, probably used for art exibits, cocktail parties, fashion shows, that sort of thing.......
The event started at 8pm, with Liz scheduled to go on at 10. There was an hors d'ourve (sp?) buffet, and an open bar. By the way, the 21-and-over thing didn't seem to be a problem. I was alone and my ID was not checked at the door.....although some people were checked at the bar. Most of the people were in their early 20's, wearing suits and dresses. Calvin Klein was a sponser, which might expain why Liz was asked to play. (It might also explain the CK products in the bathroom)
DJ Sky, who is female, played music before and after the show..... including all your favorites..."No, I don't want no scrubs....." Oh yeah.
The stage was set-up along the back wall. The risers where only 2 feet off the ground and there was nothing between the crowd and the stage. Finally, the lights dimmed, and out came a woman from VH-1 (a model who's name escapes me). She spoke a bit about Sanctuary for Families......said, "Please, no flash photography" and introduced, "LLLLLiiiiiiiiizzzzzzzPhair....
So, out comes the whole band. Janet, Buddy, and the keyboard player (name?) were there, but the bass player and drummer were not those on the collegetour.
Thankfully, Ed "Jim Morrisson" Tinley was on the monitor mix. (Yeah ED!) The whole band, save Janet and Liz, were in suits and ties. Very sharp..... maybe they were Calvin Klein..... I don't know. Liz wore a beige/green top that tied in the back and almost looked like a really short dress. (hard to explain). She wore beige pants, black open-toe shoes, a gold bracelet, hair
down. (Yes. She looked fantasic.) I'd like to see the band wears suits from now on. Kind of a 60's, Ed Sullivan look. It makes the guys look like "good boys" while Liz is the "bad-girl rocker" It was so cool !! Now, if we can just get Liz to pick up a Gibson....
Good News: Liz's yellow Duo-Sonic is back.....remember, at the previous Crowbar show, she put it down halfway through and said, "It's dying..." I didn't see the sliver MusicVox.
Here's the set list:
GLORY
The photo-flashes were blinding, heh heh. People were eventuallyasked to stop)
UNCLE ALVAREZ
NEVER SAID
MESMERIZING
(Liz put down her guitar and held the microphone for this one. She was efinately n-charge!)
POLYESTER BRIDE
PERFECT WORLD
DIVORCE SONG
..."and then accused me of trying to FUCK IT UP......" (Buddy suggested a "whooo-whooo" during the final instrumental section, Liz in, joined in, "whooo-whooo" It was pretty funny.)
At the end, Liz took the picks hanging on the microphone stand and kindly gave them to the people standing in front. Liz knew that the people down front were great fans. On her way off stage, Liz shook every hand that was reached out. (Including mine!!!) I'm so happy I went....
A few comments on the show....
I'd estimate that about 300 people were there. During the performance, many people stood in front of the stage....many stood off to the sides. There was plenty of space and you could've gotten as close as you wanted....even the front row. EVERYONE was talking, even people watching the show. You could hear echoing chatter during every song. The large room was full of metal, hard surfaces, and chatty socializers. The vocals were difficult to hear. Liz played it cool.....the whole band sounded good.
People yelled for Johnny Feelgood, Conversation Overheard...... but that set list was clearly written in stone. With a new rhythm section, and a 30 min set, you're pretty limited. Also, the theme of Johnny Feelgood probably didn't fit the theme of the evening..... I have no idea what happened after the performance, as I had to get back to Philly.
I only met one of you last night...... so, hello to Mellissa. Sorry I missed the rest of you.
I have a completely unedited minidisc recording of the show, and am looking for someone with the hardware/software to trim it up and digitally master it to CDR (through optical or electrical digital connections) Please email me and let me know if you have the appropriate gear. I hope to get you all some copies very soon.
These are the Last Words,
Ginz
Hey gang. I didn't get a chance to post on Friday, but I went to the show Thursday night and it was an absolutely amazing night. Here's an account of my incredible evening:
I was to meet my friend Scott in the City between 7:00 and 7:15. Scott picked a bar that was a block and 1/2 away. That's our typical routine... meet in the City for a show, get there early, meet at bar, down a few beers, go to the show... you get the picture. So I got there a little before 7 (doors opened at 8:00) , so first I walked to the place where the show was. It was a really nice place, and there were a few men in suits guarding the front door. I peeked in the windows of the place to see what was going on, and there were a bunch of people buzzing around. I looked for Liz and at first I thought I saw her but it was really tough to tell and then I realized it wasn't her. I saw a stretch limo across the street so I watched that for awhile just to see if I'd get lucky and Liz would come out or something. I had a feeling I should stick around in case something happened. I waited a few minutes but by now it was 7:00 and I needed to go meet Scott. So I walked a block or so over and hung at at the bar. I had a 'cool, tall' glass of beer and waited for Scott to show...
About 15 minutes later Scott came in the bar with his game face on. He didn't even say hello, he just started talking. He told me that he too had walked by the place, but that he snuck in. I asked him how, with the suits at the door. He told me here was another door further down the street that took you in, and no one was in front of that one. So he snuck in and started walking around. Sure enough, after walking around a bit... there she was. He was 5 or 10 feet away, and she was right there in front of him. He didn't want to interrupt her, so he didn't say anything. But then she walked right out the front door with a guy (manager? husband??) and he followed her. So went up the street just the two of them and threw out a water bottle in a can on the street. Arguably this is where Scott dropped the ball. Instead of getting and idea where she was going, he let her be and went the other way down the street to meet me.
At the bar after we met up, I downed my beer and Scott and I went back to the place. He showed me where he snuck in, and the two of us walked right in the place. We walked around, but no Liz. Just a whole bunch of very fine, very nicely dressed women, and some people setting up the food and drinks. Scott and I headed in the same direction Liz had headed, and found a bar near there. We had some more cold beverages and then around 8:00 headed back.
The evening was (to quote Scott) very very 'surreal'. Cool NYC upper class place with beautful women and everyone decked out. Not too many true Liz phans, but that almost made it nice because everyone wasn't fighting to be at the front of the stage, trying to find her, etc. Scott and I headed for the bar (open bar ended up being my downfall). We each got a rum and coke, and walked around. I noticed Buddy walking around, and told Scott "that's the guitar player!!". I wanted to say hi, but he got in line for food and a couple of people asked us to buy raffle tickets. I wanted to see where Buddy was heading (to lead us to Liz), but I got sidetracked with the raffles so I lost him. But I figured there was only one place to go... downstairs.
After testing out both bars upstairs, Scott and I headed downstairs and it was so cool down there. It was a smokers lounge with a bar (more rum and cokes for Scott and me!!), and tv's playing Liz's videos, which was cool. We hung out, had a few cigarettes, drank, talked to some babe in law school
that was there with her 'talent agent' boyfriend. We talked to her about the Grateful Dead and Phish for awhile. She was a big Phish fan. Anyway... I'll try to keep this interesting...
So I noticed there was a room downstairs in the back. I guessed this was the dressing room and I was right. We walked by a couple times, but nothing was going on. By now it was getting close to 10:00, when Liz was going on. So Scott and I went up to the stage to claim a front row spot. We sat on the stage under the mic to claim our spot. It wasn't too hard,
since the rest of the crowd wasn't exactly ouzing with excitement for Liz like the rest of us.
I started looking for other people from the list. One girl had said she'd be there with an older guy and Scott and I thought we picked her out. Scott said something to the older guy and he pointed to her. But she didn't really respond. Are you out there? Did you enjoy the show??? I think at some point I also met Ginz, who had emailed me saying he'd be there. But that was later on in the night and by that poing I was pretty drunk. Sorry I don't remember more if I did meet you Ginz!!
It was around 10:00, and I had to take a pisser. I was afraid to lose my spot, but I told Scott to guard it for me. I took a wiz, and just kept thinking about where Liz would come out to go upstairs. So I went back to the dressing room, and that's when I met Sara and Allison. I could tell they were phans, and that Liz was back there so I hung behind them and waited. Allison said hi, we met and were chatting, and then before I knew it the bouncer said they could go in and see Liz and I couldn't believe it!!! The bouncer didn't want me to go in, but luckily Allison (THANK YOU ALLISON) said "he's my chaperone", and dragged me in behind her and Sara. We walked into this tiny room and there she was right in front of us. I took a picture of Allison, Sara, and Liz, and then asked Allison to take one with me and Liz. You know this part if you read Allison's note. So I'll move on quicker... But let me just say. Liz was sooo cool and friendly and it was way cool of her to let us in so close to her performance. She didn't need to do that, but she did.
They kicked us out, and I told Allison and Sara to follow me up to the stage. We got right back to the front with Scott holding our spots, and I filled Scott in quick. She came on, and the whole set was a blur to me. Scott and I had written the set list down earlier, so we weren't surprised when she performed the songs on the list. By now I was very drunk, so sadly I don't even remember the set that well. I just sang away, and we were only a couple of feet from her. I took tons of pictures (some of which came out really well!!!) It was incredible. After the last song (Divorce Song), she reached into the crowd and handed out her picks (who got them?) and I shook her hand (actually, I shook her whole arm I think).
We raced back downstairs, and it was me, Scott, Sara, Allison, and two other girls, as Allison mentioned. Liz came out and talked to us for about 10 mintues or so. Luckily Allison had such a good account of what we talked about, because by then my memory fades. But I do remember a couple of things... Scott said 'why didn't you play for like 2 hours???', since it was such a short set. She laughed and said something. We also talked about her set list. One of us (me I think) said something about playing Johnny Feelgood, and she laughed and told us that they editted her list and basically said they didn't let her pick the songs herself. I made some dumb going about them scratching off one song after another. I won't repeat the things Allison wrote since she did such a good job, but a couple things I remember saying to her... she was talking about being afraid to sing or something, and I told her that's she's come a long way with her stage fright. Meaning she was so nervous when Scott and I saw her solo in '95, vs being up there now with the band. She agreed about the stage fright thing. I asked her when a new album was coming out, which brought her in the '7 excellent songs thing'. But she said it would take a while for another album, something about 'how long it takes'. Scott might be able to remember what she said, but I got the jist that it wouldn't be any time soon. Anyway, after some chatting I asked her to sign my whitechoclatespaceegg cover (scott's too), and a picture of her I bought off ebay. She looked at it and wen't LIZ!!! as kind of a joke. It was funny. Anyway, then she was saying she had to go, but I asked for a picture of me and her before she left. Scott took one of the two of us and it came out awesome!!!! I was so psyched.
Anyhow, I have to run and this note is so long. I won't finish the rest of my night (about how I was puking on the streets of NYC later on, and flipping off people in a Pizza place who were making fun of me). But I got home okay and paid for the open bar thing all day at work on Friday. But it was such an excellent night.
Gotta run. I'll ask Scott to fill in the details and write more later if there is anything Allison or I missed. By the way, it was great meeting Allison and Sara. Oh, one last thing, we had Buddy and Janet sign our CD's too, so 3 signatures in total. Way cool night indeed.
That's it for now.
Peace,
Mike
Ok, so I know you're all sick of hearing about my Liz encounter, but I remembered a few more things I wanted to mention.....
When Sara and I were chatting w/ Janet, she asked us when we thought she found out about the benefit. We said, "last night" and she's like, "Nope....this morning." Then she explained how it was originally going to be just Liz solo, then Liz wanted Buddy, and finally she wanted the whole ensemble. Then Janet uses this ditzy/spacy voice, pretending to be Liz, and
says, "Hmmmm....maybe we could just add everybody or something! Yeah!" It was pretty damn funny, and Janet was really good-natured about the last-minute scheduling....like, she could've been really bitter about it, but she was more playful when she imitated Liz.........like, I don't think she was really pissed or anything, which was pretty damn cool...she just kinda wanted to entertain us.
Hmmmm.......the second thing......oh yeah, right when we met Liz after the show, Sarah and her friend were like, "Why didn't you play Johnny Feelgood?" and Liz put her hands to her temples, like she's shooting herself...she had this look like "Hello, they'd kill me if I played it!"....I suppose since the
whole night was dedicated to anti-violence against women and the "he knocked me down, started dragging me around" WOULD NOT have settled well. Then Liz explained how the whole song selection for this was "such a blow to my perception of my songs" or her songwriting or something and she did this thing where she held out her left hand as if it were a list and with her right hand she started crossing songs out, going "No....no....no"........it
was really cute......it's really hard to describe, especially since I'm supremely conversational when I post (it's just so much easier to just f'n write w/out trying to sound literary or anything....I need a break from all these end of the year essays and tests......) but if I ever meet any of you, I will gladly demonstrate. OOOOooooohhhhhhhhhhh.....simulation! (And I know
some of you at first glance will think that says stimulation....naughty!)I think that was all I wanted to add........now I'll just wait patiently for the next digest. Hey! Maybe I'll send this and be the last post! Won't that
be special.
- --Allison