#31
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The bigger the "star" the more likely you're going to have to pay.
I saw Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge last year and after the show they both came out to the lobby and chatted the remaining fans, signed CD's etc. They were great. I don't think that JT did that after his Superbowl performance! (Though he was super nice to the MN Marching Band (my daughter a member) during all the rehearsals). |
#32
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I had a meet with Arlo Guthrie earlier this year . Just by pure chance , I walked to the rear of the Long's Park amphitheater in the hope of seeing Arlo and asking him to autograph my littering citation . Yes , I am a convicted litterbug as well . It didn't go well and he literally mocked me .
Sure am glad that I didn't pay for that . |
#33
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Quote:
I think a lot of performers started getting a little ticked whenever they would see their "fans" selling items with their signatures on places like EvilBay. I guess they felt like they wanted a piece of the action. |
#34
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I have been through a couple of "Meet and Greets" of various kinds, but only one formal one.
Forty years ago I was on the staff of the college newspaper and was sent to cover a Dr. Hook concert. I was sent backstage before the show but they were focused on the upcoming performance and not in the interview mode. However, Ray Sawyer invited me to go on-stage with them for their concert. I remember to this day that he warned me to stay away from the front of the stage because the girls would pull anyone off the stage to take clothing or other personal items as souvenirs. They were not into being dragged off the stage and losing boots, watches, belts, hats or whatever just so some crazy fans could have a souvenir. Fast forward about thirty years and I was on an early John Fogerty bulletin board that was very casual and relaxed. Some of his family was on the board, and when he started touring some of the band members would post too. Some die-hard fans started requesting some type of post-concert encounter, and they eventually came up with a pre-show meet and greet for $300 that included attendance at sound check, a short reception, autographs, a goodie-bag with all the concert memorabilia that was being sold in the lobby, and guaranteed front row center seats. If anyone remembered to bring a camera they could get a picture (this was before everyone had a cell-phone camera). As the session ended, Fogerty told us that we would be standing in the pit and to lean on the stage if we needed a rest, but if anyone had to sit down there would be some folding chairs available. All in all, the actual meet was pretty blah, I mean, he shook everyone's hand and engaged in a minute or two of minor small talk, but he was never going to remember anyone's face a week down the road. But for $300, front row leaning on the stage was a great deal. Much better than $200 to see U2 or The Eagles from the nosebleed section of a stadium. Then two years ago I was at a James Taylor concert. During intermission he sat on the edge of the stage and signed autographs while people were standing around on the floor taking selfies. Just because of the seating arrangements you had to be very close to the stage or fight through a crowd and rows of chairs, so most of the interaction was with the fans who had purchased seats in the first couple of rows. Oh, before posting this I checked the Fogerty tour page, and these days the Meet and Greet is $1100 for the same package, except that photographs are part of the deal now plus he talks guitars. $300 was a deal, $1100 no deal. But I suppose that if you are a guitar gear-head, the opportunity to talk shop with a star may be worth it if you have the disposable income. So there are my stories. I would close by saying that the best meet and greets are not the big stars, but the folks trying to make it who perform house concerts or small auditoriums, and afterwards are standing in line with you at the refreshment stand, or if they are really capitalistic, they are the one selling their merchandise at the little table in the lobby after the show. CK |
#35
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Living in Las Vegas and being a photographer, I photographed a lot of meet and greets, mostly with Country artists and enjoyed them.
My most memorable one was when the big country radio station in town who was a client of mine hired me to photograph the call-in winners of a backstage meet and greet with Alan Jackson and his opening act Lori White. I got my wife invited to come along after explaining to the music director about how big an Alan Jackson fan she was. Before the show, the on air radio folks and I met to plan how the meet and greet would work and they passed out diamond and triangle stickers we were to put on our shirts so security would know to let us backstage between the opening act and Alan. I was given a diamond sticker and the music director gave me another for my wife. I didn't know which was which until we broke up and the DJs, who all had triangle stickers, started making fun of me because they all got Lori White stickers and I was "stuck" with Alan Jackson (who was terribly shy and a terrible interview.) Boy did I make some serious brownie points when I gave my wife her diamond sticker telling her it would get her on Alan Jackson's bus! After Lori White's show and during intermission, we met with all the winners, the radio folks, my wife and I and went backstage. I took the winners who had won the Alan Jackson part onto his bus and photographed them with Alan. He was very quiet and almost seemed embarrassed that we were there but put on a brave face and I photographed everyone with him. My wife had her photo with Alan in her 2nd grade classroom for years afterward and sometimes student's parents would ask if he was her husband. She always corrected them (at least she told me she did...) Ah life in sin city... Best, PJ |
#36
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#37
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__________________
D.D. |