My Year of Adam
This is my first post ever but I swore to myself that I would do a recap of the past year at the end of my Glam Nation tour experiences.
As most of you know, I got involved in this fandom last August-September as part of the Donors Choose contest although I had lurked on _ai since late May - early June. My life has been an adventure since then with countless trips and meeting people in this fandom. I've stayed in 10 hotels and attended 11 Adam solo concerts. Now that Glam Nation - US Leg is coming to an end, I decided to reflect on this past year.
First trip was in December 2009 to Tampa. It was billed as a M&G if you bought club seats to the Tampa Jingle Ball. In reality, it was a group picture and could not get anything signed. As an "Adam trip", it was pretty much a failure but I got to meet blackcolorliner (a lot more on her later) and others. It was a fun trip filled with left turns and duck murders.
In January 2010, blackcolorliner and I went to Disney. I have been to Disney many times (probably close to 100) but this is my all time favorite Disney trip. At the end of this year, if you ask me what the best thing about being in Adam's fandom has been the answer is easy - blackcolorliner. This trip cemented that blackcolorliner was and to this day is, above everything else, my best friend. I do not make friends easily and I am amazed at how quickly she and I bonded. I can't imagine my life without her.
February 2010, we went to Fantasy Springs for Adam's first official solo concert. This trip was with blackcolorliner, kate_meradoam, bones_2_be, and others. This was the trip from hell. We had 2 people stuck in a snow storm, I spent 15 hours driving or stuck in van with a flat tire mostly with kate_meradoam and bones_2_be which also meant I did not get to meet Tommy, and there were a lot of personal issues that came to head during and right after this trip. The concert itself though was amazing and to date it is still my favorite version of WLL. We got to hear Broken Open live for the first time and we were part of a select group that will be able to say I was there for his first solo concert. He was vocally amazing and I loved every minute of it. As insane as the trip was, I am so glad I went.
March 2010, blackcolorliner and I went to see Muse in Nashville as an early birthday treat. Great concert, great hotel and a fun touristy weekend. Only negative was that blackcolorliner was only there for a few hours and not the entire weekend.
April 2010, blackcolorliner, bones_2_be, a few others, and I went to Vancouver to see Adam. Since blackcolorliner had a school conflict, she was not at the first show. Vocally one of the best I have ever heard Adam. If not the top, then definitely top 3. It was a laid back show with not a lot of theatrics but it was incredibly gorgeous. Thanks to some prodding, we stood in the pit and were about 3 people deep. I loved this show. Next day all of us went to the second Vancouver show. Totally different atmosphere and the set was shorter than the first night. While the second night was a "funner" concert and it was the first appearance of Tommy+boa, the first night was a better concert. We again stood by the stage and this time were about 2 people deep. That night after the show we met TOMMY and it was pretty EPIC. He spoke to us for a while about everything from the laptop to how Adam's fan groups are similar to religious sects ("The Gospel According to Tommy") and he screamed the now infamous "You're Not a Badger". The next day we played tourist. I loved the Vancouver trip. There was a very sour note at the end but overall it was pretty magical. I got to spend some time (not in a van) with blackcolorliner and everyone else.
GLAM NATION
June 2010
NY Night #2: I attended this concert with blackcolorliner, my goddaughter and other badgers. We were about 5 people deep and it was a great night, concert, and trip. We had an amazing time. This was also my first time seeing Allison live (after many failed attempts) and I really enjoyed seeing her. It was my first general admission concert ever and it was a pretty easy experience actually. It was a no drama concert outing and Adam was great vocally. We got WLL on the platform right in front of us and Lambliff kisses!!!
Foxwoods: We met up with even more badgers for this show. While the hotel and venue were beautiful, this was the WORST Glam Nation show. The audience sucked. While he was very good vocally, the entire experience was so-so.
Atlantic City: my goddaughter and I met up with even more badgers for this show. Adam was sick so it was one of the least energetic of the Glam Nation shows but we were only 2 back from the stage so we were very very close and got some amazing pictures. After the concert, I met and spoke to Liz (Allison’s bassist) for a while and talked to Tommy again. We talked about them performing after a baseball game (he thought that was funny) and, since this was before any Florida dates were announced, I told him they needed a Miami show so they could hang at South Beach (he agreed). Tommy also pinched my goddaughter’s cheek and called her cute. I love him.
August 2010
Raleigh: blackcolorliner and I flew in and met up with ncgrrrl, nobodybetterer (and her daughter), and pyrosgf for this concert. We also saw toxic_led again (we had met her in NY) and she was in line with blackcolorliner and I at the M&G. blackcolorliner and I were able to get M&G passes to meet Adam through Donors Choose - she because she was the leader of the Badgers & Creepers donation page and me because I was a top donor. Meeting Adam was pretty amazing and I spoke to him for about a minute and told him what an incredible thing he has done for the charity and he admired my necklace. I was also scolded by Adam for not telling him I was the top individual donor in the fall contest (blackcolorliner tattled on me). I never saw my picture with Adam since it was never posted - damn Neil - but I still had the New Orleans M&G so that was ok. The concert was not the best vocally. He clearly was resting his voice BUT!!!! Tommy recognized blackcolorliner in the crowd and he waved at us during Sure Fire Winners (my favorite song) and threw us his pick which I now have on a chain. The trip itself was also pretty incredible. There was no drama and everyone got along. I got to meet ncgrrrl and nobodybetterer who is AMAZING and one of the best friends I have. This was also the trip where blackcolorliner and I realized that there may be something more between us than just friends which was both scary and exhilarating. Second best Adam trip EVER!!!
September 2010
New Orleans: blackcolorliner and I (along with what seemed like half of Adam's fandom) flew to New Orleans Friday night for the show on Sunday. Saturday we played tourist and we LOVED New Orleans. It was dirty, sleazy, sexy, and fun and pretty damn wonderful. We met Adam again since we had purchased the VIP M&G passes. I told him that I had never done this for any other artist and thanked him for an incredible summer, I finally got my hug, and I got my picture. Sunday’s show was AMAZING. Vocally incredible. Performance wise the best I have ever seen Adam and the band/dancers. They were all clearly enjoying performing in New Orleans. On a personal note, blackcolorliner and I figured out that there was definitely something between us and, although we are still playing it by ear, so far it’s been wondeful. Overall, I was so glad I was able to share this weekend with my favorite person. This is my favorite Glam Nation show and the best Adam trip EVER!!!!! When I look back over this past year this will be the weekend I will recall first.
Melbourne: my godson had to back out of this show and the Tampa show at the last minute so I convinced blackcolorliner to come to Florida (something I had been trying to do for weeks) to go to these shows with me. Since Melbourne is just 3.5 hours from Miami, I picked up blackcolorliner at the airport and we drove to Melbourne. After the show, we stayed with Quinn222. The show itself was so-so. The crowd, at least in our area, was awful. As a Glam Nation show it was probably my second least favorite along with Foxwoods.
Tampa: blackcolorliner and I (again) attended this concert which was held after a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game. I knew this would be a bittersweet show for me since it was my last one with blackcolorliner whom I had been with for every show but Vancouver #1 and Atlantic City. This was our eighth show together and the tenth one for each of us individually (she had gone to Nashville and Atlanta #2 without me). It was an odd show since it was a stage on the field and it started late since the game went into extra innings. Since we had been to so many shows, we decided to stay towards the back of the crowd on the field, take off our shoes, and just sing and dance along. Since we were in the back, a lot of people in our area did not know the songs and some left early but we had a lot of fun. The sound was great and it seemed like Adam and the band were having a lot of fun with the entire "family friendly" nature of the crowd. This was also the first time blackcolorliner and I had been alone since March and the first time since we realized there was something between us so this made these two days even more special.
Hollywood: this was my last Glam Nation show and my family Glam Nation show since the venue is only about an hour drive from my house. I went with my mom, my aunt, and my two godchildren. Quinn222 and Denitta sat with my mom and I about 20 rows from the stage and my aunt and godchildren were 7 rows behind us. Vocally Adam was "on". This, along with Vancouver #1 and New Orleans, was one of the best I heard him vocally in all 11 shows. He was amazing. It was the second to last US show and the last one in an interior venue and it was clear he was not holding back AT ALL. One of my favorite memories of the entire Glam Nation experience this summer will be my 60-year old mother dancing during Fever, fist pumping and singing along during Sure Fire Winners, and singing along and jumping during If I Had You.
This last weekend was amazing because I got to share part of it with my favorite person in the world and then got to have a wonderful concert with my mom. It was a wonderful ended to my Year of Adam (with a few side trips thrown in).
RECAP
Worst Shows: Foxwoods and Melbourne
Top 3 Best Shows Vocally: New Orleans, Vancouver #1 and Hollywood
Best Weekend Experiences: New Orleans, Raleigh, and Vancouver
Favorite Overall Show: New Orleans
All in all, this has been an incredible year. I totally stepped out of my comfort zone since I have never done something like this. I got to meet some incredible people and had such a fun year. In blackcolorliner, I found the best friend I have ever had and, while I don't know where the rest of it with her is heading yet, she IS the reason more than any other why this year was so special for me. Even though some of it has been difficult and drama filled, I would not trade any single minute of it. I will be forever grateful to Adam for this past year and what and who he has brought into my life.
As most of you know, I got involved in this fandom last August-September as part of the Donors Choose contest although I had lurked on _ai since late May - early June. My life has been an adventure since then with countless trips and meeting people in this fandom. I've stayed in 10 hotels and attended 11 Adam solo concerts. Now that Glam Nation - US Leg is coming to an end, I decided to reflect on this past year.
First trip was in December 2009 to Tampa. It was billed as a M&G if you bought club seats to the Tampa Jingle Ball. In reality, it was a group picture and could not get anything signed. As an "Adam trip", it was pretty much a failure but I got to meet blackcolorliner (a lot more on her later) and others. It was a fun trip filled with left turns and duck murders.
In January 2010, blackcolorliner and I went to Disney. I have been to Disney many times (probably close to 100) but this is my all time favorite Disney trip. At the end of this year, if you ask me what the best thing about being in Adam's fandom has been the answer is easy - blackcolorliner. This trip cemented that blackcolorliner was and to this day is, above everything else, my best friend. I do not make friends easily and I am amazed at how quickly she and I bonded. I can't imagine my life without her.
February 2010, we went to Fantasy Springs for Adam's first official solo concert. This trip was with blackcolorliner, kate_meradoam, bones_2_be, and others. This was the trip from hell. We had 2 people stuck in a snow storm, I spent 15 hours driving or stuck in van with a flat tire mostly with kate_meradoam and bones_2_be which also meant I did not get to meet Tommy, and there were a lot of personal issues that came to head during and right after this trip. The concert itself though was amazing and to date it is still my favorite version of WLL. We got to hear Broken Open live for the first time and we were part of a select group that will be able to say I was there for his first solo concert. He was vocally amazing and I loved every minute of it. As insane as the trip was, I am so glad I went.
March 2010, blackcolorliner and I went to see Muse in Nashville as an early birthday treat. Great concert, great hotel and a fun touristy weekend. Only negative was that blackcolorliner was only there for a few hours and not the entire weekend.
April 2010, blackcolorliner, bones_2_be, a few others, and I went to Vancouver to see Adam. Since blackcolorliner had a school conflict, she was not at the first show. Vocally one of the best I have ever heard Adam. If not the top, then definitely top 3. It was a laid back show with not a lot of theatrics but it was incredibly gorgeous. Thanks to some prodding, we stood in the pit and were about 3 people deep. I loved this show. Next day all of us went to the second Vancouver show. Totally different atmosphere and the set was shorter than the first night. While the second night was a "funner" concert and it was the first appearance of Tommy+boa, the first night was a better concert. We again stood by the stage and this time were about 2 people deep. That night after the show we met TOMMY and it was pretty EPIC. He spoke to us for a while about everything from the laptop to how Adam's fan groups are similar to religious sects ("The Gospel According to Tommy") and he screamed the now infamous "You're Not a Badger". The next day we played tourist. I loved the Vancouver trip. There was a very sour note at the end but overall it was pretty magical. I got to spend some time (not in a van) with blackcolorliner and everyone else.
GLAM NATION
June 2010
NY Night #2: I attended this concert with blackcolorliner, my goddaughter and other badgers. We were about 5 people deep and it was a great night, concert, and trip. We had an amazing time. This was also my first time seeing Allison live (after many failed attempts) and I really enjoyed seeing her. It was my first general admission concert ever and it was a pretty easy experience actually. It was a no drama concert outing and Adam was great vocally. We got WLL on the platform right in front of us and Lambliff kisses!!!
Foxwoods: We met up with even more badgers for this show. While the hotel and venue were beautiful, this was the WORST Glam Nation show. The audience sucked. While he was very good vocally, the entire experience was so-so.
Atlantic City: my goddaughter and I met up with even more badgers for this show. Adam was sick so it was one of the least energetic of the Glam Nation shows but we were only 2 back from the stage so we were very very close and got some amazing pictures. After the concert, I met and spoke to Liz (Allison’s bassist) for a while and talked to Tommy again. We talked about them performing after a baseball game (he thought that was funny) and, since this was before any Florida dates were announced, I told him they needed a Miami show so they could hang at South Beach (he agreed). Tommy also pinched my goddaughter’s cheek and called her cute. I love him.
August 2010
Raleigh: blackcolorliner and I flew in and met up with ncgrrrl, nobodybetterer (and her daughter), and pyrosgf for this concert. We also saw toxic_led again (we had met her in NY) and she was in line with blackcolorliner and I at the M&G. blackcolorliner and I were able to get M&G passes to meet Adam through Donors Choose - she because she was the leader of the Badgers & Creepers donation page and me because I was a top donor. Meeting Adam was pretty amazing and I spoke to him for about a minute and told him what an incredible thing he has done for the charity and he admired my necklace. I was also scolded by Adam for not telling him I was the top individual donor in the fall contest (blackcolorliner tattled on me). I never saw my picture with Adam since it was never posted - damn Neil - but I still had the New Orleans M&G so that was ok. The concert was not the best vocally. He clearly was resting his voice BUT!!!! Tommy recognized blackcolorliner in the crowd and he waved at us during Sure Fire Winners (my favorite song) and threw us his pick which I now have on a chain. The trip itself was also pretty incredible. There was no drama and everyone got along. I got to meet ncgrrrl and nobodybetterer who is AMAZING and one of the best friends I have. This was also the trip where blackcolorliner and I realized that there may be something more between us than just friends which was both scary and exhilarating. Second best Adam trip EVER!!!
September 2010
New Orleans: blackcolorliner and I (along with what seemed like half of Adam's fandom) flew to New Orleans Friday night for the show on Sunday. Saturday we played tourist and we LOVED New Orleans. It was dirty, sleazy, sexy, and fun and pretty damn wonderful. We met Adam again since we had purchased the VIP M&G passes. I told him that I had never done this for any other artist and thanked him for an incredible summer, I finally got my hug, and I got my picture. Sunday’s show was AMAZING. Vocally incredible. Performance wise the best I have ever seen Adam and the band/dancers. They were all clearly enjoying performing in New Orleans. On a personal note, blackcolorliner and I figured out that there was definitely something between us and, although we are still playing it by ear, so far it’s been wondeful. Overall, I was so glad I was able to share this weekend with my favorite person. This is my favorite Glam Nation show and the best Adam trip EVER!!!!! When I look back over this past year this will be the weekend I will recall first.
Melbourne: my godson had to back out of this show and the Tampa show at the last minute so I convinced blackcolorliner to come to Florida (something I had been trying to do for weeks) to go to these shows with me. Since Melbourne is just 3.5 hours from Miami, I picked up blackcolorliner at the airport and we drove to Melbourne. After the show, we stayed with Quinn222. The show itself was so-so. The crowd, at least in our area, was awful. As a Glam Nation show it was probably my second least favorite along with Foxwoods.
Tampa: blackcolorliner and I (again) attended this concert which was held after a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game. I knew this would be a bittersweet show for me since it was my last one with blackcolorliner whom I had been with for every show but Vancouver #1 and Atlantic City. This was our eighth show together and the tenth one for each of us individually (she had gone to Nashville and Atlanta #2 without me). It was an odd show since it was a stage on the field and it started late since the game went into extra innings. Since we had been to so many shows, we decided to stay towards the back of the crowd on the field, take off our shoes, and just sing and dance along. Since we were in the back, a lot of people in our area did not know the songs and some left early but we had a lot of fun. The sound was great and it seemed like Adam and the band were having a lot of fun with the entire "family friendly" nature of the crowd. This was also the first time blackcolorliner and I had been alone since March and the first time since we realized there was something between us so this made these two days even more special.
Hollywood: this was my last Glam Nation show and my family Glam Nation show since the venue is only about an hour drive from my house. I went with my mom, my aunt, and my two godchildren. Quinn222 and Denitta sat with my mom and I about 20 rows from the stage and my aunt and godchildren were 7 rows behind us. Vocally Adam was "on". This, along with Vancouver #1 and New Orleans, was one of the best I heard him vocally in all 11 shows. He was amazing. It was the second to last US show and the last one in an interior venue and it was clear he was not holding back AT ALL. One of my favorite memories of the entire Glam Nation experience this summer will be my 60-year old mother dancing during Fever, fist pumping and singing along during Sure Fire Winners, and singing along and jumping during If I Had You.
This last weekend was amazing because I got to share part of it with my favorite person in the world and then got to have a wonderful concert with my mom. It was a wonderful ended to my Year of Adam (with a few side trips thrown in).
RECAP
Worst Shows: Foxwoods and Melbourne
Top 3 Best Shows Vocally: New Orleans, Vancouver #1 and Hollywood
Best Weekend Experiences: New Orleans, Raleigh, and Vancouver
Favorite Overall Show: New Orleans
All in all, this has been an incredible year. I totally stepped out of my comfort zone since I have never done something like this. I got to meet some incredible people and had such a fun year. In blackcolorliner, I found the best friend I have ever had and, while I don't know where the rest of it with her is heading yet, she IS the reason more than any other why this year was so special for me. Even though some of it has been difficult and drama filled, I would not trade any single minute of it. I will be forever grateful to Adam for this past year and what and who he has brought into my life.