Eternal Glamnation (In Which Adam Lambert Owns My Soul)
Last night, I had a dream about putting on black eyeliner with chunks of glitter in it. I don’t know that such a product exists, but the fact I'm even wondering about it is a telling window into my psyche since returning from Adam Lambert’s Glam Nation tour.
Warning: I do not have a succinct way to sum up my experience as a whole, so I will focus (perhaps too much) on the details. I want to remember as much of the journey as possible, so I have created a written record while the memory is fresh.
Friday, June 18th, 2010:
I set off from home just before noon (quite a bit later than I intended), hit traffic at several points along the way, and wound up getting lost in the suburbs of Detroit, so I did not reach the Royal Oak Music Theater until after 2 o’clock. (Luckily, I heard "If I Had You" on the radio on the way, which probably made me considerably more zen through the tense moments.) When I drove past the venue, I could see two lines had already formed, and I knew one of them was for “VIP" entry (aka anyone who chose to print tickets at home for a couple bucks more or get the bar code sent to their mobile phone) and one line for everybody else (will call and mailed tickets). Luckily, parking was a snap because I thought to get rolls of quarters when I went to the bank, so I quickly made my way to the line. When I reached the VIP line, I was told there was someone in front of the theater taking down names and issuing numbers so that people could leave for a while and get back in line later (doors did not open until 8, so it was going to be a long wait). I received the number 98, and was handed a permanent marker to write the number on the back of my hand. It was hard to gauge how many were in line already since some people had left, but the line was already wrapped around the side of the building so I was a bit relieved to know that I was at least within the first 100 (for VIP). I went back to the end of the line and the woman who got a number right in front of me was complaining that they wouldn’t let her put down everyone else in her family (who would not be coming until hours later) and they told her the others would have to get in line at the end when they arrived. She was pretty pissed off and asked if I thought that was fair. I was actually fine with them not agreeing to let the rest of her family cut in line, but I am inclined to avoid confrontation so I just shrugged noncommittally. I was rather bummed because I knew she would not be a line buddy that was going to help me pass the time.
I sat down and ate my lunch, then painted my fingernails. (I’d planned to do it the night before, but decided to get to bed instead so that I would be well-rested. I finished my toe nails before leaving the house, but ran out of time.) It was breezy at that point, which felt nice but wreaked havoc on my polish, making it dry on the brush before it reached my nails. Not the most professional-looking job I’ve ever done, but it helped pass a few minutes. The weather was very sunny and it was already feeling pretty hot as more people arrived to line up. There were buses parked along the block and we knew that someone familiar had to be aboard them. A semi with equipment pulled up and they unloaded an exercise bike off of it, hauling it over to one of the buses (it turned out to be the one that the band and Allison were hanging out on). I got out my umbrella to try and block the sun, but it was hard to do while sitting down against a wall. I spoke a few times to people behind me in line. One of them turned out to be a teenage girl that I recognized from the Michigan thread at Adam Official, who was there with her mother. They live on the north and west side of the state and Royal Oak is on the south and east side, so they had set out from home at 8 a.m. and arrived in Royal Oak around 2:30. (What a long day for them!) They were both very nice to talk to and let the people around them take turns using the lawn chairs they had brought. The teen had gotten her picture taken with Tommy and Longineu while they were off the buses, so I knew at that point to be watching the buses more closely. At one point I saw Longineu and Monte walking back to the buses with bags of food and drinks (they were coming from the direction of the McDonald’s up the street). I didn’t feel like rushing up to ask for pics when they were going to have lunch or whatever it was, so I decided to hang back. A while later, Allison got off the bus and was standing in front of it. I could tell from far away that she was not really camera-ready. A woman who was near me in line went down to the bus and returned shortly, saying Alli went back on the bus because she said her hair was still not dry and she didn’t have any makeup on, but that she would come out later. She did come out again, but I just watched from my spot in line.
At one point, a mini van drove up and some women got out including a little girl of probably about 7. They were all very glammed up (BTW, spell check does not recognize “glam” as a verb - how tragic). The girl had a feather boa and feather earrings, while the teens had elaborate sparkle makeup. One had her hair done a bit like Ke$ha, with gold rhinestones glued in a geometric pattern on her cheek, while another had silver eye makeup and rhinestones arranged in a streak from the corner of her eye extending back into her hair (kind of like Adam in Milwaukee). The little girl’s mom had a headband with peacock feathers hanging from it. The dad, who had been driving the van, joined them in line later. We noticed that the mom and the little girl were both wearing Eye of Horus temporary tattoos on the inside of their wrists like Adam. Those looked awesome - they said they got them online. Seeing all this, along with some of the other people waiting in line, made me feel a little bummed that I didn't dress more OTT. But I'm ultimately glad that I wore what I did, because given the temperature I think it worked out well. I wore dark washed jeans and a sleeveless satiny top with vertical streaks of rich colors (teal, magenta, peridot, tangerine, yellow, amethyst) alternating with black. Inspired by the hippie-esque themes in Adam’s new video, I completed the look with a necklace of multicolored beads and a heartshaped peace sign pendant. (Okay, the necklace may sound cheesy, but the colors went perfectly with the top!) For footwear, I bought some wedge thongs with magenta cloth straps and a bit of a platform. And I braved the world of eyeliner for the first time ever! I’ve tried applying it before but always wind up taking it off because it makes my eyes look small. “Only for Adam…” was what I kept thinking while putting it on…but I wound up kind of liking it.
After a while, I heard a few squeals and figured that Adam must be going by. I had heard he was on another bus inside the venue loading area, so I didn’t see him go into the venue for sound check…but we could hear the sound check from outside! The stage door was just a few feet from where we were waiting. Some of us stood in the alley (closer to the door) to hear better - “Whataya Want From Me”, “Down the Rabbit Hole”, and “Ring of Fire” could be heard quite clearly. When one of the guys from the venue would open the stage door and the music came blasting out, people begged them to leave the door open. Eventually one of the workers from backstage asked the people to move out of the alley because the venue would be liable if something happened to people on their property. I took advantage of that time to call my friend who bought me the ticket - she loves "Ring of Fire". Unfortunately, the song finished just as she picked up the call, but we talked for a little while anyway. In the end, several of us noted this was actually a great spot to be in line, because we had a clear view of the buses and had the privilege of hearing the sound check. If we had been around the front of the building at the start of the line, I don't think either would have been possible.
Some guys came around with cases of cold bottled water to pass out, which was so nice (and unexpected). I couldn’t tell if they were from the venue or what, but it was greatly appreciated. (The venue had apparently told people who called earlier in the week that getting there any earlier than 4 o’clock was crazy. I don’t think they really “got” how Adam’s fans are. If the water was from the venue, I do appreciate that they didn’t want any of us to pass out.) It was HOT and although I had remembered to put sun block on my arms and neck before I left the house, I did not put it on my toes, which felt like they were burning up and turned out to be the hardest part to keep out of the sun. I had unfortunately not brought any extra sun block along. (Other than that, I was pretty proud of how I packed, because I didn’t forget anything major. This is coming from someone who frequently forgets to bring any pajamas on a trip, so...yeah. Success! My necessities: mini fan, umbrella for rain or shine, earplugs, and TICKET - I set it out where I would see it but almost forgot it anyway.) I left the line for a while to take some stuff back to my car and get something to eat. When I returned, the line was considerably longer, but we were moving up into some shadier areas. Sadly, the breeze had died down so the heat was stifling. I spoke with another woman who was near me in line (we'll call her “Sue”). It sounded like her planned vacation had fallen through, so she was taking the time off to go to some of Adam’s shows. She was at Toledo the previous week and at Hammond the night before. I had not gone online Thursday night or Friday morning, so I was floored when she said Adam had performed two encores the previous night, including WLL! We discussed his time on Idol and his own music. It was really fun to chat with people who knew what I was talking about when I mentioned a band member by name or referred to The Zodiac Show or a detail from one of his videos. I am not used to talking about those things with other people in person, unless I’m telling someone about it who is hearing all the information for the first time. Sue and I agreed to be buddies when we got into the venue in order to help each other stake out a good spot. The people who had issued numbers apparently weren’t with the venue and never did come through to do a line check, but I do think that even just having the numbers helped people stay honest about where they were supposed to be in line. A group of women came back a few minutes before the doors were set to open and tried to jump into the line in front of us (they knew they had gotten there “about the same time”), but when we showed the numbers on our hands, they realized they had gotten there a little later than us and moved back to their spot in numerical order.
Doors opened and they started letting people in at 8 o'clock sharp. We hurried into the venue and down the ramps to the front. It was super-dark along the sides and I almost tripped on something (still have no idea what it was - maybe a water bottle). We had planned to go to the front of the first tier up if we couldn’t get into the first couple rows on the main floor in front of the stage, but when we got to the front of the tier, there was still a lot of room down on the floor. We decided to go for it! We wound up slightly left of center, around 5 or 6 people back from the stage (people weren’t exactly standing in “rows” so it was kind of messy and hard to count). I would say in the end I was about ten feet from the stage. I was almost directly behind this guy that was well over 6 feet tall, so I was a little worried about that, but we got herded a bit to the right so at that point I wasn’t quite behind him anymore. This was only a little after 8 and the show was set to start at 9, so we expected to stand for at least another hour before anything really happened at all. I had already been cursing myself for wearing news shoes (one of my setbacks on the way out of town was to stop for band-aids...I have to say, Band-Aid Tough Strips did the trick! They rock! [/product placement]). Anyway, I was really glad that I had something with a little bit of height to it. I’m about 5’5” so not really short, but with the extra inch or so I was able to see over the people holding up cameras.
There was a ton of equipment set up on stage, and at one point Adam's brother Neil (serving as a PA on the tour) tried to go from backstage right to backstage left...by crossing in front of all the equipment. He made it about halfway when people recognized him and started cheering loudly, so he kind of smiled while shaking his head and quickly turned around to go back where he’d come from. A few seconds later, he crossed again by passing behind all the equipment; a few people cheered yet again, but he made it across safely. Fans were crammed into the area up front rather tightly. There were a lot of teens in the crowd; guys here and there, but mostly women (I’d say maybe 80-20 for the ratio, although more guys came up front after Orianthi was done). I was right behind two teen girls who were very excited when Allison’s band started to trickle out. They obviously recognized the band members, and either had met them before (which definitely could have happened before the show if they waited by the buses) or knew a lot about them. They danced and cheered enthusiastically for both Allison’s and Orianthi’s sets. It was nice to be around people who were positive and getting into the spirit of the event, even though Adam's entrance was still a long way off.
Allison’s set was fun. Her band is young and energetic; they seemed to be having a great time. I don’t know most of Allison’s music, but “Don’t Waste the Pretty” was a highlight to me. Alli was very cute and a passionate performer. Still, I wore earplugs throughout her and Orianthi’s sets. I could still hear both ladies, but did not want my eardrums to be entirely destroyed before Adam even came out. The venue had an ASL interpreter up front and off to the left, and he was almost as much fun to watch as what was happening at center stage. The lighting on him and the way he moved along with the signing really had the rock feel to it. (I kind of wish I had remembered to look over at him during Adam’s performance, but seriously, as soon as Adam was onstage I didn’t give anything else another thought.) When Alli’s set was over, her equipment was moved out and they started setting up for Orianthi. I could not believe how long it took between sets. Someone onstage appeared unhappy with the audio feed from the drum setup, and kept motioning to people around the stage and in the mixing area. It took FOREVER for Orianthi to start. I’ve read more than once that her music all sounds the same, and while I wouldn’t go that far (she does have some songs that start slower and softer, but I suppose they do sort of all build to the same place), she was not hugely thrilling for me. One thing I did enjoy was watching her face while she played the guitar. I imagine some of her expressions may be exaggerated for the audience’s benefit, but the she looked so intense at times. It made me wonder how she experiences the music. Does she visualize it when her eyes are closed? Does she feel it flow out of her fingertips? I work with children with autism and I suppose it makes me curious about other people’s styles of learning/creating and their sensory systems.
After Orianthi's set, the crowd was buzzing. I think the set-up for Adam took even longer than hers. My feet were killing me, I was hot, hungry, and thirsty, and I felt like I needed to crack my back, but there was nowhere to bend or twist to make that possible. I broke out the mini fan and took turns blasting myself, Sue, and the teen girls in front of me with shots of air. There was a very large and intimidating woman from security who came barreling into the crowd to warn people that if they were taking pictures they’d have their cameras confiscated and they would be removed. Her Scowl of Death was withering. She said that if she saw a flash then you would get kicked out, but I think that was kind of a bad choice of words because they appeared to be against all picture taking, not just flashes. (During one of the sets, a security guard planted in front of the stage held his hand up in front of someone who was trying to take a picture to block their shot.) She bellowed her spiel and then moved ten or fifteen feet and started over again. Lather, rinse, repeat. The group of fans in front of the stage started to shuffle as people jockeyed for position in anticipation of Adam’s entrance. There were a few times I was afraid some sort of scuffle would break out, as people were getting a bit testy. The female security guard shimmied onto the top of the guard rail between the crowd and the stage and hovered over everyone, threatening to throw us all out if we didn't quit shoving. A few people tried to complain about their specific circumstances, and she just reiterated that everyone needed to chill or there would be consequences (and we wouldn’t like them). From my perspective, one benefit of the shuffling was that the tall guy’s row went to the left slightly while mine moved slightly to the right, so my line of sight was no longer anywhere near him, and I was even a little closer to center stage. (The girl who wound up behind him was rather short and kept trying to get him to move to the left or right, but really, that would have just made people behind him to the left or right annoyed instead. I can absolutely see why she was frustrated, but I don’t know if she realized that what she was requesting would be a solution for nobody but her.)
FINALLY, they started playing "For Your Entertainment" and the lights went down. Everyone was screaming the words and getting worked up. When Adam hit his mark on the back riser, I was a little surprised to see that the entire shaved side of his head was covered in glitter (not just a streak like in Milwaukee). Even before the lights went up onstage, you could see his head sparkling like crazy. When “Voodoo” began and he slithered to the middle of the stage, it was all rather surreal. It took me a minute to register that this was happening right in front of my eyes. It worries me that we grow so accustomed to seeing things on a screen that when we witness them for ourselves there is a disconnect - a sensation that it is somehow not reality. Luckily, I think the crowd experience is what finally brought me out of that haze. As Adam invited us to follow him “Down the Rabbit Hole”, everyone danced (at least as much as they could while packed in so snugly) and cheered to indicate their willingness: we were along for the ride. “Ring of Fire” was divine and when he went into the moaning “Oooh…” before the final lines - HOT. “Fever” was one of my favorite parts of the evening, because the crowd obviously knew all the words and was sooo into it. That was wonderful to hear, since it is not one of the singles and thus you could really tell you were surrounded by people who genuinely love his album and listen to it often. Everyone up front seemed to be dancing, and shaking their hands in the air on the choruses. (It was much more organic than the flash mob, but the enthusiasm was there.)
One thing that struck me was how many times Adam seemed so immersed in the song that he appeared to get choked up. His eyes looked misty during “Sleepwalker”, “Whataya Want From Me” and “Soaked” (and I may be missing one or two others). It really surprised me with WWFM (right after Monte has a bit of a guitar solo), perhaps because I figured he has performed that song so many times live that he would be immune to the emotion. He certainly felt the love at the magic moment when he sings “Thanks for lovin’ me/’Cause you’re doing it perfectly” and the crowd voiced their approval, sending the love right back. “Sleepwalker” was so gorgeous, and I loved the costume (very reminiscent of his AI finale costume for "Mad World"). One cute thing that I noticed during “Soaked” was a Cam moment. I so rarely read comments about her, and when I do it is usually about the part in IIHY when she is introduced and you can barely see her behind the keyboard. Well, during “Soaked” it is just her and Adam onstage so it is a bit easier to focus on her, and she’s at the keyboard facing the audience (I think she has several boards back there and during IIHY she is turned to one on the side, which is one reason it’s so tough to see her). Anyway, the crowd went crazy at what they thought was the end of “Soaked” (right before he comes in a capella for the last repetition of the chorus). When Adam found a moment to start singing again, I could see Cam looking out and smiling. I couldn’t tell if she was smiling at Adam’s voice or at the audience’s reactions to him, but either way it just struck me as a rather sweet moment. Another thing that surprised me was the number of people singing along during Adam’s acoustic set. I had heard that generally fans were respectful and only made noise between songs, but that was not so at Royal Oak. The crowd was very responsive, with lots of cheering and screaming during intense moments and between songs, and then singing along and dancing to pretty much everything. I think part of the singing along thing may have been because Alli and Orianthi both urged people to sing along when they knew the songs (“Heartbreaker” for Alli and “According to You” for Ori). Maybe it was just the people down in the mosh pit - that was my only perspective so I couldn’t tell. At any rate, I finally decided “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” and sang along a bit myself (in addition to dancing my ass off). It was so easy to get caught up in the energy of the crowd. I wasn’t sure if this was unique to RO or had happened at previous stops, because after Wilkes-Barre I was trying to avoid watching clips. I have looked at some more since then (although not all stops yet), and from the ones I’ve seen I think we may have been an exception in terms of noise and dancing levels, at least up until his East Coast shows this week.
I had a bit of a personal moment during “Aftermath”. The sincerity and earnestness in his delivery of the line “Tell a stranger that they’re beautiful” hit me hard. It reminded me of last year, when I fell for him while watching Idol. I was having an extremely rough time in my real life, and he was the best kind of escape imaginable. And I think part of that was rooted in his absolute positivity. He is able to see something beautiful in everyone, and that inspired me at a time when I was unable to find anything beautiful in myself. I realize I was brought up to be critical and find fault in everything, so knowing others take the opposite approach is so foreign…and so powerful to witness. I’d seen it in movie characters before (“Say Anything…” has been my favorite for years, and Lloyd Dobler is pretty much the poster child for this mindset), but to realize it can actually work in practice is rather remarkable, even revolutionary, for me. I find myself looking for beauty in myself and in others, instead of the flaws. The shift is slow and it’s a work in progress, but I know that it’s thanks to Adam. I have a lot of anxiety around people and am still not at the point of being able to “tell a stranger that they’re beautiful”, but it was transcendent to experience a piece of the “love…love…” he feels in those moments, however indirectly. He radiates it, and he makes the crowd feel it every second he is onstage. I got pretty choked up when those lines expressed it so plainly.
Plus, this was the only time I got to see his bare feet. (He was sitting on the stairs, which were quite far upstage, and his feet were up high enough to be visible from my vantage point. I could probably develop a toe fetish pretty easily...)
“Sure Fire Winners” is one of my least favorite songs on the album, but I had read people say that and then report it was really fun live…and I absolutely agree with the assessment. He got so into it! I remember loving the intense look on his face during the verse with “My baby clothes made of leather and lace” - he was practically growling. Fierce. Everyone in the crowd was pumping their fists on the choruses. I think this was also the first chance to see him in all of his glittery glory. His arms were covered in gorgeous sparkles and there was sparkle dust in his hair and on his chest. “Music Again” was wonderful, in that it was an absolute mutual love fest between Adam and the fans. He pointed out at the crowd on the chorus and we all pointed right back. He encouraged clapping and singing along on this one, even turning the mike toward the crowd for the last “eyes baby eyes”. So much fun! “Strut” was another highlight. The Coat is fantastic and the cane moment is a whole other level of amusing in person (especially when the Glambulge is right there in front of you - let it all hang out indeed!…OMG, I can’t believe I just went there). It cracked me up, because everyone screamed when he put The Coat on…and then again when he took it off. (I guess the first was for the awesomeness factor and the second was for the disrobing factor.) “If I Had You” seemed to come far too soon. It was another mutual love fest between Adam and the fans, and between Adam and his stage family. I adore it. I also got a kick out of the dance with Brooke - she was taking it slow, being slinky and smooth, and it took Adam a minute to catch on, so he started out first trying to bump and grind. He had a sheepish little look on his face when it dawned on him that she was taking a different approach, and I think I caught her smirk when he tried to switch gears and she was already just about done. His moments of spontaneous playfulness sprinkled throughout the show are so joyous. I could not help grinning to see what fun he was having. You can tell he is still cracking himself up with that “More cow bell!” aimed at Longineu.
Everyone went backstage after IIHY and the audience screamed like crazy, then started chanting Adam’s name, then went back to screaming. (I think the screaming, more than the sound system or anything else, was what killed my ears. When you get that many people shrieking at the top of their lungs (and we were) it is just piercing in a way that is indescribable. My ears were ringing when I got home.) Adam and Monte were the first back onstage, and Monte started to play the opening notes of a tune that sounded very familiar but I was unable to place. I stood there thinking "What the hell is that?!?" but then Adam giggled in protest, and I couldn't even replay the tune in my head in order to try and figure it out; the giggle was too damn adorable and everything else evaporated from my brain in its wake. Monte started up again and Adam giggled again, effectively turning me into a puddle of goo. (I would later read that Monte was playing “Stairway to Heaven” - no doubt a friendly poke at Adam’s stair-writhing encore in Milwaukee a few nights prior.) The band came back out and they did “Mad World” (I really like the groove on that arrangement and didn’t go to the Idols tour, so it was nice to hear this live)…then quickly transitioned into WLL! Everyone went wild over that, and I was so excited because I was telling a friend earlier in the week that I had to witness it live at least once, but I didn’t think it would happen at Royal Oak. Infinitely awesome that it did. He started out stage left and then went upstage, apparently egging on Longineu and then Monte during their instrumental portions. He was primarily stationary in this version, with very contained movements (not as explicit as some nights, although none of his moves seem as explicit before they’re slowed down and made into GIFs) but the energy was smokin’ hot and his voice was killer. I believe part of the stillness was fueled by curiosity. He was teasing us: an experiment in how static he could be and still drive us wild. And when he did move...my oh my. There was this little pop where he threw his head back, with a thrust on the next beat. It was right in front of me and it was just. fucking. epic. I think he was so into the whole thing that he actually almost forgot the “Baby” and started to launch right into “You need...” then caught it, so it turned into “You...BABY! You need...LOVE~!” The end killed me. Dead.
Frankly, I’m stunned that there was no need for a glambulance. Of course, if there had been a need for one I may never have known, because I was so close to the front that there could have been all manner of BSC things going on farther back in the crowd and I wouldn’t have ever realized it. I was actually relieved to get online later and see that no one had tweeted about someone needing medical attention during the show. The wait outside was hot and tiring, and a lot of people were probably dehydrated afterwards. Standing on your feet for hours in one spot after all of that does not help, and there was no place to move in any direction. A couple of the teen girls were taking turns squatting towards the ground (as close to sitting as you could get) but they had to hold the other’s hand to help them up and let the other one have a turn. There were moments during Adam’s set where I couldn’t feel my toes anymore (my shoes could have been partially to blame), and had to try to move a step or two this way or that way to get some circulation to my feet and make sure my knees weren’t locking up. There was only seating in the balcony - everyone else was standing the whole time. Considering they were running over 45 minutes behind by the time Adam started, it was pretty miserable. I think we all collectively forgot the discomfort once he was in front of us, but it amazes me that there were no major mishaps. Even if your mind is engaged elsewhere, your body can still only take so much. When it was time to leave, I could barely bend my knees to walk. (An unsettling glimpse into a future of arthritis pain.)
By that point I was dying of thirst, but the bar had closed and was no longer selling water, and I still wanted some things from the merchandise table. As we were heading towards the lobby, I saw a guy packing up a camera in the back of the theater. I instantly thought “That’s Neil” but then second-guessed myself. I suppose I assumed it couldn't be him because so many people had recognized him earlier in the evening when he tried to cross the stage, yet no one was going near the guy packing up the camera. But there could have been several reasons for that. When I pointed him out, Sue said "Let's go talk to him!" But I was like a) I am not sure it's him and we'd look so ridiculous if it's not and b) he will NOT want to talk to us. So basically, I passed up the opportunity to stalk the snarkier, straight Lambert brother. (After reading comments from a few other fans with similar experiences, I’m about 95% sure it was him. However, I’m 100% confident he would not have wanted to talk to us - and this is without even taking into account the fact that I’m an utter failure at meeting people. Neil turns his nose up at riding the coattails of fame, and seems to just want to be left alone. He’s made cracks about the potential to use his brother’s fame to pick up chicks before, but I’m fairly certain that it’s all talk. And even if he entertained the idea, it would be reserved for name-dropping Adam to hot girls in bars...as opposed to picking up sweaty fans after a concert. *sigh* Still, I would love to know if/when he is going to start blogging about his experiences on the road. It would have almost been worth risking the humiliation if I could have gotten some scoop on that.)
I said goodbye to Sue and began my wait in the merch line. Turned out, I was right behind the family in the mini van I’d seen earlier, including the little girl with the feather boa. Her mother was recounting how the little girl had viewed the concert (mostly between the grid of a railing, since she could not see over the railing without standing on her tiptoes) and how she had to be protected from a teen bumping her repeatedly as she flailed throughout the entire show. Then the little girl would demonstrate her “Oh no you din’t! Get outta my space, beyotch!” spiel (uh, not those exact words, but that was definitely the gist, complete with head bob and hands on hips, with a finger wag thrown in here and there for good measure). The mom proudly stated that the girl had learned a lot about standing up for herself that night.
She may look cute and sweet, but she gets feisty past her bedtime!
The mom also mentioned talking to Adam, and her daughter talking to Adam, but I did not realize until later that this was as part of a meet and greet. (See above - awwww!) As I spoke to them further, I realized why the little girl looked vaguely familiar to me - she was from the IIHY video project! Come to find out, the entire family was in the video! The little brother (who was not in attendance) was the Tommy lookalike, and even the husband is there in an incognito moment (he’s an Adam fan too). I heard about them filming their scenes. It was all so fun, and yet surreal to grasp that these people were known in the fandom (I mean, I remember hearing about the kids in that video before I even got the chance to watch it for myself) and yet they were people who could be my next door neighbors or who I might stand behind at the grocery store. One thing that repeatedly struck me throughout the day was how literally everyone I interacted with was connected to the online fandom, and had not just a casual knowledge but an intimate awareness of so much that goes on. I had already heard that Adam's fanbase has a relatively large online presence, but I did not expect to see evidence of that to the degree that I did.
While in line, someone from their group spoke to a relative at home and learned that some nasty storms were moving across the state and everyone had been warned to go into their basements for a while. (We were completely oblivious while inside the theater. Earlier in the week, there were thunderstorms forecast for Friday and I’d been quite worried. I’m so relieved that they didn’t hit while we were outside in line or kill the power in the middle of the concert.) I wound up buying the t-shirt of Adam blowing something (a kiss? glitter?) even though I hate that they only offered men’s tees (those are just not ideal for a woman’s hips and thighs), along with the IIHY cover poster. They had some other things I did not recognize from pics of the merchandise from previous nights, including an iPhone cover with the IIHY picture and some sort of bracelet or arm band. I did not like the designs on the front of either tour date t-shirt as well as some of the others, but now I wish I had bought one because I don't think they will have them at the non-Glam Nation dates, if they sell Adam merchandise at all.
I bought the shirt in the middle!
On the way back to the car, I passed the buses. There were about two dozen people waiting in front of the band one. Monte was among them - it took me a minute to notice him, because he was right there with everybody else just hanging out. I got back to my car and drove to McDonald’s, where I ordered a smoothie, a large Diet Coke, and water. I was so damn thirsty. In my attempt to find the expressway, I ran across a huge branch that had been blown down into the street. I knew it had rained because the streets were wet, but apparently it really stormed. When I got back to a main road, there were police at many of the intersections blocking traffic from the side roads because power was out to the traffic lights. I once again got lost, but was proud to find the way on my own. I listened to Adam’s CD most of the way home but turned it off when “Aftermath” was about to start. I wasn’t sure how I’d react to hearing the album version of it after that gorgeous stripped down rendering. But the next day I listened to it and found myself belting right along with him. I have such a newfound appreciation for and love of that song.
Glam Nation was a remarkable experience, and I’m so thrilled I had the chance to be a part of it. I look forward to the shows in July, but I know they will have a different vibe. I think there will be a lot more Idol viewers who are just curious to see Adam, or casual fans who like hearing him on the radio but may not have listened to his album on repeat for days. Which could be a good opportunity to hear him, but it won’t be with others who are all whipped into a frenzy. I can't say how grateful I am that my first Adam experience was with a group of people who love him unabashedly and were all in communal ecstasy, having the time of their lives. That is something I’ll never forget.
In the end, I'm left amazed by how completely Adam commits all of his vocal, physical, and emotional energy to achieving one goal: our entertainment. I was trying to describe the concert to a friend afterwards and I knew I was simply not doing it justice. But I think what impressed her most was when I said that he puts everything in him into the performance and makes you feel like he's putting on the show of his life for you. I truly can't fathom how he does this night after night, but knowing that a performer will leave everything onstage is what builds a reputation. It's the stuff legends are made of.
Warning: I do not have a succinct way to sum up my experience as a whole, so I will focus (perhaps too much) on the details. I want to remember as much of the journey as possible, so I have created a written record while the memory is fresh.
Friday, June 18th, 2010:
I set off from home just before noon (quite a bit later than I intended), hit traffic at several points along the way, and wound up getting lost in the suburbs of Detroit, so I did not reach the Royal Oak Music Theater until after 2 o’clock. (Luckily, I heard "If I Had You" on the radio on the way, which probably made me considerably more zen through the tense moments.) When I drove past the venue, I could see two lines had already formed, and I knew one of them was for “VIP" entry (aka anyone who chose to print tickets at home for a couple bucks more or get the bar code sent to their mobile phone) and one line for everybody else (will call and mailed tickets). Luckily, parking was a snap because I thought to get rolls of quarters when I went to the bank, so I quickly made my way to the line. When I reached the VIP line, I was told there was someone in front of the theater taking down names and issuing numbers so that people could leave for a while and get back in line later (doors did not open until 8, so it was going to be a long wait). I received the number 98, and was handed a permanent marker to write the number on the back of my hand. It was hard to gauge how many were in line already since some people had left, but the line was already wrapped around the side of the building so I was a bit relieved to know that I was at least within the first 100 (for VIP). I went back to the end of the line and the woman who got a number right in front of me was complaining that they wouldn’t let her put down everyone else in her family (who would not be coming until hours later) and they told her the others would have to get in line at the end when they arrived. She was pretty pissed off and asked if I thought that was fair. I was actually fine with them not agreeing to let the rest of her family cut in line, but I am inclined to avoid confrontation so I just shrugged noncommittally. I was rather bummed because I knew she would not be a line buddy that was going to help me pass the time.
I sat down and ate my lunch, then painted my fingernails. (I’d planned to do it the night before, but decided to get to bed instead so that I would be well-rested. I finished my toe nails before leaving the house, but ran out of time.) It was breezy at that point, which felt nice but wreaked havoc on my polish, making it dry on the brush before it reached my nails. Not the most professional-looking job I’ve ever done, but it helped pass a few minutes. The weather was very sunny and it was already feeling pretty hot as more people arrived to line up. There were buses parked along the block and we knew that someone familiar had to be aboard them. A semi with equipment pulled up and they unloaded an exercise bike off of it, hauling it over to one of the buses (it turned out to be the one that the band and Allison were hanging out on). I got out my umbrella to try and block the sun, but it was hard to do while sitting down against a wall. I spoke a few times to people behind me in line. One of them turned out to be a teenage girl that I recognized from the Michigan thread at Adam Official, who was there with her mother. They live on the north and west side of the state and Royal Oak is on the south and east side, so they had set out from home at 8 a.m. and arrived in Royal Oak around 2:30. (What a long day for them!) They were both very nice to talk to and let the people around them take turns using the lawn chairs they had brought. The teen had gotten her picture taken with Tommy and Longineu while they were off the buses, so I knew at that point to be watching the buses more closely. At one point I saw Longineu and Monte walking back to the buses with bags of food and drinks (they were coming from the direction of the McDonald’s up the street). I didn’t feel like rushing up to ask for pics when they were going to have lunch or whatever it was, so I decided to hang back. A while later, Allison got off the bus and was standing in front of it. I could tell from far away that she was not really camera-ready. A woman who was near me in line went down to the bus and returned shortly, saying Alli went back on the bus because she said her hair was still not dry and she didn’t have any makeup on, but that she would come out later. She did come out again, but I just watched from my spot in line.
At one point, a mini van drove up and some women got out including a little girl of probably about 7. They were all very glammed up (BTW, spell check does not recognize “glam” as a verb - how tragic). The girl had a feather boa and feather earrings, while the teens had elaborate sparkle makeup. One had her hair done a bit like Ke$ha, with gold rhinestones glued in a geometric pattern on her cheek, while another had silver eye makeup and rhinestones arranged in a streak from the corner of her eye extending back into her hair (kind of like Adam in Milwaukee). The little girl’s mom had a headband with peacock feathers hanging from it. The dad, who had been driving the van, joined them in line later. We noticed that the mom and the little girl were both wearing Eye of Horus temporary tattoos on the inside of their wrists like Adam. Those looked awesome - they said they got them online. Seeing all this, along with some of the other people waiting in line, made me feel a little bummed that I didn't dress more OTT. But I'm ultimately glad that I wore what I did, because given the temperature I think it worked out well. I wore dark washed jeans and a sleeveless satiny top with vertical streaks of rich colors (teal, magenta, peridot, tangerine, yellow, amethyst) alternating with black. Inspired by the hippie-esque themes in Adam’s new video, I completed the look with a necklace of multicolored beads and a heartshaped peace sign pendant. (Okay, the necklace may sound cheesy, but the colors went perfectly with the top!) For footwear, I bought some wedge thongs with magenta cloth straps and a bit of a platform. And I braved the world of eyeliner for the first time ever! I’ve tried applying it before but always wind up taking it off because it makes my eyes look small. “Only for Adam…” was what I kept thinking while putting it on…but I wound up kind of liking it.
After a while, I heard a few squeals and figured that Adam must be going by. I had heard he was on another bus inside the venue loading area, so I didn’t see him go into the venue for sound check…but we could hear the sound check from outside! The stage door was just a few feet from where we were waiting. Some of us stood in the alley (closer to the door) to hear better - “Whataya Want From Me”, “Down the Rabbit Hole”, and “Ring of Fire” could be heard quite clearly. When one of the guys from the venue would open the stage door and the music came blasting out, people begged them to leave the door open. Eventually one of the workers from backstage asked the people to move out of the alley because the venue would be liable if something happened to people on their property. I took advantage of that time to call my friend who bought me the ticket - she loves "Ring of Fire". Unfortunately, the song finished just as she picked up the call, but we talked for a little while anyway. In the end, several of us noted this was actually a great spot to be in line, because we had a clear view of the buses and had the privilege of hearing the sound check. If we had been around the front of the building at the start of the line, I don't think either would have been possible.
Some guys came around with cases of cold bottled water to pass out, which was so nice (and unexpected). I couldn’t tell if they were from the venue or what, but it was greatly appreciated. (The venue had apparently told people who called earlier in the week that getting there any earlier than 4 o’clock was crazy. I don’t think they really “got” how Adam’s fans are. If the water was from the venue, I do appreciate that they didn’t want any of us to pass out.) It was HOT and although I had remembered to put sun block on my arms and neck before I left the house, I did not put it on my toes, which felt like they were burning up and turned out to be the hardest part to keep out of the sun. I had unfortunately not brought any extra sun block along. (Other than that, I was pretty proud of how I packed, because I didn’t forget anything major. This is coming from someone who frequently forgets to bring any pajamas on a trip, so...yeah. Success! My necessities: mini fan, umbrella for rain or shine, earplugs, and TICKET - I set it out where I would see it but almost forgot it anyway.) I left the line for a while to take some stuff back to my car and get something to eat. When I returned, the line was considerably longer, but we were moving up into some shadier areas. Sadly, the breeze had died down so the heat was stifling. I spoke with another woman who was near me in line (we'll call her “Sue”). It sounded like her planned vacation had fallen through, so she was taking the time off to go to some of Adam’s shows. She was at Toledo the previous week and at Hammond the night before. I had not gone online Thursday night or Friday morning, so I was floored when she said Adam had performed two encores the previous night, including WLL! We discussed his time on Idol and his own music. It was really fun to chat with people who knew what I was talking about when I mentioned a band member by name or referred to The Zodiac Show or a detail from one of his videos. I am not used to talking about those things with other people in person, unless I’m telling someone about it who is hearing all the information for the first time. Sue and I agreed to be buddies when we got into the venue in order to help each other stake out a good spot. The people who had issued numbers apparently weren’t with the venue and never did come through to do a line check, but I do think that even just having the numbers helped people stay honest about where they were supposed to be in line. A group of women came back a few minutes before the doors were set to open and tried to jump into the line in front of us (they knew they had gotten there “about the same time”), but when we showed the numbers on our hands, they realized they had gotten there a little later than us and moved back to their spot in numerical order.
Doors opened and they started letting people in at 8 o'clock sharp. We hurried into the venue and down the ramps to the front. It was super-dark along the sides and I almost tripped on something (still have no idea what it was - maybe a water bottle). We had planned to go to the front of the first tier up if we couldn’t get into the first couple rows on the main floor in front of the stage, but when we got to the front of the tier, there was still a lot of room down on the floor. We decided to go for it! We wound up slightly left of center, around 5 or 6 people back from the stage (people weren’t exactly standing in “rows” so it was kind of messy and hard to count). I would say in the end I was about ten feet from the stage. I was almost directly behind this guy that was well over 6 feet tall, so I was a little worried about that, but we got herded a bit to the right so at that point I wasn’t quite behind him anymore. This was only a little after 8 and the show was set to start at 9, so we expected to stand for at least another hour before anything really happened at all. I had already been cursing myself for wearing news shoes (one of my setbacks on the way out of town was to stop for band-aids...I have to say, Band-Aid Tough Strips did the trick! They rock! [/product placement]). Anyway, I was really glad that I had something with a little bit of height to it. I’m about 5’5” so not really short, but with the extra inch or so I was able to see over the people holding up cameras.
There was a ton of equipment set up on stage, and at one point Adam's brother Neil (serving as a PA on the tour) tried to go from backstage right to backstage left...by crossing in front of all the equipment. He made it about halfway when people recognized him and started cheering loudly, so he kind of smiled while shaking his head and quickly turned around to go back where he’d come from. A few seconds later, he crossed again by passing behind all the equipment; a few people cheered yet again, but he made it across safely. Fans were crammed into the area up front rather tightly. There were a lot of teens in the crowd; guys here and there, but mostly women (I’d say maybe 80-20 for the ratio, although more guys came up front after Orianthi was done). I was right behind two teen girls who were very excited when Allison’s band started to trickle out. They obviously recognized the band members, and either had met them before (which definitely could have happened before the show if they waited by the buses) or knew a lot about them. They danced and cheered enthusiastically for both Allison’s and Orianthi’s sets. It was nice to be around people who were positive and getting into the spirit of the event, even though Adam's entrance was still a long way off.
Allison’s set was fun. Her band is young and energetic; they seemed to be having a great time. I don’t know most of Allison’s music, but “Don’t Waste the Pretty” was a highlight to me. Alli was very cute and a passionate performer. Still, I wore earplugs throughout her and Orianthi’s sets. I could still hear both ladies, but did not want my eardrums to be entirely destroyed before Adam even came out. The venue had an ASL interpreter up front and off to the left, and he was almost as much fun to watch as what was happening at center stage. The lighting on him and the way he moved along with the signing really had the rock feel to it. (I kind of wish I had remembered to look over at him during Adam’s performance, but seriously, as soon as Adam was onstage I didn’t give anything else another thought.) When Alli’s set was over, her equipment was moved out and they started setting up for Orianthi. I could not believe how long it took between sets. Someone onstage appeared unhappy with the audio feed from the drum setup, and kept motioning to people around the stage and in the mixing area. It took FOREVER for Orianthi to start. I’ve read more than once that her music all sounds the same, and while I wouldn’t go that far (she does have some songs that start slower and softer, but I suppose they do sort of all build to the same place), she was not hugely thrilling for me. One thing I did enjoy was watching her face while she played the guitar. I imagine some of her expressions may be exaggerated for the audience’s benefit, but the she looked so intense at times. It made me wonder how she experiences the music. Does she visualize it when her eyes are closed? Does she feel it flow out of her fingertips? I work with children with autism and I suppose it makes me curious about other people’s styles of learning/creating and their sensory systems.
After Orianthi's set, the crowd was buzzing. I think the set-up for Adam took even longer than hers. My feet were killing me, I was hot, hungry, and thirsty, and I felt like I needed to crack my back, but there was nowhere to bend or twist to make that possible. I broke out the mini fan and took turns blasting myself, Sue, and the teen girls in front of me with shots of air. There was a very large and intimidating woman from security who came barreling into the crowd to warn people that if they were taking pictures they’d have their cameras confiscated and they would be removed. Her Scowl of Death was withering. She said that if she saw a flash then you would get kicked out, but I think that was kind of a bad choice of words because they appeared to be against all picture taking, not just flashes. (During one of the sets, a security guard planted in front of the stage held his hand up in front of someone who was trying to take a picture to block their shot.) She bellowed her spiel and then moved ten or fifteen feet and started over again. Lather, rinse, repeat. The group of fans in front of the stage started to shuffle as people jockeyed for position in anticipation of Adam’s entrance. There were a few times I was afraid some sort of scuffle would break out, as people were getting a bit testy. The female security guard shimmied onto the top of the guard rail between the crowd and the stage and hovered over everyone, threatening to throw us all out if we didn't quit shoving. A few people tried to complain about their specific circumstances, and she just reiterated that everyone needed to chill or there would be consequences (and we wouldn’t like them). From my perspective, one benefit of the shuffling was that the tall guy’s row went to the left slightly while mine moved slightly to the right, so my line of sight was no longer anywhere near him, and I was even a little closer to center stage. (The girl who wound up behind him was rather short and kept trying to get him to move to the left or right, but really, that would have just made people behind him to the left or right annoyed instead. I can absolutely see why she was frustrated, but I don’t know if she realized that what she was requesting would be a solution for nobody but her.)
FINALLY, they started playing "For Your Entertainment" and the lights went down. Everyone was screaming the words and getting worked up. When Adam hit his mark on the back riser, I was a little surprised to see that the entire shaved side of his head was covered in glitter (not just a streak like in Milwaukee). Even before the lights went up onstage, you could see his head sparkling like crazy. When “Voodoo” began and he slithered to the middle of the stage, it was all rather surreal. It took me a minute to register that this was happening right in front of my eyes. It worries me that we grow so accustomed to seeing things on a screen that when we witness them for ourselves there is a disconnect - a sensation that it is somehow not reality. Luckily, I think the crowd experience is what finally brought me out of that haze. As Adam invited us to follow him “Down the Rabbit Hole”, everyone danced (at least as much as they could while packed in so snugly) and cheered to indicate their willingness: we were along for the ride. “Ring of Fire” was divine and when he went into the moaning “Oooh…” before the final lines - HOT. “Fever” was one of my favorite parts of the evening, because the crowd obviously knew all the words and was sooo into it. That was wonderful to hear, since it is not one of the singles and thus you could really tell you were surrounded by people who genuinely love his album and listen to it often. Everyone up front seemed to be dancing, and shaking their hands in the air on the choruses. (It was much more organic than the flash mob, but the enthusiasm was there.)
One thing that struck me was how many times Adam seemed so immersed in the song that he appeared to get choked up. His eyes looked misty during “Sleepwalker”, “Whataya Want From Me” and “Soaked” (and I may be missing one or two others). It really surprised me with WWFM (right after Monte has a bit of a guitar solo), perhaps because I figured he has performed that song so many times live that he would be immune to the emotion. He certainly felt the love at the magic moment when he sings “Thanks for lovin’ me/’Cause you’re doing it perfectly” and the crowd voiced their approval, sending the love right back. “Sleepwalker” was so gorgeous, and I loved the costume (very reminiscent of his AI finale costume for "Mad World"). One cute thing that I noticed during “Soaked” was a Cam moment. I so rarely read comments about her, and when I do it is usually about the part in IIHY when she is introduced and you can barely see her behind the keyboard. Well, during “Soaked” it is just her and Adam onstage so it is a bit easier to focus on her, and she’s at the keyboard facing the audience (I think she has several boards back there and during IIHY she is turned to one on the side, which is one reason it’s so tough to see her). Anyway, the crowd went crazy at what they thought was the end of “Soaked” (right before he comes in a capella for the last repetition of the chorus). When Adam found a moment to start singing again, I could see Cam looking out and smiling. I couldn’t tell if she was smiling at Adam’s voice or at the audience’s reactions to him, but either way it just struck me as a rather sweet moment. Another thing that surprised me was the number of people singing along during Adam’s acoustic set. I had heard that generally fans were respectful and only made noise between songs, but that was not so at Royal Oak. The crowd was very responsive, with lots of cheering and screaming during intense moments and between songs, and then singing along and dancing to pretty much everything. I think part of the singing along thing may have been because Alli and Orianthi both urged people to sing along when they knew the songs (“Heartbreaker” for Alli and “According to You” for Ori). Maybe it was just the people down in the mosh pit - that was my only perspective so I couldn’t tell. At any rate, I finally decided “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” and sang along a bit myself (in addition to dancing my ass off). It was so easy to get caught up in the energy of the crowd. I wasn’t sure if this was unique to RO or had happened at previous stops, because after Wilkes-Barre I was trying to avoid watching clips. I have looked at some more since then (although not all stops yet), and from the ones I’ve seen I think we may have been an exception in terms of noise and dancing levels, at least up until his East Coast shows this week.
I had a bit of a personal moment during “Aftermath”. The sincerity and earnestness in his delivery of the line “Tell a stranger that they’re beautiful” hit me hard. It reminded me of last year, when I fell for him while watching Idol. I was having an extremely rough time in my real life, and he was the best kind of escape imaginable. And I think part of that was rooted in his absolute positivity. He is able to see something beautiful in everyone, and that inspired me at a time when I was unable to find anything beautiful in myself. I realize I was brought up to be critical and find fault in everything, so knowing others take the opposite approach is so foreign…and so powerful to witness. I’d seen it in movie characters before (“Say Anything…” has been my favorite for years, and Lloyd Dobler is pretty much the poster child for this mindset), but to realize it can actually work in practice is rather remarkable, even revolutionary, for me. I find myself looking for beauty in myself and in others, instead of the flaws. The shift is slow and it’s a work in progress, but I know that it’s thanks to Adam. I have a lot of anxiety around people and am still not at the point of being able to “tell a stranger that they’re beautiful”, but it was transcendent to experience a piece of the “love…love…” he feels in those moments, however indirectly. He radiates it, and he makes the crowd feel it every second he is onstage. I got pretty choked up when those lines expressed it so plainly.
Plus, this was the only time I got to see his bare feet. (He was sitting on the stairs, which were quite far upstage, and his feet were up high enough to be visible from my vantage point. I could probably develop a toe fetish pretty easily...)
“Sure Fire Winners” is one of my least favorite songs on the album, but I had read people say that and then report it was really fun live…and I absolutely agree with the assessment. He got so into it! I remember loving the intense look on his face during the verse with “My baby clothes made of leather and lace” - he was practically growling. Fierce. Everyone in the crowd was pumping their fists on the choruses. I think this was also the first chance to see him in all of his glittery glory. His arms were covered in gorgeous sparkles and there was sparkle dust in his hair and on his chest. “Music Again” was wonderful, in that it was an absolute mutual love fest between Adam and the fans. He pointed out at the crowd on the chorus and we all pointed right back. He encouraged clapping and singing along on this one, even turning the mike toward the crowd for the last “eyes baby eyes”. So much fun! “Strut” was another highlight. The Coat is fantastic and the cane moment is a whole other level of amusing in person (especially when the Glambulge is right there in front of you - let it all hang out indeed!…OMG, I can’t believe I just went there). It cracked me up, because everyone screamed when he put The Coat on…and then again when he took it off. (I guess the first was for the awesomeness factor and the second was for the disrobing factor.) “If I Had You” seemed to come far too soon. It was another mutual love fest between Adam and the fans, and between Adam and his stage family. I adore it. I also got a kick out of the dance with Brooke - she was taking it slow, being slinky and smooth, and it took Adam a minute to catch on, so he started out first trying to bump and grind. He had a sheepish little look on his face when it dawned on him that she was taking a different approach, and I think I caught her smirk when he tried to switch gears and she was already just about done. His moments of spontaneous playfulness sprinkled throughout the show are so joyous. I could not help grinning to see what fun he was having. You can tell he is still cracking himself up with that “More cow bell!” aimed at Longineu.
Everyone went backstage after IIHY and the audience screamed like crazy, then started chanting Adam’s name, then went back to screaming. (I think the screaming, more than the sound system or anything else, was what killed my ears. When you get that many people shrieking at the top of their lungs (and we were) it is just piercing in a way that is indescribable. My ears were ringing when I got home.) Adam and Monte were the first back onstage, and Monte started to play the opening notes of a tune that sounded very familiar but I was unable to place. I stood there thinking "What the hell is that?!?" but then Adam giggled in protest, and I couldn't even replay the tune in my head in order to try and figure it out; the giggle was too damn adorable and everything else evaporated from my brain in its wake. Monte started up again and Adam giggled again, effectively turning me into a puddle of goo. (I would later read that Monte was playing “Stairway to Heaven” - no doubt a friendly poke at Adam’s stair-writhing encore in Milwaukee a few nights prior.) The band came back out and they did “Mad World” (I really like the groove on that arrangement and didn’t go to the Idols tour, so it was nice to hear this live)…then quickly transitioned into WLL! Everyone went wild over that, and I was so excited because I was telling a friend earlier in the week that I had to witness it live at least once, but I didn’t think it would happen at Royal Oak. Infinitely awesome that it did. He started out stage left and then went upstage, apparently egging on Longineu and then Monte during their instrumental portions. He was primarily stationary in this version, with very contained movements (not as explicit as some nights, although none of his moves seem as explicit before they’re slowed down and made into GIFs) but the energy was smokin’ hot and his voice was killer. I believe part of the stillness was fueled by curiosity. He was teasing us: an experiment in how static he could be and still drive us wild. And when he did move...my oh my. There was this little pop where he threw his head back, with a thrust on the next beat. It was right in front of me and it was just. fucking. epic. I think he was so into the whole thing that he actually almost forgot the “Baby” and started to launch right into “You need...” then caught it, so it turned into “You...BABY! You need...LOVE~!” The end killed me. Dead.
Frankly, I’m stunned that there was no need for a glambulance. Of course, if there had been a need for one I may never have known, because I was so close to the front that there could have been all manner of BSC things going on farther back in the crowd and I wouldn’t have ever realized it. I was actually relieved to get online later and see that no one had tweeted about someone needing medical attention during the show. The wait outside was hot and tiring, and a lot of people were probably dehydrated afterwards. Standing on your feet for hours in one spot after all of that does not help, and there was no place to move in any direction. A couple of the teen girls were taking turns squatting towards the ground (as close to sitting as you could get) but they had to hold the other’s hand to help them up and let the other one have a turn. There were moments during Adam’s set where I couldn’t feel my toes anymore (my shoes could have been partially to blame), and had to try to move a step or two this way or that way to get some circulation to my feet and make sure my knees weren’t locking up. There was only seating in the balcony - everyone else was standing the whole time. Considering they were running over 45 minutes behind by the time Adam started, it was pretty miserable. I think we all collectively forgot the discomfort once he was in front of us, but it amazes me that there were no major mishaps. Even if your mind is engaged elsewhere, your body can still only take so much. When it was time to leave, I could barely bend my knees to walk. (An unsettling glimpse into a future of arthritis pain.)
By that point I was dying of thirst, but the bar had closed and was no longer selling water, and I still wanted some things from the merchandise table. As we were heading towards the lobby, I saw a guy packing up a camera in the back of the theater. I instantly thought “That’s Neil” but then second-guessed myself. I suppose I assumed it couldn't be him because so many people had recognized him earlier in the evening when he tried to cross the stage, yet no one was going near the guy packing up the camera. But there could have been several reasons for that. When I pointed him out, Sue said "Let's go talk to him!" But I was like a) I am not sure it's him and we'd look so ridiculous if it's not and b) he will NOT want to talk to us. So basically, I passed up the opportunity to stalk the snarkier, straight Lambert brother. (After reading comments from a few other fans with similar experiences, I’m about 95% sure it was him. However, I’m 100% confident he would not have wanted to talk to us - and this is without even taking into account the fact that I’m an utter failure at meeting people. Neil turns his nose up at riding the coattails of fame, and seems to just want to be left alone. He’s made cracks about the potential to use his brother’s fame to pick up chicks before, but I’m fairly certain that it’s all talk. And even if he entertained the idea, it would be reserved for name-dropping Adam to hot girls in bars...as opposed to picking up sweaty fans after a concert. *sigh* Still, I would love to know if/when he is going to start blogging about his experiences on the road. It would have almost been worth risking the humiliation if I could have gotten some scoop on that.)
I said goodbye to Sue and began my wait in the merch line. Turned out, I was right behind the family in the mini van I’d seen earlier, including the little girl with the feather boa. Her mother was recounting how the little girl had viewed the concert (mostly between the grid of a railing, since she could not see over the railing without standing on her tiptoes) and how she had to be protected from a teen bumping her repeatedly as she flailed throughout the entire show. Then the little girl would demonstrate her “Oh no you din’t! Get outta my space, beyotch!” spiel (uh, not those exact words, but that was definitely the gist, complete with head bob and hands on hips, with a finger wag thrown in here and there for good measure). The mom proudly stated that the girl had learned a lot about standing up for herself that night.
She may look cute and sweet, but she gets feisty past her bedtime!
The mom also mentioned talking to Adam, and her daughter talking to Adam, but I did not realize until later that this was as part of a meet and greet. (See above - awwww!) As I spoke to them further, I realized why the little girl looked vaguely familiar to me - she was from the IIHY video project! Come to find out, the entire family was in the video! The little brother (who was not in attendance) was the Tommy lookalike, and even the husband is there in an incognito moment (he’s an Adam fan too). I heard about them filming their scenes. It was all so fun, and yet surreal to grasp that these people were known in the fandom (I mean, I remember hearing about the kids in that video before I even got the chance to watch it for myself) and yet they were people who could be my next door neighbors or who I might stand behind at the grocery store. One thing that repeatedly struck me throughout the day was how literally everyone I interacted with was connected to the online fandom, and had not just a casual knowledge but an intimate awareness of so much that goes on. I had already heard that Adam's fanbase has a relatively large online presence, but I did not expect to see evidence of that to the degree that I did.
While in line, someone from their group spoke to a relative at home and learned that some nasty storms were moving across the state and everyone had been warned to go into their basements for a while. (We were completely oblivious while inside the theater. Earlier in the week, there were thunderstorms forecast for Friday and I’d been quite worried. I’m so relieved that they didn’t hit while we were outside in line or kill the power in the middle of the concert.) I wound up buying the t-shirt of Adam blowing something (a kiss? glitter?) even though I hate that they only offered men’s tees (those are just not ideal for a woman’s hips and thighs), along with the IIHY cover poster. They had some other things I did not recognize from pics of the merchandise from previous nights, including an iPhone cover with the IIHY picture and some sort of bracelet or arm band. I did not like the designs on the front of either tour date t-shirt as well as some of the others, but now I wish I had bought one because I don't think they will have them at the non-Glam Nation dates, if they sell Adam merchandise at all.
I bought the shirt in the middle!
On the way back to the car, I passed the buses. There were about two dozen people waiting in front of the band one. Monte was among them - it took me a minute to notice him, because he was right there with everybody else just hanging out. I got back to my car and drove to McDonald’s, where I ordered a smoothie, a large Diet Coke, and water. I was so damn thirsty. In my attempt to find the expressway, I ran across a huge branch that had been blown down into the street. I knew it had rained because the streets were wet, but apparently it really stormed. When I got back to a main road, there were police at many of the intersections blocking traffic from the side roads because power was out to the traffic lights. I once again got lost, but was proud to find the way on my own. I listened to Adam’s CD most of the way home but turned it off when “Aftermath” was about to start. I wasn’t sure how I’d react to hearing the album version of it after that gorgeous stripped down rendering. But the next day I listened to it and found myself belting right along with him. I have such a newfound appreciation for and love of that song.
Glam Nation was a remarkable experience, and I’m so thrilled I had the chance to be a part of it. I look forward to the shows in July, but I know they will have a different vibe. I think there will be a lot more Idol viewers who are just curious to see Adam, or casual fans who like hearing him on the radio but may not have listened to his album on repeat for days. Which could be a good opportunity to hear him, but it won’t be with others who are all whipped into a frenzy. I can't say how grateful I am that my first Adam experience was with a group of people who love him unabashedly and were all in communal ecstasy, having the time of their lives. That is something I’ll never forget.
In the end, I'm left amazed by how completely Adam commits all of his vocal, physical, and emotional energy to achieving one goal: our entertainment. I was trying to describe the concert to a friend afterwards and I knew I was simply not doing it justice. But I think what impressed her most was when I said that he puts everything in him into the performance and makes you feel like he's putting on the show of his life for you. I truly can't fathom how he does this night after night, but knowing that a performer will leave everything onstage is what builds a reputation. It's the stuff legends are made of.