Hiiigh Fidelity...
So there I was. Sitting in my room, laying on the floor. It was one of those days where you feel like the whole world is out to get you, when a friend of mine called. "Hey You know Costello is playing at the Royce Hall tonight?" Well damn. That was all it took. I got up, threw on some clothes and drove the 11 miles over the hill to the UCLA Campus. I wasnt even sure if this was the total truth but I figured I was already having a terrible day, it couldn't possibly get any worse. Besides, its not everyday someone like Elvis Costello roles into your town.
When i got there, it was about 7:45 at night. The sun was down, and the moon was up. I must have spent a good half hour wandering about the school trying to find the Royce Hall building. Mind you, UCLA is an enormous campus. So eventually I found the right building, which had a huge line of very "adult" looking people surrounding it. Not to say that I'm not an adult, I just feel like I'm stuck in a very youth-like mentality. Blah blah. So I asked the door attendant how much tickets were, already knowing that they would be far more than the 3 and some dollars I had on me. And of course, her response was as I had assumed. So I proceeded to walk around the building, "casing" it out, if you will. There had to be a loose back door or somewhere where I could creep into the building and catch the set. However that didn't end up being the case. So I will cut out the boring part where I just stood outside with the other Costello fans who, like myself couldnt get into the show but just wanted to meet the guy or have something signed. And the show ended, and people left. And out of the back door came a good friend of mine, who just happened to be working security at the show. She came over and told me that I was more than welcome to come inside and meet everyone (Thanks CJ). So I hopped the white fence, and went into the rear lobby of Royce Hall. A few people from the show were lingering about, along with Mr. Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve (Attractions pianist) and John Cusack. CJ asked if I had anything to get signed, and I said no. So she went backstage and came back with the paper from his room that said Elvis Costello Dressing Room. So after waiting a bit, I went up to Steve and introduced myself, and handed him a copy of Under Suspicion. He quickly stated that he remembered us, and that our singer, Johnny ahd been emailing him regarding playing keyboard and B3 on our album. He seemed very down to earth and I told him that we were all big fans and that we ended up having Rami of the Wallflowers play on our album instead. I think he was taken back by that and told me that he would definitely listen to the CD. He Signed my paper and said thanks. Now I had to say my hello to Elvis. So I walked over to him and told him how much his music means to me, and that my band, Madcap was heavily influenced by his work. I then pointed to his name on the pink promotional sticker on our album cover, and he seemed to be quite impressed. I told him to give it a listen if he had a chance, and shook his hand. He seemed to be one big smile, but shy at the same time. After signing my paper, I told him thanks and I thanked CJ, and called up Johnny. I told him he wouldnt believe who I was standing next to. I remember him saying "Shut up!" and having to swear I wasnt lying. So anyhow, I left the campus and went home. I totally forgot about all the things that were weighing on my mind before that. It's amazing how something like meeting someone you admire or seeing a band can change your attitude on things. If you're reading this, and you've ever had that happen, leave us a comment and tell us what it was like. Maybe you guys met Elvis Costello too. Who knows. But it was a great night and it put new faith into what Im doing. Thanks for reading...
ACE
When i got there, it was about 7:45 at night. The sun was down, and the moon was up. I must have spent a good half hour wandering about the school trying to find the Royce Hall building. Mind you, UCLA is an enormous campus. So eventually I found the right building, which had a huge line of very "adult" looking people surrounding it. Not to say that I'm not an adult, I just feel like I'm stuck in a very youth-like mentality. Blah blah. So I asked the door attendant how much tickets were, already knowing that they would be far more than the 3 and some dollars I had on me. And of course, her response was as I had assumed. So I proceeded to walk around the building, "casing" it out, if you will. There had to be a loose back door or somewhere where I could creep into the building and catch the set. However that didn't end up being the case. So I will cut out the boring part where I just stood outside with the other Costello fans who, like myself couldnt get into the show but just wanted to meet the guy or have something signed. And the show ended, and people left. And out of the back door came a good friend of mine, who just happened to be working security at the show. She came over and told me that I was more than welcome to come inside and meet everyone (Thanks CJ). So I hopped the white fence, and went into the rear lobby of Royce Hall. A few people from the show were lingering about, along with Mr. Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve (Attractions pianist) and John Cusack. CJ asked if I had anything to get signed, and I said no. So she went backstage and came back with the paper from his room that said Elvis Costello Dressing Room. So after waiting a bit, I went up to Steve and introduced myself, and handed him a copy of Under Suspicion. He quickly stated that he remembered us, and that our singer, Johnny ahd been emailing him regarding playing keyboard and B3 on our album. He seemed very down to earth and I told him that we were all big fans and that we ended up having Rami of the Wallflowers play on our album instead. I think he was taken back by that and told me that he would definitely listen to the CD. He Signed my paper and said thanks. Now I had to say my hello to Elvis. So I walked over to him and told him how much his music means to me, and that my band, Madcap was heavily influenced by his work. I then pointed to his name on the pink promotional sticker on our album cover, and he seemed to be quite impressed. I told him to give it a listen if he had a chance, and shook his hand. He seemed to be one big smile, but shy at the same time. After signing my paper, I told him thanks and I thanked CJ, and called up Johnny. I told him he wouldnt believe who I was standing next to. I remember him saying "Shut up!" and having to swear I wasnt lying. So anyhow, I left the campus and went home. I totally forgot about all the things that were weighing on my mind before that. It's amazing how something like meeting someone you admire or seeing a band can change your attitude on things. If you're reading this, and you've ever had that happen, leave us a comment and tell us what it was like. Maybe you guys met Elvis Costello too. Who knows. But it was a great night and it put new faith into what Im doing. Thanks for reading...
ACE