David Cook - WXLO Music Loft/Green Hills Golf Course 6.7.2011
I won passes for this event and I was SO excited -- I've been to other music lofts that this station has hosted before (Jason Castro and Ryan Star) and its always been really laid back and really fun. So needless to say, I was thrilled. Plus, it was David. To hear him in such an intimate setting is just such a treat. The show wasn't at the radio station - it was at a golf club in Worcester. I found out later that the loft at the radio station isn't air conditioned and thats why it was off site (it was like, 90). I arrived at like, 515, as the performance was at 6 and they were going to let us in at 530 - there was already a bit of a line, which was fine - I met some other cool women and we were just shooting the shit until they let us in. One of the girls had a couple of friends come, and when you win passes, you win 2. One for you and one for a guest. I hadn't brought anyone because I refused to pick between my friends - so I told one of the girls who had just shown up to try to get in that she could be my guest. She couldn't thank me enough - I was totally fine with it - I'm the type of person that if I can help someone out, I'm going to do it. They even offered to take me to Hartford with them to the radio station there the next day but my boss would have seriously fired me if I had asked for the next day off, lol.
So, ANYWAY, they let us in and the performance was outside, which was fine, but hot (even though it was late enough in the day and there was a breeze). I was at one point, standing 2 feet from the stage until either the golf club security (who were real douches to us) or Dave's tour manager realized exactly how close we were and decided that they needed to put up tables as barriers while we were all standing there. THEN they decided to bring in chairs for people in the front - really poor logistical planning, IMO. They should have had it set up the way they wanted before they let us in. But once it was settled, it was fine. The morning show hosts introduced Dave and he sang 4 songs - Come Back to Me, Drive (I DIED OMG), Light On and Last Goodbye. Fucking amazing and flawless. To hear him do something acoustic like that and be THAT close, and it be THAT intimate - was just awesome. And Neal was there too, looking like a BAQQMF. Dave was funny as hell, cracking jokes and saying that the people on the golf course probably hated us. (Apparently, he did get into an argument with someone at the golf course who was trying to golf while he was soundchecking. Hee).
After he finished played, the morning hosts got back on stage, gave away a pair of tickets for Glee for that night, and said that David would be doing pictures inside, and to where to go form the line, but no autographs. I was kind of bummed out about that because I had brought a couple of pictures that I had taken of Dave & Neal and hoped to have them both signed. But whatever. A line formed really fast (a long line I might add) to see Dave so myself and some of the girls I met decided to talk to Neal for a few minutes. OMG NICEST GUY EVER. We had a brief conversation in which I mocked his Bruins hat from the night before, and thanked him for talking to me on the phone 3 years ago at the very beginning of the Declaration Tour. And I could see that he KIND of remembered and then once he said Florida, right? I knew he had. Really sweet of him. At that point, Neal had said he'd take pictures and stuff but had to bring equipment down, and the line to meet David was shorter so we had to make a decision. We decided to go get in line and see if we could grab Neal after. We got to the door and were told they were taking pictures in groups of 4. And it was like, super mega fast. I barely got to introduce myself to him and they were shuffling us to take a picture, then it was straight out the door. However, I did introduce myself to David, didn't pass out, he looked at me with those gorgeous eyes and smiled. AND I DIED. The security guard yelled at me when I turned to pick up my purse since I'd put it down on the floor and was like, "you have to go this way." I'm like, "I'm picking up my purse. Its RIGHT THERE." Whatever. Its never ever that rushed, EVER in the loft. My guess is the reasoning was because the venue had given them a set time to be done and it was creeping close to it. But it was fine, whatever.
So we go outside, and see Neal at the bottom of the steps to the deck where we were for the performance talking to a few people - we join the group and I got a picture with Neal and a hug! I asked him if I could have a hug and he kind of laughed and was like, "I don't usually get people to ask for one" and I was like, "I like to ask people who I dont know well." and Neal was all "I appreciate that." He left to go back inside after awhile and myself and a couple of the girls who I met were standing around talking and this is where I get annoyed - this woman who drove up from fucking NY or NJ (I dont remember where) was bitching about not getting to have a one on one pic with him, not getting to stand next to him, etc. She's met him a SHIT LOAD OF TIMES and has a ZILLION pictures with him. Then she has the audacity to be like, "I know some people don't have any pictures with him" and it took everything I had to not yell at her and be like, STFU, you're seeing him FOUR TIMES in the next like, 2 days, plus you have pictures with him already. Its like, way to be an entitled brat. I'll be so pissed if I find out she starts bashing the radio station for the way we were treated because it wasn't their fault - it was more than likely the venue who wanted their space back. But whatever. It was a fun event overall and I'm just glad I got to go.
Ok, picture time! If you're on my facebook, you've seen these, but I'm going to post them again.
View from the deck
With Neal:
And all of us with Dave (L-R: Rhoda, Christy, Dave, Melanie, and me):
All of my pics are here. Please credit if used.
So, ANYWAY, they let us in and the performance was outside, which was fine, but hot (even though it was late enough in the day and there was a breeze). I was at one point, standing 2 feet from the stage until either the golf club security (who were real douches to us) or Dave's tour manager realized exactly how close we were and decided that they needed to put up tables as barriers while we were all standing there. THEN they decided to bring in chairs for people in the front - really poor logistical planning, IMO. They should have had it set up the way they wanted before they let us in. But once it was settled, it was fine. The morning show hosts introduced Dave and he sang 4 songs - Come Back to Me, Drive (I DIED OMG), Light On and Last Goodbye. Fucking amazing and flawless. To hear him do something acoustic like that and be THAT close, and it be THAT intimate - was just awesome. And Neal was there too, looking like a BAQQMF. Dave was funny as hell, cracking jokes and saying that the people on the golf course probably hated us. (Apparently, he did get into an argument with someone at the golf course who was trying to golf while he was soundchecking. Hee).
After he finished played, the morning hosts got back on stage, gave away a pair of tickets for Glee for that night, and said that David would be doing pictures inside, and to where to go form the line, but no autographs. I was kind of bummed out about that because I had brought a couple of pictures that I had taken of Dave & Neal and hoped to have them both signed. But whatever. A line formed really fast (a long line I might add) to see Dave so myself and some of the girls I met decided to talk to Neal for a few minutes. OMG NICEST GUY EVER. We had a brief conversation in which I mocked his Bruins hat from the night before, and thanked him for talking to me on the phone 3 years ago at the very beginning of the Declaration Tour. And I could see that he KIND of remembered and then once he said Florida, right? I knew he had. Really sweet of him. At that point, Neal had said he'd take pictures and stuff but had to bring equipment down, and the line to meet David was shorter so we had to make a decision. We decided to go get in line and see if we could grab Neal after. We got to the door and were told they were taking pictures in groups of 4. And it was like, super mega fast. I barely got to introduce myself to him and they were shuffling us to take a picture, then it was straight out the door. However, I did introduce myself to David, didn't pass out, he looked at me with those gorgeous eyes and smiled. AND I DIED. The security guard yelled at me when I turned to pick up my purse since I'd put it down on the floor and was like, "you have to go this way." I'm like, "I'm picking up my purse. Its RIGHT THERE." Whatever. Its never ever that rushed, EVER in the loft. My guess is the reasoning was because the venue had given them a set time to be done and it was creeping close to it. But it was fine, whatever.
So we go outside, and see Neal at the bottom of the steps to the deck where we were for the performance talking to a few people - we join the group and I got a picture with Neal and a hug! I asked him if I could have a hug and he kind of laughed and was like, "I don't usually get people to ask for one" and I was like, "I like to ask people who I dont know well." and Neal was all "I appreciate that." He left to go back inside after awhile and myself and a couple of the girls who I met were standing around talking and this is where I get annoyed - this woman who drove up from fucking NY or NJ (I dont remember where) was bitching about not getting to have a one on one pic with him, not getting to stand next to him, etc. She's met him a SHIT LOAD OF TIMES and has a ZILLION pictures with him. Then she has the audacity to be like, "I know some people don't have any pictures with him" and it took everything I had to not yell at her and be like, STFU, you're seeing him FOUR TIMES in the next like, 2 days, plus you have pictures with him already. Its like, way to be an entitled brat. I'll be so pissed if I find out she starts bashing the radio station for the way we were treated because it wasn't their fault - it was more than likely the venue who wanted their space back. But whatever. It was a fun event overall and I'm just glad I got to go.
Ok, picture time! If you're on my facebook, you've seen these, but I'm going to post them again.
View from the deck
With Neal:
And all of us with Dave (L-R: Rhoda, Christy, Dave, Melanie, and me):
All of my pics are here. Please credit if used.