Backstage Experience

This is precisely why I started a blog.  I have the memory of a paper plate. I knew if I didn't write this down today, it would be forgotten. 

They call it the BSE.  The Backstage Experience.  Time to meet fellow Keith Urban fans, reapply lipgloss frequently and try to find something in common with the people surrounding you in the awkwardness as everything wants their own "moment" with Keith. 

I've only been trying to win this for three years.  No big deal.  In the meantime, Kim has won three times.  I should never play the lottery.

Kim and I had purchased our tickets in a Christmas 2010 Presale (yes, the longest 10 months of my life). This time, the tickets would be waiting for us at Will Call and we had no idea where the seats were--all we were told was "premiere floor".  Good enough.  We picked up our tickets and I checked in for my BSE and we found out our tickets were Row 5.  Perfectly fine with us.  Let's just get on with this night...

The Monkeyville People (Monkeyville is the name of the Keith Urban Fan Club) ushered us into a room as we waited for everyone to arrive. I had applied my BSE sticker to my jeans and wore it proudly.  We were then marched up (just picture the freak parade) to the Club Level and into the Continental Divide Room.  (Memory of a paper plate and unfortunately, I never pay any attention to any detail, so this is good for me) They'd created a "homey" atmosphere in this room with the curtains walling off the actual room...all the lights were off and there were a few lamps set up. Up in the front were three big chairs with microphones and a tv with rolling video of KU stuff.  There were about 50 stools lined up in there and then the back had catered food, drink and tables.  We just hung out--I recognized some of the people in there from other shows and some were radio DJ's but everyone was just as nervous/excited/anxious/curious as the next.  Most of the time I was was just anxious, the rest of the time I wanted to slap people. It just becomes everyone's time to one-up the next, so I just listened. Really, I was just annoyed.

Then a Monkeyville guy came out and we left that room in sections based on letters that were on our credentials.  It wasn't until now that I realized how many people were here with me--probably 75-100 people!  We walked down the hall and there were about 4 groups of about 25 people lined up.  Then they sectioned us into groups of 6.  So this is what the baby calves feel like on branding day, huh?  We waited a good 30 minutes before we worked our way to the front of the line.  We went back into the same room (let's call it the holding tank for now) that we were in before and there was Randy.  Randy is one of the biggest men I've ever met.  He's Keith's bodyguard, and if I could just hang out with him--maybe buy him a big gulp, I could die happy.  He was wearing a Denver Nuggets shirt (again, detail) and I immediately told him I loved his shirt and struck up a conversation with him.  While everyone else was checking their hair and allowing themselves to get all flustered, I'm hitting it off with Randy talking about the NBA lockout.  I turned around and my group had gone!  We entered in this smaller room created by curtains and as we entered, Keith was there saying hi to each of us.  It was pretty much just a "hey, my name is Annie"...he said hello, thanks for coming out, and I got a big hug, and that was about it.  He was very genuine and so nice, but you could tell you were like the 63rd person to go, so it wasn't as special as I thought it would be, but still, so cool.  We lined up for a picture, he thanked us for coming out, and we were ushered out.  Of course we had the woman with the mom jeans who had to make some dumb comment but beyond that, it was fun. 

Then, back to the holding tank.  Proudly sitting front and center.  We waited about 15 more minutes and then Keith came out with KYGO's Kelly and Rider.  They interviewed Keith for about 20 minutes or so, took a few questions and that was it! Now, if you're a freak like me (and there are many!), you've watched all the videos on the website.  I could have answered every single question that people came up with to ask him, so I was a little annoyed.  However, I didn't have any question in mind, so I should keep my mouth shut.  But honestly, there wasn't anything I was dying to know...except if Jerry was available for a Meet and Greet.  Jerry is the SINGLE bass guitarist--you know, the one with the bald head, tattoos...the one I've had the biggest crush on since my very first concert.  That was my only question.  And I didn't ask it, which was my plan all along because if I don't have something to regret, I didn't do it right!

I wish they would allow winners to bring a guest, because it would have been so much fun to have Kim there with me, but that's okay.  And as weird as this sounds, I'm so glad they didn't allow cameras in there--it would have been ridiculous if cameras could be in the room.  There would be constant flashing and people would be in your way to see the whole time trying to get pictures and stuff, so even though I don't have any pictures to show you but the one they sent us, I'm so thankful! 

So Keith took off and we could hear Jake Owen had started, so we headed to our seats.  All in all, it couldn't have been any better of a night, really. I mean, Keith Urban is one of the few artists who still do these meet-and-greets, and it means a lot that he'd spend so much time with his fans. It took about 2 hours of his time!  I also understand that it makes sense to have about 100 people back there rather than 10--I've been a part of those 10 people meet-and-greets and it makes for some crazies!  This keeps it fair and they've got a system down....

Yes, I'll keep applying to meet him again.