While I'm name-dropping...
... here are my memories of meeting R.E.M. (as I touched upon in my previous entry):
I was a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and my friend Jeff and I decided that we would catch our first ever R.E.M. concert up in Berkeley during their Pageantry Tour (in support of the album, Lifes Rich Pageant). This was back in 1986. It was quite a drive and classes had already started; I'm not much for long drives and as for classes, eh. Looking back, I don't even remember who else went with us - maybe Jeff remembers. It was on a Friday, and as we got closer to the Bay Area, we started encountering commute traffic, plus it was pouring. We were in two cars. It was the excitement of seeing the concert that got me over the elements and the traffic.
Once there, I don't know when we started to realize that maybe the rain was going to cancel the concert. Maybe we didn't. And then the four band members came walking out on stage and broke the bad news: the concert was being canceled and would be rescheduled in the Bay Area for a later date. Bummer, and after more than 5 hours on the road. Jeff and the others decided to head all the way back that same night, while I went to spend the night at my home over in Concord before heading back to S.L.O. the next day.
I don't remember the details of the radio contest, how I entered, etc. but after I got back to town, I called KCPR, the campus radio station to see if I had won their contest (two passes to meet R.E.M. after their concert Saturday night in Santa Barbara). I didn't really think I had much of a chance. The guy who answered the phone said he'd check and when he got back on the phone, he said something like, "Dude, you won!" I was so shocked, I didn't respond. And the guy, sounding let down, said I didn't sound too excited. After insisting that I was indeed excited, he let me know that it would all be arranged, just look for him after the concert.
So Jeff and I (nobody else was able to make it this time) traveled south to Santa Barbara for... our first R.E.M. concert! And this time, knowing that we were going to meet them too! Not sure if the inclement weather followed us down the coast, I brought my umbrella just in case. And for them to sign, I brought a booklet which I had received from the fan club that had caricatures of each band member on the cover that Bill Berry, the drummer, had sketched.
It was an awesome concert that had Guadalcanal Diary opening. I usually need to be familiar with a band's material before I can enjoy them in concert, but Guadalcanal Diary's music was awesome from the start. Another band I remember feeling the same way about was Bettie Serveert. Anyway, the concert was most excellent - at that time, R.E.M. hadn't yet gotten into playing large arenas; I believe it was their make-up concert at the Oakland Coliseum (which I couldn't go to) that was their first big arena concert. It was a fantastic show in Santa Barbara, the venue being not too big and remote for the fans.
Meeting the band: unlike what I envisioned, it wasn't literally backstage that we met them. We waited outside the venue. I don't know about Jeff, but I had butterflies. It seemed like a long wait, but who knows how fast time really went? One person I did happen to recognize was the bass player from the band the Cruzados (Tony Marsico) so I got his autograph. Oh yeah, I met up with the guy from the radio station, and he seemed pretty comfortable mixing and chatting with the others who were also waiting around. The band didn't formally show up as one unit; the different band members mingled as individuals. In fact, Bill Berry didn't even show up, at least not to mix with the fans. I wanted the artist to sign his art! Not to be. Even if I were to win another contest to meet R.E.M. I guess I wouldn't meet him since he's not a member of the band anymore.
The first one I remember meeting was Michael Stipe. Not surprisingly, he had the biggest crowd surrounding him and I just stood there watching the interactions. This one woman had created something personal for him, and it was apparent she had had many chances to meet him. How did she manage that? I wondered. In any case, she was sweet and sincere as she spoke and more than a little smitten, and Michael was very kind and sweet back to her. After waiting awhile, I figured it was my turn, and all I could think to say was, "This is my Berkeley umbrella!," as I held it up. Then I explained that I had it with me in Berkeley the night before, and asked him to sign my booklet: "Can you sign this?"
I don't recall who I met next, Peter Buck or Mike Mills. I couldn't think of much in the way of conversation; just like when I met Mark McGwire, what could I say that they would find very interesting... "This is my Berkeley umbrella"? I think I did manage to say, "Pleased to meet you!" to both Peter and Mike (oh well, I tried). They were both really nice, and it was the guy from the radio station that helped introduce me to Mike, pulling me out from whoever I was hiding behind. And Peter said something about the 'fanzine' thing I had for them to autograph.
All in all, an amazing experience.
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Wow, yeah. I remember that. All of it...well, in my advanced age, not "all" of it. Anyway, I remember standing near the top of the Greek Theater in Berkley and watching the rain and seeing the band walk out and telling us to go home, because they couldn't play in the rain. I drove home with my companion (or was it two? I know where to find one of them - I'll see if she wants to comment) and it was such a long drive and I was so tired that we got pulled over on Highway 1, just outside of SLO. I told the cop "I haven't had a single drink, but I've just driven back from Berkeley because I have a meeting in a couple of hours," which was true. He let me go with a warning, which I was very grateful for.
ReplyDeleteAt the Santa Barbara County Bowl, I remember it was a fantastic show. REM was in their prime (for me, anyway - I don't listen to them anymore) and they showed it. Afterwards, I remember that woman you talk about; it seemed like she was infatuated with Stipe and he was a little nervous about it, like a schoolboy. And Bill didn't come out because he had just gotten married, so he and his wife Mary went right to the bus. But the best part was I had my album sleeve for "Life's Rich Pageant" that I wanted each to sign. I was talking to Mike Mills for a bit and I told him about our previous night's predicament and he signed my album sleeve with, "Jeff, miss one, make one! Mike Mills." I thought that was pretty cool.
Yeah, boy, those were good times. I've been quite disappointed in REM's output since, but maybe it's impossible for them to follow, in my head, the great music of our college years.
Thanks for sharing, Jeff! I'm glad that I had someone to go to their concerts with. I remember us meeting the band members partly at the same time, and part of the time 'mingling' with them separately. I can still picture the interaction between that woman and Michael Stipe - he could tell how smitten she was with him.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about your conversation with Mike Mills. I had more of an opportunity to speak with him and Peter, but went blank. I've hidden my autographed fan club booklet so well, I don't know where it is, but I think Mike signed mine, "OK Arthur, see you, Mike Mills." I really loved those caricatures that Bill drew: Mike was so short-haired and bookish, and Peter looked so somber. In fact, now that I think about it, I think Peter remarked as he was signing it that Bill had captured Peter's big nose in his drawing.
Back then, I was getting everything R.E.M. that I saw. Now that I think about it, I remember buying the 45 for 'Wendell Gee' at Blue Meanie records in El Cajon (did I get that right?) when we were down there for the ARCE field trip. And how I lost a magazine that featured R.E.M. in the Poly Royal fire, along with my blue stapler (shades of the movie 'Office Space' and the red stapler).
Ah, the memories...