Have you ever found a band you liked so much that you couldn't get enough of their music? I've written about Blue October before. I met them at a meet and great event last year when they were on tour and I also went to a concert last summer. They are a great live band. I listen to their music every day, playing it in my car and also when I'm on my computer at home. Usually when I become obsessed with a band or set of songs, I'll play the music until I'm sick of it and never want to hear it again. Not with this band. For some reason I've been able to hear the same songs over and over and not grow tired of them. I think the reason for that is that their music has so much to say and every time I hear it I get something out of it. Hard to say really. I'm a member of their Street Team (click the link to join). It's an opportunity to support the band by promoting them on myspace or other personal networking sites. It was because of my membership in the Street Team that I was able to meet the band. They like to do things like that for their members.

I wrote this today because of a conversation I had with a co-worker (I'll call him Jay) regarding another co-worker. Jay was telling me that this person was talking to him about me, saying how I wasn't the kind of person you could cuss around or joke with because I wouldn't take it well. She's always saying stuff like this because she seems to think she has the inside track on me, even though I no longer share anything personal with her. I think it just pissed me off that one, she was talking about me, and two that she made it sound as if she knew me, the real me, when she has no idea what I am really like. So I wrote a poem about it, and it kind of turned out dark and as usual took on a life of it's own. That's what happens when I write. The poems kind of write themselves. I actually think it's pretty good.

Blue October was at the Hollywood House of Blues last night. I'm a member of their Street Team so I had the opportunity to go to a "meet & greet" with the band. I'd been looking forward to this occassion since last Sunday and was just so excited about it. All week long, my thoughts were towards this event, what was it going to be like, how much time would I have with them, would I get a chance to ask any questions, what questions would I ask etc., etc. My anxiety was building the closer it got to that date and I had to keep telling myself to calm down, don't make such a big deal out of this and so on. I felt like I was talking myself down from the ledge everytime my mind would go off on some wild thought. I had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach all week too. Honestly I think I'm exhausted from it all.

So it's finally Saturday and I'm totally prepared. I printed a nice picture of the band from my computer with glossy paper and it was perfect, just what I wanted. I had batteries for my camera because I wanted lots of pictures too. I wasn't sure if my husband was going to go to Hollywood with me until that morning. He's not really a fan (yet) and not a member of the Street Team so I didn't think I could get him in. I told him I'd like him to go anyways and we would play it by ear. I'm thankful that he went. Hollywood is 50 miles from where we live. We had to take the 10 freeway west to the 101 north. The 10 freeway was an absolute mess when we got on it. I started stressing big time. The meet and greet schedule said it started at approximately 5:00 pm and I had wanted to get there at about 3:30 or 4:00 just in case. I really did not want to go through all of this and miss seeing them. That would have sucked big time. Once on the freeway I was kicking myself thinking that I should have taken traffic into consideration and left earlier. Silly me. We finally make it to the House of Blues on Sunset at about 4:30 pm. We valet parked and walked over to where several people were sitting at the entrance to the club. I told them I was there for the meet and greet and one of the guys says, "Oh they've already gone in, a few minutes ago", to which I start to freak (internally of course), because I can hear them singing for their sound check and I'm outside missing it. We waited for a couple of minutes because one of their crew called someone outside for us but he never showed up. Me being me, I decided screw this, and walked inside, motioning my husband to follow. I figured what's the worst that can happen? So we walk in and stand next to the other members of the Street Team to watch the band doing their sound check. I pulled out my camera and began taping them sing. It was so awesome because we were getting this private concert with the band. I don't know if I was supposed to be filming them or not, and no one told me not to so I did. I love having the ability to do that. They sang four songs, which were all done so well. They sound as good live as they do on their CD's. After they ended they walked off stage and I didn't know if they were going to come out or if I had already missed that part. I told my husband that if they walk out the door from the stage I would have a heart attack, and then they did and it was so cool. They asked if anyone had anything to sign and I pulled out my beautiful picture. One of the girls next to me saw it and made a comment about how prepared we were. You betcha. All of the members signed my picture and I got pictures with them too. I'm posting them on my Flickr account. It's funny because I'm 38, older than the band members and I feel like such a girl about this whole thing. I told my husband that too. I feel like I did when I was in high school. Not very mature at all. I think that's okay, I haven't lost my youth yet. It was as good as I had hoped it would be. I would have like to have more time with them, and if we had gotten there earlier we would have. The great thing is that I will have this opportunity again soon. I bought tickets this morning for their concert in July in Costa Mesa. They're really good tickets too, close to the stage. Something else to look forward to. I don't think I'll be so anxious next time. I'll just be excited to see them again and be a part of what they are doing. An extra big thanks to my husband too. He was so awesome and supportive. He was there to take pictures of me with the band and just handled everything so well. It wouldn't have been as fun without him there and he had a good time too.