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September 2, 2002
Some pictures are at the bottom, other pictures under Live Pictures.
It really started on Aug. 26th. That's the day
that I won the BBQ. So skip ahead to Monday, Sept. 2. I got ready for the concert, and this is what I wore, hehe. These tight
blue jeans with a metal belt, and a balck shirt that has a red guitar, and a flower on it (that looked just like the Gutterflower).
So we showed up at at Amsouth Amphitheater at 1:54pm. (We were not supposed to be there until 2:30, hehe) We stood around
for about 10 minutes, and then Rich Davis (one of our DJ's) took me and my mom down to the seats. We, of course sat in the
front row, but he told us the closest we could get was 7th row. (he said it made the sound better, what's up with that???)
So that is where we sat, we were in the front row meaning that no one was in front of us, but not technically the front row.
I think you get it. The GGD soundcheck was supposed to start at 3, but they did not get there until 10 til 4, but that's ok,
they were fashionably late!!! All the sudden I saw Mike sitting behind the drums. Then Robby walked out with no shoes or sox
on!! He was so cute, just walking back and fourth on stage! Then... then Johnny came out!!! Here is what he was wearing (cuz
he changed for the concert) He was wearing the white tank top that we wore on the Garage concert series for Leno, the one
that had a humming bird on it. The back of it it said "Life Nature Love." His pants, or shorts should I say were the cutest
thing I have ever and i mean ever seen him wear!!!! They were olive green color, with the bottoms cut off, so they showed
about 4 inches of his legs, and on the right leg, they had an island with a sunshine and a palm tree. They were so cute!!!
EEKKK, were they cute!!! So anyway he also wore sunglasses during the whole soundcheck. Oh yeah, and he also got his hair
cut!!! It was so cute, not cut very short, but like the first time they were on Leno this year, when they did Here Is Gone,
that is what it was like, I like it. :) :) :) :) :) Robby was wearing a black shirt with something on it that I could not
see, and his normal jeans, that I like so much. Robby is so cute, I mean he is thin and short, and just plain adorable!!!
They played about 25 songs, but only the first 15-25 seconds of each one. Johhny kept taking something to eat out
of this little white jar, which was cute. And I loved his jestures!!! He would like signal to them to turn up the volume,
turn it down, lower the sound of the keyboard, higher the bass, and so fourth. He kept turning his back to us and telling
someone to do something, it was fantastic!!!!!!!!! At one point, Robby was trying to tell Johnny something. Then he said nevermind
and was trying to tell Johnny to go back to the soundcheck. But Johnny was not getting it, so he took his ear pieces out,
and took his giutar off, and walked over to Robby, and Robby said nevermind again. I am sure that Johnny was annoyed (which
I understand), but I thought it was funny. Oh yeah, when Johnny first came out, he had this HUGE bottle of water that said
something like "John's water" on the outside! They said a lot of cute things that I cannot remember, but then we went backstage
to the BBQ. At the BBQ, they told us to line up, sort of in a circle. Then the Goos came in a wooden gate, and sat down at
this table. The DJ's told us that we could get one thing per person signed. I had brought my first release CD insert, HMU
flat, Modern Drummer magazine (with Mike on the cover) and my GF flat. We also brought partygoober's stickers, but could not
get them signed, sorry!!! My mom got Johnny and Robby to sign my HMU flat. Johnny was like "Wow this old!!!", and Robby said
"This is not GF, it must be a miss print! Guard, j/k." That's what he said. Then my mom got Mike to sign my Magazine. He said
"It never works to sign the cover, so I will sign the inside". He took the time to trun to the page, and he wrote "Mike Malinin",
not just "Mike". I got my GF flat signed, and I told Johnny that my birthday is in a couple of weeks. He wrote "Happy Birthday
Raven! John". As he signed it, he asked how old I was, and when I said "14" he goes "Wow, 14!!". I got Robby, Mike, Greg,
and Jason to all sign it. When Johnny was signing, I gave him a folder with his present in it. I got him the sheet music to
P!NK's "Don't Let Me Get Me", and I wrote a note on the outside that said
"If you get sick of table dancing for Mike,
you can serenade him with a song that he likes...".
I also wrote him a letter, and made him 2 bookmarks. He said that
he liked to read, so I thought that that would be a good gift for him (thanks for the idea, Lou and Nik) When I handed it
to him, he said "Thank you, thank you very much." And then the guard took it. Then I gave Robby his present which was, of
course, 2 PEZ dispensers, and refills, and I wrote him a letter. He got all shy, and was like "Thank you, I can't wait to
open it". Then I asked Robby for a hug, and he stood up, and hugged me real hard and whispered in my ear "Happy Birthday".
I was soooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!! Then I gave Mike his gift, which was, you guessed it, a P!NK CD. It was a single kind
of thing from her first CD, so I thought he might not have it. He was like "Thank you so much, and you spelled my name close
enough *laughed*". I had spelled it "Malin", on accident, in a hurry I guess... Then we got back in line to take a picture
with them. Right before it was our group's turn to go up and have our picture with the Goos, Robby had to get a chair so that
he would be as tall as Johnny and Mike. I thought it was so cute, cuz Johnny and Mike were just standing on these milk crates.
When we got up there for our group, I was the first person in our group. Robby leaned over, put his hands on his knees, so
he was eye level with me, and said "Hi!". I was so syked, and I said "Hi!!!", and I had this look on my face that said it
all - "OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!".
The line up at the top of the picture was (left to right) Mike, Johnny, Robby. I walked
over and stood in front of Mike. I was like directly in front of him. Then this, well let's put it this way, LARGE woman walked
and got in front of me for the picture, and now that it is over, I am so glad that she did, because Johnny goes, "You can''t
see the little girl", and he pointed right at me!!!!!!! Wow, now I am totally loosing it because, I mean, he noticed me!!
Then, Sandy (the camera lady) told me and the large woman to switch places, and Johnny goes "Tall to the back, short to the
front." The way that he said it was just so cute, like he had an accent. As I was in front, I had to turn around and look
at Johnny, so I actually stared for like 4 seconds (even though they were waiting to take the pic), and Johnny looked down,
right at me, and gave me this big smile that showed all his lovely teeth. That made me smile so big for that picture, and
I was so happy. Then, as we were stepping away from the picture, Johnny said "Thank you all for coming!!!". I yelled at the
top of my lungs, "Your welcome!!!!!!" Then we got a free t-shirt that says "107.5 the river, and the Goo Goo Dolls", and it
has a pic of a grill. Then, if you wanted to, you could get back in line for a pic with Third Eye Blind, and then again for
a pic with Vannessa Carlton. We didn't cuz (sorry) we frankly did not care. So we got a drink, (I did not eat anything from
Sunday dinner until Tuesday luch), and we got our little bag and left the BBQ, cuz the Goo Goo Dolls had already left. Oh
yeah, before the Goo Goo Dolls left, Robby and Mike had thier gifts, but the guard had left Johnny's folder on the table.
So my mom and I took it over to Greg, who was sitting there with Jason and a fan eating his BBQ. I asked Greg to give it to
Johnny, and he said that he would be glad to. That is also when I got them to sign my GF flat. And another thing happened
before we left the BBQ. We were standing in line, waiting for our pics with the Goos, and Greg was getting his plate of food
at the table. I go "Hey, Greg!". He turned around and was like "Hi, how are you?". I was like "Good!". Just thought I would
share that part, gotta love Greg.
Then we left the BBQ, and went to find my three friends that had come to the concert.
It was Justin (from the LA pic), Alix (she went to the Lousville concert with me), and my other friend, Nikki. We got them
at the gate, they gove our canz (although they never did a drawing), and we went to buy stuff. Here is what I bought :
The white baby doll shirt with black sleeves
with the
Gutterflower on it
The black shirt with the thorn on it
2 neckalces
A pair of the black panties (and they are not
a thong, they don't look like the kind in the pic off of www.googoodolls.com.)
A program
After I got all that, we went
to find our seats (My mom, Alix, and I had 6th row, and Justin and Nikki had like 20th row). Nikki had a VIP pass that someone
had given her at the Indianna concert, and she wanted to see if it would work. So we went to the meet and greet area and they
said to wait for a minute. So we did, and I met this really sweet girl, she said she was 18, but I did not get her name. It
was cute, cuz she wanted me to tell her boyfriend all about Johnny, and how tall he was and stuff. So anyway, I said that
Alix and I would go back to our seats, and Nikki and Justin could wait for the VIP pass, cuz the guy said it would only get
the one person who is holding it back. So Alix and I went to our seats. We sat there for a while, and then Vannessa Carlton
came on. I think she is OK, but nothing beyond that to me, but who knows, maybe her big break will come. Then Third Eye Blind
came on. I did not like them at all. They were all ugly (which does not matter in how good of a band you are), but they still
were, and I did not like their music, and I thought the lead singer showed off too much. Anyway, my mom was getting really
worried cuz Nikki and Justin were not back yet, and I mean, it's an 11 and 14 year olds. Then we finally saw them, and for
us, we were happy cuz I had been stressing over getting us all together and where we supposed to be. So, my mom snuck them
(using Alix and my tickets) down to the 6th row with us. When we were all down there (5 people in a three seat area), Third
Eye Blind was still playing, and Justin and Nikki had missed all of VC. Then, Alix got sick. She had been sick, but her mom
payed $46 for the ticket, and her mom made her come. So my mom took her to the bathroom, and they were there for like 35 minutes.
I was getting mad cuz I was afraid that my mom would miss the Goo Goo Dolls coming out, which is special for my mom and I.
I was about to start to cry cuz Third Eye Blind was over, and they were setting up for the Goo Goo Dolls. Then I saw my mom
without Alix. I was so mad cuz I was like "Now where did she go??". My mom told it like this "Alix threw up in the bathroom
and she came out crying, and she wanted to call her mom. So we called her mom, and her mom said she could come home, but her
mom could not come and pick her up cuz she was taking care of her 9 year old sister." That made me so mad cuz it really sounds
like her mom does not love her as much as her sister, but anyway, Justin's mom was nice enough to come and get Alix and take
her home. So now we were down to four people in a three person seat area, which was not as hard, as you can imagine. So then,
the part you and I were all waiting for happened. The lights totally went out, and all you could see was the red curtain,
and a light behind it, with shadows. It was awsome. I could see Johnny with his guitar on, and him walking closer and closer,
and the curtain went to shreds, and guess what song came on!!!!!!!
9:21 pm
Big Machine
Long Way Down
Slide
Naked
You Never Know
Truth Is A Whisper
Dizzy
9:50 pm
Here Is Gone
January Friend
Smash
Black Balloon
10:01
pm
Think About Me
What Do You Need?
Name
Lucky Star
Tucked Away
Broadway (purple vectra)
Smypathy
Iris
What A Scene (orange vectra)
Encore
:
All Eyes On Me
American Girl
Right after Slide, Johnny
made the best announcement that I ever heard him make - He said "Today is a very special day for me..." I was trying to think
really fast, and I was like well, it's not his birthday or an anniversry... "Today is the second day that I have not had a
ciggarette!!!" The look on his face, and the sound of his voice was telling us that he was really happy that he made it that
far, and I can tell you that I am and was so happy for him and excited!!!!! He said something like "I know I need to stop,
don;t want to go out before I have to..." Ok, I really wanted to express how happy I was. Then, after Truth is A Whisper,
he said "Shine the light on the front row, oh there you go, a little more, come on you can do it... a little more, AHHH there!!!".
He said "Look at the girl with the hand cuffs on. Are you a fugitive? Oh, you are, well, everyone, if they come to get her,
I won't and you guys don't tell them where she is. To my favorite fugitive..." Then he played Dizzy.
By the way, I
know my mom and I are crazy, but there was one dry spot that was not sweaty on Johnny's tank top. We watched that spot during
every song (it was on the left side, on his chest) I will tell you when it went away later. Then, during Here Is Gone, he
spit his gum right onto the stage, and Robby almost walked in it. I was like "Robby watch out!!!". It was funny, and they
left it there for a while, and then Johnny picked it up. During What Do You Need?, ...*the sweat spot dissapeared*. It was
funny cuz we had been watching it for like 35 minutes. Right after that song, Johnny told everyone about a dream that he had.
He said it was his anxiaty dream, and here it is "In 15 years, I am going to be sitting at home watching TV with my kids...I
have to have kids first *laughs* A commercial will come on TV that says 'Do you remember the years 1998-2002 (he also said
the 21st century)? Well, you can have it now on two discs or CD's...' By then my kids will be about 13, and that's when they
hate thier dad, what 13-year old does not hate their parens, and they will be like 'Oh dad, that's you, yuck!!!'" Then he
did the opening chords for Slide. I thought it was so funny, but sad, then he said "It's better to have done it, then to not
have at all." I was just filled with joy at that thought. Oh yeah, he said it will be a K-tel record, don't know what that
is, but my mom laughed real hard. The next thing that happened was the black curtain dropped, and there was a red one. And
my mom wrote down that Jason played the accordian for Sympathy.
Then, Johnny said "This next song is for Buffy, so
here we go Buffy..." He played Iris. I don't know who Bffy is. Then, after the song, he said "Will you all do me a favor?
Right now, think of something good for Buffy." I don't know if he was using a code name, or if he met someone beofre the show
that had no sentimental value to him, or if it was someone that he personlly knew, I just thought that it was sweet of him
to ask, so I thought somethign good for her. Then, you heard the opening chords for What A Scene (which I know, cuz it is
my FAVORITE song from Gutterflower, and that's the song that I can play on the guitar!!!), and when it started, the album
cover appreared behind them, and I think you all know what I mean. I think that pic os creepy cuz it shows the girl's eyes,
and her forhead, very scary looking. Then, during the encore, Johnny was singing All Eyes On Me, and the cutest thing happened.
Johnny was about to sing the second verse, when either he coughed or sneezed, I could not tell, but it was so cute. He stopped
singing, and was really embarrassed, but then he laughed at himself and went on. That was too cute. Oh yeah, sometime in the
concert, I don;t know when, Johnny said "Awe, you guys are so sweet, I wish I could pack all of you up, and take you with
me!!!" I was thinking oh yeah, I would do it, drop out of school, and go with Johnny, oh yeah...
Anyway, one of the
best things happened. This was around the song Truth is A Whisper, Johnny threw out his first pick of the night. The one that
he opened up the concert with, and he threw it, what I thought, was real far............. and then I felt a shar sting on
my chest, and i started to scream!!! I slapped my mom really hard (sorry mommy) and was like "The pick hit me, the pick hit
me!!!!" Justin and i got down on the floor, and picked up every piece of thrash and gum we could find, then Justin got under
the seat and got it!!!!! It's the green one, and it says Goo Goo Dolls on the front (and it is kinda smeared from his fingers),
and the back says "Viod if removed" I don't know what that means, but I think it is supposed to be funny, which it is. I felt
specail cuz it was the first pic, and he only threw out about 5, and the rest were to the people in the front row. I slept
with it under my pillow, and right now it's in my pocket. So, that's all I have to say, if you have any questions, then you
can ask!! Hope you liked it, and sorry it was long...
Pictures from my Nashville Experience
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