Fanzine:Red Rocks Adventures

Red Rocks Adventures
By:	sockii and vespapod
Events:	July 21 and July 22, 2008

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Prologue: Denver or Bust (My Wallet)

Ever since I found out about the Red Rocks shows coming up for this summer, I knew I would have to make the trip to be there. For one, I'd never seen a show at this legendary venue nor been out to Colorado before, so it seemed like the perfect location for the one long-distance road/air-trip I was going to allow myself for the tour this year.

For another, my friend Pecos, the legendary Queen of Snarks (the original Stewart Copeland fans, long before the days of sc.net), calls the Denver area home and was going, and I was greatly looking forward to catching up again since the last (and first!) time we'd seen each other was Dallas last year. And as some of you who were there in Dallas know, Pecos has a way of making sure good things happen for Stewart fans.

Suffice to say I'd been trying to encourage some nutters I knew to make sure to include Denver in their itinerary for reasons to hopefully/potentially be revealed later. So with tickets secured and a god-awful early flight out Sunday morning, vespa and I were packed, sleep-deprived zombies, but ready to begin our Police Summer of '08 with a bang...

We probably could have used munching on a few small children for the energy boost but alas, all the airline had to offer us was a sweet free upgrade to First Class for unknown reasons and lots of eggs and sweet rolls to munch on. OM NOM NOM NOM!!!

Sunday, Snarky Sunday

We got in to Denver before noon, right about the same time as Conroy, and well before we could check into our hotel. I called up Pecos to check in and we headed over to her place. There I got to see Nancy, who I had met in Dallas previously, and though Pecos had goodies to share we were also pretty hungry so decided to do a lunch run first. It was a great getting a chance to catch up, and afterward we headed back to her place where we got to spend some time browsing through the legendary archives of Police/Stewart photos, video (including the heart-warming saga of Rocky T. Lobster), and other assorted goodies.

By then vespa and my asses were really starting to drag from the lack of sleep the night before, so it was time to check in to the hotel, shower, and catch some sleep before meeting the rest of the crew for dinner. I was happy to hear Pecos would be joining us along with some more local Snarks, and that we might be joined with a special guest as well! Messages were slowly coming in that other nutters had touched down, so it was only through sheer exhaustion that I could overcome my excitement and get a couple hours' sleep...

shyvixen picked an amazing place for our Sunday night gathering, the Table Mountain Inn in Golden. I am a complete sucker for Southwest/Mexican food (and good margaritas) so I definitely had a serious appetite worked up for dinner! When vespa and I arrived we saw shy, finally got to meet Larissa in the flesh, and soon Conroy was there as well. Pecos was soon to follow with our evening's "surprise" guest...none other than Jeff Seitz himself! He remembered meeting some of us in Dallas and we hung out in the lobby for a while until our table was ready.

Snark badges designed by Pecos for the Red Rocks concerts.

With folks slowly filtering in from here, there and everywhere, we got started on some food and drinks as well as plenty of stories to share. Somehow the subject of CHA! came up and we did our best to explain the CHA!nation to Jeff. Vespa put out a bet to bring cheesesteaks for the crew for the Philly show if Jeff could get a CHA! out of Sting before then. Jeff challenged back asking what he'd get if he could get TWO CHA!s out of him instead. As Dive, Betsy, Chatchka and the rest joined us, Pecos presented everyone with our official Snark badges for the shows.

And we also had some major swag giveaways of old t-shirts, program books, and other cool goodies from the archives.

Somehow, too, during the course of the night vespa's occupation as a podiatrist came up, and it turned out Jeff just happened to have need for his services. We were going to have to pick up some supplies as vespa hadn't exactly brought his housecall bag with him, but tentative plans were made to touch base Monday during the day to see if we could fix him up.

We stayed until the last of the troops arrived for the night including Road Warrior NancyRose, DM and Gina, and until they (politely) kicked us out after last call. At that time, all plans for the follow day were tentative at best—things were in the works but no guarantees of what and for how many. Even so, everyone just seemed thrilled to have a chance to meet up again since the last big nutter bonanza in Savannah, so things could only seem to get better from here...

Monday: Somebody Get Me a Doctor

We somehow rolled out of bed feeling semi-human and by miracle only a touch hungover. We waited until it wasn't an ungodly hour of early and then started touching base with folks about plans for the day. Pecos invited us out for lunch again while we waited to see how the afternoon would pan out. We knew we had to try to find some medical supplies first and fortunately were able to find what we'd need to do a rest dressing at a Walgreens on the way, even if it was a bit MacGuyver-ish (table candles for wax, tape that was a little too wide so it would need to be cut to the right size, etc).

When we got back to our hotel, where the troops were meeting up, suddenly leisurely lunch plans turned into major nutter-hearding time. We had word that the nutters would be welcome to the soundcheck party that afternoon, but we needed the list of names and to pass along the info to everyone we could about how/when/where they had to be in order to get in. Cue multiple cell-phone tag, texting, map perusing, etc. I said that herding nutters is a bit like herding cats, so, you can imagine how that all went!

Once we had the grapevine well in action, we headed out for lunch, where we managed to hook up with Conroy. After lunch, we knew we had a few more hours to kill so after condensing cars down to Conroy's rented tank (aka the Conroy Convoy), we headed up to check out Buffalo Bill's gravesite:

http://flickr.com/photos/74085116@N00/sets/72157606349317503/

Conroy with a flash hat.

The gift shop had some really flash hats, as you can see Conroy modeling in one picture.

I fell in love with a straw cowboy hat that just had to come home with me.

By now it was starting to creep up to four o'clock and we had to get to the box office for our pickup to the soundcheck. Heard back from Jeff and the plan was to take care of medical duties after the soundcheck, so we hung out at the box office in the heat until everyone rolled in, including a few folks who'd missed out on the fun the night before. Turned out there were 3-4 separate groups for the soundcheck today including the Unitus Charity folks and some other friends of the crew. The organizers seemed a little perplexed at the number of bodies to fit into their shuttle vans, but nutters have experience cramming bodies into ungodly small places (after getting nine nutters in a taxi cab once, I know anything is possible as long as we're willing to get to know each other REALLY well.)

Finally we were at the stage entrance, herded into our separate groups but with all the girls making sure to get one last tssssssssssssssst taken care of, of course.

And then they opened the gates to let us in...

Walking in, the first thing I notice (besides OMFG RED ROCKS IS TEH AWESOME) is Stewart and Sting sitting over on stage right seemingly chatting very casually. vespa is just about shitting bricks with excitement to see that, yes, in fact, we are right in front of the stage, a group of perhaps 30-40 or so people, and that's The Police right there. They were trying to keep the groups somewhat together so they would go up on stage in turn, so as things are getting sorted out Stewart comes over towards where the nutters are sitting, holds up his gloves and commands us to—yes, you know it's coming:

"SMELL THE GLOVE!"

No, no one actually took him up on it (at least not that I saw...!), but just in case anyone was doubting whether he was still following the posts around here... Wink

vespapod, Stewart and sockii

We kind of all piled around for re/introductions, some brief chatter and a couple pictures (and oh god I think I'm making some kind of incredibly weird-ass face in the picture Dive took of me and vespa with Stewart, please don't ask why except I think I was in some kind of feel-no-pain-state-of-shock.) There wasn't a whole lot of time for chat and introductions, however, as there was business to attend to! The first group got called up on stage and, as per the usual spiel from what I've heard, Sting started asking for someone to come join him to sing a song. A blond woman from the group volunteered (or was volunteered by her friends) and she was shockingly good as she sang along with Sting on Message In A Bottle.

Things are kind of blurry for a while after that. The closest thing I can compare it to was being at the Whisky - getting to see the band in an "intimate" setting (or at least without a crowd of thousands of people), even if it was just a soundcheck. I know I was snapping away photos like crazy to make sure I didn't forget anything! After Message I moved from my original spot on Sting's side more toward the middle, where I could get some better pictures of Stewart in action. Another group went up on stage and did Every Breath You Take, and Hole In My Life (I think? I'll have to hear the alleged tapes. Brain freeze.)

Finally it was our turn! Supposedly "saving the best for last", we were invited to get up on stage. Vespa had been poking me to try to get on the kit, but me, I'm no SpecA - my kit has been languishing from lack of time for practice for far too long to have the guts to pull that off. I'm no great singer, either, and it usually takes considerable quantities of alcohol and a Klingon Karaoke party to get me behind a mic, but when I saw NancyRose, shy and some of the other girls circling over by Sting and the mics, I decided what the hell - you only get this chance once, right? Pecos had also given me some pointers on using the mic based on having a chance to do the same previously, so hey, what I lack in talent I can make up for in (virtual) balls. Pity we didn't have any of Dan's around...

Sting was asking about what they should play next. I'm not sure how much of that is staged/planned already or not, but I said Can't Stand Losing You. I sort of missed the Don't Care] tease in the middle of all of this, but yup, CSLY it was! Hearing that opening bass really got me fired up so I gave it my best, even if under pressure a couple times I was like "wait what the hell comes next and shit if I can read that teleprompter!"

I also couldn't help myself. I'm trained on too many years of listening to old concert bootlegs. When it got to the point where Sting usually goes into the "eyooos", I had to let out a fucking "CHA!" There was going to be CHA! on that damned stage at least once this tour, dammit! I think it all sailed over Sting's head but we had some of the audience playing along until the song wrapped up.

Before I knew it is was over, and folks were saying their thanks and getting in a few words with the band before being shooed off stage. I remember going over to thank Stewart and shake his hand again. That's when I spied vespa had zoomed in for his moment with Sting he's been dying for for ages. See, he's actually very fond of our Stingo, especially for his work with certain art preservation societies in Italy which vespa also supports. I wander over just in time to hear vespa telling Sting how we're trained fresco artists trained in Italy. And if he ever wants any frescoes in his place to give us a call.

"Sure, anytime. I've got plenty of walls..."

Vespa also at some point ran over to get in a few words with Andy to say how much he liked his book.

"Which one?"

"The big photo one, we've got one of the limited editions."

Andy wanted to know which number. :D

We get stopped before getting shooed off stage—Pecos has working passes for me and vespa so we can hang out and see to Jeff once the soundcheck was over. They were still playing for a bit, so at this point vespa and I zoomed over to Stewart's side to get a closer view—and more pics! vespa's been desperate to get a used stick or two as well, so as one breaks Stewart kicks it over in vespa's direction. As he's grabbing fresh sticks one just rolls out off the riser, vespa asks if Stewart wants it back but the answer is "nah, keep it!" He ends up with three sticks by the end: one virgin, one dented up, and one that was splintered that looked like such a deadly weapon I said we'd better ship it home instead of trying to take it in our carry on luggage.

But now they're eager to get people back in the shuttles down the hill to repark their cars. vespa and I tell everyone we'll catch up with them at the Shiprock if we can, but it's heading up on 5-5:30 and we're not sure how long we'll be. Jeff has some things to do before we get started, so vespa, me, Pecos and Nancy have some time to chill out—and eventually find out a few interesting things about Red Rocks...

Oh, and yeah, here are my pics :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74085116@N00/sets/72157606349192159/

Sockii hanging out on stage after the soundcheck.

So we're hanging out in the "seats" near stage left, just chilling and shooting the shit for a while, when Brad comes by and we start talking about various stuff. And since we've got some time to kill, Pecos mentions the one thing she'd been dying to somehow see, or at least find out if it really existed or not: the legendary (or IS it just a legend?) tunnel under the Red Rocks stage to the soundboard. Brad confirms that the tunnel indeed is there, do we want to take a look?

Hell, yes!

Thus we are led backstage and down into the bowels of operations, and through a series of twists and turns into a very narrow, very steep stairwell deep beneath the stage. The walls - literally every inch of them - are covered in signatures of artists, roadies, etc, no doubt all the way back to the Beatles although we couldn't find them - there's just too much to look at! We emerge up on top in the soundboard where we reconvene with Jeff. We make our way downstairs again and it's time for vespa and I to get to work. But first, Pecos makes sure to sign in Klark Kent, his snarks and nutters on the walls of the tunnel :)

We'd been arguing all day over which of us would do the actual taping, but I told him he should - I'd help with getting the tape strips ready and holding the tricky ones in place (we do this a lot in the office and it can be a pain in the ass for one person to do alone. Definitely a good time for an extra hand or two.)

We end up in Jeff's tent next to the drum riser in trying to find a place where we can work while keeping his foot propped up. It was surreal to say the least to have to move a spare snare drum out of the way to make room for the exam! Upon further examination, vespa decided that Jeff needed more than just the wrap to really treat what was going on (I'll let vespa fill in the details), but that we might have to work with the tour doctor to get those supplies taken care of. For tonight we'd do the dressing and see if that helped. I'm standing there ripping tape and leaving strips hanging from the metal supports of the booth while vespa gets everything ready.

The wrapping only takes maybe 10-15 minutes. After that, Jeff wants to find the tour doc to see if vespa can get set up with what he needs to do a better treatment the following day. Thus we all ended up touring around more of backstage and behind stage searching for the doc. By now, the doors are open and people are starting to filter into the audience. It is bizarre - to say the least - to be roaming about on stage while seeing the stands start to fill up in front of us! I took lots of photos just because I find all the behind-the-scenes stuff fascinating, and certainly not the view we're used to from being in the audience:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74085116@N00/sets/72157606347199398/

Anyway, vespa gets led off on his own for a while with Jeff, and when he returns it appears all is set for tomorrow. At this point it's time for Jeff to get back to work and for us to try to find the rest of the nutters again, and maybe snag a bite to eat - if any of us can calm our stomach butterflies enough to eat anything!

*

Vespa's notes:

Actually I may have saved the day...I thought jeff was going to stick his foot through the snare drum...I needed to prop his foot on something...it was just awesome me and sockii are doing medical treatment, pecos and Nancy sitting on the riser....One hour before showtime...nobody gave a shit....I'm touching everything and I too was amazed at watching people filter in and Im on stage....

I do the meandering dash to find "the" tour promoter and check all the offices and stuff out...real cool. They had to find the "tour" doctor who was actually Stings larynx doctor...anyway that was under the bowels of the stage so I was whizzing by dressing rooms, food, guitars, pedal boards, wires and such to find TWO docs....real nice who promised injectables for tomorrow...

I come back out on stage to find the crowd coming in so that's where we got the good "behind the gong" shots.

Thank god sockii pulled down the tape strips before the show or perhaps the "tape flag" would have been born. More to come......

*

Medical duties for the day attended to, it was time to climb the hill and try to reconnect with the nutters and snarks. This is easier said than done when you're not used to the altitude, and some of us (:cough: vespapod :cough:) were seriously dogging it by the time we got to the top o'the Rocks. It was around seven when we found the crew at the Ship Rock, where apparently food was JUST being delivered after an hour's wait. We decided not to risk hanging around and ordering ourselves—folks were prodding us to grub off their plates anyway, and surely with our flag-induced immunity to disease-carrying nasties no one objected to some rather ravenous plate sharing.

Pre-show picture set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74085116@N00/sets/72157606352749412/

Pecos and The Flag.

Before folks started filtering down the hill, we had a necessary Flag signing session to make sure to get Shyvixen and some other folks in at long last, including the Queen of Snarks herself!

vespa and I grabbed some drinks at the bar and then slowly made our way back down the hill. We were in Row 39, dead center, not the most fabulous seats but we were surrounded by fabulous company. It turned out a girl right behind us was an exchange student from Italy, actually from the same town I was born in! (Ancona) I had to get a picture with my "long lost" Ancona "sister"...

Sockii with a new-found Italian friend...

We caught about half of Elvis' set, and I will admit that as someone who has been less-than-totally into his recorded stuff, he put on a pretty good show. I still confess to missing Fiction Plane, however (what can I say, they "converted" me last year.) After his set was finished, we noticed there was still a fair amount of free space in our section and several folks including Gina and (I think?) jenny were stranded at least a good 10 rows behind us. We managed to get them the message to come on down to join us before gong time arrived.

And yes, finally after a VERY full day, it was time to GET UP and STAND UP! My last Police show being CHAlloween, I'd actually stopped myself from listening to or watching any recordings from the '08 tour, because I wanted to be able to hear it all with fresh ears and a certain degree of "surprise", if possible at all.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what it was—sensory overload from the day so far, being in "ok" seats instead of up close where I could connect more fully with the show—but I had a hard time really "connecting" with the performance that night. Andy seemed to be taking a number of trips to Idaho. Stewart seemed...if not off then not his usual 200% (and then some). Oddly enough—and yes this will come as quite the SHOCK to many—I spent most of the night noting how loose and lively Sting seemed and paying more attention to his performance. I loved hearing Demolition Man, didn't really miss Truth Hits Everybody, but I do wish Walking In Your Footsteps was still in the set. I miss that one. vespa agreed afterward that something either with "us" or with the band wasn't entirely on that night, but it may have just been too anti-climatic for us given the day leading up to the show.

I couldn't really get any good photos from where I was at, but I did make sure to video tape Next To You to try to catch the flag and other points at the end of the night. Andy was having a lot of fun at the beginning of the song teasing the audience as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9KTtmnBtqY

And then it was over! Time to wait for the masses to clear out a bit before making our way to the car. One more hike up the steps, and we hung out up there trying to cool off until getting kicked off the site by security. But getting back to our hotels would still be a nightmare and a half...

Trudging up the hill and then back down into the parking lots after the show, one thing was very clear to all of us: it was very hot. And very dusty. And combining both of those with having woooooooo'ed and screamed our heads off for several hours, we were all in desperate need of a drink. Fortunately Pecos had had the forefront to leave a cooler of water in the Conroy Convoy, so we could at least rehydrate before attempting to make our way out through the snail's pace traffic back to the hotel where we were going to meet up for drinks.

I'd say getting to and fro easily took close to an hour, and it was criminal to find that the bar closed at 12:30. Therefore much (too) quick consumption of alcohol followed. Jeff joined us for a round (or several) before they finally kicked us out into the hall around 1am. The group started to dissipate but some of us lingered about until, before packing it in completely, we managed to get a quick tour of one of the crew tour buses. That was sweet Smile And not nearly the den of iniquity one might expect, though it's easy to imagine what the scene could have been "back in the day"...

Exhausted, bleary-eyed, and more than a little sloshed, the last remaining stragglers said goodnight and made plans to touch base tomorrow before doing it all over again.

Tuesday: Be My Girl

Tuesday morning is pretty much a complete blank in my mind. That's what I get for drinking straight vodka Monday night. I believe somehow by noonish that vespa, conroy, Dive and I met up at Pecos' place for more diversions through the archives including watching the LOLarious video recording of "The Cask Of Amontillado". I somehow ended up with a box full of old Police and Stewart related video tapes to ship home and digitally convert. We went out for a hearty meal at Mimi's, thinking ahead to the long night ahead of us and not wanting to be beholden to ShipRock being able to feed us in a timely fashion that night. We spent a little time shopping but soon enough it was time to head over to Red Rocks again.

We fill up the Convoy by picking up some more folks to try to minimize the number of cars stuck in the parking lot again, and now vespa has to try to connect with Jeff and the tour docs to work on today's treatment, hopefully pre-show.

Parking is amusing and involves a very close encounter with an orange cone. At this point the group splits up - Conroy is going to come along with vespa and I to try to find Jeff. I have vespa and my working passes from yesterday and, as a nutter always travels prepared, I slip Conroy and extra VIP pass I have left over from a show last year. I know the colors of the tags and the codes change based on the night but what the hell, it might at least get us in the door. Act like you belong somewhere and it's amazing the shit you can pull.

And it works and gets us through the gates about a half-hour early, which I am also glad about because for tonight my tickets were resale e-tickets off StubHub and I had some concerns about them being legit or not. At least I know I'm in the venue without having to scan in. I send Jeff a message that we're inside and we mill about and get shuttled to and fro by security who don't want us sitting in the stands while Elvis' band does their soundcheck. So we hang out on the side next stage right until I hear back that Jeff is going to be busy for a while, that he might join us up top at Ship Rock but to go on up and wait to hear from him there...

When we made it up to ShipRock, the gang was all there and it seemed we hadn't missed much at all - orders were just being placed. vespa spent a considerable amount of time and energy trying to bargain with jennym to get her front & center tickets. I'm surprised she didn't punch him.

What not everyone knew was that we had a special guest with us that night as well—none other than SALLY!!! With just a little coaxing from Dan, jenny volunteered for Sally duty considering she had the prime viewing location for getting Sally seen by Andy. vespa and I quickly scarfed down a shared plate while I had to keep running out on the balcony to receive/send communications with Jeff as there was no signal inside the restaurant being, well, a giant ROCK. We were to go down to Stage Right after eating and meet him there. We trundled down just before Elvis hit the stage, sent a message, and waited.

About 10-15 minutes later, Jeff comes out. He was only able to get one working pass tonight, so vespa is going to have to do his work on his own. Not that he can't do it without help, but I know that's going to make things a little tricky, even if it's just from the lack of nearby "moral support". I send him off and go to find our seats for the night: 11th row way the fuck over on the extreme Sting side. At least I can keep my eyes peeled for vespa's return...

(And now it's time for him to tell the next part of the story...)

*

Ok, well sockii could not join me so I basically get my working pass sticker on and follow Jeff to find the docs...we meander thru the bowels of the stage passing by mostly food preparation at this point (Elvis is already on stage) I saw mostly sandwiches...then tons of equipment cases and somebody running by with a guitar. We get to the doctors office but on the way Jeff tells me he's busting on Sting to say Cha but I say "no way- you're gonna lose the cheesesteak bet". Anyway the doctor had a baggie full of my injectable supplies and we have to decide where to do all this...I hear masseuse table, concession area, then....DRESSING ROOM!!!

whaaaaat!!!! who's!!!!! Is the "trio" gonna watch me give a shot....HOLY SHIT!!! Unfortunately not The Police but Elvis's...however I did walk up to their door to give it a touch...(I should've sniped the sign). At this point I get the shakes for some unknown reason...it's from realizing Stings and the tour doctors are gonna watch me...yuck!!!! We get the keys and in I go into Elvis dressing room...nice food spread and a HUGE RED ROCK right in the middle...I get the injection ready while the other docs set Jeff up with chairs and a foot prop....To give this shot I freeze the area to take the bite away....NO ice......but I see a refrigerator. I grab a can of diet coke and say "I can use this" - the docs tell me its Elvis' personal stash- oh well. I roll the can on Jeff foot, do the shot and then begin taping while answering multiple medical questions and Philly questions too. I still note my hands massively shaking (Where the hell is sockii when I need her!!!)

Then Sting's doc tells me he is a larynx surgery specialist....one of only 12 in the US...I say "you ever hear of the Da Vinci surgical system....its robotic surgery"....the four of us start this great conversation on robotic surgery. i ask about Sting's voice...he said fine...no problems. Jeff starts on the Cha theme again and i said "no fuckin way". "I'm tellin ya Dave, I'm going over there right now and bug him..."Jeff get the wallet out-you lose." I finish up (the docs clean up after me-cool!!!) and we rearrange the dressing room real nice...we hit the hallways again and I am backstage and wondering SHIT- is this when Sting comes out for the duet...I'm gonna run right into his ass... didn't see him but Jeff take me to the wrong side of the backstage to leave so we go meandering again in the bowels....we look at some of the pics on the wall on the way to the other side and we make arrangements for post concert pickup and party. i leave to find a waving cute sockii at our shitty seats....

we sit down and I tell sockii the amazing shit I see and the dressing room stuff THEN...her text message goes off...it's Jeff with a racing heart....HOLY FUCK...I didn't use epinephrine so I think it may have been some anxiety...anyway I head to the front of the stage, wave Jeff on and he gives a thumbs up...I hang around until "STAFF" tries to give me the boot..I say five minutes-just in case of an anaphylactic reaction..."Then go backstage" I'm tempted but nahhh...pushing the envelope too much.

Anyway I enjoy the nutters at front and center, get some pics and get to watch all the pre-concert set up real close...cool!!! then I head over to sockii to await the gong hit..... absolutely fantastic concert but my day was already made with all this shit going on...plus Jeff felt great...me and sockii were watching him in the "drum booth" next to stewart....I'm just glad that he didn't drop during the concert (Does Sting know CPR??)...great day in my life...actually great two days...

*

So I've been waiting anxiously for vespa's return to see how everything went. It's been maybe 3, 4...5? songs and then I spot him hiking up the hill with a rather dazed expression on his face.

"I'M SHAKING LIKE A FUCKING LEAF!!!" he tells me, shaking his head and telling me how much he'd needed his moral support crew with him (just as I get tetchy with someone looking over my shoulder while I paint or write, not many doctors like to be on their own except for a pair of observing docs hovering over their shoulder.) He tells me about Elvis' dressing room and I LOL and immediately text a couple people about that. Dan is rendered incoherent in his reply.

Elvis finishes up his set and I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. It's Jeff, worried about a possible reaction from the shot. Concerned, vespa rushes down the steps and plants himself front and center against the railing in front of the stage to make sure everything's ok while Jeff is working on the changeover. Some of the security dudes start giving him shit and telling him to move, but Mr. Jersey Italian here is going to have none of that.

"Either move back a row or go backstage," they tell him, seeing his badge. It doesn't register on him until later that that means he could have watched the entire show from the second row, or from backstage, which he'd sort of been hoping/wondering about all day (if we'd both gotten passes). He insists he ain't moving until he gets a thumbs up from Jeff, which does come so he heads back up to rejoin me right before gong-time.

And lo and behold, there it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nNS3A5Jht8

While our seats were way off on the periphery of Sting side, they weren't as bad as I thought when I'd first checked out the location the day before. Indeed, save for the giant bruiser of an ape next to me on one side, and a woman with a crutch on the other that were sort of cramping mine and vespa's style (aka dancing like a pair of crazy people), the view wasn't bad at all. And I could hear the drums much cleaner than the night before, and right from the start I knew that this night would be "banging". Stewart was ON—whether it was the altitude adjustment the night before or what—but there was no holding him back tonight. Even Jeff would comment later that Stewart was doing some experimental stuff he hadn't heard before. Andy still strayed into Idaho at a few points but there were some killer versions of Driven To Tears, Demolition Man, and especially So Lonely (if I'm not mixing up my dates between Monday and Tuesday, I swear this was the longest So Lonely jam I heard?)

Vespa had brought his "urine shirt" (aka Betsy's green-and-yellow flag pledge shit) as a makeshift banner. I told him early on not to be an asshat with it. A, the real flag was down below and deserved its proper props. B, we're out on such an angle that there's no way Stew's gonna see us until MAYBE the final bows. So we keep it in check, I find my camera is not going to get me many good pictures from this angle, so I save the battery to film the finale of Next to You and hopefully the final flag points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrody1XZefM

The video's a little shaky because at one point I just shoved vespa out of my way and switched sides with him so I could get a better shot. Very Happy

I see lots of nutters down front getting their deserved points and love. I tell vespa to get his damned shirt up now if he wants a shot, and sure enough, as Stew is heading stage right to leave, he's panning the crowd and we get a trailing point right at the end! What a way to end a great show!

And now, it's time to figure out how to leave. But we've got one more mission to accomplish for the night first....

So, gig over, we've got one more task to hopefully complete: give Jeff a ride off-site back to the hotel. There are going to be some complications with this, namely that the road crew has to pack up gear tonight and could be an hour or so in doing this. And we have to figure out how/where best to linger until then.

So a bunch of us are hanging about in the low rows watching with no small amazement at the swift precision with which all the gear, instruments and equipment is being disassembled before our eyes. Within no more than a half hour it almost all seems to be gone from the stage! Of course, security is trying to give us the boot, so we wander up top, connect with the rest of the gang, and watch from up there as long as we can. The wind is kicking up and we're beginning to hope that the parking lot jam might be starting to disperse enough to get off site.

Well, that might be easier said than done. Between limos blocking off roads for their "priority" exit, and idiots stopping the single line of outflow traffic for long conversations, it seems like another half hour before we're in motion at all. Meanwhile we're still trying to coordinate with Jeff on the pickup, and are thankful when we finally make our way to road leading toward the box office, where we can then head on up to the stage entrance where all the buses are parked.

Vespapod with Sally, after the show.

Mission accomplished and passenger retrieved, it's time to hightail it to the bar before we miss last call. All the nutters are waiting, including Sally herself, triumphant from her front row "blow out" performance. Many pictures are taken of the lady, who is getting a lot of love—including from Jeff himself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74085116@N00/sets/72157606361031582/

It's late and a lot of folks have early flights out the next day, so there are a lot of hugs and good-byes, at least until the next time.

The following morning, vespa and I are up early to pack and get to the airport, though unfortunately we didn't get an early enough flight out. By 7 our flight had gone from delayed to canceled, as would be the fate of a number of other east coast bound folks thanks to the weather. After a quick scramble to come up with alternative plans, we end up managing to get seats on a flight to Dulles, where we rented a car and drove the nearly 3 hours up to Philly airport, to get vespa's car, and finally get home at something like 4-5am in the morning. But at least we'd made it!

Thus ends our rambling adventures through Red Rocks! I find it hard to think of a more fun-filled and crazy few days, and I owe it all to all the wonderful nutters here; to Stewart, Jeff, Brad and the rest of the band & crew who put up with this crazy lot; and most especially to our wonderful local host and Queen of the Snarks, Pecos, without whom none of this would ever have been organized and come about at all.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! NEXT STOP, PHILADELPHIA!!!

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