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I have received 100+ e-mails (thank you all) with
questions of things I forgot to put on the first post so here
goes...
No, Ann did not freeze up when she met
the Doobie Brothers. Actually she was in the lobby when they walked in and
they gave her the opportunity (she says it was an honor, I agree) to
walk them into the convention. She did not swarm them as a lot of us
did but waited until the line was almost gone to talk to each of
them. She says she waited for 27+ years, she could wait for a few more
minutes. It was really cute watching her stand to the side looking at them
and slowly making her way to each one. I think she got all of the patience
in our family, I have none!
Yes, we took pictures. 7 rolls to be
exact. Some are of Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Jose. Some are
from the east and west coasts and a lot are of the Doobie Brothers at the
convention. I did not take pictures at the concerts, I tried but security
busted me with my camera the minute I walked in. I don't know how Rick
(bulldog) got his camera in but I'm glad he did. He sat behind us and we
watched in amazement as he made his way to the stage and started to take
pictures. Truly a work of art. He put security in their place.
Maybe Montalvo should hire him to be security next year!
Keith graciously donated a lot of items to the
auction (yes, even the vest off his back) and even stayed around to autograph
them for us as we won them. Thank you, a lot, Keith and thank you for
putting security in their place a time or three so we could get in to see
you. A special thank you to your wonderful wife who took pictures with us,
joined the fan club on the patio and got us through security on Friday
night. Ann got the itinerary Keith donated from the 1975 shows that
included Asheville, NC. This was the first concert we went to and Ann
meant to have it. She told me she had her cash and credit cards with her
and was ready to bid. She stuck it out and won. Like I said,
patience.
John didn't quite make it into the room before he was surrounded.
When I met him I think my first words were "Bless your heart, do you want to
come into the room" He smiled and said "No, I'm OK" He stayed in the
doorway smiling, talking, taking pictures and autographing for a long
time. I believe he finally got into the room to cut the cake. A
special thank you to John for also getting us through security and thank you to
his wonderful wife who stood by while we took John away and left her in a room
full of people she didn't know. When we spoke with her, she was very
gracious and took pictures with us. How wonderful to be able to spend time
with the band we know and love through their music and their families!
Tom is wonderful. He listened to my rambling and smiled. He
stood there patiently as I took a bunch of pictures. I would have
hit me and took the camera after the first ten, he did not. Next year I
promise to be more like Ann. I won't get in the way and I will wait (maybe
not as patiently) and I promise not to snap the camera and blind you all with
the flash a million times.
Pat is also wonderful. Dedicated is an overused word but one I
find to fit him perfectly. I am amazed at the pains he went through
to meet the fans. He appears to be as dedicated to us as we
are to him. I had a HUGH crush on him 25 years ago and
wanted desperately to meet him. Not because of the crush, (I am
happily married and am glad that he is) but because 25 years ago it was all
about him. His presence, his style, his songs and yes his hair.
Through the years I have grown above all of that and see not only the
entertainer but also the person. I respect his genius, as well as the
genius of the other band members who have written and sung the songs. I
mostly respect his dedication to the music and the fans and the way he truly
seems to care. Understand I only spent 3 minutes with him but it seemed
like hours.
Big Mike is one tall man! He stands about 12 feet tall and is sooo
sweet. There isn't enough weight on him to be a teddy bear but there is
enough attitude. Skylark is the Tazmanian Devil. He makes me dizzy
but the love of the music clearly shows in his performance and boy can he
sing! Marc is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, sax player in the
universe. It was really nice to meet him and see him at the
convention.
Tiran Porter is a really nice guy. It was a
thrill to meet him, to thank him for the years of music. He took the time
to come to the Thursday social and talked to everyone. He stayed for hours
talking, autographing and taking pictures. Like I said, really nice.
I agree with Pete, save your money and go to the
convention next year. Meeting the Doobie Brothers was one of the highest
points of our lives. They helped us through so much with their music and
you see them on stage year after year and think they are bigger than life (I
still do) but when you meet them you find that they are down to earth
and wonderful. They take the time to talk to you and are always there
for the pictures even after hours of hard work. Their families are great
in the fact they give them to us and even spend time with us with them.
Villa Montalvo was a wonderful place for the three
concerts. You could hear the music perfectly wherever you sat and could see
the different sides of the band. We sat in three different areas and saw three
different shows. Everyone was close yet not too close and the energy in
that place was unbelieveable. The view from the parking lot was
spectacular. There were at least a million lights in the cities below and
you could believe the place was lit up with excitement because the Doobie
Brothers were in town. Perfect, truly perfect.
I saved my thoughts of the fan club members for
last because I can describe them in one all important word... FAMILY.
Again, I give my biggest thank you to the members who made us feel a part of
this family. Truly, truly the best fan club in the world! It is
amazing the way they love the Doobie Brothers (one, I won't name, was moved
to tears or close to tears when he won a raffle item) and amazing to
spend time with others who feel the same way as you do about the music.
I wait (impatiently) for the new CD and am upset I missed the promotion but
thank God to be a part of this family.
Take care,
Helen
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