Preparty at Rainbow Room: I'm so glad that we planned this - it was great to meet so many Hammerheads from all over. We were split into two different booths though, so I didn’t get to spend as much time with the other group as I would have liked. At our table was me, my friend D, ChiTownChick, Klly, Kimberly87, 4reeds, Nancy/BBE, Waiting4Mc, Jezza…and I feel like I am missing somebody….I hope not. We had a great time!
We got to the viper room around 11:00. It was jam packed: wall to wall people. We had been there in the afternoon checking things out and were told that everyone was going to be kicked out at 11:30 and then those with tickets to the LH show would be readmitted. This of course, didn't happen and when 11:30 came around the last band, Building a Better Spaceship, was just finishing up. They were quite good by the way. I was grooving. Isn't it funny how being up on stage can make guys so much more attractive? I was digging the bassist with the cornrows.
So finally the other band packs it in and they close the curtain in front of the stage. People start to get really excited and push and push and push. There were some women there that I would call....really....not very nice...and that is all I am going to say about that.
So we FINALLY see the guys duck behind the curtain and everyone goes mad. People in front were parting the curtains and I caught a couple of glimpses of Marty back there wearing sunglasses. I think someone was even snapping pics through the curtain. Awesome.
I called DG at this point and we were chatting as best we could over the noise of the crowd. She has since told me that I was commenting on Marty's ass and that we discussed pantless Marty for quite some time. Personally, I think she is making that up to make me look bad. It's something she would do.
So the show starts with Straight as an Arrow. They sounded incredible. They were soooo sweaty and lovehammery hot. Marty was wearing the other pair of pants that he owns - the pinstriped ones - with faden's favorite Speed Freaks tee. (You'll have to excuse some of the squee here. I can't seem to help myself. And if I cut it all out, my review would probably be two sentences long.)
So Marty was singing and leaning out over us and oh my god, so close to us, so close! He was on fire. Screaming, jumping, and mad conductoring all over the place. I even got a little Marty sweat on me from a particularly energetic head shake. Yes, I showered it off. It's been four days, after all. You read that panties were being tossed on the stage? My friend D was the first to toss them up there! Hee. Oh, when Marty got the rose he said, "A rose? Who am I Tom Jones now?" LMAO
Marty was talking quite a bit during the show. Something about wanting to be a standup comedian? Uh, don't quit your day job, pal. Okay, okay, I laughed, but that's because I'm hooked! "oh Marty, you think of everything." Remember that? I'm an idiot! You can't trust my taste in comedy when it comes wrapped up in a tall, thin, blonde, mad-conductoring, eye-f***ing package like that!
You all know their setlist by now. Oh good heavens, they played Call of Distress! I was screaming and stomping and jumping and squeeing all over the place. No Ring of Fire though. Dang. No Velvet, even though I screamed for it quite a bit. True story. I have since read in other reviews that someone saw their setlist and it had Velvet on it - but they SKIPPED it? Oh, the humanity.
Okay. So Marty was a wild man. He kept standing on the edge of the stage and leaning way way over. I got so many good pics. Cindy has just put them up and you can see them here if you want:
www.martycasey.org/viper5_1-27.htmHe took his shirt off about a half hour into the show at which time I screamed "SHIRT OFF! SHIRT OFF!" into the poor soul's ear that happened to be on the phone with me at the time. Turns out it was Beachgirl. Sorry Beachgirl!
Oh, can I just say how much fun it was to watch Dino? At the other shows I have been to, he has been so intense and serious. He was having an absolute ball. He had a huge grin on his face half the time and he kept coming across the stage to jam with Billy and sing with him and they were just having so much fun. It put a huge smile on my face. I love this band. Plus, Dino did some talking during the show himself. About how this was the best show of the tour because they had some many fans that knew all the lyrics and the chicks were hotter too. He's cute.
And Bobby? At one point when Marty was over on the other side of the stage...I found myself watching his pounding sweaty Bobbyness and he looked up and I smiled and he smiled back. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. That's all I have to say about that.
Billy was rocking. He was right in front of us and was on fire, as usual. He was wearing a cool Harley tee that I loved.
During one song (Better Off Walk Away?) I look up and there is another guy on stage by Dino. Wha? Who? He looked young. We met him after the show, said his name is Jeremy and he has been buddies of the band since he was 17. Since he looked about 17 1/2 I had to ask his age. He's 22. So okay. He sells merch and stuff at the shows, so look for him. Looks like Bobby from behind, kinda I guess, if you're drunk. He has (dyed) jet black hair. Sweetie.
So the show ends - WAY TOO SOON, but nobody ever asks my opinion - and the guys just say thanks and goodnight and hop off the stage and run out the door. Bizarre. Everyone just stands there stunned for a minute. People start going out the same door, probably thinking the guys will be out there signing stuff. We head out there, after seeing Suzie (don't ask me about this if you are a Suzie fan. Really. Don't.) and people are just hanging out, smoking, talking, giving the girls who were shoving dirty looks, stuff like that. There's a big bus right there that leaves and some people thought the guys were on it. Obviously, not the true stalkers because the bus wasn't even GREEN, and had no trailer. Pfft.
So my friend has to go to the bathroom so we start to head back in. Klly gets a death grip on my arm and tells me to call her if I see anything going on, if I know what she means. And I know what she means.
So we go back in and sure enough, there are the guys. So I whip my phone out of my pocket to call Klly, who doesn't answer. I'm all WTF? But it turns out that she saw my number pop up and dropped everything to haul ass back into the Viper. Good girl!
SO, D and I head right over to Marty. He sees D and just freaks out that she came to the show. He gives her big hugs, and immediately starts talking about me. He's SO obsessed with me. I tell him we'll chat later, no really Marty, NOT NOW, that D wants a pic with him. So I take a couple of pics of them and then D takes one of me with him. He thanks us for coming and I told him that it was a great show and that I would see them next week in Chicago. He asked if we were coming to the Virgin Megastore thing (really, I'm going to have to tell him to back off a little. The desperation is not becoming) and we said yes, of course we'd be there.
I forgot to get Marty to sign anything because I'm a big stupid idiot. We head over to Billy who is just sweet as pie. I told him how much I liked the show and that he rocks and all that. I asked him how they were doing on the road and he said it was really rough but they were having a great time. I asked him to sign my Viper Room tee and had my silver sharpie ready. Yay me! He, too, chatted with D and was excited that she had come.
Next was Dino. I don't know why, but I am the most tongue-tied around him. He just gives me that look like I am such a moron, and then of course, this causes me to say moronic things, and then he looks at me like I'm a moron, and so on. He chatted with D for a long time. Signed my tee. I want to reiterate how good-looking he is in person. I don't really remember if I got to say anything non-moronic to him. Chances are slim.
Then Bobby. I talked to him for a few, told him too that I would see him next week in Chicago. I think he was pretty impressed by that, and I am guessing that is because he doesn't remember that I live in Chicago. Men. He signed my shirt, chatted with D, signed her stuff, etc. Words cannot describe the beautifulness that is Bobby. I'm sorry. He is the finest man I have ever seen in my life.
So we are all bummed because we got everyone to sign stuff but Marty, again because we are stupid. Marty is long gone. D has to go to the bathroom (remember this was the reason we came back IN to the Viper so she really has to go at this point. Poor girl.) So I am waiting for her and they are trying to kick everyone out.
She comes out and there is MARTY. Yay! He signs D's stuff and I ask him to sign my shirt. He says, "I need your back." So I have to…ahem…bend over for him and he signs the shirt on my back. Well, he is PRESSING. UP. AGAINST. ME. A lot. Thud. He laughs and says, "This is quite the compromising position." and I am just praying that he has recently changed his legal name to "Marty the Rock God to End All Rock Gods That's Right You Idiots with INXS Wouldn't Know Rock Star if It Bit You on the Ass Casey" just so it would take longer. But I said, "I don't mind...you can buy me dinner later." He laughed again. Gave D a big hug. Then gave me a big hug (breathe...smells so nice...he's so warm...strong firm hug....sigh…Bobby who?) and we had to go.
I had the best time. Hammers rock.
Holy cow is that long. Sorry!
