Meet and Greet – Page 2

Action Item Dunkin Donuts Music Lounge

Katie July 21, 2013 0 Comments

Monday Action Item visited the Kiss 95.7 Dunkin Donuts Music Lounge for a performance and Q&A session that was also broadcast on the internet. I was lucky enough to be 1 of 15 to win passes, although I don’t think even half the winners ended up showing up. Oh well, they missed out on a good time!

We were brought into the lounge where the guys played 3 songs – Marching Band, Learn To Fly and Brave. Then they did some Q&A which at times they had me cracking up. Though only Brian and Anthony had mics, they did let Dan answer one of the questions – although Anthony had prefaced it with saying Dan doesn’t get a mic because once he starts talking he doesn’t stop. He talked a bit about how they met up with Drake Bell and ended up crashing at his house in LA for a couple of weeks. Of course, it ended with Anthony confirming that is why Dan doesn’t get a mic. They joked around a lot and I was cracking up for most of it. The things these guys come up with to say is just nuts.

After all that – we were taken in the hall to do photos with the band. It is always great to see the guys and I was glad I was able to win my way in since I had missed Warped Tour!

Meet and Greet

I met the Backstreet Boys!

Katie June 29, 2013 0 Comments

Ok, I met 2/5 of the Backstreet Boys. Howie had tweeted saying that they were in Philly and the next day would be in Boston and Hartford on their radio tour. A while later, BSB tweeted with the details of the radio tour and that Nick and Howie would be at TIC at 12:30 and KISS at 3pm. As far as leaving work early went, I was trying to get someone to go with me at 3pm but my fellow Nick Carter lover got in a car accident and is laid up 🙁 (Get better soon!) But my friend Christine who lives around the corner from TIC said she could go with me at 12:30. So I left work, drove to Christine’s and we got to TIC’s parking lot. We weren’t sure if they were already inside or what was going on – but the tweet from TIC to listen in the 12 o’clock hour from the boys had been deleted and we were nervous they either canceled or were in traffic. We sat in the car with the AC on (too hot to wait out front!) and listened for some sort of “coming up – the backstreet boys!” that would let us know if they were inside or not. And it never came…

At 12:50 we were beginning to think that this was just going to be another chapter in the “Katie and Christine do dumb things” book and not one in the “This is really awesome!” book. A large car with tinted windows pulled into the parking lot and I was like oh now what is this? and then the door opened… and sure enough – Howie popped out! So I jumped out of the car in record speed (Christine kept saying she didn’t know how I got out of the car so fast!) and waved and both Howie and Nick said hi. Howie asked if we wanted pics and I said yes so we walked over and he introduced himself. Howie talked to us more and we took pics. Nick must’ve been tired because he didn’t say much at all (or maybe he had nothing to include in the convo Howie and I were having) but I won’t hold it against him – I am sure he had a long day and a loooong car ride. So we took our photos (Howie is holding my hand in Christine’s pic so I could balance – so sweet!) said thank you and goodbye and that was that!

I listened to TIC for the whole ride back to work (an hour!) and never once heard them mention BSB so I don’t know when the interview aired or if it even did!

Boyz II Men Concert Meet and Greet NKOTB

NKOTB Show #3

Katie June 1, 2013 0 Comments

Last night was my last show of The Package Tour. (I think. I can probably be convinced to go to more lol) This show I had VIP for 98 Degrees. I was supposed to be at the casino at 5 but was stuck in traffic and FREAKING OUT. Who does construction work on a Friday night!? Oh, Connecticut does. I ended up getting there about 5:45 (I was told they’d bring everyone back at 5:30) and had to “run” to where they were holding it. Fortunately I got there in time and was last in the auto signing line. Which meant I got even more time with them (says Drew “everything happens for a reason”) and then it was time for the Q&A which was relatively short – they talked a bit about why Jeff was facing sideways on the cover of the album “that’s my side!” and that it was actually 4 separate photos put together. They talked about how they formed as a band and how when they got back together they couldn’t really remember the lyrics “Nick can’t even remember lyrics to songs HE WROTE” and that the harmonies were there but they did have to re-learn the older songs. And then someone asked them what the underlying meaning of Microphone was and Nick said there wasn’t one and that there was a technique to using it – if you don’t hold it close enough to your mouth, no one can hear you. Then it was time for the picture and Jeff was very happy I made it back to them after missing the signing – so much so he kept repeating it to me when I was talking to Nick. haha

For the show I had the farthest back seats of the whole run – which stunk. I kind of wished I had these seats first (and technically this was the first announced show then they added more BEFORE!) because now I was spoiled. The section also was ROCKING during Motownphilly so I was a little bit concerned about standing for the New Kids set if it was shaking around that much for Boyz II Men. Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees set was basically the same – though I do think 98 Degrees may have had new outfits again. And they did switch up who had ties and who had bowties.

New Kids changed up their set a bit again – and they just look like they are having SO MUCH FUN on stage it is hard not to have the time of your life. They didn’t do Crash in the encore. Their Boston jerseys were now Red Sox (the Bruins ones they gave away at the Boston Strong concert the night before) and after Cover Girl and a couple other songs when Donnie had his shirt off – when he went to put his jacket on everyone BOO’ed! So he threw the jacket down and everyone cheered and continued without his shirt on – but then went over to Danny and tore HIS shirt off too!

After the show I went to the After Party – hosted by Donnie with special guests Danny and Boyz II Men. When I got in, Jeff and Justin from 98 Degrees were there dancing around. It was really NUTS – probably too many people and pure chaos when Donnie showed up (but he walked right by me!) and he said he was going to go in the crowd but that everyone had to be cool and not grab at him and stuff – of course that didn’t work at ALL. Why these women can not act like the adults that they are, is beyond me. If everyone just kind of hung out where they were it would have been a lot easier for him to mingle with everyone. He came by to get back to the stage and then a parade of people were just following him. Get your pic, say hi, get a hug, whatever, and then move on. I didn’t try for a pic with him because it was too nutty. But I did get a pic with Wanya from Boyz II Men and Danny’s dad!

I got home at 3am which is why this post is so late. Pictures coming… maybe someday lol I’m beat 🙂

I will give you this photo of 98 Degrees Q&A.

Boyz II Men Concert Meet and Greet NKOTB Photos

The Package Tour – Night 2

Katie May 31, 2013 0 Comments

Night 2 of The Package Tour! For this show I splurged and got a package through VIP Nation for 5* 1st row. Which meant I got a seat in the first row as well as a M&G opportunity with NKOTB (in groups off 10). I had only met Joey before, not the whole group so I was pretty much freaking out over it from the moment that I bought the package. Fortunately my friend from college Sarah had also bought a front row package and she is a M&G pro with NKOTB so I knew that I would have a great mentor! I ended up finding a group for the M&G pic (2 girls to a guy, so you can get with your “favorite” you make a group a head of time) I figured I had NO chance of being with Joe, but since I had a pic with him already from a few years ago I’d go for my 2nd favorite, Jon. We had been talking and getting each other excited on Facebook and met up before check in. We checked in together to make sure we’d all be in the same group and got group B. Sarah was nowhere to be found so she was getting quite a few panicked texts from me!

We were taken upstairs to the club and given 2 drink tickets (if we were 21+) and would wait there to meet the guys. Sarah ended up showing up and was in group I. The final girl from our group showed up and was given I instead of B, so I told her I would trade with her because I didn’t mind switching to be with my other friends. Then I kind of panicked – no group had been arranged for group I! Sarah said it didn’t matter and we’d just do what we had to do and try to get me to Joe. The group was really cool and when they found out I hadn’t met the group before and I wanted to be by Joe no one had any objections! It was really quick and I really just said “hi nice to meet you” to all of them, but I got hugs from all 5 and Joe talked a bit more since we were near him longest. Since it was my first M&G he said they’d try to make it a good one. ha. It was Danny, Joe, Jordan, Donnie and finally Jon – who I was warned gives the best hugs and I would have to agree!

Also in our VIP package was a tote bag that contained our gift of tube socks (I’m pretty excited I can wear these with my brace!) and a speaker. I haven’t taken anything out of the bag yet though to check it out. Too busy!

Our seats were pretty awesome in the front row – except when everyone started their set out on the secondary stage – you had to stand up or else the main stage completely blocked your view of everything. And sometimes, even if you were standing there were bright lights in your eye and you had no idea where anyone was. Not that happened to me or anything. ok, it totally did. I was the perfect height for the light to hit me in the eye every now and then.

The show was changed up a little bit from the first night. Boyz II Men’s set was basically the same – and 3 of the 4 of us in our little group (Yes, I ended up with seats RIGHT NEXT TO Sarah’s even though we bought them separately and her friends were on either side of us!) got roses. I was the only one that didn’t because I can’t catch haha.

98 Degrees had new outfits for their show – although Jeff ended up with his shirt practically unbuttoned and his tie was going through the buttons on the shirt by the end of the night. I don’t know what he was doing! (But I was totally ok with it!) I thought they had the girls on stage for 2 songs and not 1 the first night, but now i’m not totally sure. They also had a CD signing after the show – it was supposed to be limited so I grabbed a CD and wristband right away when I got there, but the line was INSANE so I didn’t end up hanging around for it. When Justin was talking about it, Nick ended up explaining to us what a CD was. Thanks Nick, I had no idea.

And then it was time for NKOTB! I’m trying to remember what they switched up. For Step By Step the first night mics came down from the ceiling and they all ran from one to the next to sing, Danny’s didn’t come down and then Donnie forgot to run at one point – they didn’t end up doing that Night 2. They still did Step By Step, but with a different set up. I wonder if they’ll be scrapping that idea completely now. The acoustic medley was also a bit different – Joe did a Bruno Mars song and Stay The Same which I don’t think he did the 2nd night. (This is from memory I took no notes from the front row so sorry if I’m not totally accurate!) Donnie had a different shirt for Cover Girl so that he could rip it off and throw it into the crowd. For the finale they added Crash to the end of the set instead of just ending it on Hangin’ Tough.

Donnie also grabbed the camera from our friend the camera man (he put us on the big screens quite a few times!) and was zooming in on people dancing in the crowd. That he didn’t do the first night either. Overall, I thought the 2nd night was more fun, but it may have been because I was that much closer and it wasn’t all completely new and overwhelming. We’ll see how tonight goes…

After the show, as I mentioned, I opted to not stay for the 98 degrees meet and greet. It apparently went on til close to 2am! By that point I was already home and ready for bed! I did listen to their new CD 2.0 on the way home though, to make up for not waiting around.

Meet and Greet

James from Big Time Rush at the CT Post Mall

Katie May 21, 2013 0 Comments

Last month, James from Big Time Rush (aka my favorite member!) was announced as coming to the mall – he was doing one mall about 30 minutes from here on Saturday and then *MY* mall on Sunday! We never get anything fun here so I was so excited. Then the event got postponed because he was stuck filming the finale of the TV series for longer than anticipated.

The events were rescheduled for this weekend and I decided I’d check it out. James was there from 12-9 and the first 1,000 people there would get to meet him. He’d be there from 12-3 and if you got a wristband you were guaranteed to see him. Wristbands were going to be given out at 7am but there was no way I was getting up that early. (Sorry James) I rolled over to the mall about 12:30 and first took a couple of pictures from the level above. Then I saw they still had wristbands so I figured – what the heck – I’ll give this a try.

Standing in line is NOT easy for me since my balance stinks, and is of course even harder when I have no one with my to help me out. About 1/4 way through I was wondering what I got myself into and just kept shuffling from one post of the velvet rope to another. About halfway through (an hour in) I was more determined. I got this! And it would be ridiculous to back out now.

And I did it. I made it on to the stage and over to James and told him how I used to meet the Easter Bunny on that stage as a kid. He laughed and said “oh so you know all about this then” and I was like “yeah but it was a lot quieter for the bunny”

And then – poof – after 2 hours of waiting I had about 10 seconds with James – they cut my wristband from my hand 🙁 and I was on my way home.

Concert Meet and Greet Photos

Tyrone Wells at Stage One

Katie March 23, 2013 0 Comments

Thursday night Tyrone Wells returned to my favorite venue – StageOne Fairfield Theater. I had opted to purchase a VIP ticket package through Tyrone’s website, so we were let in about 30 minutes before doors and treated to a private 2 song performance from Tyrone of songs that he wouldn’t be doing during his set that night. There were 10 of us there and it was a really neat experience. We also got a gift bag which included an 8×10 (that Tyrone signed for all of us!) and a pick card. We also got a photo w/ him without having to wait in the M&G line after the show. Definitely worth it and really cool. (And Tyrone said he liked my bag!)

Then it was time for the show! Brett Young opened up the night with a short set. I really loved his voice! Actually, all of the voices at this show were phenomenal. Next up was Brendan James who felt like he was home being originally from New Hampshire. (Where Brett was from California and not digging on our not so Spring weather!) Brendan mentioned how he had traveled through Newtown on his way to the show and ended up singing a song that he didn’t think he originally was going to which seemed to have been inspired a bit by the December events there. I really enjoyed both of the openers, like I had said – great, great voices the whole night through!

Tyrone hit the stage at about 9pm and did a set of 14 songs and an encore. He was great, though I was a little bit disappointed that he did not yodel this time! He also did a great diva mashup consisting of Adele, Beyonce and a little bit of Taylor Swift. (And maybe some others I’m forgetting!) I don’t know, there’s something about Tyrone singing “I knew you were trouble” that actually makes the song bearable! When the band left for a few songs, Tyrone took a seat and talked a bit about the ankle surgery that he had earlier in the year. He mentioned how he needed cartilage in his ankle and that he had to get it from a cadaver. He talked a bit about an article he read where a man had received a woman’s heart and he went out and heard a song and started crying and had no idea why. Then it happened again and he was able to figure out that the song was Sade. His family went to the donor’s family and asked if the donor had any sort of connection to Sade and they said that she had gone to all of her concerts. He said he was impressed how music can stay with your heart like that and mentioned how if we unfortunately died but our hearts were given to someone else, that he hoped they’d cry when they heard his songs! He also spoke a bit about how they’ve been on the tour for a month and he’d already been involved with 7 or 8 proposals and how some how he had become the proposal guy and told a bit about a proposal he was involved in earlier in the tour before playing his song Seabreeze – which is apparently a lot of couples favorite song!

It was a great night and Tyrone’s new cd “This Love” came out recently so you should check it out if you get the chance!

Sink or Swim
Need
Head over Heels / Just a Friend
Running Around In My Dreams
For Who I Am
Happy As The Sun
All You Gotta Do Is Dream
Freedom
Baby Don’t You Change
Diva Mashup
A Beautiful Place To Be
Seabreeze
More
When All Is Said and Done

Remain

Action Item Concert Meet and Greet Photos

Action Item 2-13-13

Katie February 15, 2013 0 Comments

Wednesday night Action Item brought their Resolution Tour to the Heirloom Arts Theater in Danbury, CT. Despite the fact that we might be getting snow that night, we all made it to the show. Then had to find a place to park. I ended up in a 24 hour metered lot with meters that took only quarters and each quarter was 15 minutes. Somehow I managed to scrounge up 3:15 worth of quarters. (Which is so odd for me because I usually hoard quarters in my bedroom for pressed penny trips!) Then spent the night watching my watch afraid my car would turn into a pumpkin (or get towed)

There were 5 opening acts and I didn’t really have a problem with any of them except Outasight. And we missed Brookline Drive, who was playing their last show so I have nothing to say about them. The first band we saw was Hello Highway, then Paradise Fears, Before You Exit and finally Outasight. He just seemed to be so out of place and there looked to be only 1 person who was actually enjoying him in the crowd.

Then it was time for Action Item. Although I ended up sitting for most of their set and couldn’t see all of them (and at times couldn’t see any of them) I really think this was the best performance I’ve seen of them yet. They just seemed to be ON.

We had VIP tickets for the show which meant that after wards we’d get to meet all the bands. But at the end of the show they told us to go stand by the stage and then it just kind of became a free for all to mingle with the guys. We were able to get pics and chat with all the members of Action Item, but it was not organized in the slightest. (I thought we were also supposed to get a signed poster but that didn’t happen!) We had a lot of ridiculous conversations with the guys (ok, the most ridiculous was with Brian lol) and it was great to see them again because it had been a looong time since I saw them last.

In my head this post was a lot longer, but now that my head is throbbing, you’re not getting much more out of me. Sorry!

I don’t know how accurate this set list is but…

Good or Bad
Brave
When Everything Falls Back Down
Thinking of You / Somewhere Out There
Last Day of Summer
Defenseless
Home
Blackbird
Marching Band
Resolution
Learn to Fly

Action Item Concert Meet and Greet Photos

Bamboozle 2012

Katie May 22, 2012 0 Comments

There have been a couple of Bamboozle’s in the past I have wanted to attend but never did simply because I thought going would be too much for me. However, this year Action Item was playing and the girls agreed to push me in the wheelchair so that I wouldn’t be tripping all over the Asbury Park boardwalk all day.

There was a bit of confusion trying to find where we should be parking – the Bamboozle website kept saying additional handicapped information would be coming – but Sunday was the last day of the festival and nothing was ever added. We parked at the Monmouth Race Track and took a $10 shuttle to the festival – there were coach bushes so they had no trouble storing the wheelchair underneath.

When we got to the area to scan our bracelets, none of the walkways were big enough for a wheelchair and it almost seemed like we were the first one to attempt to go through in a wheelchair (which couldn’t have been the case because I saw 3 or 4 others in wheelchairs once we did get in – but from the reaction of the staff it seemed like they hadn’t had to deal with any before)

Kicking Daisies were already on at the Paramount Stage and since it was right across the way from the Temple of Boozle stage where Action Item was, we figured we’d check them out since the girls had left and were replaced by 2 guys. It seems like the guys were going over pretty well with the other girls in the crowd, but my group all agreed that we prefered the group with Caitlin and Carly.

After Kicking Daisies set we went across the way to Temple of Boozle and Ashland High was performing. This is Trace Cyrus’ (Miley’s brother) new band. I was not all that impressed with him and I don’t think it was simply because I was excited to see Action Item.

Then it was finally time for Action Item. They started their set with the new song Marching Band – with an actual marchin band backing them. It was pretty awesome. I kind of started kicking myself at this point that I didn’t bring my good camera – but I wrongly assumed the stages would be outside and I wouldn’t have to worry about it being dark. That’s what I get for not properly doing my research! This room was also apparently not equipped with an ADA area so there was no decent viewing area from the wheelchair. I just kept rolling further and further back to be able to see them all. The set was short, but it was good!

After the set we headed over by the merch table and Brian and Anthony came by and we got to chat and take photos. At this point we werent sure if we would stick around for the signing because it was not until 7:30 – but we ultimately decided we might as well stay.

We wandered around a bit outside on the boardwalk – and it was FREEZING. I ended up buying a Bamboozle shirt to put over my tank top and Kerri bought a hoodie – she was also in a tank top. The temperature dropped like 20 degrees from when we got there to this point – it was nuts.

There were skydivers coming in on the beach and a few stages outside. We went back inside to try and warm up (but it didnt really work) and then went to get a bite to eat. $3 per chicken tender. Gotta love it. Then we decided we might as well just get in the Action Item signing line because the quicker we got through the line the quicker we could get home. We heard Gaslight Anthem’s set and Brand New’s while we were waiting – they were on the main stage. There was also a sinner stage nearby but we couldn’t quite make out who was performing.

Finally it was 7:30 and time to meet Action Item. Mark was up first, then Dan, Brian, Anthony and David. Dan was talking to me a bit about what bands we saw and if I liked Brand New (I wasn’t really paying attention enough to their set) and then David talked to me about why I was in the wheelchair and we said we were having some trouble with it on the sand so he said that if he knew how to make things hover he would do it so we wouldn’t have so much trouble. haha. How sweet. Then Anthony ended up spilling his red bull all over himself and the table and David just kind of sat there rolling his eyes and the line got held up to clean the table up so the girls got to chat with the guys for a bit longer than we should have – but you have to take advantage of those kinds of things!

Then our shuttle driver had NO idea how to get us pack to the parking lot we were in. I’m not sure how these drivers had NO clue where they were going (the guy there didn’t either) yet it was the 3rd day of the festival. Did they all just do the route once and then they were done for the weekend? You’d think at the very least they’d all get print outs with the best directions there and back!

Overall, despite it being FREEZING cold towards the end – it was a good time and we can definitely consider it a success (except for the fact that we didn’t ask Action Item when they were touring again so we don’t know when the next time we will see them is!)

American Idol Concert Meet and Greet Photos

Stefano Langone Dunkin Donuts Music Lounge

Katie May 17, 2012 0 Comments

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that my favorite contestant from Idol last season was Stefano Langone. When I found out that he would be performing at the Dunkin Donuts Music Lounge I entered 300 times to make sure I would win. There would be 15 winners. Turns out – only 8 girls ended up entering so I could have gotten away with entering only once… but I had no idea how popular he was with anyone else.

He was scheduled to do a performance / live chat at noon but it got pushed back to 1pm. Fortunately I ended up taking the day off after the crazy airport drama so I had no problem hanging around. Only 2 other girls ended up showing up. I was glad for that because I thought it would be really awkward if it was just me in the room and him singing haha

He did 3 songs from his upcoming album (he said it is probably going to be out late summer / early autumn) and they were called Last Day, Cherry on Top and Yes To Love. Then he gave us an extra song – If You Don’t Know Me By Now. All the songs from his album were great and I really can not wait for it to come out! He didn’t do his current single, I’m on a Roll because it was just him and a piano and he said he couldn’t do it with just the piano.

After the performance we got to meet him – and he actually said he remembered me from VIP over the summer. How crazy! I’m sure he met a ton of people… he also remembered my name from when I introduced myself before his performance so he must just have a really awesome memory. He also told me to tweet him so he can follow me on twitter – and now he is!

He’s such a sweet guy and I really hope that his cd does well and I get to see him again and again 🙂

Concert Meet and Greet Photos

Canaan Smith & Love and Theft at the Music Lounge

Katie April 28, 2012 0 Comments

Recently, lucky winners were treated to a “double header” of country music acts at the Dunkin Donuts Music Lounge. Canaan Smith and Love and Theft. I had seen both before – Canaan opened up for David Cook and Gavin Degraw and Love and Theft opened for Tim McGraw when we left early after being caught in a downpour!

I don’t remember being too wow’ed with Canaan the last time I saw him, but I did enjoy him in the more intimate setting. And that fact that he is really, really cute didn’t hurt either. He did 3 songs – Crazy for Me, We Got Us (his current single) and End of Tonight. If you’d like to find out more about him, head to his website www.canaansmith.com if you sign up for his mailing list you will get a free song (although it is not one of the 3 he sang).

Next up was Love and Theft. I am pretty sure I did like them last time I saw them but was a bit too preoccupied with the down pour we were sitting in to enjoy them fully. Fortunately this time we were inside and although there was a threat of rain, we’d be safe! I did not catch the title of the first song they did (If I remember correctly it was about girls driving trucks), but they said that it will be on their album which is coming out this summer. They also did Runaway and their current single Angel Eyes.

Both artists talked about how they co wrote with each other their first singles. (Runaway and We Got Us)

After they performed we got to meet them! Somehow I ended up pretty much first to meet them. I’m fairly certain all 3 of the guys are nuts, but I mean that in the best way possible. Canaan started a conversation w/ me about my shoes and Stephen told Eric to “write Nice Nikes from me on that autograph” so Eric did. haha.

It’s always so much fun at the Dunkin Donuts Music Lounge.