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May 10, 2002
Tracy and Mark went to work and I
forced myself up at 10am. I think it’s going to take a few days for my
body to catch up on its sleep. The sun was shining and it was lovely
and warm out. Tracy made me coffee and I made some phone calls to
local pals to catch up. My friend Andy Valeri is coming tonight. Andy
really helped promote the show and the movie, nationally and locally.
I’ve known Andy since I was 17 and working on South Side Video. People
have been asking me how I met Glenn-it was through SSV in 1991 when I
interviewed Squeeze. I was a huge fan and after the interview, became
Squeeze ’s Ohio mascot. After college in Ohio, I moved to London and
roughly stayed in contact with Glenn and then began emailing over the
years, hence the RV documentary idea was born via the internet! Andy
still works at the Miami Valley Cable Council, where SSV was produced
and he re-ran the Squeeze interview these 10 years later to promote
Glenn’s show! The show is slightly traumatizing for me to watch since
I was scared to death to talk to Glenn and Chris, as well as the fact
that I never edited anything together before that interview. The show
turned out to be about an hour or so long since I thought every word
uttered by the duo was brilliant! I literally cannot watch it now.
I’ve gone on to make ‘proper tv’ now and it just seems very
sloooooooooow. I also appear nervous and petrified and it is all
slightly painful. I’m willing, however, to take this one for the team
and if watching this ten year old show gets one Daytonian to go to the
show that initially wouldn’t have, then hey, it’s all good.
As I sat outside on Tracy and Mark’s fantastic deck, drinking coffee
and soaking in the spring sun, the phone didn’t stop ringing. Friends
were calling to talk about the show and a reporter called to interview
me for his local paper. Glenn and Zan phoned to give me an update on
where they were and I told them about the buzz about the show and that
I had a surprise for them when they got to Dayton. I was later told by
Glenn that he got himself over excited about thinking on what the
surprise was going to be which made me laugh. Our friend Buffalo Bill
is flying in for the show.
I told him the hometown gig would help me achieve teen closure and he
didn’t want to miss it. Bless him. Bill is a Squeeze/Glenn fan from
the 70’s and has been instrumental in helping Glenn with the RV. In
fact, if it weren’t for Bill, there would be no RV. We love Bill and
are constantly touched by his enthusiasm for Glenn’s music and his
overwhelming generosity. As for teen closure, I told my pal Andy that
three things are needed for teen closure. One is meeting Rick
Springfield, which I managed to do when I worked on a VH1 show. (He
was great and everything I hoped he would be some 18 years later and I
sent out the grip and grin photo of us as Christmas cards. I have also
bored Glenn to tears talking about how much I used to love Rick and
would embarrassingly sign my letters Rick and Roll). Two would be
Glenn playing Canal Street Tavern, the club where I basically grew up.
I had a fake ID and went to see my brother John’s amazing band
consistently as well as David Poe when he was known by another name
and my best friend Amy worked there for years. I never would have
imagined that Glenn would play there and it’s very groovy that he is
now going to. Three would be to find Marco Miller, the object of my
unrequited affection throughout my middle school years and find out
why he never loved me! So, I’m two for three now. Something tells me
that I’ll never find out about number three but I’m content with Rick
and Glenn, who both love me now. Rick loves me, he just doesn’t know
it.
After the phone calls and emails, I went to see my Dad. I was hoping
to have him come down to the show to meet Glenn and to see what a
great performer he is but Dad said he had other commitments. I think
my expectations were a bit too high, since I thought by seeing the
show, he would better understand what I’m trying to do with the movie
and with my life at the moment. I also thought it might be neat for
him to see Glenn play since I had imposed Glenn’s music on him for so
many years growing up. I also thought it would be fun for Glenn to
meet my Dad and see what a hoot he is. I gave Dad a Glenn tshirt and
then left to see Bill. Coincidentally, Doug called to say that he was
in town (Doug was born and raised in Dayton too.) so Bill, Doug and I
went out for a quick bite before the show. It was great to see them
both and we were all excited for the gig.
We pulled up to Canal Street and I phoned Zan to tell her to come
outside to meet us near the side entrance. She said to me, "Can we go
outside the side entrance?" and I laughed and said, "You’re the
headlining artist, you can go out any entrance that you want!" Bill,
Doug and I turned the corner to see a surprised Glenn and Zan. Hugs
and smooches were exchanged and we all went inside for a drink. I was
hepped up and excited seeing them again and catching up on how Memphis
went and then I took a walk through the crowd to see all my pals! Doug
brought his brother, my mom’s friends Maggie and Beth turned up (Beth
brought her sister), my best friend Kacey and her sister showed up
from Columbus, Tracy and Mark were there, Andy Valeri and his pals
came for a spell…it was really lovely. I met a few newspaper folk I
had spoken to and it was almost like hosting a big party and Glenn was
the entertainment!
Glenn very sweetly asked me to introduce him so Zan cut the music and
I walked onto the stage. I introduced myself, told the crowd that I
was a Dayton native and that I had done a documentary and plugged the
website and the merchandise (gotta work it!) and as I was ready to
share how great it was to see Glenn play Canal Street, some guy yelled
out, "Where’s the band?!" or something to that effect. I just looked
at him in shock and said, "Are you heckling me? Man! Heckling me in my
home town.. that is harsh. Where’s the love?" Everyone laughed and I
then looked over at Doug, Beth and Maggie’s table and they were
clapping furiously with huge smiles on their faces and I pointed to
them and said, "THERE’S the love!" and Glenn was standing in front of
them clapping and I said, "And THERE is the love!". I then got back to
the business at hand, "I’m really excited and I’m hoping you’ll all
feel the love and welcome to the stage: hands of a god, voice of an
angel, GLENN TILBROOK!" Cue applause and Glenn taking the stage. He
said, "It’s all downhill from here. Let’s hear it for Amy Pickard!"
Bless his cottons.
I have no idea what he played….I didn’t feel like writing the setlist
down. I wanted to mingle with my pals and enjoy the show. There were
some Amy highlights to the show: a very giggly Black Coffee In Bed
with my bud Kacey. (I took Kacey to her very first concert, which was
Squeeze. We shared a pair of earplugs and we joke that she’s deaf in
the left ear and I’m deaf in the other. Can’t remember what year it
was, but it was the Frank Tour. The show was amazing and we drove home
after doing a few circles in the parking lot around the tourbus to see
if we could meet them afterwards. They weren’t out and about so we
went home.) Listening to songs from Play with my pal Tracy, Voodoo
Chile with my pal Andy and just seeing Glenn play on the stage where I
used to see my brother play..it was all really cool. Kacey came up to
me midway through the show and said, "I know this sounds dorky, but
seeing Glenn onstage here and you sitting there, it just hit me how
surreal this all is for you." It was very weird…but good weird. The
crowd loved Glenn and Mick, the club owner came over to me and hugged
me and said, "Thank you so much for bringing Glenn! The crowd really
love him." Mick is such a sweetie. He later told me that he felt he
should introduce me before introducing Glenn. I have a feeling he’ll
want Glenn back on the next tour. I thought the show went well and my
friends were freaking out over how great he was but I couldn’t help
but think the show could’ve been a bit better. (I’m spoiled and have
seen Glenn night after night and know when he’s not his rocking best.
Don’t get me wrong, he rocked but not like a hurricane.) The Glenn
love was only slightly squished by a few "over enthusiastic" tables
who had a bit too much medicine that night. Andy dubbed them the "Old
Milwaukee Dancers" which had me in hysterics. Glenn gamely continued
on through the yelling, dancing and talking by the OMD’s and gave
until it hurt.
Glenn mingled with the crowd afterwards and I brought over pals one by
one to meet him. I also got to meet some new folks, one of which was
husband to an old school friend Mardi, who happened to be as obsessed
with Rick Springfield as I was during our younger years! I freaked out
and gave him my number in order to have Mardi get in touch and I want
to send her my Rick and Amy Xmas Card! Also came face to face with my
heckler, who I unknowingly gave a hug to after he said he enjoyed the
website. Bastard! As soon as I found out that he was the one who
yelled at me while I was onstage, I mentally took the hug back and
told him to behave in the future. He laughed and said, "I’m shorry…I
jusht had to shay shomehtinggg." Woo! Friends don’t let friends drive
drunk.
Okay, okay….I’m poking a little fun. If the Old Milwaukee Dancers read
this, please do not ring my doorbell and run. I kid because I love. I
appreciate your enthusiasm for Glenn’s music, our website and um….lots
of beers. I have no proof that you were sauced up, I am only assuming.
I could be wrong but actually don’t think I am. Oh, it’s all in fun,
eh?
After posing for pics with Glenn (gotta have a few snaps of him in
Canal Street!) we all convoyed it to the hotel. By this point, it was
2am and every bar was closed so we had a party with Bill and Jeff’s
help in Pete’s hotel room. It was our turn to get sauced up and we had
an amazing night of laughter and love. I also turned the non locals of
the group onto Mike Sells potato chips. The best damn chip in the
world produced only in Dayton, Ohio. They come in many flavors and
dammit, I wish I could take all of them home with me to Hollywood for
future snacking pleasure. Oh, the glorious snacking pleasure of Mike
Sells. Mmmmmmmm. As the clock struck 4 something, it was time for all
of us to go to our beds...cheeks hurting from laughing all night.
Glenn in Dayton! It’s great in Dayton!
Rock on,
amyx
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