Daniel Amos Message Board | Print: On meeting your idols

Posted by Phy on 08-15-2007 at10:49:

On meeting your idols

Tom Griswold has said for years that you should never meet your idols. It can be dicey under the best of circumstances.

I met Terry and the three-legged-dog cast a couple of summers ago in some guy's basement not far from where I live in southern Wisconsin. It was billed as an intimate, 25 person show in a basement studio. The concert was to be filmed by lo-fidelity for a prospective DVD. I was beyond psyched.

Before I left for the concert, I determined to myself that I'd stay cool about the whole thing. I was wrong on two levels.

The venue was very cool, the hosts were very pleasant and fun and gracious, and the fans were extremely interesting. However, everyone's mettle would be tested before the night was out.

Turns out, if you put that many people and those kinds of lights in an enclosed basement, it gets warm. We're talking Turkish bath warm. They cranked the A/C and tried various things, but it was what it was - very sticky.

Give 'em credit - Jeff Elbel put on a great solo opening act, and then the Dogs treated us to what somebody--I don't remember if it was Terry or Mike--called 'Sweatin' to the Oldies'. At one point, the Dogs were huddled under the one air vent over the stage like pigs in a poke. They played the full show as the first stop on that summer's tour, but I rather doubt we'll see that footage. Pity. It really was a fun show.

After the show, we all moved upstairs to some guy's wife's kitchen and dining room. I wasn't going to go all fanboi on them, but after the line died down, there was a window of opportunity before they left. Terry kindly autographed the brand new (and imo underrated) Island Dreams CD, and I timidly asked for a picture.

They swooped in like they knew what they were doing, the picture was snapped, and I was left standing in back, already snickering. So my one brush with the guys yields my dorkiest picture of all time:
http://tinyurl.com/3yc5mb

I should've stopped with the autograph for the sick. Wink

Posted by servantsteve on 08-15-2007 at11:18:

Nice picture. I try not to make idols out of anyone. Those three men are very talnted musicians, but they're sinners saved by grace just like the rest of us. You do them no favors by getting all nervous around them because you met them first by hearing them on a record. Steve Taylor wrote it best in his song "Hero." I'd put the lyrics here, but I'm too lazy to look them up.

BTW, welcome out of the dark musty mushroom infested corner of the basement you lurked from for years before mustering up the courage to post.

Posted by sprinklerhead on 08-15-2007 at11:20:

RE: On meeting your idols

I've met the guys several times and have not been disappointed. On the other hand, I had a chance to meet and hang out with another huge hero of mine over the course of about a year. That was one that I wish I hadn't met and gotten to know. There was some freaky stuff going on there. I would rather just have enjoyed the image in my mind and my memories.

Posted by bereal on 08-15-2007 at14:01:

i've met the dogs quite a few times. they are great to hang out with, but lets remember they are human. there is no need to idolize them or anyone else in the spotlight. Cool

Posted by MarkyMark77 on 08-15-2007 at14:09:

quote:

there is no need to idolize them or anyone else in the spotlight.

To be sure.

It's weird meeting musicians whose music you love. I think that people get nervous, not because they've put them on a pedestal, but because you feel like you know them, and yet you do not know them at all. It's hard to know what to say to someone who has given you the soundtrack to your successes and failures, your triumphs and tragedies. I don't hold Mike Roe on a pedestal, but every time I talk to him after a show, I don't do it very well. Big Grin

Posted by Jerry Davison on 08-15-2007 at14:09:

I not only had the pleasure of meeting Terry and working with him, but he graciously took me into his home for a few weeks while recording our second album. Let me tell you he is the real deal. It is one of my fondest and most cherished memories.

Posted by Zudrak on 08-15-2007 at14:32:

quote:

Originally posted by bereal
there is no need to idolize them or anyone else in the spotlight.

Great. Now I have to melt down the statue of Baal that I'd started re-shaping into a Lost Dogs statue. I had Mike, Terry, and Derri as the three heads of Cerberus, with Steve in front of the dog's body as the handler (since he "keeps the beat"). Wink

I'll make a hockey trophy out of it now, I guess.

quote:

Originally posted by MarkyMark77
To be sure.

It's weird meeting musicians whose music you love. I think that people get nervous, not because they've put them on a pedestal, but because you feel like you know them, and yet you do not know them at all. It's hard to know what to say to someone who has given you the soundtrack to your successes and failures, your triumphs and tragedies. I don't hold Mike Roe on a pedestal, but every time I talk to him after a show, I don't do it very well. Big Grin

I was like that with Mike at the July 2006 show, but recovered for the 2007 show. I did not get a chance to talk to Terry in 2006, but I was able to do so this year and my only regret is that I did not get the chance to speak with him last year. They're all great guys.

Posted by MarkyMark77 on 08-15-2007 at14:40:

quote:

I had Mike, Terry, and Derri as the three heads of Cerberus, with Steve in front of the dog's body as the handler (since he "keeps the beat").

Posted by ladrtrk55 on 08-15-2007 at14:46:

I met Greg Noll, the big-wave surfing pioneer, during a "legends" tour here at a Port A surfshop some years back.
He graciously autographed a poster for me and then I musta said something stupid and pizzed him off as we chatted. After we parted company, he just glared at me. I was afraid he was gonna wad me up into a ball like a piece of paper.
I too should have been satisfied with an 'autograph for the lame'.

Very wise advice, never meet your idols.

Posted by sprinklerhead on 08-15-2007 at15:19:

If you have a problem idolizing Terry and the guys, you can do what I did. Catch Terry in line for the toilet. That really levels the playing field.

Posted by larryl on 08-15-2007 at15:39:

i have no idols. i've met a lot of my musical heroes though, and enjoyed it greatly. i highly recommend it.

after gene died, idecided i needed to tell those people what they have meant to me, and i have not regretted one instance.

Posted by Audiori J on 08-15-2007 at15:46:

After spending any time with the guys its hard not to see them as like a relative, like an Uncle or something. I think seeing their humanness allows you to give them a little Grace, especially when they are road weary.

Posted by larryl on 08-15-2007 at15:49:

quote:

Originally posted by Audiori J
After spending any time with the guys its hard not to see them as like a relative, like an Uncle or something. I think seeing their humanness allows you to give them a little Grace, especially when they are road weary.

i see mike as my older brother, who tells dirty jokes and is a bad influence on me. Big Grin

Posted by Space Ghost on 08-15-2007 at15:54:

quote:

Originally posted by larryl
after gene died, i decided i needed to tell those people what they have meant to me, and i have not regretted one instance.

Great minds think alike. I was fortunate enough to tell Gene how much his work meant to me, and after he passed, it only reinforced my desire to do so at every opportunity. Terry Scott Taylor. Roger Hodgson of Supertramp. Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. David Foster Wallace, author of Infinite Jest. Even hockey player Brendan Shanahan the day after Mike Keenan traded him.

While I've not had the pleasure of meeting Geddy Lee, I did hear him say in an interview that when someone tells you "Your work has touched me deeply," that is a very powerful moment for both parties. I agree.

Posted by MarkyMark77 on 08-15-2007 at16:00:

quote:

after gene died, idecided i needed to tell those people what they have meant to me, and i have not regretted one instance.

I think that this is the point for me. I don't idolize anyone, but when someone does something that has a positive effect on me, I want to let them know it.

When I saw the Dogs in '94(?), my friend got Gene's e-mail address. I was so impressed at how, while he could have been packing up stuff, he talked at length with someone, and gave them his e-mail address. To me, that's what all this music stuff (and even this message board) is about : building relationships with people. I think that's why I'm on here so much. It's really cool (even with the occasional blow-up) to talk to all these people who share something that's important to me, which is music. </sap> Cool

Posted by dennis on 08-15-2007 at16:23:

Thumb Down!

quote:

Originally posted by bereal
i've met the dogs quite a few times. they are great to hang out with, but lets remember they are human. there is no need to idolize them or anyone else in the spotlight. Cool

So I shouldn't make animal sacrifices to my Berger Roy Al shrine? Shocked

nada! Who do I worship now??? Confused

Help me Jebus!!! Tongue

Posted by Ron E on 08-15-2007 at19:18:

quote:

Originally posted by sprinklerhead
If you have a problem idolizing Terry and the guys, you can do what I did. Catch Terry in line for the toilet. That really levels the playing field.

I nearly followed Mike into the bathroom to ask for an autograph but mostly as a joke, didn't do it, thought it would be funny though.

Posted by larryl on 08-15-2007 at20:52:

quote:

Originally posted by Ron E

quote:

Originally posted by sprinklerhead
If you have a problem idolizing Terry and the guys, you can do what I did. Catch Terry in line for the toilet. That really levels the playing field.

I nearly followed Mike into the bathroom to ask for an autograph but mostly as a joke, didn't do it, thought it would be funny though.

that's how peawinkel met mike.

Posted by snowblind on 08-15-2007 at22:09:

quote:

Originally posted by larryl

quote:

Originally posted by Ron E

quote:

Originally posted by sprinklerhead
If you have a problem idolizing Terry and the guys, you can do what I did. Catch Terry in line for the toilet. That really levels the playing field.

I nearly followed Mike into the bathroom to ask for an autograph but mostly as a joke, didn't do it, thought it would be funny though.

that's how peawinkel met mike.

I met Kerry Livgren at a Charlie Peacock concert years ago and I'm pretty sure I just mumbled something like... "music good". Also, I met Terry at Cstone back in '91 and, after reading some interview with him outlining his distaste for CCM industry, I tried to cheer him up, but he assured me he was fine. I felt like a dork. Frown

Posted by ladrtrk55 on 08-15-2007 at22:23:

quote:

Originally posted by snowblind

quote:

Originally posted by larryl

quote:

Originally posted by Ron E

quote:

Originally posted by sprinklerhead
If you have a problem idolizing Terry and the guys, you can do what I did. Catch Terry in line for the toilet. That really levels the playing field.

I nearly followed Mike into the bathroom to ask for an autograph but mostly as a joke, didn't do it, thought it would be funny though.

that's how peawinkel met mike.

That's pretty funny, only because that sounds like my usual MO.
I met Darrell Mansfield at CStone '90 and he was most gracious. Actually, he gave me no time to dork out as he was asking ME questions, instead of me torturing him with inane musings.