Since it is cold outside I try to time it to arrive when it's close to over. Factoring in the start time, opening band, and the main show, I arrive and it looks like it is JUST beginning to let out. Wow I timed it almost right
I frantically park my car, as I arrive looks like the show JUST ended and the crowd cheered. I then mooch my way into the venue! As I wait around I ask if any band members came off the stage to sign but apparently not. Drummer Jules Radino is removing stuff from the stage and I get a photo op.
Then I notice an area upstairs where people are waiting. I go upstairs and Buck Dharma is doing combos! I get a photo op and my items signed. Turns out I'm waiting just outside the dressing room, and little to no security! Wow just wow! Two other band members come out and I get photo ops. Now we're essentially waiting for Eric Bloom. This older blonde girl tells me "we look cute enough let's go inside" I say ok and go inside the dressing room. As she continues we see Buck Dharma waiting and I back out. As I go back to my original post one guy said "you chickened out?" and I say yes. I figure I better not strain things here because security is being so lax plus I already mooched my way this far as it is. Then the girl comes out. Eric Bloom then follows. I ask for a photo op he says to do it quick. As it flashes he goes "ahh fuck". I guess the flash was too much for him. Thankfully the photo op came out valid. He then signs my items. I wondered if he had vision problems because for one item first he signed half on the photo and half on the boarding. I then said "huh, no, here" pointing to a random spot on the photo. Thankfully I manage to erase the bad auto.
Buck Dharma comes out to leave. The girl asks me to take her photo op with him which I do. She then says we need to exchange contact.
As we go downstairs she gives me her email and phone number. She asks if I can walk her to her car which I accept. As we walk she mooches an American flag from a gas station. She was even parked in a private lot which was a towing risk. Damn this girl is bad ass. Walks in dressing rooms, mooches a flag, parks illegally.
We took a selfie and she said to keep in touch. We then made out as she went in her car.
On a separate note one guy had some kind of Rock and Roll "encyclopedia" type book he was getting the band on. While I did not check the exact era of this book I cannot imagine it was correct to get anyone besides the Eric and Buck on there.
Also, this is probably the first time I go inside the venue and actually obtain combos from a band when a signing is not talking place. If I obtain music combos in side a venue either they are doing a signing or the whole band is barely valid.
Full list of photo ops
Autographs
Next I decide to embark on a major and aging name: Mel Brooks. I essentially had three chances. Into the venue, out the venue, and at the airport the next day.
I would be joined by
The first shot we had going into the event. We were 4 waiting. Then it was apparent that they were going to drop him in the side door. 1 left. We were 3. When he arrived the security guard didn't even let us close. We tried yelling out to Mel but he kept walking.
After the fact some Masters called me asking what happened. I told them the situation and the general opinion was they won't mess with it because if he snuk in he will also sneak out.
One Master would end up joining us though. He stated the same thing the others did, that the venue is hopeless. But the answer would be going to the next spot.
I won't reveal how we found the details to the next spot, but there was one piece of info obtained that led us to the next spot, and that info was fished out all thanks to the Master. If not for him me and Joresky would never have obtained that little detail and hence would not have found the next spot.
On exit, I saw from a distance Mel enter the car. Other graphers were yelling for him. Again security wouldn't allow us close. At this point it was off to the next spot!
The next spot was one that I hate. Essentially there's a garage and a driveway. So best case scenario they go to the driveway and you're trespassing. Thankfully he didn't go to the garage.
So we ask he and he says to do it quick. Jeremiah takes my photo op and Mel starts signing for the Master. This photo snapped by him was inversely proportional to the Christian Bale one he took in LA. Good thing I had the sense to check it because it is both blurry AND invalid! So I selfie and get my auto. During this a hotel employee is yelling telling us to leave the property I tell him "we will in a minute". Jeremiah gets his autograph and I take his picture. The Master gets 3 autos total (though 1 smudged and is garbage)
As Mel was going inside the Master begged for the photo op and he did it.
Wow If not for the Master this night would have been a bust. Because it was thanks to him that we managed to fish out an important piece of info that would lead us to discover the next spot.
The next day I had another chance at Mel Brooks at the airport. I figured why not try to virgilize.
This time 2 Masters join. One of them said he hates airports because it is an "invasion of their privacy" as he puts it. He said if he were a celebrity he would never sign at airports. Despite that he has no issue being at the airport. Why? I guess obviously because results trumps personal ethics.
As Mel Brooks arrives he signs for everyone and does photo ops. But then he cuts it and had enough. I managed to get 3 things done. I found the Spaceballs blu ray for $6 at Best Buy and some of the cards provided in the set made for some good items. As I was getting them he was even blaming me for stuff one of the others got saying "too much. Really
I had to yell, NO THIS IS HIS THIS ONE IS MINE". Mel Brooks take 1
Mel Brooks take 2
Mel Brooks take 3
Autographs
On a separate note, the girl I met in California got her first ever airport score, namely Mel Brooks! They grow up so fast....
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