I guess we have to backtrack and explain how we happened to get these priceless tickets to see Storytellers for Goo. Laura called me and played the "how much do you love me ?" game and after awhile she reviled that she had tickets to see goo. Apparently she had been posting on this message board on a goo fan site and she made a connection with someone who got the tickets for the show from the Dolls themselves. The tickets were free, all we had to do is show up. So I was all excited for a week until the taping. It was in NYC and on a Friday so I missed school, both were an added bonus.

She had been dating this guy for a week and within that week she told him about the taping and told him that he was welcomed to go if he wanted. Later on that week she noticed how fetching annoying he is but it was to late. But it was all good because he had a nice car and we didnt have to drive. My first impression of Bill was oh my god hes the younger version of my dad. He was tall, skinny and had semi red hair. He even had my dads sense of humor and I swear that my dad owns the same shirt he wore. We left at 9ish which wasnt to bad but seeing how I slept at my sisters the night before we didnt get to much sleep because we were up watching tv, so I slept on the way down. We get into the city around 1 and grab some pizza for lunch. When we come out of the restaurant it starts to rain a little, nothing to big just a sprinkle.

We decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and took the subway. The subway was pretty crazy, very different from what I had remembered from past adventures in NYC. We make it to the museum and Ive never been so fascinated by art. All the pictures that Ive seen in books were right in front of me and I guess the most impressive part was that they werent in large glass cases or anything. You could walk right up to them and if you wanted (although im sure its not encouraged) touch the paintings. We spent a couple hours there and I loved it. The only down side to that was Bills random and stupid comments "geeeze, it just looks like he threw paint everywhere" when it just happened to be one of Polloks most famous paintings. After a few hours we decide to head back to downtown and get something to eat and then find the studio.

When we went outside it was raining even harder and we didnt have an umbrella. I had brought one over to Lauras house but not a single weather man said anything about rain! I only had a hoodie which soaked up the rain like a friggen sponge. Plus I was wearing white shoes that were cloth so around my toes turned black from all the dirty water and my feet were all wet. Laura was worse off then I. She had on khaki pants that turned virtually transparent when they got wet. Plus she was wearing semi dressy shoes which had holes around the bottom but she said that her feet were dry. We end up going to McDonalds and getting something quick to eat. I grabbed a I <3 NY shirt and we went to the studio. At this point it had pretty much stopped raining which was nice because no one wants to see wet people on TV.

Laura gets our tickets and there are two huge lines, each in opposite directions. Ours had a neon heart on the back because we had "fan" tickets so we were put into another line. So we all assumed that we would get really horrible seats because we were just the "fans". Turns out that they had paid "attractive" people to sit on the stage behind the band. We would be in front of them, which meant less likely to be on tv. So were standing in line for a good 45 minutes in the cold and wet and no one really seems to know whats going on. They start taking people in by groups of 10. We finally get to the front and Robbys wife is walking around with a camera and video camera taking pictures. Were at the front of the line so shes taping us so I smile and wave for a little bit. Omg, the goo are going to see me on video. They check our bags and tell us to wait for a little bit. Then they lead us to our seats, which just happened to be FRONT ROW.. not only front row but right directly in front of Johnny. I couldnt believe it!

So we were in shock for about 15 minutes. Here we are, just some run of the mill fans who just happened to be lucky enough to get tickets and were within 8 feet of the man we adore. When we were in line there were some older.. lets say.. less attractive ladies who made it known that they were bumped back in former shows because they werent the young hip girls that producers like to be in front. But the guy with the headphones assured them that it wouldnt happen here and that Storytellers was going for an older mature age group. I guess that they were in our seats before us and they had moved the group to the back so that we (the younger group.. not a single one of us in that row was over 23) were in the front. Pays off to be young and cute!! Some lady moved me to the very end because "you are wearing lighter colors." (I had on jeans, a white tank top and a pink wrap shirt). Which was fine by me because that means that camera track went right by my chair. So if anything my big ol head is going to be in a couple shots.

We waited in the studio for at least another 20 minutes before the band came out. I dont know why but the studio was really really cold. I had to be 50 degrees in there! It felt like an air conditioner was blowing on you. But I was willing to shiver for a couple hours, as long as Johnny is going to be in front of me. There were some of the paid people sitting in front of us on some wood blocks. But since we were in chairs we were higher up then them so it was ok. Plus I wouldnt want to sit on a wood block for 2 hours, doesnt sound like fun. So the band comes out and immediately my breath was taken away. Its so unreal to see someone that you admire so much and watch on TV every chance you get, sitting right in front of you.

So they play a few songs, tell a few stories.. and I just sat there with my eyes wide opened completely memorized by the band. Johnny came across and shy, even though it was basically his show. His hand was shaking and he made hardly any eye contact. Robby was great, seeing him that close and in person made me appreciate him a whole lot more. He was much better at making eye contact but he hardly said anything. He was so cute, adorable. Someone paid him a complement and he got all shy and all he could say was "thanks.. thank you". You just wanted to hug him he was so cute. I think the best part about Robby is that he rocks out. Even if its a slow song like Slide, he still rocks out. He just seemed like he loved what he was doing and that he didnt need much attention. Mike didnt say a single thing, I dont even think he had a microphone. He was good at eye contact too.

I just loved every single second of it. I sang along to the old songs, faked it with the new ones. Theres part of the show where the audience can ask questions. I wanted to get up and say something but my mind was so blank when it came to a question and I wasnt sure if I wanted to stand up, attract attention to myself and be a fool because Id be soooo nervous never mind having me be on the screen of the TV, by myself because being in the rain all day, I probably looked like crap. So I was frantically trying to think of a question and I couldnt come up with anything!! Johnny only answered 5 or 6 questions before he went back to playing. Now I can think of 10 different questions that I could of asked but then theyre right in front of you, its hard to think of something when the pressure is on. Oh well, its probably for the better.

When the show ended Johnny came up to the area I was in and shook a couple hands but he didnt sign anything. I had brought a poster my boyfriend bought for me on eBay and dragged it all around the city but I didnt have the chance to get it signed, so that was disappointing. But I was sooo happy that I got to see Johnny perform all the songs that I love the most. There was no way for anyone to even buy these tickets, never mind get the seats that we had. I seriously believe that we had the best seats in the house. All the beautiful paid people had to sit behind them and to the side, no one but the fans were able to be right in front of the band, being able to watch their every move instead of just staring at their ass (which wouldnt be so bad either). The show ends and we all file out. The paid beautiful people just walked along like it was no big deal but the fans were freaking out. I know that my sister, Bill and I talked about it all night long. "Hey laura.. we were within groping distance!!". It was quite possibly the most wonderful night of my life.

If anything its kinda broken down the image of Johnny as a rock god. I got to see him do very human things.. he swore, smoke, had some.. "interesting" tattoos, forgot words to his own song to me it just made him much more of a person then an icon. Sure, he is still a very beautiful person but hes still just a person. My admiration for Robby grew a lot more though, I appreciate him as a musician and got to know his personality a little bit more then just one of the members of goo that are faded in the background. I was thinking about that on the way home for a question " It always seems to be the Johnny show. He runs the interviews, hes in the front of the pictures while mike and Robby are faded out in the background, he get the most attention in music videos.. how does it feel to be part of the band, but still have it be the John Rzeznik band?" Not to take anything about from Johnny, I think hes very talented but so are the others. Maybe they like it that way, they come off as very shy people. They just play their music and thats what makes them happy.

So we drive home and get back around 1, still in complete and utter shock. I want to tell someone so badly about everything, but I dont think anyone would care that much. So I keep my daydreams to myself, reliving every moment that I can. I just cant wait to see it on TV and get to relive it all over again. They said that it will be running in June, they arent quite sure of the date yet. Watch it and look for me.. the girl drooling all over herself in the pink wrap shirt.