(This is a perfect example of wanting to talk about one subject, then sort of veering off into babbling about...Oh, look! Shiny thing!).
Ten minutes of face time (MAX) per show times sixty shows is 600 minutes. Divide by 60 minutes per hour equals 10 hours. (I hope.) So, it's been 6 1/2 years, but ten hours of face time. I'll never go so far as to say there's a friendship between me and any of the guys, but there certainly is a relationship.
I started all this "following the guys" thing after a Colin and Brad show on 1/15/2005 in Waterbury, CT. Then I went to Vegas. Right after the shows, I watched a couple of girls go through the door leading back stage. I've since seen pics. I assume they're fans, though I could be wrong. Seems they've known the guys for a long time. My jealousy of this is all but non-existent now because I've come to realize it's all about timing. It was their time, their coast, their luck. I can deal.
At a "Whose Live Anyway" show in Ottawa 2 weeks ago, I sat down next to a gal who was also there by herself. (We soloists seem to be able to sniff each other out at the shows.) She'd seen Colin doing a 2-man show with someone before Brad, but no shows of any pairings since.
However, she had attended a "Whose Line" convention in the late 90's. She said it was lots of fun and that Colin had unexpectedly shown up. I loved listening to her, because she enjoyed it so much. Now she was thrilled to be able to see the WLA guys for the first time. She seemed to enjoy my enthusiasm for them, too, and we babbled together for a few minutes. We talked about live shows, the WL show, the convention... A really enjoyable time.
Six and a half years of my own fandom later, a comfort level between me and the guys has developed that I never anticipated. I'm curious as to what Colin and Brad thought of me when I'd approach them in the first year or two. There wasn't Twitter, so I bided my time between shows, surviving after one show by looking forward to the next one. It sounds like an addiction but it wasn't. It was survival. (This has been explained, so, not doing it again now.)
My "don't EEK!!" learning experiences started when I got to talk to Colin. He IS so damn shy, I was afraid of being too boisterous. As more shows happened, I started to really worry. Was I a freak when I finally talked to him again after having bottled up everything for the 2-8 weeks between shows? I know I shook, sometimes stuttered. (Partly adrenalin, but not all.) Some times were easier than others, but, long story short, god bless him for his patience and his warm heart. I was clueless where Brad was concerned, but he was patient, and once I got a clue about how rude I must have been, things started to work, and now there's a positive comfort level we have. The conversations feel less like interviews, at least.
Greg and I "hit it off" a lot more easily. My autograph tattoo appeared either the first or second (my guess is 2nd) year in Vegas, and, for as frequently as we don't see each other, we do well when we meet. The comfort level clicked at the beginning, and hasn't wavered. I credit him for most of what I have with Ryan, as well. Greg's level of trust with me (of me? for me?) has, I think, helped a lot. So has talking about something besides Whose Line all the time, or at least about "THE CAT" or Richard Simmons.
Chip's memory is KILLER, otherwise he and I wouldn't be as okay as we are. (He noticed my haircut after almost 3 years! My HUSBANDS didn't notice my haircuts!)
Jeff and I have had a total of 6 "before and after the show"s, so MAYBE it's been a total of half an hour. In Ithaca, NY, this past May, I saw him on the street before the show, and asked if he had his wallet now. (A few hours earlier, he'd tweeted about how it's NOT a good idea to get to an airport without your wallet and i.d.) I told him I found his tweets hysterical. I was also thrilled that Improvaganza was finally giving him the exposure he deserved. He was very gracious, I was happy, I thought that was it. The next night, before the show in Tarrytown, Greg called the other guys out to meet and speak with some fans. Jeff did his thing, then came over to Greg and me and was like, 'Hey! How are ya?" Greg said, Show him the tattoo! I showed him my ankle. So he asked Greg where my signature was. Greg said he couldn't show it in public. Jeff said, Oh, tramp stamp! I DIED. By the 3rd night, in Red Bank, we're leaning against the bus talking about Twitter. He asked me what name I use. I said @DawnMilam. He said, oh, that's kinda easy.
At the end of everything, I asked Greg if I could have a group photo with them. A fan took the picture for me, then said she wanted to take another one, just in case. When I got back to the hotel and looked at the pics, the first one was what I was expecting, and was thrilled with the result.
Ten minutes of face time (MAX) per show times sixty shows is 600 minutes. Divide by 60 minutes per hour equals 10 hours. (I hope.) So, it's been 6 1/2 years, but ten hours of face time. I'll never go so far as to say there's a friendship between me and any of the guys, but there certainly is a relationship.
I started all this "following the guys" thing after a Colin and Brad show on 1/15/2005 in Waterbury, CT. Then I went to Vegas. Right after the shows, I watched a couple of girls go through the door leading back stage. I've since seen pics. I assume they're fans, though I could be wrong. Seems they've known the guys for a long time. My jealousy of this is all but non-existent now because I've come to realize it's all about timing. It was their time, their coast, their luck. I can deal.
At a "Whose Live Anyway" show in Ottawa 2 weeks ago, I sat down next to a gal who was also there by herself. (We soloists seem to be able to sniff each other out at the shows.) She'd seen Colin doing a 2-man show with someone before Brad, but no shows of any pairings since.
However, she had attended a "Whose Line" convention in the late 90's. She said it was lots of fun and that Colin had unexpectedly shown up. I loved listening to her, because she enjoyed it so much. Now she was thrilled to be able to see the WLA guys for the first time. She seemed to enjoy my enthusiasm for them, too, and we babbled together for a few minutes. We talked about live shows, the WL show, the convention... A really enjoyable time.
Six and a half years of my own fandom later, a comfort level between me and the guys has developed that I never anticipated. I'm curious as to what Colin and Brad thought of me when I'd approach them in the first year or two. There wasn't Twitter, so I bided my time between shows, surviving after one show by looking forward to the next one. It sounds like an addiction but it wasn't. It was survival. (This has been explained, so, not doing it again now.)
My "don't EEK!!" learning experiences started when I got to talk to Colin. He IS so damn shy, I was afraid of being too boisterous. As more shows happened, I started to really worry. Was I a freak when I finally talked to him again after having bottled up everything for the 2-8 weeks between shows? I know I shook, sometimes stuttered. (Partly adrenalin, but not all.) Some times were easier than others, but, long story short, god bless him for his patience and his warm heart. I was clueless where Brad was concerned, but he was patient, and once I got a clue about how rude I must have been, things started to work, and now there's a positive comfort level we have. The conversations feel less like interviews, at least.
Greg and I "hit it off" a lot more easily. My autograph tattoo appeared either the first or second (my guess is 2nd) year in Vegas, and, for as frequently as we don't see each other, we do well when we meet. The comfort level clicked at the beginning, and hasn't wavered. I credit him for most of what I have with Ryan, as well. Greg's level of trust with me (of me? for me?) has, I think, helped a lot. So has talking about something besides Whose Line all the time, or at least about "THE CAT" or Richard Simmons.
Chip's memory is KILLER, otherwise he and I wouldn't be as okay as we are. (He noticed my haircut after almost 3 years! My HUSBANDS didn't notice my haircuts!)
Jeff and I have had a total of 6 "before and after the show"s, so MAYBE it's been a total of half an hour. In Ithaca, NY, this past May, I saw him on the street before the show, and asked if he had his wallet now. (A few hours earlier, he'd tweeted about how it's NOT a good idea to get to an airport without your wallet and i.d.) I told him I found his tweets hysterical. I was also thrilled that Improvaganza was finally giving him the exposure he deserved. He was very gracious, I was happy, I thought that was it. The next night, before the show in Tarrytown, Greg called the other guys out to meet and speak with some fans. Jeff did his thing, then came over to Greg and me and was like, 'Hey! How are ya?" Greg said, Show him the tattoo! I showed him my ankle. So he asked Greg where my signature was. Greg said he couldn't show it in public. Jeff said, Oh, tramp stamp! I DIED. By the 3rd night, in Red Bank, we're leaning against the bus talking about Twitter. He asked me what name I use. I said @DawnMilam. He said, oh, that's kinda easy.
At the end of everything, I asked Greg if I could have a group photo with them. A fan took the picture for me, then said she wanted to take another one, just in case. When I got back to the hotel and looked at the pics, the first one was what I was expecting, and was thrilled with the result.
Then I checked out the second picture.
I may not be the first person they've done that with, but, either way, they didn't need to do that. I can't wipe the smile off my face whenever I look at or think about this picture. Yeah, I think we get along.
Because of "Improvaganza," a lot of younger fans have become aware of Jeff. Their tweets scare me, so I can't imagine what the he thinks of them. These would be the people I'd kinda be afraid of at the shows. I'm older, and had an idea of how an older person would look or sound, but these "kids" are around high school age, and some older, 20s. Just found out one particularly freaky chick is 38!! ""I love @JeffBryanDavis" and "I Can't Wait To Hug And Kiss @JeffBryanDavis on May 24, 2012." I hope she lightens up before May 24th. (I might be going to that show.)
I got Colin's and Brad's autograph at the first show I went to, and had pics taken with them. I wasn't looking for anything more. I guess most fans are just hoping for the same thing...that moment of OH MY GOD! and the opportunity to thank them for making them laugh during a miserable period in their lives. But to be that creepy?
Thank Zeus I'm not that chick. It's always been important to me that all the guys are comfortable around me, given that I'm at so many of their shows. I haven't always been the most stable, and I was probably intrusive at times. The LAST thing I ever want to be considered is a threat. I was about to say I'd rather be ignored than be feared. Thankfully, I've never been ignored. I think if I was, it would be because they don't want to encourage me. Any acknowledgment only encourages more of the same behaviour, and thank god my behaviour is acceptable. I have seen creepy, and I am not him. Whew.
P.S. If I was ever told to stay away from the guys, or if I never got the chance to talk to them again, I'd still be going to the shows. It's always about the shows first. The laughs are the medicine. Being able to talk to the guys adds a few HEAPING spoonfuls of sugar to it. I will always be grateful.
Beautiful, Toots. And thanks for sharing. :)
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