Audrey and I talk about the concert

Yes! Another post about the Queen + Adam Lambert concert in Boston! Because I can!

Audrey and I originally wrote these at the end of July and in the beginning of August, but I'm posting them now. Because I can!

Audrey is a writer, rocking the Queens, NYC poetry and indie arts scene like a boss. She released her first book, Decisions We Make While We Dream, in 2012. Her second book, Traversals, was released this month. She had a (horribly edited) story published in the book, Bohemian Rhapsodies, but has kindly featured the original, non-shitty version on her website. Check out her work!

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as a queen fan born too late, you just accept the fact.. you can never see your band. it's part of the ache that comes with falling in love with any of the classics - and this fact has broken my heart time and time again. there's a thing with queen, for me.. i always know it, it's always inherent - how much i wholeheartedly adore them and their music - but even still, all these years later.. it surprises me. after a childhood filled with the greats of rock & roll, i officially became a queen fan during the summer i turned 12 - we were riding home from upstate, i was sitting shotgun, my dad asked me to change the CD, and fatefully, he brought their greatest hits album classic queen. i had started to come into my own as a music fan the previous summer, and my life was ripe for destiny. at a time when i was trying to put sounds to names and piece back together the ever-present soundtrack of my life thus far, so many of the songs i remembered so fondly were ALL by queen..

and then, there was freddie. freddie, freddie, freddie, FREDDIE. when i first got into the band i didn't count on falling hopelessly head over heels for their frontman, but renting a VHS copy of their we will rock you (now billed as rock montreal) concert solidified it. there was just a moment - a moment when that feeling bloomed, never to stop - ever, ever again. he was everything. everything.

still now, i am struck dumb by the depth of this emotion. it all came back to me last night - the night during which i was able to see MY BAND - not as a shadow of themselves, not as a tribute, not as a substitute. but MY BAND. and all the magic they always stood for - live, joyous, electric. brian and roger, my steadfast companions through so many, many years - manifesting this beautiful opportunity to surprise everyone, and even themselves - touring with adam lambert, touring with this music again - recognizing that, no matter what - no matter how many years pass, and despite the tragedy of freddie's absence - that this is something BIGGER than them. bigger than tragedy. more powerful than any ending mortal lives could meet. this is the life this music has, this is the life this music BREATHES into countless people, the world over. this is how deeply it resonates. this is the beauty of QUEEN - the true, ETERNAL MAGIC of all they created.. last night, all i could do is marvel: how GLORIOUS. CAMPY. PLAYFUL. MASTERFUL. it was just as it should have been.. and so, so much more.

i have always been an emotional person. yet in recent months - through struggle, heartache, disillusionment, darkness.. letting out the tears has become extremely difficult. it felt like something welled up in me with a thickness that could not be released. but last night. last night. i remembered. i remembered everything. it was the kind of primal shakeup, shock to the system, SONIC BOOM of emotion that QUEEN, only QUEEN, can draw from me. i remembered everything. i saw the path out in front of me, the path that began to be laid when i was just barely a teenager. i heard "in the lap of the gods (revisited)" - the song that carried me through my very first heartbreak - and couldn't sing the words through the tears. "no beginning, there's no ending. there's no meaning in my pretending. believe me, life goes on and on and on.. forgive me, when i ask you where do i belong?" the words. those songs. that profound DEPTH of meaning. being there. with MY BAND. and my god, feeling, feeling SO MUCH that freddie was there. freddie was around me. freddie was with ALL of us, so pure and joyously. each time he came onscreen i just wept. wept in a way i haven't in so long.. and not because of pure sadness, wishing - why isn't he here? why did it all work out this way? but instead embracing that reality and crying instead from that WELLSPRING of gratitude. that JOY from knowing him. for all he taught me, for all he gave me. for all he means.

i realized again, as i do over and over - how much this band, and the spirit of THIS MAN mean to me. i will never love ANYONE the way i love freddie mercury. and i will never love ANY BAND the way i love queen. i remembered all over again who i AM. who they helped me to BE. this wild-eyed dreamer moving against the grain who was always too loud, too big, too fanciful.. QUEEN gave me a place to me. FREDDIE made it okay. so many things have beat it out of me.. toned it down.. made me less confident. last night i remembered the performer i always wanted to be, the performer i AM, the FREDDIE inside me that always has the opportunity to burst out. the music that shaped my world. accompanied me through my aches, my uncertainty, my greatest joys..

the concert last night was more than a concert. i could write about a thousand moments - standing there BASKING in the sound of brian's red special, laser lights piercing the air, shimmering in their sacred geometry.. seeing roger in the flesh for the first time - seeing him play, hearing him sing. he and brian performing 'these of the days of our lives.' knowing - god, all at once - yes, those days are all gone now, but one thing will ALWAYS be true. love. love love love for QUEEN. WE LOVE YOU, i screamed, i called their names, i sang every word, and i cried and laughed through my tears. i was so IN THE MOMENT i didn't notice time passing, i wasn't thinking of anything but being THERE, marveling at this perfect spectacle of rock & roll glory, being there with the ONE person in the world who understands the depth of this love like i do, my best queen friend zander, who i met in the official queen fan club chatroom when we were 12. two friends broken off from the norms of early adulthood in our separate states, to find each other in this unexpected way, and suddenly, all these years later, to be standing next to each other. appreciating this like no one else could.. MAGIC.

and adam. oh, adam. OH, ADAM. this gorgeous, shining jewel of a creature.. freddie would've been so proud of the FUN he was having. of the camp. of the pomp. of the SASSINESS. he would have absolutely eaten him UP! his costumes, his expressions, his banter, his UNDENIABLE WEALTH OF TALENT. that leopard print suit and glittering crown. toasting the entire bottle of champagne to brian, taking a swig, and then spitting it on the crowd. swooning on that couch - catlike with pure mischievous expression, kicking up his platform heels like freddie's in the 70s, FANNING HIMSELF like a true KILLER QUEEN.. i couldn't. i was there for queen but i was SCREAMING for adam, too. his PRESENCE. his VOICE, absolutely SOARING. he fits. he. so. FITS.

and do you know why it all fits? there is something about QUEEN that defies EVERYTHING. i am far from the 12 year old girl that began this journey but i am EVERMORE deeply in love. what this band originally gave me, they gave back to me last night - and for every night after i will try to remember.. there is triumph after tragedy. there is art that lives forever. there is beauty that will stun you, drain you, pull from you every emotion trapped within you - if it comes from this place of magic. i am so thankful to have been there. i am so thankful for adam. i am so thankful for the band. i am so thankful for brian and roger to be able to stand on these stages around the country and KNOW: WE LOVE YOU. we have always loved you. and we always will.

because when it comes to QUEEN: it doesn't end. it can never end. always and forever, the show must go ON.

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It should be noted that when I first read this, I was still struggling to find all the words to describe my experience with this concert, and Audrey seemed to figure out pretty much EVERYTHING I wanted to say!

My piece is next. I do not have kickass credentials outside of this blog.

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It’s been a little over two weeks since my dream came true, and things have settled and Audrey inspired me to write about the emotional impact of the greatest concert I’ve ever been to.

I’ve tried and failed for years to talk about what Queen - and Freddie, in particular - mean to me. I’ve historically always been shushed, waved off, or humored. “Yeah, Freddie was pretty cool,” some would say if they were making an effort to be nice despite my being relentlessly annoying - like when I was 10 and learned the words to Bohemian Rhapsody by listening to my (US) Greatest Hits cassette over and over and over and over and…

And while I loved anyone saying anything nice about Freddie (growing up in the conservative Midwest, there were many “original” gay “jokes” hurled around, so anything said that wasn’t intended to be insulting was pure gold), they didn’t truly get it. I didn’t get them, either. I didn’t get how they could see a concert video or documentary, or hear any Queen song without becoming dumbstruck! How could they watch Freddie doing pretty much ANYTHING and not find him the most fascinating and engaging, God-like human being on the planet?! How could they make fun of me for being sad that Freddie’s dead?!

We got the internet in my house when I was 12, and it was there that I finally connected with other Queen fans via the Queen Fan Club chat room. I don’t know if I was making it a bigger deal than them, but all the same, their kinship couldn’t have come at a better time. I was in middle school and boy bands were the “in” thing, and I refused to jump on board. My peers couldn’t understand why I loved Queen and classic rock, just like I couldn’t understand their love of formulaic, soulless, auto-tuned drivel. The QFC chat room was a really lovely break from that relentless pressure!

And then, one fateful day, a new nickname arrived. “freddiegirl86”. “YOU LOVE FREDDIE?? ME TOO! YOU’RE FROM THE US?? ME TOO! YOU WERE BORN IN 1986?? ME TOO!”

As much as I liked everyone else, I felt I had found my Queen soulmate in Audrey. We talked online constantly, and jacked up our respective phone bills (dial-up internet is really no laughing matter, kids). We would call each other on the phone and REALLY jack up our phone bills, pretend to perform concerts, and talk about Freddie and Queen on a level that remains very special.

Audrey and I seemed to enable each other, and it was glorious. Brian and Roger hadn’t started touring as Queen yet, but we were determined that - somehow - we’d meet in person and meet them and see them live.

15 years later, it finally happened. I took a day trip from Boston to New York City, finally met Audrey, and we went to meet Brian May at a book signing. That remains one of the greatest days of my life.

I’m very privileged to have had the experiences I’ve had so far. It’s a combination of luck and having amazingly kind and generous friends. But seeing Queen live was something I NEVER thought would happen for me! Ever! When Queen + Adam Lambert added Boston to their North American tour, I thought I’d be lucky to get Audrey and I the shittiest seats in the stadium!

Stubhub.com is a wonderful thing. Miraculously, I was able to secure floor tickets not *too* far from the stage! As a believer in karma, I’m still wondering what I did to be able to make that happen!

The days leading up to the concert were hard to get through. My stomach would do one somersault after another. “This is happening!” I thought. “Holy shit! Audrey and I are going to see QUEEN!” followed by, “The tickets you got must be fake! Audrey’s going to come all this way only for you both to have the stadium doors slammed in your face! She’ll never forgive you! The gig will be canceled, everything will go to shit!”

The tickets were fine and everything else was fine!

The first time I heard Procession felt like I was hearing music for the first time in my life all over again. I loved picking up the subtle sounds on Queen II on my headphones (cranked up to full volume, because the 1992 CD releases were lacking compared to the 2011 CD releases). Every single note of every guitar part in Procession was so ominous and sad and triumphant and glorious! Somber, but building to something greater than myself! So hearing the drum pound in the taped intro in TD Garden in 2014, surrounded by other Queen fans, feeling the electricity build, brought out that response. The guitar parts came in, and it was like I was back in that moment listening to Queen II for the very first time. Except it didn’t sound ominous this time! I spent years watching concert videos and listening to CDs, hearing crowds get excited and knowing precisely why they were excited - but to actually be there! To be in it! To feel your pulse ramp up and synch with everyone else’s! The fact that I was sharing this with Audrey especially! There really is no comparison between that and any of their concert videos!

Only after Now I’m Here did my brain suddenly process that I was seeing Roger Taylor on drums (along with his son, Rufus), Brian May playing guitar - HIS guitar! The Red Special! The most perfect and amazing guitar that will ever be! Neil Fairclough doing John Deacon justice! And Adam Lambert as front man! He had finally come into it! I’d seen other videos of him performing with Queen, and he was lacking as a showman. Until I’d heard other people gush about earlier concerts in the tour, I was worried he’d fall flat again. But he was perfect! He brought himself to the stage, owned it, and - maybe inadvertently - filled in some of the gaps where Paul Rodgers couldn’t! Champions Of The World was a great concert, but that was it. It was a concert. This was a show! Queen is supposed to be big lights, big sounds - completely overwhelming in the best way! I kept watching Adam and thinking of how Freddie must be positively BEAMING with joy from wherever he is! I wonder if that’s how the band felt when John Deacon auditioned for them back in the day? Like Audrey said, “Adam just fit!”

I did the Radio Ga Ga clap when I saw Queen Extravaganza in 2011, and I thought that would be as close as I’d get to the real thing. It was fun, but the connection doesn’t compare when doing it with the greatest band in the universe (obviously). I felt a sense of purpose, and finally truly understood what people meant when they said that Queen could connect with even the person furthest from the stage (still, I’m glad I got us good seats!). I revisited that sense of finally belonging on first entering the QFC chat room all those years ago.

Bohemian Rhapsody felt like I had come full circle. This was the first Queen song I fell head over heels in love with, and the only way it could have been more perfect is if Freddie were still alive and performing it! Hearing Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time at the age of six had brought me to this moment, and my entire journey as a Queen fan came bubbling up through the course of the taped operatic section. The lights, the video on the screen, flashes of my childhood playing in my mind not unlike the video footage playing during These Are The Days Of Our Lives, the sounds, the stadium filled with people, the camaraderie, my friends a few seats down in the next row, my counterpart right by my side! It was like feeling every ounce of joy from hearing every Queen and Freddie song for the very first time all at once. Like how I felt when I listened to the Made In Heaven album and heard Freddie sing his ass off on It’s A Beautiful Day.

It was fucking amazing, is what I’m getting at.

After the show, Audrey and I watched VH1 Legends. Brian said (and I’m going to paraphrase) that Queen wanted to leave their audiences “deafened, blinded, completely emotionally drained - and totally wanting more!” We looked at each other and exclaimed hoarsely, “THAT’S HOW WE FEEL!!!”

As I write this, I’m still feeling the aftershock from the show. My voice took a few days to recover, and I have moments where I start to tear up because this was such a huge deal for me in so many ways. I go through Youtube videos of the Boston show, and it’s like I’m there again. I look at the pictures I took and stare in amazement because, “Holy shit! These are pictures of Queen! That I took! At one of their concerts!”

I still can’t find all the words to describe what Queen and Freddie mean to me, and how much this concert means to me. Eventually, I’ll stop trying. Because really, you either get it or you don’t. And those who get it know that there are multiple intricate layers, subtle notes, bits and pieces that will be missed the first time around, revitalized joy when you drop everything, look at any part of your Queen collection, and let it hit you all over again just how much you love this band.

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Actually talking about Queen in Boston

Okay! Now that I've regained the ability to think beyond, "OMG THAT TOTALLY HAPPENED!!!!"...

I met my counterpart Audrey at the bus terminal in South Station. I'm really glad I (strongly) suggested that she aim for getting in around 2:30 in case of delays, because that happens all the time. I guess New York City traffic was to blame for her getting in a bit after 3:00, which does but doesn't surprise me. I was so sure Boston would be the clusterfuck it always is.

Thankfully there was still time to get back to my place, drop off her things, and take a breath before heading to North Station. We were meeting Allison (who was wearing the shirt she got from their 1982 Boston concert), Amanda, and their friend Sarah for an early dinner at Boston Beer Works. Before we got there, Audrey and I noticed one of the tour trucks, and we both screamed and began taking pictures. And then other people started stopping for pictures as well. Audrey and I are trend setters! Once at the restaurant, and after intros were done, we got down to business and talked about Queen (duh) and how it seems now that their collaboration with Paul Rodgers has since become something they just don't want to acknowledge if they can help it - like a super embarrassing prom picture. Considering The Cosmos Rocks didn't do as great as we'd all hoped it would, and Live In Ukraine was... well, total shit, it's not too surprising that that would be their reaction.

We would also occasionally bond with passers-by rocking some sweet Queen and Freddie shirts. Turns out the shirt you see me in all the time is really popular!

The doors were opening at 6:30, and Boston Beer Works was within super easy walking distance to TD Garden, so we maybe got there at about 6:45-6:50(?). I swear you could feel the anticipation all the way from the restaurant, so of course it was massively amplified just outside the stadium! We saw Queen fans of various ages walking by and posing in front of one of the promo signs. So of course Audrey and I had to do that as well, because I don't think it would have occurred to me otherwise.

I'd never gone to North Station except for commuting purposes before this, so the construction going on was not making getting to the stadium any less confusing. This also gave my brain time to fill me with dread. "I bet those tickets you got on Stubhub are fake! Some asshole must have fabricated them! TD Garden's layout for stadium concerts says section B only has seven rows, and the tickets say 'row 24'! Etc, etc."

Anxiety disorders suck.

Anyway, There was supposed to be a parting of the ways. Allison's, Amanda's, and Sarah's seats were in the balcony, while Audrey and I had the floor. THANKFULLY the tickets I scored were legit, and we were directed to our seats. And because of the construction, Allison, Amanda, and Sarah got to be moved to the floor as well! They were one row and a number of seats down from us! We were planning on having them move next to us if our row didn't fill up. But it did. Oh well.

The concert was delayed for 45 minutes for reasons I don't know, so this gave Audrey and I time to take it all in and get more pictures (you can see them in my previous post). We even helped a few people who were failing to get decent selfies, because yay human kindness!

Gradually, the ending instrumental from Made In Heaven faded in to let the crowd know that 15 minutes or so from now, shit was going to get real. The time for fucking around was over! At random points, as the stadium continued to fill with people, and as we saw the movement of the crew behind the curtain, we'd all cheer! They do deserve praise for the work they put in, you know! The energy was building just enough to be exciting, but not abruptly so, so it was easy to just ride and enjoy it. And every minute that ticked by was one getting me that much closer to my dream! Finally! The concert started at 8:15! I heard the bass drum and proceeded to lose my shit that they were using Procession as their taped intro! BECAUSE HOW PERFECT IS THAT?! This was also the first instance I screamed too loud and too hard.

Setlists have been posted on Twitter and Facebook since the start of the tour, but I only ever glanced at them because I wanted to be surprised. While the curtain was still up, Procession transitioned to Now I'm Here. It wasn't until Adam started singing that there was zero doubt in my mind about anything anymore. I was really worried based on other performances I'd seen on video where Adam sounded great, but didn't have his footing. But throughout the tour, people kept saying that the concerts were amazing, and as the curtain fell, and hands went up, I knew he had gotten it together.

I honestly think that Adam Lambert has developed into the perfect fit for Queen frontman. He wasn't trying at all to be like Freddie. Like Paul Rodgers, he brought only himself to the table, and there were points where he was right along with the rest of us, staring admiringly, enjoying the show, and getting excited about the most amazing band in the universe. I think it makes a difference, too, that he's a Queen fan that's not a rock veteran. Like me, his introduction to Queen was watching Wayne's World in 1992. There was absolutely no point in the show where he seemed not to think it was a huge deal what he was doing. And he also happened to be massively engaging, armed with a voice that didn't falter. Much like his prettiness, it defies logic.

Seriously. Pictures and videos really don't capture how gorgeous he is. Like, if Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who/Torchwood had a lovechild with Freddie, that lovechild would look like Adam Lambert!

Anyway! There was a hitch for me during Love Of My Life. There was a guy behind me who had been spouting some Queen trivia to his concertmate off and on, and with my processing difficulties, he was just loud enough at this point that I literally could not hear anything else. I turned around and told him to shut up, but I couldn't get into what was happening. Love Of My Life is supposed to be this amazing and intimate moment we share with Brian and Freddie, and - just like when watching concert videos - I was on the outside looking in (except I couldn't hear a lot of it!). I honestly feel like I let Brian and Freddie down, and I will probably never forgive that guy.

He started up again during Last Horizon, telling his concertmate, "I think this was on The Miracle..." It took everything I had not to tell him how wrong he was. Because seriously?????!!!!!

But the rest of the show continued to be amazing. The times Freddie came on the screen was nothing like watching the DVDs at home. Obviously, it was video, but it was sort of like getting to see him on stage, too. I can't explain it properly.

The band was pressed for time, so they couldn't perform The Show Must Go On. It would have been awesome if there was time, but Audrey and I - at least - didn't feel like the set was lacking during the show.

Despite their living on the North Shore, Amanda and Allison gave Audrey and I a ride back to my apartment. It was nice to keep the momentum going while not having to deal with public transportation. We sang along to Play The Game and Princes Of The Universe :-)

I plugged my camera into my desktop computer to import the pictures I took. I was sure I took maybe 100 at most, so imagine my surprise that it was 505! I glanced at them to get a general idea of what was good enough to be posted online while Audrey looked through my Queen stuff. It was really nice getting to appreciate those things with her in person (which obviously means I should have Queen fans over more often)!

Audrey and I ordered a pizza and popped in disc 2 of Greatest Video Hits 2 to watch the One Vision documentary, followed by going on Youtube via my Roku box to watch VH1 Legends. This was special to us because it was the first thing the both of us had to look forward to as die-hard Queen fans. We finally crashed around 2am!

Before taking the bus back to New York, I brought Audrey to a hole-in-the-wall record shop near Harvard Square. The only Queen stuff we could find were two copies of A Night At The Opera on vinyl for $20 each, which I think is too expensive. But I did find a copy of Greatest Hits III on CD for $4. I'm slowly coming to terms with most likely never getting my stuff that's still at my father's house, so I'm rebuilding those parts of my collection where I can. I also got a CD copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico, and the soundtrack to the film, Magnolia, because Aimee Mann is awesome.

Audrey managed to get a good haul of stuff on vinyl - including some records she got for her sister. Then we walked to Harvard Square to see if we could get her a copy of July's Rolling Stone for the awesome Queen article. Apparently Out Of Town News no longer carries Rolling Stone, but they now have Classic Rock. Dammit.

I'm glad that this was able to happen! To say the least! I would do this again and again in a heartbeat! This wouldn't be possible if Stubhub didn't exist. Some guy named Steven Radchenko originally bought the tickets I got, so thanks Steven!

Queen + Adam Lambert in Boston

YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DID THAT REALLY FOR SERIOUS REALLY HAPPEN????????????

Bonus cell phone picture:

YES IT MOST DEFINITELY DID HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also! To the guy behind me who insisted on spouting (wrong) trivia to his concertmate during Love Of My Life: Fuck you. You ruined for me what was supposed to be a beautiful moment. Seriously, Fuck. You. I think I may literally hate you, and I am not at all exaggerating. I'm proud of me for restraining myself enough to simply say, "Shut up! I'm trying to hear!" WHO THE FUCK TALKS DURING LOVE OF MY LIFE??!!

(ETA - I have difficulties with audio processing. The guy was loud enough that I couldn't ignore him, and I literally could not hear Brian at all until that jackass shut up)

And a fun bonus conversation between me and a Freddie purist:

Him: We All know u saw Queen with Adam lamturd

Me: No, sweetie. It's spelled "Lambert", and he did a fucking good job. If you don't want to know that, then cool, but there's no need to rain on other people's parades. I know you're only 19, but grow the fuck up.

Him: Don't fucking call me sweetie where men [Audrey thinks he might have meant to say "we're"] ... U hear me ... Besides take s joke

Here's why that shit's not funny: First, it's immature as all fuck. Second, claiming to be joking in an effort to backpeddle and cover one's ass doesn't erase the fact that what was said was not a joke. Freddie purists are relentlessly aggressive toward anyone who sings Queen and isn't Freddie. "Hostile" and "joking" are not synonymous.

'Cause I'm only left with my own jealousy

So my friend Julieta (hola/hi!) gave me permission to share a link describing an AMAZING couple of days! I don't think I've simultaneously adored and hated someone since the first time my counterpart met Brian May! I actually sat stunned for several minutes looking at the picture of Julieta HOLDING THE RED SPECIAL!!! LIKE, THAT'S THE GUITAR YOU HEAR ON QUEEN II OMG!!! And that's just ONE highlight! Her entry is in Spanish, with an English version below that. Read it. Enjoy it. Know that she's better than you in every single way :-)

Julieta's post - Brian May: White King

Julieta, me alegra que hayas tenido un tiempo increible!

October 21, 2013

You can listen to this while you read about my adventure, if you feel so inclined :-)

(ETA - Lou Reed passed away on October 27, 2013. RIP)

OMG, YOU GUYS!!! YOU GUYS, OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!

You guys!!!

AAAAAAHHHH!!!!!

Okay, okay. I think I'm good now. ... Maybe? ... Yeah, I'm good!

So yesterday, I got to meet my counterpart for the first time! Because it always needs to be emphasized - we've been talking to each other online (and occasionally on the phone) since 1998. You'd think we'd find time to hang out since I moved to Boston, because it's so much closer to NYC than the flat lands outside of Chicago. But it just couldn't seem to happen until yesterday!

Due to circumstances outside of anyone's control, I could only stay for the day, but I honestly didn't care at all. There will be other times to be a tourist, but yesterday I had a mission! I got into NYC around 3:30pm and finally met Audrey around 4:00! We hugged for a couple minutes and I gave her her present - burned DVDs of Magic Years vols. 1-3. The event wasn't starting until 7:00, so we decided to get food before heading over to the bookstore. I cannot describe how awesome it was to be sitting with her and talking about Queen and Freddie! I have a good time doing that with pretty much anybody, but this was special, dammit! 12 year-old me would have been just as excited as I was!

We tried to see if we could buy the book before getting in line, but one of the people on staff said that we could, and then someone else said we couldn't, so we just waited in line. It was fun and interesting meeting people Audrey knew from the times she went to Breakthru 2001 and '02 - including her friend Gareth, and meeting other hardcore fans. Also, quick aside, everyone I've encountered in the city has been kind, funny, and courteous. Boston has its share of great people, but then there are the assholes who will shove past you on the T (subway system) even though it's the last stop on the train, roll their eyes when a pregnant person asks for a seat on the bus, etc. But we all come together in our hatred for students when they're coming in from other parts of the country to go to school (because it's totally smart to stop in the middle of a cross-walk on a busy street in Harvard (Hahvahd!) Square to take a group photo or consult your map for directions). But I digress.

Thankfully, the line wasn't too long when we got there, because I didn't want to have to miss out on this part of my mission due to lack of space in the room. At one point, we saw that Brian had entered the store, and Audrey pointed to the window where I could only see the top of his hair. I. Was. Dumbstruck. I couldn't make words for maybe a whole minute. Audrey laughed at me, so I picked on her. "Oh, you've met Brian a couple times before, so now you're pretty much over it?"

Eventually, we were escorted to an elevator to go to the Rare Book Room to buy books and watch the presentation. I cringed shelling out $60 for it, but it came with Brian's Owl stereoscopic viewer, and he and the other authors were going to sign it, so it was worth it. I don't have a problem living off of especially cheap food for a little while!

We were given 3-D glasses for the presentation, which was fun. I didn't know quite what to expect, but the pictures shown and explained were stunning! I couldn't help but think that some of them could have been contenders for the cover of Innuendo. And hearing all the authors talking about this particular passion and throwing in some Queen references and puns made it very entertaining for me. Near the end, I started getting a headache, so I had to take off the 3-D glasses, but that didn't make me appreciate the craft that goes into stereoscopic photography any less.

And here's a shot with the zoom, just in case my phone didn't capture the awesome.

Finally we got to get our stuff signed! I had brought a Gunpowder Gelatine flier, but I wasn't totally sure if he'd be willing to sign it. He did, though, so the band is going to have to figure out some sort of time-share arrangement amongst themselves ;-) I also got to give him my hand-written letter (I thought about typing it up to post here, but I like it better that it's an interaction just between me and Brian. I let Audrey read it though, but she's entitled to that sort of treatment). It's nothing creepy, though! I promise! It was basically just thanking him for being such a presence in my life, and also thanking him for his non-Queen-related endeavors, because it probably really sucks for him to take the spotlight away from others who've had equal contribution in something he's done. He saw Audrey standing behind me to take pictures, and I explained that she and I first met in the fan club chatroom, and had met in person after 15 years. You guys, he said that that was amazing!!! BRIAN MAY THINKS WE'RE AMAZING!!!

I asked if I could get a picture with all of the authors, thinking that the bookstore staff would yell at me to move it the hell along, but everyone happily complied! And I got next to Brian and crouched down, and suddenly I felt his hand pat my shoulder! YOU GUYS!!!!!

And here's Gunpowder Gelatine's flier. I think he initially thought it was a promo for A Day At The Races, but at second glance, Brian did a, "Oh, cool!" face, so I hope that means he'll get really curious and check them out on Youtube later. Because how awesome would that be??? I'm going to give them the flier at their Halloween concert, and I'm really excited that I got to do something so cool for them!

Afterwards, Audrey and I hung out outside with some other fans and chatted, hoping to catch Brian on his way out. There was one person we bonded with, whose name I sadly can't remember right now (her name is Tracey! Hi, Tracey!), but Audrey and I got a picture with them, and I asked permission to post it later. So here it is!

Their hand-painted jacket (which took two years for her to paint, if I remember correctly) got the attention of a passer-by, and so this stranger got to join in the bonding and conversation. Brian wound up sneaking out the side door (well played, sir!), and Audrey and I made the trek back to my bus stop. I got to look at Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building, ride a couple stops on the subway, and share a bit of a pretzel with Audrey along the way. Oh well. I spent the next four hours on Mega Bus posting pictures on Facebook (yay for smart phones!) and asking myself if that all really did just happen. But it did! I couldn't make this up if I tried!

OCTOBER IS AWESOME!!!

Things to do tomorrow(!!!!):

11am - take the bus from Boston to NYC.
3:30pm - arrive in NYC and meet my counterpart/Queen soulmate/fellow Mercury Guru, Audrey, for the first time (she's, uh, kind of a badass), try not to cry.
7pm - meet Brian May, get his autograph, buy his book, try not to cry.
11pm - take the bus from NYC back to Boston.
3:30am - take a cab home because Boston's public transportation does not run 24/7. Count my blessings that I'll be missing Red Sox traffic (Go, Sox!)
4am - either stay up due to the excitement of the day, or pass out in my bed. Still haven't decided.

I can make no promises, but I'll be bringing a Gunpowder Gelatine flier that I'm hoping Brian will sign, and a button-down shirt my friend Toni gave me, so it will be like they're experiencing this magical day with me. And a hand-written letter for Brian, in case I won't be able to actually speak to him due to crying or whatever. I'm also still trying to figure out how to work Taylor's Fred-A-Thon smoothly into our conversation, per his request!

And then...

Halloween night, I'll be back at Johnny D's to see Gunpowder Gelatine! WAY too much to look forward to this month!

The Great Pretender

I just got a package from my counterpart! She sent me the book/DVD combo of The Great Pretender! Well, the book has a bonus interview CD. I'm SO excited!!!

Audrey's note reads, "with love always! audrey mercury XOXOX"

My favorite part that just barely surpasses the AWESOME of these gifts is that I actually had to switch my books with my random stuff to fit the Great Pretender book. I can't wait to watch the DVD :-)

THANK YOU again, Audrey! You'll be getting a present soon!!!

That Guy's origin story

One of my earliest memories - not the earliest, but pretty early - was watching MTV with one of my much older cousins. The video for Another One Bites The Dust came on (at one time, MTV was not the cesspit that it currently is, and was pretty exclusively all about music), and this was probably 1989/90. This memory is patchy but I distinctly remember seeing Freddie on TV.

Then in 1992, I saw the movie Wayne's World, and my life was changed for the better. Seriously, if Mike Myers or Dana Carvey ever read this: thank you for helping create what's probably the most significant moment of my life. It was unapologetic love at first listen! I'm sure at one point my family found it endearing, their youngest child listening so attentively when those words poured in from my mother's stereo speakers before finally singing all the wrong words with unbridled passion.

Having been brought up on classic rock and heavy metal, I wasn't too aware of what music was actually trendy when I counted my age in the single digits. My musical diet ranged at that point from Metallica to Elton John to what grunge came on the radio to Counting Crows, Melissa Etheridge, Madonna, and Alanis Morrisette. Queen came on the radio, and my parents wouldn't ever switch the station, but until I took notice of them, they were just background noise.

By age 11, it was apparently really uncool to listen to classic rock. My friends had all been getting into the Spice Girls, Selena, and whoever the hell else by the time I'd finally gotten a cassette tape player of my own (these things that came before CDs and MP3s) and got to pick from my parents older tapes. I picked Appetite For Destruction by Guns N Roses, Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy, and Queen's Greatest Hits. I almost skipped over that because I'd never heard the name before, but then I saw that they were the ones who had done We Will Rock You and Another One Bites The Dust, so I absently put it in the pile. Then my mom told me that that tape had what I called "The Wayne's World Song" on it. For some reason, though, she didn't know the name of it (it was written on the tape) so it was up to me to play the whole tape through until I found it.

This was the US cassette release, so it had Keep Yourself Alive and Under Pressure on it as well. Anyway! Bohemian Rhapsody played immediately after the last note in Another One Bites The Dust and I was beside myself with joy. Very soon after that, I decided that Queen was my favorite band ever. Even if that wasn't cool.

Sadly, the tape suffered a tragic and painful death many months later by getting so horribly eaten that the only way to get it out was to rip the film apart. It was hard to cope with the loss until on my tenth birthday that a friend gave me Classic and News Of The World on CD. She was also a Queen fan, but not so much as me. But we bonded anyway as we learned who each band member was and who wrote which songs.

In September 1998 on a Sunday, a former family friend drove me and my mother two hours away to try to meet Brian May at a Guitar Center and get his autograph. That same former friend had also given me his old Queen polo shirt (official fan club merch, folks!!!). Sadly, I did not get Brian's autograph, but I did get to see him in person, and that was pretty fantastic!

Also in 1998, I met my counterpart online. I entered the QFC chatroom and we immediately bonded over Freddie. Finally I had someone on my level! You have to understand that the internet then wasn't what it is today. This was back when dial-up was the norm and DSL was becoming a thing. It's not like today where you can find Queen fans everywhere. You used to have to go to Queen-specific sites and hope that that person's email address was valid and that someone in your house didn't accidentally pick up the phone because that would kill your internet connection. ... That year I also learned that numbers like 10-10-220 dialed before a phone number didn't actually do shit to lessen the long distance phone bill... Kids, be glad Skype and text messaging exist!!

Since then, my collection and knowledge has continued to expand, and I've settled down a little bit. Unless I'm talking to Audrey, in which case I feel like we're both 12 again and being super excited for the premiere of VH1 Legends Presents: Queen (because Youtube and the like didn't exist) - only now we're losing our shit in anticipation of the Days Of Our Lives documentary coming to DVD and blu-ray.

I felt compelled to write this because Audrey got her story published in Bohemian Rhapsodies (click here for her story in all it's fabulous and unedited glory) and I missed the submission deadline.

All branching out and shit

I was worried that someone would steal this blog name and use it on Tumblr, so I beat them to the punch!

Yes! I made a Tumblr account that will lure people here. Hubris, yo! Fuckin' hubris!



There can be only one! Also... fuck Adrian Paul!

And HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COUNTERPART AND MERCURY GURU NUMERO UNO!

Here, have a Freddie!


He's like, "Yeah, yeah. Happy birthday, dear. Is it time for cake yet??"

Okay, that's actually me.

Life goes on and on and on

I meant to do a post on the 9th about Queen's last concert performance with Freddie 25 years ago, but so much shit has been going on for me and the only thing I've managed to keep on top of is listening to Adele (who is amazing and gorgeous and OM fucking G!! Yay for hot musicians who don't weigh less than 100 pounds!) and angsting out on Livejournal. Sorry about that.

Anyway. I've also been on the hunt for the perfect birthday card for my counterpart because her birthday is TOMORROW!! and she's turning 25 TOMORROW!! (we met when we were 12) and Hallmark doesn't fucking make cards for Queen soulmates! She once told me that I should sing Happy Birthday to her Freddie-style. She got so spoiled from that one time Gregory Finsley sang to her and I cannot compete with that!

So Audrey, if you're reading: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! You are wonderful and I'm super grateful to have you in the world and obsess over Queen with me!



Cheers!

Friends will be friends

When I was 12 years old, my mother made the mistake of showing me the internet where I'd discover the Official International Queen Fanclub site. It doesn't exist anymore, but there used to be a chat room where I started making friends. It was my very first sense of community.

It was a place where you could be a kid and/or a new Queen fan and you were welcomed with open arms, as opposed to nowadays where one is typically greeted on forums like, "You posted in the wrong fucking thread, you dumbass!" or, "Why the hell would you ask such a dumb question?"

And yes, to this day I still miss the people from that room. But I've recently got back in touch with one of them! We clicked ridiculously well. We'd call frequently in the days before cell phones (can you say $70 phone bill??) and mostly sing together and pretend to put on concerts, write really terrible (my contributions, not hers) fan fiction, obsess over Freddie, etc. It was fucking sick.

We eventually started calling ourselves The Mercury Gurus because... well, I don't know. You can't spend hours talking about Queen and singing Queen and jacking up phone bills thanks to long-distance calls and dial-up internet without giving us a name.

And then for a while we lost touch. But being a fucking stalker, I Googled her name and found her contact info! And then we had an intense and wonderful conversation scarily similar to what I described above, where she eventually said something like, "By the way, it feels SO GOOD to talk to somebody else about Queen on this level!!!"

We both had friends in real life, but they weren't hardcore about Queen like we were ("WE'RE ELITE!" - her words) My counterpart is also super badass because she won the 2001 mime contest at Breakthru using a rolled up Back To The Light poster as a Freddie mic :-D

However, I'm really fucking jealous of her. She fucking met Brian May! (she's in the middle) And ever since then I can't see pictures or videos including Brian without uttering a good "Fuck you, counterpart!" ... But I say that with love. She knows that. Or at least she does now :-)

Oh, and she recommends this.