Premier Rock Forum

I am not sure if this thread already exists; nevertheless here it comes:

Tell us about your most memorable brush with celebrity!

And to start it off:

I used to work in an "antique" store on Toronto's Queen Street. In walks Gretchen Mol and, licketysplit, I sold her a 1920s three piece living room set for 1400 bucks Canadian (= 10 bucks US = 1 Euro). Yeah, she is in a lot of crap movies but she is quite nice and, ahem, pretty good looking. The next day she came back with her mum. I almost asked her out for a coffee. The mum that is.

Tip: If you like to brush with celebrity and have not been succesful yet, go to a Mike Watt concert and offer him and his band to come over to your place and crash there. I bet it will work.

Alright, I have one, and the subject is fitting for this particular board.

Ummm, yeah, so I'm a total Shellac fanboy. I admit it. If I ever sat down to talk to anyone in the band, they'd probably break up the next day out of embarassment for having fans like me. So there's your story preface.

I'll set the scene: Chicago, January of 2000. I make the trip up from Louisville to see the Shellac show on closing weekend of the Lounge Ax. My girlfriend is originally from Chicago, so even though she's not completely jazzed about the show, she's up for visiting her hometown and joins me. So all afternoon, whenever she sees some skinny white guy with glasses, she starts pointing and exclaiming hysterically "Honey! Honey! There's Steve Albini!!" and is completely convinced that this is the most amazing game ever. Doesn't matter where we are -- gas station, museum, wherever-- Uncle Steve is apparently everywhere.

So of course later at the show, she's still at it, except this time it's the real Steve, and she realizes it. So now she's even more excited than before. And there's poor Steve, in his trusty gray jumpsuit looking at me with a confused "Um, can I help you?" look on his face. So I did what any sane person would do-- flashed a nervous smile, looked at the floor, and slivered out of sight.

frank black :

chicago metro, a friend's band was opening for frank black and the catholics, and i recorded their set. i had my gear all set up on the balcony upstairs, recorded their set, all was well. i then popped backstage (having the pass) and saw frank talking to some guy. i said "excuse me, frank, can i ask you a question?" which was going to be "i'm all set up to record, would you like me to record your show for you for free?" but i didn't even get to ask, because he said, disgustedly, "No." and the guy he was with said "get outta here!". which of course i did, since really i was being intrusive by trying to speak to him. i understand he may have been busy and/or upset about being such a jerk and being way less popular than Kim, probably having a tiny penis etc, but still, there's no need to be so rude.

other brushes with folks i consider to be in the "famous" category include Ian, Guy, and Jerry from Fugazi (all on separate occasions), Cynthia Plastercaster, Bob Mould, Steve Hansgen, Michael Dahlquist, and Chris Brokaw. i would love to tell stories about all of them, but alas i think i probably already exude poor-taste more than is good for me enough as it is. and really i just wanted to list them to make myself look cool (all the while knowing it will do the opposite, sigh) and potentially get Michael to be like "who the hell are you?"

But yes, jerkass Frank Black is the probably the most emotionally memorable for me, since he's the only one who was a real bastard and everyone else ranged from very nice and friendly to unbelievably nice and friendly.

I think it's so funny that some of us can get so excited about meeting famous people, and then there's other folks here who actually *are* celebrities. i wonder what percent of celebrities get excited about brushes with other celebrities? or does it all become "meh"?

ps - has anyone here met both yngwie and frank black, who might offer an informed opinion about which of them is a bigger bastard?

I too have had a random encounter with Mr. Dahlquist (a true gentleman, he responded to a conversation thrust on him when he was probably just taking a smoke break from work or something). I've also met a number of people at shows, but my favorite story is this one:

In 1994, in the midst of a huge snowstorm, I made my way on foot to see John Zorn's Cobra project at (really) a local synagogue. At some point during The Ex's opening set, I slipped out to the men's room. I left the restroom, turned a corner, and there's John Zorn. He sez, "Izzat the can?" I sez, "Yeah." He sez "Ex-cellent!" and goes in.

So that's my "I met John Zorn" story, which I like primarily for its mundanity, as well as for the tone of his voice.

One time I was at a Bulls game on Mother's day and when Michael Jordan ran out of the locker room, he gave me a high five.

Back in college I took a piss next to the singer of Blur at a Pavement show. I told my ladyfriends about it and they all asked me the same question which I was unable to answer because I had not looked at his weiner.

-Chas.

I met Hulk Hogan at O'Hare when I was four years old. The one thing I vividly remember about the encounter is being utterly terrified (due to his size).

-Also-

My last band opened for the Blamed, and I got to talk to them after the show. Not that this encounter would necessarily be a brush with celebrities, but they're one of my favorite bands, and I nearly shat my pants.

I once met Steve Albini (of Big Black, Rapeman, Shellac fame) at the old Wax Trax back in ‘91. I was looking though the Thrill Kill Cult section (who wasn’t?!) when I over heard the guys behind the counter saying that the guy that just walked in was Steve Albini. I was in awe, although he seemed much more heavy set than I had thought, actually pretty tubby and very short with long, stringy hair and a mustache and a few spider web looking tattoos on his forearms. Not at all what I thought he was going to look like. Anyway, I approached him and we talked for a few minutes on the state of music, how we both really loved the Thrill Kill Cult, and really just chitchat. He then asked if he could barrow some money from me as he was a little low. I knew he was good for it being Steve Albini and all so I was happy to give him the $60 I had in my pocket and a check made out to ‘cash’ for another $150 and away he went. It was a really exciting day for me.

Does anyone know how to get a hold of him?

ps - has anyone here met both yngwie and frank black, who might offer an informed opinion about which of them is a bigger bastard?

Onion Headline:

Yngwie Malmsteen Officially Changes Middle Name to "Fucking"

"I think it's so funny that some of us can get so excited about meeting famous people, and then there's other folks here who actually *are* celebrities. i wonder what percent of celebrities get excited about brushes with other celebrities? or does it all become "meh"?"

Good point! I guess meeting someone "famous" is interesting because it allows you to make a decision if you want to keep on listening to that celebs records or not. I decided to keep on listening to Mike Watt's projects because he is indeed a really nice guy as I found out during an e-mail interview that I conducted for a fanzine here in Toronto. At the same time after attempting an interview with a beefy tatooed guy who used to sing for Black Flag I have changed my opinion about him and now think he is a complete asshole.