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RULES (updated 01/22/25)
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I've seen Ron White live on stage. Not really much to say there we didn't meet but I was in the same room as him physically. π€·π»ββοΈ
I've shaken Arnold Swarrzenegged's hand when he was governor of California. Wasn't a very long thing, I just happened to be somewhere he coincidentally was doing a rally nearby, and when I saw him shaking hands with people, I went over to join. He was shorter than I expected; I was an inch or two taller (I was, and still am, 6'6'').
Met Laura Jane Grace after a show once. She was chill
For a few years of my life I had a standing happy hour at a bar in the building I worked in. I was out sipping a beer with my friends, and the trailer park boys walked in!
I'm a huge fan so I was starstruck. Eventually I worked up the nerve to say hello, and they were delightful and funny. Got a quick picture, wished them luck on their show, and I went back to leaving them be. 10/10, would bother again.
Cheech Marin at an art show/book signing. He was every bit as affable as I had hoped.
Back in the 90s, I worked for a major record company, and met a LOT of incredibly famous musicians. Most were cool, some were dicks, and some were really really nice.
One of my favorites was Lindsey Buckingham, who has a prickly reputation. After he sang three songs in our conference room with his acoustic guitar (amazing!), he sat to sign autographs for us. I got to him, and said "Lindsey, I meet a lot of people and I never get star struck, but you've been one of my guitar idols forever, and I really am pleased to meet you." He had been going through the motions, but at that he gave me a big genuine smile, and said, "Thats really kind of you, man, you want to take a picture?" He hadn't taken a pic with anyone else.
Of course I said yes, and sat next to him. He threw his arm around me, and I have cherished that photo, with both of us with big wide grins, ever since.
I've always heard he was a real asshole, but he was nothing but genuinely really cool to me in the 3 minutes we interacted.
Met G.W. Bailey once at a Houston, won a meet and greet with Charles Martinet and got harassed by a drunken Amy Winehouse in Camden.
That's about it.
Probably the most famous person I've seen in person close up is Steve from Gamers Nexus. He's in my area and I saw him in a bakery I was at once. I didn't speak to him though, didn't want to cause a scene or take up too much of his time, though thinking about it I'm sure he would have been stoked to have a fan say hi. Whoops!
Some bands when I was young (it used to be much easier to sneak backstage) U2, Warren Zevon, Rush, Tom Petty, all were nice.
Some bands before they were famous, Nirvana came here in their little white van to play at a club and I bought a shirt from them. Would have asked them to sign it if I'd had any idea they would get popular.
Once I was literally being frisked against a wall when the British punk band GBH walked by and they yelled shit at the cops, and encouragement at me, which was an experience that made me question the nature of reality. It was surreal. I didn't meet them, but it certainly made an impression.
One politician, our governor at the time Bob Martinez, when he was working at a restaurant. He looked so fake.
I think all people are just people, basically. Musician, actor, politician, those are just jobs.
I made a big famous dude cry. I sat next to another famous dude and giggled with him at his performance. I once ran into the man I fantasized as The Gunslinger and said nothing.