Now normally I might just leave it there. I mean it's been two weeks since I've posted a blog but really "if you're in, no explanation is necessary and if you're not, no explanation will suffice." Those words of wisdom coming from my buddy
Butch Rosser. Except I'm not just using these words to explain
Keith and The Girl. I'm using them to explain
Brother Love and his KATG/BroLo army this weekend.
OK the best I can do is to do this from memory. A lot went down and I wasn't there for all of it. I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting more than I'm remembering but really with the amount of stuff I'm about to shove down your throat you might just begin to understand the severity of the situation and why words simply will not suffice.
Friday we (we being Butch, Victoria and I) headed up to Ontario for the 2007 Portable & New Media Expo. I'll hold back my criticisms (and there are many) because I got a free pass instead of buying into the seminars. For this alone all I can say is the hall exhibits were rather scarce. This is a growing media though so that's allowed I think.
We spoke to a few folks at Odeo who promised a re-launch of the site to come in Decemberish 2007. There was talk of taking the site in a new direction and build it using feedback from podcasters and listeners with the emphasis on building a "community". Looking forward to seeing just how that comes about. This was the beginning of Butch as our sort of unofficial marketing/business/PR man.
I didn't notice a lot of well known podcasters but then I really didn't look that well. We didn't pay much attention to the exhibitors even. Totally blew off the hall so whatever criticisms I'd have of it really is my fault but then we weren't really there looking to buy into anything but perhaps it would have helped PRwise if we'd at least talked to a few people.
We headed out to In-N-Out at 3pm to meet up with
Dawn & Drew and hang for a bit. I hung with them last year when they threw a big bash and since they were only here because Podshow kinda asked them to, they weren't throwing any parties and being the sweet people they are, I wanted to be sure to see them and say hi before they headed back to Wisconsin. So we hugged, said hi, chatted for a few moments and then sat down to separately enjoy our meals.
At 4pm we headed back over to the Convention Center for the awards show. We walked into Hall B and promptly walked into
Erichour. Then we saw all the KATG stickers, bumper stickers, buttons and Brother Love stickers. THEN...we saw then man...the myth...the legend. Brother Love himself in the flesh. Now in all seriousness I'd seen him last year but didn't really know who he was. This last year through KATG and his
first album, I've gotten a good feel for him and some of what he's about. This weekend I'd get more.
So we hugged and introduced ourselves to Brother Love (or Larry as he is sometimes known) and to a few of the other KATG contingency that was there. Victoria and Butch put KATG stickers on their foreheads and got a bit of media attention for it. It will be interesting to see where that video ends up. We sort of hung around, got to know each other a little (more like feeling each other out) and waited for the awards ceremony to start which it promptly did.
About 5 or 6 shows in they called us up for KATG winning Best Mature Podcast. So Brother Love brought us all up to join him on stage and accept the award. Brother Love said the prayer from the stage (each KATG episode starts with a prayer) and then he handed the mic to Butch and Butch rocked the house with a GREAT speech. Short and to the point.
So we ran back to the table all excited but still on edge. You see Keith and The Girl were also nominated for the People's Choice Award for Best Podcast overall. This was the BIG ONE. This was not only won by Keith and The Girl but while they tried to play it off like it was close, we all know it was a landslide victory.
So we scream and run up to the stage like an army on the attack. Brother Love accepted the award, the prizes and we all headed back to the table full engulfed in joy and pride for our favorite podcasters (no not Victoria and I) Keith and Chemda. All of a sudden the table was alive with people buying BroLo's CD, grabbing schwag and asking about Keith and the Girl. It was GREAT.
After the awards, we headed over to the Marriott for the first of what would be THREE major parties this weekend. There in back of the pool area was a large podcasters party. There were drinks, music and so many people it was damn near impossible to fit us into the small area. We hung out for a while before Victoria, Butch and I headed out to my Aunt Bonnie's for dinner. We were sad to leave Vudell there but she was having a good time talking to Jaspar and we promised to be back later that evening.
We head over to Alta Loma and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with family. On the way, due to some peer pressure, I decided to slam a KATG sticker onto my forehead as well. Victoria and Butch had a war going to see who could keep theirs on the longest. The casserole, rice, muffins and cake were spectacular as all of Bonnie's food tends to be. Let's just say I've known her all my life and I don't ever remember having a bad meal at her house. The conversation was slightly awkward what with the stickers on our heads but we made due. At 7:45 we made a hasty retreat so as to make it out to the next round of get togethers. We hastily said our good byes and headed back out to Ontario.
First we headed back to our hotel room to collect ourselves, change and check the KATG forums to see what was going on. Then I get a text from Vudell that says BroLo secured a side room at the bar in the Marriott where we were to be the pre-show and after-show for Keith and The Girl. When we get there, Marina is there to greet us and show us in. When I walk in the sight was unreal. There's a long room with a long table and tons of chairs. There's a laptop at either end with cameras and Vudell's laptop is the microphone for the room and everyone can hear us.
So we sit down and set up our laptop and I quickly begin to get frustrated at the difficulty that is getting internet connection at the Marriott and moreso in the side room at their bar. What's making it worse is that both of the other laptops seem to be working just fine. To appease the frustrations but mostly just to get us all in a proper mood, a bucket of Miller Lite and Coors Lite is brought in. I don't mean a regular bucket. I mean a LARGE like 50 gallon tub full of like 48 bottles of beer. Then comes the waitress asking what we want. 20 minutes later there are like 3 plates each of chicken wings, buffalo wings, nachos and other assortments of foods. It's freaking awesome.
So we listen to the show (kind of) and watch the cams in Paltalk as one by one girls start to flip their tops up. Now I missed most of this but the ones I caught were quite fine indeed. Then comes this girl...Daddys_Cheeky_lil_girl. Things get crazy here as she oils up, sheds the clothes, enjoys herself and all for our enjoyment. We notice after a while that it's a video but she's still in the chat room talking so we know that while this video is going on, it is indeed her and she turns off the video a few times to prove that the body and face in the videos are her. Half the fun of this was the video and half was watching BroLo go from one side of the table to the other trying to keep up with whichever cam was the most up to date (non-delayed or non-frozen).
The show ended fairly quickly and then we partied as the aftershow, just chatting with people online for about 3 hours before cutting out and heading home. Well...we had a hotel room and well, Vudell had drunk about 4-5 beers and it was her first time drinking. There were a couple of offers to her to stay. We trusted that BroLo wouldn't take advantage but he left a little early too so that option disappeared. Then there was another guy and he had been hitting on her all day.
We gave her the option of staying with us instead and let her decide for herself. We were very happy when she chose us. So she comes back and we have a little rum and record a bit (didn't turn out so well) and then we went to bed. Victoria and I took our pants off and lay in one bed while Vudell and Butch took off theirs and lay in the other. Nothing intimate happened between any four of us and this i know because shortly after we layed down Butch began to snore and it didn't stop all night long.
In the morning we gathered ourselves and headed out. On the way out we run into Chris Marquardt of
Tips From the Top Floor and say hello before heading home to San Diego. Victoria was planning to host a birthday party for a friend that night so we worked together to clean the house and get Butch and I back up to Ontario for the Expo Concert that night. Brother Love was slated to play a couple songs but only ended up playing one song.
Still, for as good as the other artists were, once BroLo hit the stage it was like the room had been asleep. As Michael said, it was "the cumshot and the kiss all in one. They had to shut it down after that song." With that one song he put more energy into the room than everyone else before combined. He was definitely the closer and I hope they'll give him more time next year.
Still as the closer (who can follow Brother Love?) but maybe this time like 5-6 songs instead of 1.
After the concert we all hung out and headed to the Libsyn party over at the Doubletree hotel. Someone had rented out the King Suite and filled it with about a thousand people. Seriously it may not have been that much but it was literally shoulder to shoulder and every few seconds someone asking you if they can get by. We walked up and decided to take the rear entrance. Butch hops the fence fine, Brother Love next, then Vudell, Eric, his girl, Michael, and me last. I fail on my first attempt so I back up and think "all eyes are looking to see if this fat tub of lard can make it over the fence." So I run, jump and literally tumble over the fencing. My leg feels like I tore a patch of skin off and the other will surely carry a nasty bruise.
So we walk through to the main part of the party and someone runs up to hand me my cell phone. Thank god I put KATG on my wallpaper or I'd be talking about how I lost my phone. We stand there and talk a bit about BroLo's upcoming birthday (which was literally a couple hours away). Butch runs to grab some pizza for myself, hisself and BroLo. Then the sickness comes. I'd been feeling it for a while and even had a personal moment in the bathroom before BroLo's performance but I'd been trying to play the rock star and party through it. All of a sudden it hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I was about to faint.
I walk out the front door of the suite and out into the night air. After a few moments and a check on the leg (no marks at all) I start to feel a bit better so I head back in and play the wallflower role for a bit before the hotel security comes in and breaks up the party. So we all head out and we hear about a party at the Marriott. I head out to the car and promise to meet them there but I was feeling terrible so I call Victoria, talk a bit and head over to the Marriott parking lot where I kinda crash until Butch walks up to the car and we head home.
It was good to sleep in my own bed but I hear later there was porn on a TV, a moterboating by BroLo for his birthday which was instigated by Butch and later there was a little enjoyment of the greenery. Nick Starr gained a lot of enemies by hitting on Vudell in front of everyone and Butch damn near knocked him out.
So the next day we all wake up on our own times, eat a little, watch some football (Bucs win again and the Chargers are 1-3) and later head out to Ontario again. This time for a meet up with Chris and a few listeners of Tips From the Top Floor at the Yardhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. It was a good time talking about gadgets and enjoying food.
We get a text from Vudell that BroLo and company are at the pool at the Marriott just chillin' so we head over there. We talk and hang for a bit and this was probably my personal favorite moment of the weekend. Just sitting and chatting personally with Larry and Vudell and Butch, Michael, Victoria and
Martin. It was surreal hanging with him at the Awards Ceremony, the Concert, the parties and everything but to just sit and chill with him was really cool.
This whole weekend was totally crazy. From meeting everyone for the first time at the Awards to the Friday Live Show to the concert, the parties and ending with Brother Love on his birthday, this was the best weekend I've had in quite some time. To think that Thursday I was actually worried about not having a good time and not finding anything to do this weekend. Bah! I will never doubt again.
Next on the agenda...Uncast 30 recording tomorrow night and then the "Learning To See" Photography Workshop. We'll have Chris here with us all week and will probably record episode 30 with him in the apartment and 31 with him as a guest. Right now it's 3:36 Monday morning and I haven't been asleep since about 10am yesterday morning. I have to go to work in 2 hours and work a full eight hours. Then I get home, take back the rental car, record Uncast 30 and take Butch home. Then when I get home, Chris will be there and dinner will likely be waiting for me. We'll enjoy the night and try to go to bed early. I am really looking forward to Vegas on New Years Eve.
