LA 12:08 Dream Jimmy Kimmel part deux and finale
| Posted by on 12/18/2008
Back to the concert line. It was now pouring rain and we got drenched, hungry and cold. The crew did sound check on the outdoor stage. 6:30 An army of security guards marched towards the crowd of 300 and we knew something was amiss. They had just decided to move the concert indoors but that meant that only the first 100 of us could go in! I was lucky to be in the first 30.
After the 100th person in line, it was not a pretty sight. Diehard Cure fans are tenacious and feel their disappointment deeply. There were tears and anger and frustration and just the overall dismay of people getting thrown out. I would have hated to be the one who made that decision. Especially, because the sky cleared up immediately when they started to move the stage. It would have been a beautiful outdoor show.
8:00 treated like children in boarding school, the fortunate 100 were marched to Hollywood blvd to await entry to the indoor show. Little did we know we had another 1½ hour to wait! But that did not stop us from having a good time. We spent the entire time singing. New friends Wayne, Miguel and Jackie chimed in with Andrew, Crista and I. We started out with our favorite Cure numbers, quickly going through Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Interpol, Motown, The Little Mermaid, hip-pop, La Bomba and finally Christmas songs. We were even taking requests from the security guards and would pick certain songs we thought the pedestrians would like.
9:30 OMG are they ever going to let us in? Moving through a metal detector, I heard that they were cutting the crowd off at 50. How awful for the second half of the crowd that had now waited over 5 hours! They didn’t even get to see the show.
I found my spot in front of Porl again and was right up against the rope between the crowd and the entryway for the band. Whoever that jackass is who warms up the crowd for the Kimmel show came on stage and tried to entertain us. First of all, Cure fans do not need to get fluffed by some corny, bald fat white dude in a suit. Second of all, he had no idea how many people just got turned away drenched, cold and disappointed.
The band came out and I waved at Porl. He recognized me and gave me a wave!!! The rest of the band slid past, avoiding grasping hands. One woman behind me grabbed Robert’s wrist and got thrown out. The camera crane swooped over us. Steady cams tracked the band and they played… The Hungry Ghost, Freakshow, Lets Go to Bed, Close to Me, Why Can’t I be You, Boys Don’t Cry, JSET, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, and Killing Another. (I guess that’s what they are calling it now. I don’t blame them.) Although it was very cool to see them for a third night in a row, they didn’t sound as good on this studio stage and the band seemed bummed. I think they wanted to play the outdoor show. I wonder if they knew how many fans were turned away.
On their way out, Porl shook my hand! I thanked Simon for the show. In return I got a long intense look. That’s one of the highlights of my trip. Other things from the weekend that left an impression… gals and guys yelling “I love you Robert;” the game between huffy bouncers and tenacious fans; pink parasol in a puddle; the woman that came further than I did (from Italy) and spent the last four days camped out at venues, the fabulously huge community of Latino Cure fans, three new friends Wayne, Jackie and Miguel who walked me from the metro to the taxis in Union station, and a nearly endless string of laughter (laughter through the drear- oh my). Thank you Simon, Porl, Robert and Jason for an unforgettable 12:08 Los Angeles Dream. Thank you Cure fans for being so…. You!
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