Okay...A couple of weeks ago, MercyMe and Audio Adrenaline were here in Minot in concert. Katie and I were the fastest to volunteer for the job of being "runners" for the band. We had no idea what that meant, but it sounded fun and ended up looking like this.
1. Arrive at 8am to sit, wait, and watch the truck drivers and day laborers unload the trucks.
2. Meet the tour manager, and get given the first task of the day. To run to the hardware store for rope. Yawn. But it's okay...I'm helping the band with lighting.
3. Run to the store for soap. Apparently the venue forgot to provide that for the bands...ick!
4. Call 4 laundromats in town to find out that no one does really quick turnaround for laundry in this place. Don't they know that the band needs clean clothes?! Call a friend who is now responsible for doing MercyMe's laundry. Poor Annie.
5. Oh, now for the time to impress the tour manager. Call FedEx to arrange a pickup at my office. Don't mention that the reason I am going there is to drop off 3 loads of dirty band underwear. By the way, if any of that shows up on ebay...I disavow any prior knowledge.
6. Eat the catered lunch (a really yummy chicken sandwich and salad). Very reservedly and with much cool read a magazine while surreptitiously watching the guys in the band. Realize that I would make a lousy groupie...as a few of the guys in the band are the same ones that I was earlier chatting with in the tour manager's office. Duh. First forehead slap of the day.
7. Quickly eat my lunch so I can run to the pharmacy to refill one of the guys prescriptions.
8. Drop the MercyMe guys (yes, really) off at the movie theater. A side note: Bart Millard (lead singer) was mocking me for carrying a phone book in my purse...normally, it's in my car, but remember that I had been calling laundromats earlier...so I told him to "shut up". But in a really nice way...so that the rest of the guys in the car laughed and said I was their favorite runner ever. Oh, yes, that's me! There's another forehead slap.
9. Katie and I take both cars to the mall to pick up the MM guys and realize that the tour manager has forgotten to have one of us pick up Aaron Schust (the opener) at the airport. Katie saves the day and runs to the airport with a couple of MM guys. I, very importantly, must get Bart (who is speaking to me again) back for his sound check with the guitar player.
10. Pick up the now clean laundry for the band. Do much grovelling in thanks to Annie.
11. Take the AudioA guys to Starbucks. I cannot even tell you how cool I am just for being able to do this. Sing Aretha Franklin songs on the way back to the venue. Tell them how when we were leaving Omaha in the UHaul their "Goodbye" song was on the radio and made me cry. Sing more R-E-S-P-E-C-T until I hit a big pothole and just about make the bass player spill hot coffee all over my upholstery.
12. Katie and I go to the local Wal-Mart to get snacks and supplies for the tour buses. For $29.95 I'll tell you what each band likes to eat. Okay, I am kidding...I won't ever tell!
13. Oh, and then there was a concert. Which rocked. And I got a little teary during the "Goodbye" song. But I must confess that what I really liked was being able to walk right past security. Because I'm with the band.
You punk, you had to blog the days events with the picture before I got my hands on it didn't you? Gee wiz, and you even left out the most important part! Although, I will admit you were definately the coolest runner, how could I even compete with ya? ;)
ReplyDeleteExactly! The most important part!
ReplyDeleteOh please...you're the one who ate lunch with your future husband, Mr Bass Player. You nut!
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny---and yes we remember the pot holes in Minot !! That had to be too funny ! Todd will be so...jealous of you when he hears all this. He loves both those bands ! love ya tons ! T&T
ReplyDeleteOk, this had to be one of the best days I have had in Minot! Sniff sniff...
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