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Saturday, June 25, 2011

ARMENIA....

    Where were we....ahhh...yes....still reeling from our latest adventure.
Having been invited by Pete Townshend to a party in his room, we were still in the clouds...what was it that inspired one of the world's most accomplished and revered men to ask us, two strangers to hang out with him that night? 

     Moreover, what the hell kept us from never getting tickets to one of the shows The Who would be performing in the week that followed???  Somehow, in our determination to get ourselves right up in front of Pete Townshend, we had neglected to get tickets....and, as we left his room that night, that was the question he put to us. 

           "Are you coming to the shows next week?"

     Funny to look back on it and remember our response to him....
"No, do you think it's too late to get tickets?"  Smiling back at us, he told us the alias he was using for his room, and to get in touch with him
on the day of the first show.  Please take a breath.  Now, take another one.  Pete Townshend.  Call him.  Okay?  No need to say more, right?

     On the day of the first gig at Madison Square, we contacted Pete in his room.  We were told to be in the lobby of the hotel at 5:00.  We just assumed he would leave us tickets at the front desk. 

     When that day arrived, we headed to The Navarro Hotel a little before 5:00 in the evening.  A small group of fans had gathered of course, waiting for a chance to see Pete up close.  The anxiety and excitement began to increase as we walked our confused asses into the lobby.  We went to the front desk to see if something had been left for us.  No. NO! We should have known....After all, it's the first night of a week's worth of Who shows in New York City.  Would anyone expect that Pete Townshend, who requires no further description, would remember that he had told us to show up?  Certainly not...

     We had no clue what to do at that point.  As amazing as it had been to meet him, the thrill of seeing The Who perform again was overwhelming.  And, to think that we were not going to be able to go was tragic as far as we were concerned.....and we were nearly in tears.  How fucking stupid could we both have been not to get tickets???  We deserved to sit in the goddamn lobby. 

     The crowd was growing by the minute outside and the energy was not just in front of the hotel, the whole city of New York seemed to have a buzz.  And there we sat. Idiots.  We could feel a ground swell of
power building....something was happening.  People in the lobby began moving around nervously.  No doubt that was due to the people who were a part of the Townshend 'camp were securing the lobby and surrounding areas to make sure it was safe and ready for his arrival.  You could just feel it.  It was so potent it's difficult to find the words to describe what was taking place....

       We were sitting on the same couch we had occupied the week before when we waited to meet Pete.  It was a small lobby, and our little perch gave us a bird's eye view of the elevators.  At least we would see him once again, and while that was hardly a comfort, we didn't have much choice....

     He was coming....you could tell....and then, the elevator door opened.
And there he was....Pete Townshend....towering over everyone around him and looking very, very intense...very serious...  Obviously.  After all, he was on his way to 'The Garden' to play with The Who for chrissake!

     Surrounded by bodyguards and security, he sauntered through the room, eyes directly in front of him.  He never even looked at us.  Not even a glance.  And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd.  We got up and watched him vanish into the sea of adoring fans that had waited for just that moment. 

     The door to the limousine opened....he got in....the door closed.  The tears welled up in our eyes only to be outdone by the overwhelming sadness in the pits of what felt like our collective stomach.   We blew it.  He was gone.  Safely tucked in to his chariot, windows blackened, and the smell of official surrounding him....And all those people who had waited outside?  Well, they would be leaving too.  Why??? Because THEY had tickets!!!!

     How does everyone feel right now?  Do you feel like a little kid that wants a happy ending?  Are you finding the corners of your mouths turned down?  You had hoped that this little thriller you've followed would only get better and better, right?  You feel our pain don't you....

      Well....we would never, ever disappoint you....Brace yourselves....and know that tears of joy come back as we remember this unbelievable moment....Here you go-

      Just before the limousine pulled away...while the crowd was still thick....while we stood arm in arm in the lobby....Little did we know that there was a man pushing his way through the crowd....We could not see him.  But we heard him..... 

              "WHERE ARE THE TWO GIRLS???"

Townshend sitting there smiling at us!  

        I got in first and sat next to him.  She sat across from me.  Who knows what the expression on our faces was....but Pete's face was smiling....We stared at each other trying desperately to speak just through our eyeballs....intensely gazing at one another and attempting to act cool.  Like it was the kind of thing we do every day....

      As if this weren't enough, Pete had to add to the mix.  Perhaps he thought we were too young to have heart failure....and here's what he said....

        "We've got to make a stop.  We're going to pick up John." 
My co-Glow managed to top that by responding with, "John who?"
     If my head could have spun around in a 360.....you can be sure it would have done several rotations....but the look on Pete's face said it all....clearly we were insane with excitement....he smiled patiently... as he has done so many times since ..Stay tuned....we love you too!

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