Oh Wow!!

Okay, ideally I would like to post about my trip to Dresden as one long post. Or, at the very least, as more than one post, but in chronological order from the start. Unfortunately, I am a little pressed for time and really want to tell this part of the story before tonight.

So let’s start on Thursday night: after dinner. Hannah, Nicole and I got on a bus and headed over to the Star Club to go to the Death Cab For Cutie show. We met Hannah’s friend Laura and 2 of Laura’s friends outside the show and went in. I will just sum up the show for you here: incredible! Well, for me it was. We were near the front, but we talked to some of Hannah’s friends (or maybe they were Hannah’s friend’s friends?), who were at the back and they said that the levels were off for a lot of the show and it wasn’t very good, but I liked it from where I was standing.

The other thing that I need to say now, in this short summary, is that the opener was a guy named John Vanderslice. I had never even heard of him before, let alone heard him, but I really liked what he played, so immediately after his set I ran out to the merch table and bought his CD. It was, unfortunately, his last CD and not the new one because they said that the new one would be out in 2 weeks (which I thought was a little dumb that they didn’t have any copies on tour, but whatever). Anyways, on the way out of the show at the end of the night, John and his drummer were at the merch table signing the CDs and there was no real line up to speak of. I said to Nicole and Hannah, “I should get my CD signed. No, nevermind, I feel silly.” “Why? Don’t feel silly, just go get it signed!” “No, I can’t! I’d feel like a geek!” “Do it! We’ll wait.” So I went up to them and the rest of the conversation went more or less like this:

Me: “Hi, I bought this a little earlier and wondered if you’d mind signing it?”
John: “Absolutely! What’s your name?”
“B-A-R-I, blah blah blah, I’ve never heard you before, but I really thought you were fantastic.”
“Well, thanks very much, it’s always nice to hear that, blah, blah, blah. Where are you from?”
“Oh, I’m from Canada, I’m studying in Germany for the year, blah, blah, blah.”
“Blah, blah, blah. What do you think of Europe, isn’t it wonderful?!”
“Yeah, it’s okay, I’m really enjoying my time here, but I do miss home, especially the conveniences of North America – like stores that are open 24 hours! Blah, blah, blah.”
“Blah, blah, blah…”
“More blah, blah, blah. Are you traveling with Death Cab to Munich, or are you done after here?” (He had said during his set that he was headed to Prague the next day, so I was curious.)
“Yup, we’re going to Munich with them, I think it’s on Saturday.”
“Yeah, you’re right: it is on Saturday!! I know because I’m actually living in Munich this year, and tried to get tickets for that show, but it sold out so fast! I just kind of fluked out that I had planned this trip to Dresden to visit a friend, anyways, and the dates just worked out that we could come to this show!”
“Do you want to go to the Munich show?”
“Of course I’d love to, but it’s sold out and I got to go to this one, so I’m happy.”
“Well, we have a guest list for the Munich show. (to his drummer) We have a guest list for the Munich show, right?”
Drummer: “Yup!”
John: “We could put you on the guest list, if you want!”
Me: “Are you serious????!!!!! That would be amazing!! I would love that, but… are you serious???!!!!!!”
“Hahahaha, really, here, we’ll take your name down.”

And then they did. And I still can’t believe, even now, that it happened, but it did. And I am shaking just writing this, but it happened. We talked for a little longer and I mentioned that I wished that they had the new CD for purchase and they said that they had it but were sold out, but that they should have more at the Munich show, and that I can just get one then, since, you know, I’ll be there because I’m on the guest list and all.

So, now I’m about to get ready to go to the concert. It’s one of those things that is too good to be true, so I am trying to brace myself for the situation where I go to the concert and I’m not actually on a guest list. It will be so cool if it is real, though!

BBBBWWWWWWAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Okay, time to get ready!!