Colleen and Jeanie -Travel Fan Queens

We met them online in 2010,  in person in 2011 at Red Rock Casino and spent a great deal of time with them on the 2012 tour. They’ve been loyal and a joy, not to mention extremely helpful in keeping up with professionals who promote the band online (Jason Debord, SF) and other helpful information.

We find their travel method quite extraordinary in that Jeannie has often flown in from NYC and Colleen from N.C. These east coast superfans follow the band to 3 or more shows, taking time away from home and family to spend with their fellow band fans. It is quite a huge ordeal. We salute them for their great investment in the band’s music and shows, the world of fellow superfans and for bringing a positive attitude. Somebody get these women a TeamROCS hug! Here are their stories:

Colleen’s Fan Fun with Roland: …kind of interesting story on how I got this autograph in Las Vegas, 2012. We were arriving back at the hotel after shopping, where I scored a very bright sparkly pair of yellow shoes. Ha! When we arrived at the hotel, we could hear the band doing sound check. After hearing Roland play a few chords of “Sweet Home Alabama,” — I know — I saw him walking across the lawn towards the pool.

Roland walked over to talk to some fans at the fence, and as he was doing so, a very LOUD woman walked up behind me screaming, “Roland, I love you, I love you, I love you”! He looked over and then she started screaming for his autograph. He walked over but the woman did not have a pen or pencil — so, I chimed in that I had a pen, dug through my enormous bags and pulled one out. After he signed the woman’s autograph, I said, “Well, since you’ve got that pen, will you sign my room card?” And he did.  End of story, except when we walked into the hotel the band came right behind us. Jeanie opened the door and Curt gave her a huge smile and a “Thank you.” After being that close to both of them, I suddenly did not feel as short as I normally do compared to the rest of the populous.

We all seemed to have had a fun Curt & Roland encounter during the 2012 tour Jeanie included… Her travel story is fun…read on…

Over hill, over dale, we most surely hit the hottest, dustiest trails to make it to 3 of the 4 shows from TFF’s last US tour in 2012.  From NY and NC we met up in LV and drove to Costa Mesa, CA for the show at the OC Fairgrounds. Met up with Deb Gromack and Hermest, who was kind to drive us all to the show where we mingled with other exhuberant fans until showtime. Great show as always, but with a new twist – the very unique Carina Round opened the show and Roland closed it sweetly by planting a smooch on a longtime fan who was front and center at the stage. LUCKY gal! Happy to bump into (and quite literally bumped) Andye and Carri aftershow…Andye had quite the dreamy expression on her face…I wonder why :p

The OC fair was still going strong with ferriswheels, games, food and exhibits, so we all headed over and promptly became separated from one another. It took quite a while to find each other again and by then we were on our way back to the car, and found that it was the only one left in this huge lot..that is the only vehicle besides the TFF tour bus!  We all had a good laugh as we trailed behind them out of the huge parking lot. They were on their way to SF for the next night’s show; we were on our way to sleep before flying up there the next day : )

Okay, we’re back to the hotel with Deb in tow…she stayed over until the next day when Hermest came to collect her. Colleen and I were off to the Cosa Mesa airport. We left fairly early with lots of time to spare. No rush to park or race through security…we took our time…..ahhh. Then 10 mins to boarding I realize I can’t find my camera. I left it in the trunk of our rented car!!!…ugh… Off I go to retrieve it and in my mind I see myself leaping turnstiles like hurdles and throwing myself in the path of a shuttle bus to get me to the long term lot…which is outside the airport. A shuttle driver took me, and just me, then drove like Mario Andretti to the lot, where every car and aisle looked identical…I couldn’t get my bearings, and this angel of a driver says, “I’ll drive out and come in the way you probably came in” and voila, there’s the car, there’s the camera, camoflaged against the black of the trunk’s interior.  I fly back to the terminal, back through security, and I find Colleen and the attendants looking not very pleased by my near miss arrival..the door the airway beginning to close… but I made it!!

We land in SF, take a cab into town, and through the generosity of fan we’d yet to meet, (Thank you dear Judi) we had been invited to share a very swanky suite in an old-world style, uber-expensive hotel right next to the venue. In fact, the TFF bus was parked right below our 12th floor window. The Nob Hill show was my favorite..very intimate venue with a very close and shallow stage…so close, you felt you could stand up and within a few steps be standing beside  Ro or Curt. The acoustics in this auditorium were unique as well, somewhat bass-y. Roland even commented, “We refer to this as a hostile, low end environment” ..It was a VERY receptive audience; the energy between TFF and the fans was palpable. The applause – thunderous. And there’s Carri again!  All silver and sparkly and grinning like the Chesire Cat. (We don’t call her Silver Kitty for nothin’ -Andye)

Yes, we were all quite chuffed (as Roland would say) : ))))  Did we go for drinks afterward, I can’t remember…had I slept the last few nights? Probably not..it’s all a bit foggy…just like San Francisco : )

But we did sleep quite well that night, so well in fact we all woke up late!  Colleen & I had to be at SF Intl Airport for 8am flight back to Costa Mesa….so off we go again…  Sorry SF…it was nice seeing your beautiful city for the wee short hours we were there.

Now landed in Costa Mesa, we grab our rental car from long term (24hrs?) parking and head across the desert to Las Vegas for Show #3 with one day to spare!!  O.M G.  I’d done this before (LA to LV and vice versa), but this time beat all previous heat records…I think it was 122 degrees that day, and then, about 2 hours into the trip, Colleen looks at the fuel gauge and realizes we forgot to gas up when we left CA! <gulp>. Now there’s maybe a 1/4 tank left AND we’re in the middle of a desert : /  Well bless that little GPS gizmo I borrowed from a friend back home…we found a station not too far off the highway and we were back on the road; this time with me at the wheel <gasp> Sorry for the frights Colleen, but that’s how we NY’rs drive : P

A few more hours and scoop up Carri from the airport, she flew in from SF earlier that day. Okay, next stop and final destination -Sunset Station Casino/Hotel for our last show which is taking place the following evening : )

My most unexpected and delightful surprise at the Sunset was meeting Julian Orzabal, Roland’s younger brother. (I guess I am now 1degree of Ro – not that it’s any assurance I’ll ever meet him, but I like how it sounds : ) Kindly Andye rented a cabana by the pool for fans to meetup and hang out and besides the great company and accutraments (overhead fans/misting bars/mini fridge/chaises) it was the ONLY place one could escape the blast furnace heat that is Las Vegas in August.  Julian, a cool cucumber in any climate, and many other fans were lazing by the pool, enjoying long cool drinks and a lot of laughs in the blessed shade. In the evenings we’d gather at one of the casino’s saloons or bars, and Julian was usually there, beer in hand, Brit humor at the ready : )

The next day, showday, we had the good fortune to be within earshot of the soundcheck, where I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard and saw Roland belting out “Sweet Home Alabama” : )

I ran up to my room to grab my camera, but by the time I came back, and only a few minutes later, they had cleared the stage : ( Dejected, I walked back into the hotel and just a moment or so later, who is walking up the path to the door but Ro and Curt!  The only thing I could think to do besides standing there with my mouth hanging open, was to open and hold the door for them, as they both had rolling luggage trailing behind them. My big chance to drink in the both of them, closeup! It lasted but a split second. But I do vividly recall the cheery “Thank you!” from Curt as he followed Roland through the door. It warmed my heart. It was only a few hours later that we were all dazed and dazzled again as we stood before the white tented stage on a grassy lawn and enjoyed what was to be our last show before heading home the next day. The heat, so unbearable earlier and still so present, seemed to fade away as our eyes and ears were now locked on the stage and our favorite band. Another amazing performance, another memory to hold us over until next time.

This multiple show experience was made even sweeter by the generosity and comradiere of the fans and friends I spent time with–I’m especially grateful for Colleen’s tolerance of my non-stop fretting about almost everything, Judi and Andye for their generous hospitality, Hermest and Deb for their kindheartedness and…oh yeah, that band that makes the whole (sometimes bumpy) journey worthwhile : )