Particulars:
Good news: The three of us are hanging out at the drum department when Fallout Mike shows up and starts setting up a blue sparkle Tama Starclassic drumset (with Octobans and all) and announces to us that it is in fact the drumset Stewart played at the Grammys (and at the Whisky the morning after). There is a flat-screen TV set up on a table with a DVD player playing some Police bootleg video footage from a Regatta tour show from Germany circa 1980.
Not so good news: Apart from sitting down at the kit and stepping on the kick drum and hi-hat pedals quickly, Stewart did in fact NOT play anything on the drum set at all. It ended up being set up purely for photo op type stuff.
The thing started pretty much on time at 7pm PST and ended at 9pm PST. Irishrose, EQ and myself were hanging out inside the drum dep't until about 3pm or so when they told us to start standing in line outside. (we did meet a number of autograph seekers, some local and one who flew in for this event from Houston, and their conversation certainly did help the time fly by)
Overheard some of the employees there talking about how the 1st 100 Anthology CDs were already given out to the 1st 100 people in line and that there was still quite a few people in line outside... some estimates put the attendance at well over 150 or so...
I got a couple of cell phone pics of Stewart's Grammy kit as it was being brought out and set up in the afternoon (close ups of the Octobans with scuff marks on the heads and such), but the real good stuff is definitely in EQ's and Irishrose's cameras. (EQ should be in Ontario tonight and in Vegas possibly tomorrow or something; Irishrose is in a hotel room in town tonight and is driving back to New Mexico tomorrow... should be in tomorrow night). BTW, PHOTOS ARE MAINLY OF THE AFTERNOON AND OUTSIDE IN LINE AND AFTER THE EVENT... UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS SOMEWHAT TIGHT SECURITY THERE WITH ORDERS PROHIBITING PHOTOS AND/OR VIDEO OF THE ACTUAL AUTOGRAPH SIGNING. There was plenty of press there snapping up photos like crazy when Stewart came out and stood in front of/behind/next to the blue sparkle kit.
Irishrose had this cool poster thing she designed for Stewart and, as 1st in line, presented it to him to autograph, upon which he remarked upon how awesome it looked and how he truly appreciated her driving out from NM. I remember alot of the press photographers snapping photos of him signing autographs for her. EQ purchased a Tama Stewart Copeland Signature Series snare drum and had Stewart sign I believe the top head. I purchased a Vater Stewart Copeland promo stick pack with 4 pairs of SC Standard sticks and a "Rhythmatist" black T-shirt. I got Stewart to autograph the back of it with a silver sharpie while I was again bugging him about drum lessons after the tour or something and him saying that he's still not interested in taking any drum students etc... ("Who me? Naaaah, I'm no teacher...") etc... He also autographed my copy of the Anthology CD.
I did notice as I got up to the table that he cracked a remark to someone sitting near him about EQ's tube socks. I asked him "...so you've actually been paying attention to the whole tube-sock thing in the SC.net forum, huh?" and he said something to the effect of "Oh yeah, I've been following along"... thus confirming to me personally that he DOES in fact check in from time to time. Very nice to know!!!!
All three of us did manage to make it back upstairs to the drum dep't after our autographs. (They also had this strict thing about once you get to the front of the line and get your autographs you have to exit the store and enter back in and you're not allowed back upstairs to the drum dep't.) We did hang out and watch as everyone else got their autographs. We met up with Musinggrai and OutlandoGirl and BGKaiser from police.com (and possibly here?)... we all received yellow Cha! wristbands. I got to get up on the congas and jam along during the event with Irishrose, which was cool. (Stewart probably heard us, who knows!!) Representatives from Tama and Paiste were there, as was Derek Powers (who I've publicly confused with Miles Copeland, but that's another story...) as well his (rather buxom) red-head publicist, who I'm beginning to be strangely attracted to...
We all said our goodbyes outside the parking lot behind the Guitar Center and, of course Stewart walks by, so we applaud and thank him again as he's getting in the passenger side of his vehicle and leaving. Thank you Guitar Center, Fallout Mike, Irishrose, EQ, Tama, Paiste, and of course Stewart (and cute buxom publicist girl) for a wonderful day. I'm sure we'll hear before too long from EQ and Irishrose and others about their experiences (and hopefully get to some of those photos).
Laz
