From: gaile@grouper.mkt.csd.harris.com (Gail Edwards)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Re: Oakland Musings
Date: 22 Dec 92 22:33:20 GMT
Organization: The Internet

In article <MAX.92Dec22122348@frabjous.u.washington.edu> max@hitl.washington.edu (Max Minkoff) writes:
>
>In article <1992Dec21.164907.20622@grouper.mkt.csd.harris.com> gaile@grouper.mkt.csd.harris.com (Gail Edwards) writes:
>
>   4.  BGP is still the *best*!...
>
>On our way in on Sunday night, right outside the door, a man came up
>to us and gave us a 'pat on the back' ticket that we could, if we wanted
>to, give to any one of the staff inside the stadium.  Apparently, staff
>members can redeem these coupons for prizes, I'd guess things like
>days off, vacations, etc.  For our trouble, they gave us a second coupon
>for a free soft drink!
>
>Has this happened to anyone else, at the Coliseum or anywhere else?

So who'd you give the ticket to, why, and what was their reaction?

My first choices would be Willie and Peter who do the priority line.  This
job involves 16-hour days that begin at about 8 am and end after midnight,
as well as nearly saintlike patience and tolerance.  Sometimes it also
requires the judicial skills of a Supreme Court justice in resolving
disputes.  Peter had to deal with one rather nasty dispute this past run,
and though I didn't agree with his decision, I respected its honesty and
intelligence.

This year Melvin from the Warfield was real nice to me.  I'd been planning
to catch a plane home Saturday morning, but was feeling some regrets about
missing Jerry at the Warfield.  About 1 or 2 am Saturday morning, as the last
of us were clearing out of the Sweetwater after seeing Zero, on impulse I
turned to the dude sitting nearby and asked if he had an extra.  Praise the
lord, he did!  So I trekked back home, switched my return flight
to Sunday, set the alarm for a 7 am rising, and about 3 or 3:30
fell fast asleep.  Not surprisingly, I slept right through that alarm,
and around 8, dragged myself out of bed and grabbed a cab on down to the
Warfield, only to see the last of the priority line pulling off in their
cars.  When I opened my wallet, I discovered I only had a $50 bill,
and (naturally) the cab driver had no change.  I asked the cabby to wait,
and went and banged on the doors of the Warfield.  Melvin must've heard
me, because he opened the door.  First he pulled out his wallet, handed
me change for the $50, and waited while I paid the cabby.  Then he told
me if I didn't mind waiting, the guy with the priority tickets would be
right back, and he'd get me a ticket.  While we waited, he entertained me
with stories of his recent tour as Carlos Santana's bodyguard.
He said he'd been with BGP for over 10 years now.  Soon the other guy
(Joe?) returned.  The two of 'em fixed me up with a priority ticket, and off
I went, smiling.  That night I walked in with the first 50 or so people and
snagged a nice spot up front of Jerry.  There was room for all 4 of us
who'd met at the Sweetwater, including the dude who sold me the ticket
plus a fifth friend.  We had a great time!  When the show was over, they
took me home and set me up with a sleeping bag and a nice loud alarm clock.
Come 5 am, I was on the road again, much the better for all the good
music and all the nice people.  Thanks Melvin!

Gail

"The way you do the things you do
 It really knocks me off my feet"