Picture with Jani Lane (December, 1989)

In December of 1989, my sister Carolyn helped my friend Mike and me on a simple mission: Meet Motley Crue.

We set out to the Sheraton Hotel, across the street from Lincoln Plaza in Worcester, because that’s where most of the bands stayed at when they played at The Centrum.

Vince, Nikki, Tommy, and Mick never came out, but Jani Lane did (Warrant was the opening act for Motley’s Dr. Feelgood Tour).

Even though it appeared he had just crawled out of bed, he was really nice to us. He posed for pictures, gave autographs, and talked to everyone that was there right up until his tour manager told him it was time to go.

Luckily, I came equipped with my Levi’s winter jacket, RIP t-shirt, and Polaroid camera to capture it all. I wasn’t a huge Warrant fan when I woke up that morning, but when you meet a rock star and they take the time to actually talk to you and don’t leave until everyone gets a signature/picture (see also Tom Keifer), it’s hard not to become a bigger fan.

I ended up meeting Nikki Sixx at a book signing this past May, and that was pretty thrilling. But, it was controlled and a quick, 15-second, “Hi, nice to meet you”, and walking away before you can really talk meeting – I was also 37.

When I met Jani, I was 15 years old and it was more like “hanging out” than waiting for a 15-second “hi and goodbye”. It was also a time when Warrant videos were getting high rotation on MTV, and he signed with a “69” which I thought was hilarious. We may have not met The Crue that day, but we definitely went to the concert happy.

Rest in Peace, Jani. You may be gone, but your songs will certainly live on and make all the hair metalheads of my generation feel young every time they hear them. Thanks for making me a fan almost 22 years ago…

Autographed Extreme CD

Tonight, I will be going to my first Queensryche show. They are my friend Carl’s favorite band, and we have long argued over who is better, Queensryche or Extreme. So, I thought this would be a good scan for today. I had Gary and Nuno sign this after they played live on WAAF back in 1990, when the station was in Worcester. My brother got Pat Badger’s autograph for me sometime after WAAF had moved to Westboro. I just found out the singer of Queensryche, Geoff Tate, is appearing tomorrow in Westboro at Julio’s Liquors. Maybe Carl will be able to get something signed too. More on the Extreme/Queensryche debate tomorrow…

Mike Birbiglia Sleepwalk with Me Signed Book and My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Ticket (4/2/11)

Last April, I got to chat for a second time with someone that I consider to be one of my heroes. Raised in nearby Shrewsbury, MA, Mike Birbiglia is one of my favorite comedians and has dealt with life challenges that are similar to mine. Mike was raised Catholic and also “served time” as an altar boy (and like Mike, my answer is, “No, I wasn’t…” Mike also went to Saint John’s, but like his older brother (who was in my class), he didn’t complete 4 years there. “Birbigs” has had his share of medical issues, too. While I have been dealing with Crohn’s most of my life, Mike has been dealing with a sleepwalking disorder. Additionally, both of us are cancer survivors. I have used humor to deal with my issues, and so has Mike…he’s just a lot funnier than me. I bet I could kick his ass in hockey, though. When I knew Skating for Hope was officially booked, I thought of what my “dream schedule” would be. Mike was on there, so I emailed him to see if he was interested in participating. Although I never heard back from him, I hope he knows it’s an open invite (no, I’m not going to make a YouTube video). Thanks for all the laughs, Mike.

To read more about Mike and watch his “Wiffle Ball Tony” routine that I love, you can check out the blog I wrote on the day I went to see his show in April.

PS – His book Sleepwalk with Me is now available in paperback here.

Jim Craig Autographed Picture (Skating for Hope Raffle Prize)

Two more Skating for Hope raffle items arrived in the mail today – this autographed picture and this donation from Green Mountain Coffee. Thanks for the support, Jim Craig!

I don’t think I will ever get tired of watching these highlights:

Skating for Hope is only two weeks away!

Motley Crue TIcket and This is Gonna Hurt Book Autographed by Nikki Sixx

Five weeks ago tonight, I had just two things on my mind: Meeting Nikki Sixx and the Bruins Game 4 against the Flyers…

I remember when my older brother first showed me inside the Shout at the Devil record. I couldn’t believe my eyes. To that point, The Beatles were the only band I had listened to (I was 10), and even though I didn’t get the full meaning to all their songs, at least they didn’t look like that! “Dave,” my brother assured me, “Just listen.” Even though “In the Beginning” had me wondering what the hell I was listening to, “Shout at the Devil” blew me away, and would change the course of my musical taste for the rest of my life.

Even though there weren’t too many “metal heads” in my 5^th grade class, I remember talking to my classmate Todd after hearing about Vince Neil’s accident on December 8, 1984. We were wondering how much it would affect the band. My brother was a huge Hanoi Rocks fan too, and was (wisely) more concerned about its effect on them than Motley. It’s amazing to think of how much the way news travels has changed since then, and often overlooked are the two people that Vince paralyzed.

I remember being excited to hear Theatre of Pain when it came out. My older brother got it the day it came out, and we listened to it just about every day that summer up in Prince Edward Island.

I remember seeing “Home Sweet Home” as the #1 video on MTV every day for months and months until they changed the rule and limited the time songs could be #1 down to 3 months.

I remember going to my first concert. Whitesnake opened for The Crue at The Centrum in Worcester. There was pyro, scantily clad women on the stage, and Tommy Lee’s drum set spun upside-down, and around and around. I was hooked, and knew I would be seeing The Crue and other bands live…a lot.

I remember hearing about Nikki’s overdose. It was the winter after that first show, and (again because of the time and slow news travel) the rumor was that Nikki had died. Of course he had died for a couple of minutes, but the news of his “kickstart” didn’t reach me until later that day. I remember being relieved and pissed at the same time. I thought “Dancing on Glass” meant not doing drugs anymore, and was upset that Nikki would put his life on the line like that. But, I was happy to find out he was okay, and hoped the close call would make him stop.

I remember following The Crue in metal magazines and on MTV, buying their albums, and going to their shows. Even when I went to college and grunge took over the 80s metal scene, I defended my metal bands and still listened to them along with my newly purchased Ten by Pearl Jam.

I remember seeing Motley Crue play live back in 2006, when they opened for Aerosmith at Great Woods (it will always be called this to me) in Mansfield, MA. Crue AND Aerosmith? I would like to tell you that it was the best concert I’ve ever been to, but Vince’s voice flat-out sucked that night. He apologized, and I don’t think Steven Tyler thanked Motley for opening. Hey, one bad show out of a bunch isn’t bad.

I remember being excited to hear and read Nikki’s Heroin Diaries CD and book. Not surprisingly, both rocked and I was glad to see that after he cleaned up his act, Nikki hadn’t lost his edge.

I remember reading online about Nikki’s book signing in Boston. I knew I wanted to be there, no matter how long I had to wait. My older sister and I got to the bookstore a little before 4:00, and waited until almost 8:00 for our moment at the head of the line.

I had already written Nikki a note in front of my latest book, Episode IV Play, thanking him for his music and words that I had enjoyed over the years. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to say as I approached the table, but I remember telling him I had something to give him, thanking him, and asking if he’d sign my first concert ticket. Meeting Nikki was over in a matter of seconds, but it was well worth the wait.

I included my contact info in my book, but I’ve yet to hear back from Nikki (not that I expected it, but hey, I’m a dreamer). Maybe he didn’t even read the book; maybe he was upset I didn’t thank him on the back cover, maybe he forgot about the book, I’ll never know. I just hope at the very least he enjoys fans giving back something…

Oh yeah, Go B’s!

Denis Leary Autograph (1997)

My man-crush on Denis Leary is no secret. You can read all about it on the blog for my Rescue Me T-shirt.

I’ve been lucky to have met Denis a few times.

The first was after a Bruins-Rangers game the day after I turned 21. My father and I were at “The Gahden” “wicked early” to watch the teams warm up. I will never forget watching Mark Messier take the ice and circle towards me. I was right up against the glass and was mentally begging him to look at me. When he was only a few feet away from me, he looked right at me and I flipped him off. His facial expression (one of “Did he just do that?”) told me that he definitely saw my “greeting”. So, before the game I said f- you to one of my least favorite players, and after the game I met Denis. Other than the B’s losing, it was an awesome day.

The autograph I got from Denis was a few years later at the Newbury Comics in Burlington, MA. Denis was promoting his new CD Lock ‘N Load, and signed autographs after doing a 30-minute musical set. I had him sign my No Cure For Cancer book “From one asshole to another”, and he got a kick out of that. He also laughed when I told him that I went to St. John’s and that “St. Peter’s” sucked. Even though it is now called Saint Peter-Marian, Denis and I went to rival high schools.

The other times I met Denis, he was just as friendly and made him even more of a hero to me. Looking forward to the next time, and hoping somehow I can get him to join me in Skating for Hope…