Weezer, Echo and the Bunnymen, Catherine Keener Signing Report

by Mike Sametz

Ah, another day, another alleyway… yep, here we go again! The glorious Erica and I are headed out to try and get a few people to sign, take pics, etc... and the infamously talented M’Lou Elkins is meeting us there to help out. First off, I have wanted to get the lovely Ms. Catherine Keener forever. I need her to finish off a poster or two, then two rock bands I love are on the same taping: Weezer, and Echo the Bunnymen. It should be an interesting night, so join us why don’t you!

3:30 p.m. – I just arrived. Poor M’Lou got there at three. She is so damn punctual! This is Los Angeles for God sakes! We are the only ones here. She didn't know Weezer was going to be here too, so she's acting a little uptight.

3:39 p.m. – Erica will be joining us in a little bit. For now M’Lou and I are just kicking back. I think I heard Echo and the Bunnymen sound checking in the front. I’ve never heard of two bands being on the same bill before so it’s kind of strange. I brought a couple vinyl albums for Echo, and I have an original Canadian tour poster (here’s a shout out to our neighbors to the north!) for Weezer.

4:03 p.m. – Still no one else here, this is sort of strange considering Catherine isn’t out much and Weezer is a huge band. Hmmmmm.

4:14 p.m. – For Catherine I brought my 40 Year Old Virgin poster (http://www.mishmashmagazine.com/tabid/106/itemid/640/Glee-Signing-Report.aspx) that I have been working on for years, My Where the Wild Things Are poster (http://www.mishmashmagazine.com/tabid/106/itemid/638/San-Diego-ComicCon--Day-2--72409.aspx) and my Being John Malkovich one sheet that I already have John Cusack, John Malkovich, and Cameron Diaz on. I just need her to finish it! Whoo hoo!

4:22 p.m. – M’Lou told me she would help me with Catherine, so she is in charge of my one sheet. Erica is bringing her Wild Things poster with her as well.

4:31 p.m. – We are still the only ones here. Oh, a few members of Weezer are milling about. M’Lou can spot them like no ones business. I mean, she really should start her own party game, “Spot the band members of Weezer in the crowd!”

4:35 p.m. – She just saw Brian and we got him to sign. Can’t say he was super friendly but he was still willing to do it. I got him with my green paint pen. Did I mention I love the paint pens?

4:41 p.m. – M’Lou just spotted the “Awesomest Bass Player Ever” (his name is Scott BTW) and she walks over to him. He’s very nice, and signs my poster, and tells me how much he likes my pen… HEH!

4:52 p.m. – The security starts setting up a barricade now, there are like three other people here… wow… usually this place is packed, you just never know.

5:03 p.m. – A young lady just showed up with promo posters for the new Weezer album, Raditude. There is a dog jumping on the front. It’s a unique poster but still pretty cool. Lol…

5:34 p.m. – Erica just got here. She thinks she can worm her way into the front with us, well I say Harumph to that… Harumph to you Erica!

5:35 p.m. – Erica just beat me so I let her stand with us.

5:39 p.m. – Rivers, the lead singer of Weezer just arrived and did not look over once at the crowd. Man that sucks!

5:48 p.m. – There are a bunch of other people here now, about 10 or so. Okay, I feel better. Lol… I thought I was missing out on something really good tonight!

5:51 p.m. – Terry Bradshaw just arrived and only waved at people. He hung out outside the stage entrance but still refused to sign. Sigh…

6:01 p.m. – Rivers walked by again… still he did not look over… man…

6:04 p.m. – M’Lou said, “He has to come over and sign, you got cool new stuff with dogs on it!” Yes, I've got cool new stuff with dogs on it, lol…

6:07 p.m. – Scott from Weezer just came over again. M’Lou asked him to sign my “cool new stuff with dogs” and he did. Lol…

6:11 p.m. - I just tried to embarrass M'Lou lol… ah good times.

6:23 p.m. – Catherine Keener just arrived, and everyone is calling her over. She said, “I’m sorry I’m running late but I will come over after.” She seemed very sincere, so hopefully she is telling the truth... Anne Hathaway said the same thing before and nothing! Grrrr…

6:48 p.m. – Weezer is sound checking now. They have matching white outfits on. M’Lou is holding my “Dog” Weezer poster. LOL… I tell her, “You would never know you are a well respected concert photographer standing behind this barricade holding a Weezer poster with a jumping dog on it.” Just my two cents.

7:15 p.m. – God this is starting to become a long long day. I’m so tired! I think the show hasn’t even started taping yet! Sigh…

7:22 p.m. – Oh, Weezer just finished, they are walking back and Rivers finally glanced over at us. Hey, it’s something at least right? RIGHT! Sigh…

7:39 p.m. – They are showing random clips of the taping on the outside screens. It looks so stupid. It could be the cold that makes it look so silly, but it looks really bad.

7:49 p.m. – Terry Bradshaw is taping his segment right now.

7:54 p.m. – Why do they keep showing this random comedian on the outdoor screens! It’s so irritating, and I don’t know why it’s so irritating, it just is! Grrrr…

8:11 p.m. – Terry Bradshaw is walking out. Everyone is trying to call him over but he ignores everyone and leaves. I have to say, it’s very irritating that a sports star like this can charge 100 bucks to sign something at a show but can’t just come over and sign a few for the fans. There are some real hardcore fans here. That is one downside to the autograph shows and conventions, people get used to making so much money out of autographs it sucks the fun out of it for so many people. (I am climbing off my soapbox)



8:35 p.m. – Catherine is leaving; everyone is calling her over… oh that’s not her… lol… sigh…

8:41 p.m. – Oh Catherine is leaving, people are creaming for her… wait that lady is blonde… man… either everyone is desperate or tired, or cold or all of the above!

8:51 p.m. – Okay, there she is! Catherine is leaving, she motions to us that she is going to put her stuff in the car and then come over. I get M’Lou set up with my one sheet, and give my Wild Things poster to my friend Marissa who happened to be walking by. Really, she just happened to come by! Lol…

8:53 p.m. – Catherine walked over and said, “I’m in a hurry guys, cause I have to pick up my kids.” She starts signing in the middle of the barricade. There is a guy taking video, and she looks up and says, “Are you taking video? I really don’t like that” and she starts signing with her back to the camera. The guy turns off his camera, and she signs normally. A lot of people are asking for her to personalize things, Erica asked her to sign her Wild Things poster and Catherine said, “Oh look who you have on it (Erica got Max like I did and also James Gandolfini in NY… grrrrrr)!” Catherine skipped M’Lou and my one sheet and went the other way… NO!

9:01 p.m. – M’Lou asked her to sign the one sheet, and she came back over and did it. Yay, Being John Malkovich is complete. Then Marissa got my Wild Things poster done, and finally I asked her to sign the 40 Year Old Virgin. I asked her to personalize it, and she said, “My brother’s name is Mike” I replied, “It’s a good name.” That sounded way cooler in person than when I wrote it. Really it did. Then I got a pic with her. She was really nice, and so cute in person.

9:05 p.m. – Echo and the Bunnymen are playing "Lips like Sugar," and M’Lou and I are singing along… Now that’s scary.

9:08 p.m. – Now I am schooling everyone on Echo and the Bunnymen history… man oh man… How can anyone not know Echo and the Bunnymen!

9:11 p.m. – Echo and the Bunnymen just finished their set. We could hear them. They just finished "The Killing Moon."

9:15 p.m. – Weezer is about to start, well it seems like they are about to start. We heard that Echo and the Bunnymen is going to leave out the front, so M’Lou took my albums and ran around to try and get them.

9:21 p.m. – Nope, M’Lou just missed them. When she got around to the front, they were just closing the van door! Doh! That sucks... sigh…

9:24 p.m. – It is at this time that M’Lou bails on us, but says she has a "good feeling."

9:39 p.m. – The band just finished their last song. Usually there is a huge throng of people running over after, but this time there isn’t a lot of people. Very strange for a band as big as Weezer.

9:43 p.m. – It’s super quiet. I don't have a good feeling.

9:59 p.m. – The guards just came over and told us everyone left. So much for M’Lou’s good feeling! LOL… I don’t know how the band managed to slip away, but they did, I hate having an incomplete poster! It blows! Man! Sigh… Well, it was fun hanging out with Erica, Marissa, M’Lou!

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