I watched all of the STP show from the side of the stage right behind the mixing board, stage right. STP rocked out all of the same songs that I saw in Toledo last year. I kept looking over at Eric the drummer and he would give me a head nod as if to acknowledge that I was there next to the stage!!! After the STP concert was over a roadie came up to me and handed me a drumstick. The drumstick was from the acoustic set that they played during the show. The roadie also gave me the set list from that set, man that was really cool. I was standing by the dressing room when the drummer Eric came out with his girlfriend. He didnt look like he knew where he was going so I asked him if there was something I could help him find. He said he was looking for a dressing room with hot water for a shower for his girlfriend. I told him to take her over to the Linkin Park dressing room for a hot shower. I took them over there and when she went in to shower Eric and I sat down to talk. I started talking to him about me being a Super Huge fan of STP. I told him about the drumstick that he tossed to me in Toledo last year. We talked for almost an hour. I told him that I was from Ann Arbor Michigan and grew up in a town with a $5.00 pot fine law. He got a big kick out of that; he said that he could relate because he was from California. Erics girlfriend came out of the dressing room and we all walked back to where STPs dressing room was. I noticed some guy standing around the backstage area but I knew he had a pass to be there. The guy stayed out of the way so I didnt kick him out. Before Eric went into his dressing room he stopped and said to me: Its Fans like you that we really dig. He gave me his autograph and then he said: Come to Las Vegas next week for our two shows and hang out with us. I asked him if he was serious and he said Yeah. WOW. I wrote down my name and gave it to Eric; the man that was standing around said to put his name on that list too so Eric did. The drummer for STP shook my hand and walked into the dressing room. I told him that I would see them in Vegas for sure, no doubt about it. My name was going to be on the STP ticket list for two shows at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada!
The lead singer for STP is Scott. He came out of the dressing room and walked around the backstage area. He came and sat down on a couch that I was standing next to. I said: Can I spin you a quick STP story? He looked at me with his big sunglasses on and said sure. I got right down in his face, about two feet away and I said to him: Last year in Toledo Ohio you dedicated a song to me. You got right down in my face really close to me and you said you look like you are tripping on acid; Im going to dedicate this song to you. Then you sang Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart. Scott started to crack up laughing. I asked him to sign my paper that Eric had already signed. He signed it and he slapped me hands that was way too cool. He got up and said See Ya and he went back into the dressing room. All the guys from STP went out to their bus and finally the backstage was cleared out. Cindy and I were the only ones left backstage; Cindy had been posted at the dressing room door all night. She got hooked up with the drum technician for STP and also got invited to go on the Las Vegas trip.
The mystery man that had been backstage standing around came up to me an introduced himself. Hi Im Vince and I live in Vegas, does anybody 420? I told him to fire it up if you got it. Vince and I went out to the parking lot after I checked out. We went to my truck and got stoned; we exchanged cell phone numbers and he told me that he would hook me up when I got to Vegas. I told him I couldnt wait for next week. Wow. When I drove home that night I couldnt sleep for two days.
Man, I was so jacked up I couldnt concentrate on anything but the Las Vegas trip to go see Stone Temple Pilots live for two shows, back to back.
On Monday November 19, 2001, the anniversary of Jims accident I went and rented a car to drive to Las Vegas in. I picked up the car and Cindy met me in the parking lot. We are on our way to Rock and Roll, Las Vegas style. I had a hard time driving because I was thinking about what we are about to be privy to. When we pulled into Las Vegas we drove down the strip. That was the first time that I had been to Vegas ever. After we got done playing tourist we drove over to the Hard Rock Hotel and when we walked into the hotel; it was dark inside at 2:00 pm in the afternoon. Cindy and I checked in and we got keys for Room #1171. We walked over to the elevator and got on, the floor of the elevator was Leopard skin and the walls were black leather. Each of the elevators had a silver handrail in it and on the handrail was a saying from a different band.
When I called Vince at his house he gave me directions to where he lived. The ticket office was closed so we went over to Vinces house. He only lived 15 minutes from the strip; we took the highway all the way there. When Cindy and I walked into Vinces house it was like walking into a recording studio.
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