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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on January 5, 2013 at 4:26pm

I would try to find out where they will be arriving at the House of Blues and go from there.  I will share four in-person successes with you.

At the stage entrance to the Metropolitan Opera House I was able to get the autographs of Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti on two separate occasions.  When I arrived both times I was the only one there but eventually more people arrived.  Domingo was a gentleman.  He accepted candy and flowers from a lady and signed autographs for the rest of us in a very cordial manner.  Pavarotti was a bit more unfriendly.  He ran for the stage entrance so I ran in front of him with my arm and pen extended and he was forced to stop and sign.  In his defense it was very cold in the garage and he was always concerned about his throat in cold weather.

Years later I was on my way to a Willie Nelson concert when I saw his bus pass by on Columbus Avenue.  I chased it until I came to it parked at the stage entrance.  I waited for two hours along with several other people and made friends with the security guard.  People entered and exited the bus while the rest of us froze outside.  He finally exited the bus and made his way towards the Beacon Theater stage entrance but before he entered he signed for everyone who was waiting outside.  I had him sign my ticket stub and by the time I ran around the corner and entered the theater the concert had already started.

Finally, David Lee Roth was playing at Westbury Music Fair back in 2003.  I parked and took a walk around the building to where his bus was located.  There were several people there and he eventually came out and signed autographs.  I had him sign my ticket stub as well since I was not planning on meeting him that night.  Other fans had him sign albums and posters.  One had him sign a microphone and the woman next to me had him sign her breast.

I hope that this is helpful.  You may not have to say anything.  Just do your research and be at the right place at the right time.  Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Pinchak on January 5, 2013 at 4:46pm

Hey thanks a lot for the advice.  Considering Tenacious D doesn't exactly have an huge following and from what I hear Jack Black and Kyle are cool dudes I think I have a pretty good shot as long as I can get within striking distance.

This might sound really dumb... but how do you know which door is the stage entrance?  Are they usually marked as such?  How long before the concert would you recommend camping out at the entrance?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on January 5, 2013 at 5:05pm

I knew where it was at the Met.  I just happened to stumble upon it at the Beacon Theater after chasing the bus to that location.  Westbury Music Fair is a small venue so the bus is not hard to find.  I suspect the same may be the case for the House of Blues.  Look for it when you arrive.  It won't hurt to ask employees when you arrive but don't believe everything that they say.  When I saw Darius Rucker at Westbury in 2011 a security guard told me that a bus with a South Carolina license plate was not his bus and I simply laughed and walked away.  I would arrive two hours early.  Keep us posted.

You may also want to stop by the House of Blues on an evening of another concert that you will not be attending in order to inquire.  That way you will know what to expect when you are there on the night of your concert.

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Permalink Reply by Pinchak on January 5, 2013 at 5:24pm

Great advice!  Thanks so much.

I will post back here and let you guys know what happened... hopefully with a photo of the poster signed.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Jackson on January 5, 2013 at 5:39pm

I would agree you want to be there as early as possbile as in my experence it is easier to get them to sign before the show then after. You would want to go scope the place out another night and get a feel for how it runs. For example in my area shows that start around 8-9pm the artist is normally already there for soundcheck ect the latest ive seen was Brain adams and he came around 5.30 for a 8 show

 

find where the bus is and wait around be nice to everyone you talk to, sometimes that gets you some pull with secrity later and befriend the openers if possible once you are on good terms with people you could ask when they will arrive ect. If the busses are around back that is the best place to wait and if the venue has some type of underground parking it will make things alot harder.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Snyder on January 5, 2013 at 11:58pm

I've never been to the House of Blues, but other small venues I've been to, I locate where the backstage entrance is outside. I try to get there a few hours early to try to catch the performer as he arrives. If that doesn't work, I try to get back outside as quickly as possible after the show to try to catch the performer as he's leaving the building. Sometimes the performer leaves quickly, other times the performer waits a few hours before leaving the building. Be willing to wait, either way. I've had successes meeting Harry Belafonte, Martin Short, the Osmond Brothers, Frankie Avalon, Lou Christie among others. I've never paid off security to get close to them, either. Whatever you have for them to sign, don't overdo, and have it out and ready. They'll know you want them to sign and they may be willing to chat a bit. Just be friendly with them if they make themselves approachable.

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