What a hectic but fun week for me.

Last Saturday, Blue Oyster Cult played a small venue in Akron for two shows.  In a previous blog, I stated that I wasn't going to try for them since I was 0 for 2 in trying to get them after the show and Buck and Eric basically ignored everyone there.  

A friend of mine had some previous success getting them before the…

One of my favorite vocalists, Geoff Tate from Queensryche, brought his new band- Operation: Mindcrime to Cleveland.  I got approved to shoot/review the show and I was hoping to meet Geoff after the show so I brought three albums with me just in case.  

Much to my surprise, I got free meet and greet passes along with my photo pass!  It pays to be nice to the…

My wife likes to play the slots, I like to play poker and table games.  The Hard Rock Rocksino does not have table games so my only interest in going there is to see a show, or to get a free buffet.  The plus side of her gambling there is that they will send her comp tickets to shows if they aren't selling well.  I will pretty much see anyone for free and have seen…

May is always a busy month for me.  Track keeps me very busy- I had 2 athletes make it to Regional’s and one just missed advancing to the state meet.  I also coordinate graduation at my school which is also hectic.  So autographs and shows are put on the backburner.

However the past couple of weeks, I have more than made up for it!

I did get to…

My autograph adventure of 2014 began in February when I decided to see Peter Buck and Alejandro Escavado at the last minute. I have been a fan of REM for a long time and I got to see them a couple of times over the years. My chance to see a hall of famer up close in a small venue for $20 was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.  I wasn't really prepared for autographs, as I didn't get any vinyl and only brought 1 REM cd cover and my RnR HOF poster.  I had no idea if they would sign or not and…

The concerts keep happening in Northeast Ohio and luckily for me they have taken place at smaller venues.  The first show was last Friday as Eddie Money took the stage for 2 shows at Tangiers in Akron- a small dinner theater place that has brought in some pretty big names over the years.  Between the 2 shows, Eddie was signing items at the merchandise table.  I had brought 2 lp's with me to get signed.  I didn't really want to buy a t-shirt but some of the proceeds went to the Fallen Hero's…

Poison front man and reality TV star, Bret Michaels hit the Hard Rock Casino a few weeks ago.  I have seen Poison a few times in the past- Opening up for David Lee Roth and then headlining with Cinderella and Dokken years later.  Yes, I am a fan of hair metal- grew up with it in the 80's.  If you are looking for a good time and a fun show, Poison is the band for you.  Not the best musicians, but it is fun music.  …

I've been a fan of Cheap Trick since about 1982.  I remember hearing some of their popular songs on the radio before that, but I believe that is when I bought Live at Budodan on cassette.  After that, I was hooked.  Then we finally got MTV and watching their live performances and some of their crazy video's made it even better.  I continued to buy their albums:  Dream Police, Next Position Please and One on One.  Finally I got to see them live in 1985.  They opened up for Heart and the next…

Two of the most enjoyable aspects of being an in person autograph collector is, of course meeting the celebrity, but almost equally enjoyable, is all the many fellow collectors that I have met over the years. Those of us who collect, share the frustration, the pain, the worry, the expense, the sacrifice, the joy, the surprise and the passion that autograph collecting brings.  Though many celebs are increasingly embracing us as collectors, there are still many that see us as a nuisense and…

A question that is constantly raised and constantly debated, is when all the discussion ends and the dust settles, at the end of the day does any celebrity really ever owe an autograph to those that request it?

We all know the argument, and we all know the value of signed items. We all see the demand and we all see the scams. We all know about Ebay, and so does the celebrity. We all see the increasing number of autograph style conventions, and we all see the amount of…