From: Peggy

Pictures at bottom...

OK, Here is my review from the Seventh House Show in Pontiac. Gramma came over to watch the kids at about 4:00. I drove about 15 minutes into downtown Pontiac and parked right in front of this teeny, tiny concert hall. It is attache d to this neat coffee bar where the EDGE was broadcasting live. I went in and sat at the bar and tried to order a coffee drink but I didn't know what to pick so the bartender said he'd make me something special. This young guy sitting next to me was kind of listening to our conversation so I thought I would be a typical nice goo fan and introduced myself and asked if he was here for the concert. He shook my hand and said..."Are you the Peggy from the goo list?" It was Frank from Chicago whose ticket I ended up getting from Bill because Frank got one from the EDGE on his own. Small world!!

We chatted for awhile and then Bill Reiser showed up. We were all kind of surprised that there weren't more people there yet and there was no line. Before you know it...Tina showed up and was wishing me happy birthday and introducing her boyfriend, Pauly. OK, now we only needed Brandon and Sara. Still there were hardly any people around! We saw Mike walk by so we knew the Goos were around. I went to the bathroom and could hear them doing the sound check and Johnny was singing Black Balloon. I was getting so excited for later!

Those guys convinced me to go talk to the bouncer and see if we could start the line inside the hall where it was warmer. He was really nice but no luck. Frank and Bill came over and were talking with him too when this head bouncer shows up and says...I want these people outta right now....ok, ok. Well, we had heard that the boys might come down for an interview and sure enough, as soon as we went back into the coffee bar, the band walked by right where we had been standing! They came into the bar and did their interview. I got a couple of profile shots. Man did they look good. Right at the end of the interview the DJ's were trying to rowdy up the (small) crowd. We were whooping it up and Robby leaned over and put his microphone right up to my face. It was so cool.

Once the interview was over we decided we better get into line. It was probably about 6:15 or so. The only ones in front of us were about four of these sweet high school girls. They were really down to earth and excited as the rest of us. Ther was an older man standing behind us with his son who was probably 11 or twelve. I started talking to them about how everybody got their tickets when the young guy behind him in line says.."hey, are you from the goolist....I'm Brandon!!" Woo hoo! One down one more to go! I never had so much fun standing in the freezing cold as I did that night! What a great group of people.

Someone saw Mike walk by so I decided to catch up to him and get him to autograph my cd sleeves. He was really nice. He said he would sign the cd's that he played on. Duh! I was kind of flabbergasted or I wouldn't have shoved them all under his nose. He said "hey Johnny is right there if you want him to sign your stuff." They were in a small group and I never would have noticed he was there. Tina came up at this point and told the group it was my birthday. Somebody sang acouple of bars of happy birthday to you. and then I was face to face with Johhny. Akkkkkk. He told me Happy Birthday and then signed all my stuff. I was so happy when I got back in line and then I realized what an idiot I was. Practically had the guy all to myself and I forgot to ask for a fricking PICTURE! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Right before they let us into the venue, these two very young girls in high heels and sparkly tops (they were dolled up for Johnny I'm sure!) got to cut to the FRONT of the line. The bouncer said they were friends of his sister. Tina and I decided we would keep our respectibility by promising never to wear gold lame tube tops to a Goo concert just so we could be first in line. Plus, we wouldn't want to scare anybody! Another couple of guys came up and asked if they might get to the front. We sent them back to the END of the line...Next time get here at 4:00 pm BOYS!...and remember...NO moshing!

They let our very chilled group in around eight pm. We ran up the stairs and onto the main floor to grab our great spots right up front. Tina was against the rail. I was behind her and Bill was to my right. Brandon was behind and to the right of Bill. We were all right in the center. Pauly hung by the bar and poor Frank, we found out later he got hung up at the door. He can tell that story!! Buffalo Tom came on and were very good! I loved that Haiku song!

The Goo's came on not too long after. Tina got the set list so she can tell you the song order. Johnny was directly in front of us. I know I said this on the list before, but it is worth repeating. He could have been playing guitar at the foot of your bed he was so CLOSE!! Nathan was to my left and Robby and Dave were on my right. I made a bunch of posters for the show so when they came out I held up "HOLD ME UP I'm seeing the GOO GOO's LIVE!! When the song was ending I held up "I love Mike!" Johnny looked at it and said "Hey Mike, somebody loves you and then he moved out of the way so Mike could see the sign. When t hey broke into SLIDE I held up "SLIDE into my kitchen and I'll cook you dinner!!" Johnny laughed at that one while he was in mid song and then Robby saw it and laughed too.

The band was incredible.They are so intimate with their audience. They would catch your eyes and smile at you all the time!! I've never seen that before. They were jamming on some great tune...I think it was There You Are...I'm still so geeked I can't think straight. Bill told me to hold up my "Goos are Better than PROZAC" sign. Which of course I did! when the song was over Johnny said. "I gotta show you guys these posters this girl has made. He took my posters and he and Robby were holding them up. Robby wanted to know how I had all this inside information. (Bill had run into Nathan at the bar and found out Dave the ke yboard player's secret nickname. I had made an impromptu poster with the nickna me on it.) After commenting that he had actually BEEN on Prozac and no way was the band better, Johnny looked me straight in the eyes with those baby blues and those blonde bangs and those leather pants and those tattos and that...nevermind. Anyway he said real sweet "Thank you so much for making these signs." Well, If I had been younger and less experienced I probably would have fainted dead a way, but having dealt with poverty, unemployment, disco, labor (twice) and the stress of a first home purchase) I merely gave him my brightest and sweetest smile and said " You are very welcome." Then I peeed all over the floor--just kidding!

After the last song, Two Days in February, Robbie dove into the crowd and surfed his way out of the venue! Johhny smashed his guitar, but it was so funny cause he couldn't get it to break. He went on and on and finally threw it into the drums and walked off!

We found Frank, who had been shooting the breeze with Mike (Robby and Johnny were the only ones on stage for the last songs) and we took our time leaving the hall. We said bye to Brandon,Tina and Pauly. Bill, Frank and I posted ourselves between the tour bus and the back door of the venue. I still needed Robby's autograph for my CD's and dammit I wanted a picture with Johnny.

Dave came out and wanted to know how I had found out his nickname. I told him that Bill had found out from Nathan. He laughed and said he was really going to play mind games with Nathan about this. I gave him my sign with his nickname on it. I still had my" I love Mike" sign too. He asked for it also so he could razz Mike about it. He was super friendly and signed my EDGE pass and Dizzy CD. Nathan was a doll and signed my stuff. I got pictures with him too.

Robby came out and we talked to him for a long time. He was a really neat person. Got pictures and signatures from him. Johnny had apparently been on the bus all this time and had come out to meet fans. While we were still talking to Robby some girl ran over and said "the bouncers are being sooo mean to us" Robby said, "That's why I'm over here and not over there." Johnny went back on the bus before I could get over there for a picture but that's cool. I feel kinda sorry for him. All the little girls want a piece of him.

Anyway, I gave Frank a hug goodbye. Bill walked me back to my car. I drove home, checked on the kids and laid wide awake in bed next to my sleeping spouse for the rest of the nite thinking about my best birthday present ever. Thank you, Bill.