Time for another mid-week blog. This one is brought to you courtesy of my MiLB colleague Daren, Barnes & Noble and the indefatigable Miss Stevie Nicks. As we look up on the tote board, we see the Pai count is three-fifths of modern-era Fleetwood Mac accounted for autographs, two-fifths in face-to-face meetings.
We take up the action midday Tuesday. I knew Stevie Nicks would be doing her first-ever in-person signing at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. She released a live CD and DVD on the same day, and already heard that people would be allowed to get only those signed (there went the Rumours cover with Mick and Stevie on it). Also heard that she was a bit squeamish about hundreds of people flashing photos in her face, so cameras were prohibited (but obviously snuck in by others despite her wishes as you can see here).
When I left for work at around 3, the 300-person seating capacity was just about filled. But then we got word that they would reseat those with people who waited in ... and wait for it EC fans ... the queue. Well I didn't really have time to wait in the queue. ;) I had to get to work for a meeting (which said colleague graciously offered to have happen an hour earlier so I could at least make an attempt at the signing).
When I heard about how many people were out there, I almost didn't go, but Daren had made his effort on my behalf so off I raced after the meeting. I got my flier, got on the line out the door. People were still being brought in for standing room only on the fourth floor, they were to pay for two items at the register and that receipt gained them entrance to the Stevie level.
I was standing sort of perpendicular with the store, but a guard moved us parallel to it. When that happened, a man got ahead of me. Now I didn't think much of it at the time, 'cause well we were far away from the action. But he actually wound up being the last person able to purchase. The guard let five of us up to the register -- I was the first on this line. And there we stood for about 90 minutes waiting and hoping that this would happen.
I didn't have much hope, until the clerk -- poor thing forced to stand with us all that time and basically do nothing as we whined and questioned her about previous book signings to figure out our chances -- said that usually the fourth floor doesn't have the chairs in there and holds more for the signings.
Made some nice acquaintances on the line. Caustic Jenna was definitely a highlight. She had just been at the Izod show too, so we were trading comments about that one. Melissa had been to the Madison Square Garden show and the friend she had come with -- low and behold, another Gina! -- actually was stuck back at the door, the guard wouldn't let them both through together. There was a really sweet other woman as well, and I forget her name right now but she and her daughter have been sharing the Stevie love. She later said she would have bowed out at 6:30 if we hadn't kept her so occupied.
The most notable discussions were sordid mom tales (To even out the balance, I countered with my "best mom" story, saying if Mom lived in New York she woulda willingly sat upstairs all day for me) and life with "grey shirt" (a woman who actually had a receipt, but came back downstairs to try to buy another when the clerks were trying to convince her that she had a guaranteed autograph upstairs, and no guarantee if she was behind us).
So 90 minutes later, they let us purchase. And I got the magic receipt and up to the fourth floor I went. There was a looooong way to go. We got put in a couple different areas (one of which rearranged us so people who came after us actually wound up going before us ... sigh), but ultimately we did get seated in the main area. And the people just kept coming. They refilled the rows as soon as people went up for autographs. We got to watch "Grey Shirt" flitting around aimlessly a couple times, we did fear a little for Stevie when she got up there. But that moment seemed to pass without incident.
And then finally, our row got to stand and get in the line to the dais. It really sped up when it came to the big moment. You give your items to an assistant, who moves them over to Stevie. I started talking while she was signing. "How are you holding up?" I said. Her hand cramped a little and she hesitated, but said she was doing all right and just wanted to be able to sign for everyone. I said how much we all appreciated that and she said thanks for saying that. I added that I thought the band was playing fabulously right now. She grasped my hand in hers, made sure to make eye contact and said "Thanks very much, that means a lot to me."
It was insanely sweet of her to be like that with everyone -- maybe 1,000 people. It made reflect on being a fan of hers ... back to 1982, when her special was on HBO and I cried because we couldn't get home for the start of it. (Don't bust my chops, there was no VCR back then, let alone a DVD!)
Oh, one tiny note, I've always sort of thought she had a remarkable resemblance to Carrie Fisher. That's really brought home in the above picture.
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