Waiting for Birdman ... and finding Supermen

I had a great fortnight with my sister recently. We got to see Fleetwood Mac reunited and as strong as ever. We spent time with treasured family. Watched movies and battled in '80s trivia games. And we hit the big city for New York Comic Con and the New York Film Festival and to ransack The Strand. A pretty great way to spend time with your best friend.

The comic con was set at the end of the two-week period, and we noticed that "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance") would be closing the film festival. We already knew that stars Michael Keaton (a big favorite of both of ours -- but particularly my sister) and Edward Norton would be doing a panel at Comic Con, and we went to Lincoln Center to get overly priced tickets for the big preview, but they were already sold out. Then we found out other screenings would be going on in other theaters around the complex and decided to go to that.

But that was even after the convention. In the meantime, we found we could score tickets to the 30th anniversary screening of "This Is Spinal Tap," and yet another brilliant entertainer, Christopher Guest, would be on hand for the film. So off we went to that.

Guest possesses a razor-sharp wit as well as the ability to disappear into whatever role he's playing. I've always been astonished by how completely the actor vanishes and the character appears, something that would seem to be made even more difficult by the fact that he's often directing the movie which he is always starring in. He told us he hadn't seen the film that did "for rock and roll what 'The Sound of Music' did for hills" in about 12 years.

So we laughed our butts off with the audience at the film festival watching the so-called first mockumentary -- although let me state right here that Guest told us he really doesn't like that moniker.

And then Guest and the moderator sat down to answer questions from the audience. Like I said, Guest doesn't suffer fools likely, so those with inane questions got deftly swatted without being held up for ridicule. That makes one a little wary of asking their own question, but it is supposed to be what I do for a living, right?

So up my hand went up. The moderator called on me. I stood up, and someone not even in my general vicinity proceeded to ask his own question. He was swatted. I tried again. I asked Guest whether he wished he'd kept anything from the film. He still had the Gibson Les Paul which he used in the movie. And the other thing he kept was a napkin with different variations of the band's name, Spinal Tap. Whew, no swatting.

Stupid question of the Q&A ... and there's always at least one ... was about how many fingers he had on his right hand. Wrong film!

But many of the questions did lead to interesting responses. Guest told us about how many musicians -- including Jeff Beck -- had come up to him over the years insisting that Spinal Tap was an incredible simulation of their own band. Guest maintained no group, in particular, inspired the plot, but that didn't keep from the audience from continually hazarding guesses.

A couple days later, it was time for New York Comic Con. We were wearing our new "Supernatch" shirts. Mine proclaims Team Crowley on front and Team Castiel on the back and Lorrie's is the reverse. They were VERY popular. In fact, of all the conventions I've been to, this shirt has gotten the most feedback of anything I've ever worn -- even if many seemed puzzled over being able to play for both teams at once.

We went to the panel for "Librarians," basically because John Larroquette will be starring in the TNT series -- although he was not on hand for the Q&A. They showed us clips from the series, and even with Rebecca Romijn as the female lead, it looks interesting enough to warrant a watch. The project is the baby of Noah Wyle, who was in the three "Librarian" films as well as an occasional appearance on the series and serves as executive producer, and writer John P. Rogers, who had me at the numerous references he made to his show being like "The X-Files." Also in the cast is Christian Kane ("Angel"), who admitted it's nice getting to play a character he actually likes for a change.

From there I went to a panel I liked a lot less. It was "Elementary," the modern take on Sherlock Holmes with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. They showed the entire season opener first, and then proceeded to deliver what sis and I call "a Smallville panel." That's a Q&A so boring that you realize your time could be better spent elsewhere. Luckily, I had something great lined up next -- a photo op with Gillian Anderson.

Although I met Anderson the previous year, she IS Gillian Anderson. She starred in one of my all-time favorite shows and her work continues to astonish and entertain me. During my five seconds with her (those things go really quickly and I think I actually got more time than the photographer would have liked me to), I congratulated her on doing the "Streetcar Named Desire" prequel she had just signed on to direct. She thanked me, but added it's only a short film and not a major deal. Then I lied to her. I said I'd see her at the panel for "A Vision of Fire." But I didn't. Because I couldn't get in. One hundred thirty capacity for a Gillian Anderson panel? She wasn't even the only one in the discussion. Same thing happened with the "Librarians" cast signing. Limit of 130. I think 130 was the magic number.

After being shut out of those things, I was a little concerned about being on the line for the "Birdman" panel, since it was what we wanted to see most for the whole thing at the sold-out convention. Just think about how many tickets it would take to sell out the Jacob Javits Center. So I got on the line very early. Lorrie joined me soon after and we sat through most of some kind of Batman comics panel as well as "Once Upon a Time" -- another full screening and "Smallville" panel. But each time one ended, we were able to move up, until we had pretty good seats for the main event.

Before Keaton and Norton graced us with their presence, though, the emcee asked for volunteers to do Keaton impressions. I volunteered Lorrie's "Johnny Dangerously" impersonation. "Why are you saying that she'll do it?" he asked me. "Because she can't," Lorrie offered. When he kept haranguing me on that, I added, "I'm her agent." That shut him up and sis got to show off the prison grapevine bit she started doing when we were kids.

The emcee teased her about the length of her bit, but he probably would have thought twice if he knew about the crappy "Jack Frost" impression that was coming next. And the one after that that seemed like "Beetlejuice" crossed with "Batman," instead of one or the other. Lorrie beat them by a longshot ... not just saying that as her agent.

Anyhoo, finally, what we had been waiting for -- Keaton and Norton. They brought some clips. As I knew we'd be seeing the movie the next day, I watched their reactions. Michael seemed to be very amused by the clips, and he later told us about how internally he was thinking about Norton's reactions while acting with him.

Even in the little clips, you could tell what an amazing film it is. The two actors told great stories about working in the film, although they were intentionally vague about the more technical aspects of the trademark long shots. The moviemakers apparently have been able to get way past the days of Alfred Hitchock's "Rope."

"It's not like anything you've seen before," Keaton told us. It's true, it almost defies description. It might exist just to defy description.

So back for more the next day, after a soggy, in-vain wait for the NYCC shuttle near Penn Station. My big plan of getting William Shatner to sign my "Airplane II" lobby card was kiboshed by his exorbitant autographing fee, but Brent Spiner was much more reasonable. I'm not a Trekkie, but even I laughed when Jonathan Frakes came by and kissed him on the top of the head. When I got up to Spiner, I found he fist-bumps rather than shakes hands and keeps a bottle of hand sanitizer close by. I told him I enjoy his work whenever I see him and my personal favorite is Bob Wheeler from "Night Court." To that end, I brought him Neccos, a reference to a storyline from his penultimate episode. "Very inventive," he proclaimed.

Then I waited on Anderson's autograph line to get my "X-Files" lobby card signed. I noticed she had both a can and a bottle of Coke on her table and pointed out that we're fellow Cokeheads. Got a chuckle at that. And then I told her she looked gorgeous and to stop that because she's ruining it for the rest of us. That induced a big smile and a nice laugh.

We got done relatively early on the second day, and so Lorrie found us a nice panel to sit down in. On the 10th anniversary of Christopher Reeve's passing, OUR Superman's foundation was continuing to carry on his work. This became my favorite thing at the convention. It started with the video atop this blog. And then we met these four men in the panel -- Dustin, Drew, Rob, Kent. The four real-life Supermen. And Matthew Reeve, Christopher's son, who is helping champion the epidural stimulation procedure that has enabled these men to walk again.

All of them were so engaging, whether they were talking about how this "big idea" -- and the website is called ReeveBigIdea.org -- rejuvenated their own lives or how these four and more are looking to bring 36 more people in for the next treatments. #36for36 they call it. They laughed about being at their first Comic Con and wanting to race their chairs down escalators.

Matthew talked some about his dad, what he was like as a father and how close the cause was to his heart. It was almost no-pressure sales, they told us what they'd been through and did tell us how to donate, but didn't force-feed any of it. And the power of their words affected me greatly. I've donated since, I post their information as much as I see it, and I hope the 36 get their 36.

After the panel ended, we shook hands with these men. Some of them had said in that video that they couldn't do that before the procedure. And they did so with us, without thinking twice. So inspiring. I even got to tell Matthew very quickly how much his dad had meant to me over the years. It marked the perfect ending to the convention, you can't really think about how crowded the thing is or what panels you got shut out of when that is right before your eyes.

And the vacay wrapped up with the landing of "Birdman," which is beautiful, artistic, and even touching beyond possible description. So much more than the long-take calling card that will be its initial draw in the media and maybe to the public. It's supremely clever as a script and amazingly clever technically. I'm expecting great things from it this awards season, and I'll be disappointed if that doesn't come to pass. As for us, it was an award-winning fortnight to be sure. Pass that through the prison grapevine, will ya?

My show of shows

I never thought it would happen. Experiencing Fleetwood Mac with all five members from their '70s heyday. In 1987, I saw the Mac on the University of South Florida campus, but Lindsey Buckingham had left after the recording of "Tango in the Night." Then when I saw them again in 2009, Christine McVie had long been retired.

I have five silver rings -- one for each member of the seminal group -- and I've always worn the ones of those performing to their respective shows. The most I'd ever gotten to wear was four. Until October 6.

It was a show like no other and a feeling like no other. I can't think of any other band in which it doesn't matter to me who the lead vocalist is. Even with The Beatles, I tend to show my preferences. But Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, I love them all. And the different shades they bring out in their music ... and in me.

Stevie was my idol in my formative years. I had the most immediate connection to her -- the dreamer, a strong woman who bends but does not break. I pitched a fit once when we weren't home in time to watch her HBO special.

Then there was Lindsey. He feeds my hunger for guitar in a most soulful way. He's the bridge between the dreamer and the wizened woman of the world.

Christine. Always passionate and affecting, even when I didn't quite understand what she was singing about in my youth. In my youth, my favorite song of hers was "Over My Head." On stage at Madison Square Garden, she admitted the writing of that song was affected by the addition of Lindsey and Stevie to the roster. But now that I can understand the feelings and the yearnings, she's perhaps the most resonant of all with me.

It started off ... as their shows always do ... with "The Chain," the one song written by all five members of the band. It had so much power with the five of them on board, as it was indeed proven that you can never break the chain.

You know how many bands just save their most famous songs or the rockers for the back half of their set? Fleetwood Mac just can't do it, everything is a hit. I feared that the people behind me would call for me to sit down after the first few numbers, but I did stay on my feet and sway and dance for almost the entire night.

Christine's first chance to take the spotlight was on "You Make Loving Fun." That starts with the words "Sweet, wonderful you." And it was pretty much the way I saw it too. So wonderful to have her back. She may have not performed for 15 years or so, but she didn't miss a bloody beat. She completes Fleetwood Mac and she completes me.

And then Stevie stepped forward for my childhood song "Dreams." And then Lindsey took the mic to rock through "Second Hand News." See what I mean? Just one gem after another.

It's strange and wonderful juxtaposition, you go from Stevie's "Rhiannon" to Christine's "Everywhere." It seems and feels right. And then Lindsey rocked again for "I Know I'm Not Wrong."

And then the t-shirt portion of the program. The marketing people came up with the ingenious idea of "Tusk You" shirts in tribute to the the mostly instrumental "Tusk." Even a better idea to put the Stevie song "Sisters of the Moon" into the set. And even better than that to have "Sisters of the Moon" shirts to mark the occasion. And particularly well suited to me with sister in tow.

Lorrie was graciously taking pictures the whole time -- sometimes with my phone, and with each of her phones until the batteries wound down. At one point, my Lindsey ring tried to make a run for it, but luckily he was safely tucked in my bag when he did so. Brief panic, quickly averted.

I had different dances working for all the numbers -- Christine's "Say You Love Me," Stevie's "Seven Wonders" -- a song I was never a big fan that I really enjoyed that night, and Lindsey doing his fingerpicking magic on the reworked "Big Love."

And then I lost it on "Landslide." It's an emotional song to be sure, but I can't remember it ever affecting me that way before and certainly not as quickly as it did. I guess it was just being able to recognize in that moment that it was a landmark moment for me and how phenomenal it was to have my sister there for it.

But I recovered for Lindsey's "Never Going Back Again." Then Stevie prepared to deliver "Gypsy," only it was actually Christine's turn to sing "Over My Head." And then Stevie twirled away on "Gypsy."

Maybe because I hadn't seen Christine in 25 years, I was grooving on her songs pretty badly. Or pretty well-ly... "Little Lies" was a lot of fun, because subconsciously you're trying to sing all three of their parts. And I was tugging on Lorrie quite a bit during the number, while she was trying to take pictures and sing and sway. I'm quite sure whenever I hear this song hereafter, I will think about that and laugh ... and sing ... and sway.

We didn't lose incredibly much from the setlist with Christine's return. "Oh Well," yeah, it's one of my all-time favorite Mac songs, but ... wait for it ... oh well. The main others were Lindsey's slowed-down version of "Go Insane" and Stevie's "Stand Back." But in our favor, we still had Stevie's "Gold Dust Woman" and Lindsey bringing down the house as always with "I'm So Afraid."

By this time, we're rolling toward the big finish and if I wasn't having such a good time, I'd probably be forlorn about the night coming to an end. But when Lindsey kicked into "Go Your Own Way," it was impossible to go anyway but theirs. "World Turning" rocked out -- complete with wacky Mick solo and our favorite Brett Tuggle sampling Lindsey vocals -- and then right into "Don't Stop," which had been sung without Christine on the more recent tours, but never should be done without her again.

The band intros finally afforded us a better look at John McVie, and I had been supremely fearful about seeing the Mac in any version again after hearing he had been diagnosed with cancer last year. But he looked great -- when we could see him and he wasn't tucked away to the right of Mick's drum set, and thus, out of view. But he was perfect all night and it was inspiring to have him anchoring the lineup.

After a brief break, they returned with "Silver Springs," with the dynamic vocals between Stevie and Lindsey only bolstered by Christine. And then the traditional capper with an unusual twist, Christine came on stage to perform "Songbird," and this year, he had Lindsey in tow with tasteful guitar licks.

I'm not sure I can go back to seeing this band if ANY of these five go missing again. ... OK, I probably can, that's probably overstating the case, but I do know it won't be the same. This is the way it's supposed to be for me.

I was worried about this blog not conveying exactly what I needed it to. I've been fortunate enough to go to a lot of great events -- landmark concerts with once-in-a-lifetime occurrences and conventions where I got to meet childhood heroes and other people I adore -- but this one is just going to stay in my heart and soul forever. And I guess that really says it all.

Why we should all crush on Glenn Tilbrook

If you ever have been to a Glenn Tilbrook show, you'll understand exactly what I'm about to talk about. And if you have never seen a Glenn Tilbrook show, you might not really get the gist of it, but I'm going to do my level best, because the man is worth it.

He's best known as the affable lead singer of Squeeze, handling the musical part of the songwriting chores for the new wave/pop band (I know, I don't agree either, but that was the era in which they burst on the scene out of the United Kingdom). He can be in his element in any scenario -- in reunion shows with that act, in band shows with his own Fluffers, and particularly, in solo performances. It was the latter in which we veteran Tilbrookians -- myself, Mark and Liam -- saw our hero at City Winery on Sept. 25.

At this time, it's only right to talk about Mark's substantive man crush on Glenn. Now Mark really gets on board for artists that I guess I can say I gave him his first serious introduction to (Rick Springfield and Lindsey Buckingham spring to mind), but it's a whole different level when it's Glenn. Something about the unusual way in which he crafts a song and then brings that to fruition -- the first video on this blog, "Take Me I'm on Yours," being a really strong example of that.

Anyway, the dreamlike state Mark gets into while watching Glenn seemed to be aided at this show by the oscillating fan blowing straight into the artist's face and sending his wild mane in all directions -- sometimes at once. Here's an example of that in one of the most fun songs to help Mr. Tilbrook sing.

Even when Glenn is seemingly putting together a show off the cuff by calling for requests and that sort of thing, he still stays perfectly in command of it all. He laid down 27 songs for us, from an Irish chestnut called "Ice Cream" that he sang as a childhood to fan favorites such as "Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)" and "Goodbye Girl." He included a good bunch of his post-band work too, including my favorite, "Untouchable," and Mark's, "Still."

Glenn's solo version of Squeeze standard "Slap and Tickle" might go a long way to explaining my original premise. You're sitting there, listening and watching and just marveling that one man can handle all these chores at the same time. It's like Michael Jordan taking a free throw for the championship while doing his substantial (no doubt) taxes and fielding phone calls from his agent at the same time. The master of the multitask, no chore of which he is anything less than spectacular at.

He's also a musical sponge, taking from probably the most wide-ranging array of influences that anyone can possibly have. On that day, he pulled the Monkees' "Pleasant Valley Sunday" out of his arsenal. Of course, that widespread range is ever-evident in the Squeeze catalog as well, and when he offered up tunes that might be lesser-known to the assembled like "Dennis" and "Black Sheep," he'd book-end them with Squeeze classics such as "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Labelled with Love."

After a break and as the show started to unfortunately wind down, he pelted us with back-to-back Squeeze classics -- "Slap and Tickle" gave way to "Pulling Mussels" and then "Another Nail from the Heart" into "Tempted," "Cold Shoulder" and the finale "Goodbye Girl."

The only time I zoned out of the show was after reading on Liam's phone that, in his final Yankee Stadium appearance, Derek Jeter smacked the game-winning hit. It was just so Jeets, so Captain, so him. And I didn't mind so much because the song being performed at that moment was "Tempted," which was not originally performed by Glenn when released by Squeeze. I get sadly puritannical at moments about things like that. Although thinking on it now, one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs to experience live is "Oh Well," and it's not Peter Green up there performing it.

So for everyone, and even me, since I paid no attention through my tears of joy, here's Glenn performing "Tempted" that night.

So the man crush is seriously understood, and I'd be if didn't admit to having a wee bit of one myself. Now is that ... is that love? It's the cupid, cupid, cupid disguise. That more or less survived ... now that is love. Yeah, I know, I'm not giving you anything original, just swept up in the magic of the Tilbrook.

WKRPaige in Cincinnati

I have a lot of "favorites," and I'm always eager to sort who or what I like more than who or what else. And in ranking my favorite sitcoms of all time, "WKRP in Cincinnati" invariably works its way to the top. It was a perfectly cast show with tremendous ability to deftly mix and mingle laugh-until-you-cry comedy and drama with a message.

So having four of the cast members of the show at Chiller at the end of April was a must-see for me. Particularly when three of the four are my favorites on the show, and one would also have a place on the "favorite fictional characters of all time in any medium" list that has been discussed but never put on paper. See what I mean about the penchant for listing?

Anyway, the first person I met was Jan Smithers, who played shy Bailey Quarters. And I had heard that Jan was a lot like Bailey when she started on the show, so I wasn't sure how it would go, but she wound up being my favorite person of the event. (Lists, lists, and more lists...)

She told me that the WKRP cast remains close to this day, which I loved to hear, and that her time on the show was the best time of her life. In turn, I told her that as a shy youngster who wanted to be in journalism, she was something of a role model for me. That earned me an unexpected hug.

The next person I met was Howard Hesseman, who played Johnny Fever -- the hippie jock who landed at WKRP after burning his bridges everywhere else. And he's the one on my list of the best characters, 'cause how could he not be with lines like, "If I die, who's gonna teach the children about Bo Diddley?"

Howard, and more on this later, has an uncanny ability to take in all of his surroundings. He's really aware of what's going on around him. (The polar opposite of Johnny Fever, basically.) He recognized the Black Death malt liquor shirt I was wearing to be like the one Johnny often donned on the show, and told me about the design's origin by a cartoonist in Marin County, California.

When I brought up the born-again cult classic flick "Clue," he laughed that another fan had just had him sign a photo from the movie. The film is one of those that became a fan favorite after its original release. I said that I had sought out theaters showing the alternate endings, and he surmised that I must have been one of the very few to actually do that. He also showed great admiration for the photo Jan had signed for me -- it was a reprint of the 1966 Newsweek magazine cover that got her discovered.

And then I met Loni Anderson. She wasn't too impressed by my disclosure that we had once been at the same place at the same time -- the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota -- but she did appreciate it when I said she had made a real mark by turning the traditional blonde role on its ear as Jennifer Marlowe on "WKRP." And she also seemed pleased by the fact that a group of us on Facebook still enjoy and discuss the show on a regular basis.

Later I had the pro-shot photo with all three and Tim Reid. When it was my turn, I asked them if they were interested in a group hug. They said yes, so we all gathered together and had one! Howard quipped, "We should be facing the other way" -- toward the camera. With me in the middle, Howard on one side and Jan on the other were too far away, so we sort of held hands. When it was over, other fans waiting on line told me I did a good job. I think it emboldened them to ask for what they wanted in their own photos.

The next day, I finally got the one-on-one with Tim. I told him how much I loved Venus Flytrap and his costumes and his subsequent show "Frank's Place," which was gone all too soon. Then I mistakenly called the film "Trade" that he did with Kevin Kline "Chaos," which made me feel bad until he called it "Traffic," which wasn't right either!

But there were a lot of other famous faces to come into contact with during the Chiller weekend. Some in the literal sense, like Julie Warner (of "Doc Hollywood" and "Indian Summer" fame). When she was trying to squeeze through the Skyland Suite, she brushed up against me by accident. As Lorrie called it, she got to second base with me. And I added to that legend by deeming us to be bosom buddies.

Also in that room was Chris Sarandon, who was forced to bow out last time due to a work commitment. But he made it right by rescheduling for this event. And while he wasn't the most engaging person during autographs/photos, he told great stories during his Q&A session with "Nightmare Before Christmas" co-star Ken Page. Particularly about the fun he had on the set of "The Princess Bride."

Just as engaging on the panel front was Michael Paré with "Eddie and the Cruisers" co-star Matthew Laurance. He was also great one-on-one, with that great Tom Cody voice that kinda makes you want to melt away. Lorrie told me I should go at him with the "Pleased to meet you" line that he says in "Streets of Fire." I did, when he was signing my lobby card, and he chuckled. He said Amy Madigan was actually the best singer in that movie's cast, with a bluesy voice that rivals Etta James'. During the Q&A, he told everyone about how psyched leading lady Diane Lane had been on set when she got all B's on her report card. She was only 17 when the film was made.

The last thing I said to him when we met was how much I liked his small part in "The Virgin Suicides" -- he briefly plays Josh Harnett's character as a burned-out adult -- and he seemed very pleased by that, deeming it a top-notch movie.

Another of the people I was really looking forward to meeting was Jack O'Halloran, who is in three of my favorite childhood-era movies -- "Superman I," "Superman II" and "King Kong." Now sitting down, the former boxer didn't look as massive as I thought he would be. But you can certainly see by our picture together that he is.

In regards to the "Superman" experience, Jack said being around the likes of Marlon Brando, "Terry" Stamp and Gene Hackman was an awesome experience. He and Gene had just come off the film "March or Die," so they were pretty well bonded when they got to the blockbuster. And he did have a lot to say about "King Kong" too, which he said suffered from a bad director, but in all other respects -- particularly casting with Jeff Bridges and "Jessie" Lange -- was solid.

Lorrie doesn't traditionally do a lot of "celeb" time, other than being my expert photographer trained to not only get more than one posed shot, but to also get some candids while I'm talking with the actors. On this occasion, she did stop for John Wesley Shipp, probably best known as "The Flash," but kinda known in my soap circles for his work on "Guiding Light" (Speedo!!!!), "As the World Turns" (Emmy!!!!) and "One Life to Live."

So Lorrie and John were chatting about the reboot of "The Flash," and she was trying to get him to reveal something about the part he'll be playing in that. And that's when the guy behind her started honing in on the conversation. He continued on in that vein for a while longer, so I finally said something about that being my sister's time and he would get his in a little bit. That shut him up but quick, and John didn't seem to mind because then I was included in the convo with Lorrie. I said "Congrats on that Emmy win 25 years ago," and he couldn't believe that was that long ago.

I spent a good amount of time the second day hanging with my friends, Carol and Linda. We've developed kind of a short-hand when walking around the event. We try and take some pictures, occasionally engaging those who don't have people around them in conversation. That's apparently frowned upon on the security front, 'cause Chiller expects you to lay down your greenbacks when you want to take pictures of one of the celebs. Not that a picture from 300 feet away of that person talking to someone you don't know would make an incredible keepsake or anything. And we do pay to get in and all.

But when I was doing this in one of the main signing areas for my friend, well, I was spotted by Howard Hesseman, who was probably tired of seeing me by this time. Because I waved to him from the floor when he left the pro-shot cast event, I waved to him when the elevator doors opened early Saturday and he just happened to be there (or I just happened to be there), I didn't wave but was painfully trying to avoid gazing his way while waiting for Tim Reid, and now, there I was breaking the Chiller code of honor sorta kinda in front of him.

Luckily I avoided eviction, and we moved on to the Skyland Suite. I had read Allison Arngrim's autobiography, which was by turns, uproarious and frightening and definitely wanted to meet the woman who relished playing Nellie Oleson on "Little House on the Prairie" for so many years. We scored some more "contraband" celeb photos and Linda and/or Carol chatted up Julie Warner, David Faustino and Alison.

Got to hear more of Paré's mellifluous tones and we scouted out some of the smaller rooms as well, seeing the reunion of the cast of "The Last American Virgin" -- Diane Franklin looks great, by the way! We didn't get a chance to cop a peek at Priscilla Presley behind closed doors, but we did have fun in the museum with the Audrey II plant from "The Little Shop of Horrors" and a bunch of monkey heads.

And the last thing I saw that weekend was wizened Abe Vigoda making his way through the packed crowd for his pro-shot photo-only session. A fine capper if ever there was one.

Gale-force wind blows through Red Bank

Experience Hendrix is a strange and wonderful, well, experience. It shows the timeless nature of Jimi Hendrix's music. It shows his range of influence, not only on the guitar but also with lyrics and his voice.

I believe it's my fourth time seeing the annual show, which brings together an usual array of musicians. This year, the gamut ran from Band of Gypsys member Billy Cox to Serbian-born Ana Popovic. From one wave of legends -- Eric Johnson to the former "It" boys Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Jimi's music obviously continues to mean so much to each and every one of them. This tour is definitely a labor of love, one that no one can be making a huge profit off of. The musicians have obviously spent countless hours poring over the records to try and duplicate every single sound.

Most Hendrixy: Eric Gales. Without a doubt. Adorned in chartreuse and purple, he displayed a flair that even Hendrix lookalike Dani Robinson couldn't replicate. And the thing about Gales is that he came off the most like Hendrix by specifically not trying to imitate the man. He used his own natural talent, and in doing so, represented Jimi's legacy better than anyone else.

Best Hendrix accessory: Doyle Bramhall II. His first appearance of the night was actually on keyboards for Eric Johnson's "Are You Experienced." But even the surprise of having him behind the keys wasn't the match for the height and breadth of that fro he was sporting.

Best supporting guitarist: Mato Nanji, of the low-profile band Indigenous, made everyone he played with better. He did so with precision guitar work and earthy vocals. More on him in a bit.

Best supporting non-guitarist: Chris Layton. Famed for his work with Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Arc Angels, he played behind just about everyone. For those who saw Experience Hendrix when Jimi's drummer Mitch Mitchell was the force behind it, it's been poignant to attend the shows since he passed. But Layton kept everyone on the straight and narrow with his drumming.

Most underrated: Doyle Bramhall II. In terms of crowd reaction, I think the audience really missed the boat, particularly on his acoustic offerings, "Hear My Train Coming" and "You Got Me Floatin'." He performed these right off of the intermission break. I don't know whether it was that or the fact that the unrulies around us figured more thoughtful pieces were code for talking time, but the crowd as a whole didn't seem to give him the attention he was more than earning on the stage.

Battle of the former It Boys: For years and years, a battle not of their own making raged on between Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Now both of them are older, wiser and sporting shorter haircuts. Jonny's set was amiable in a Bryan Adams-kinda way and he attempted to boost his cache with Aerosmith's Brad Whitford in tow. But without Nanji saving their hides on "All Along the Watchtower," they fell kinda short and seemed rather cold. By contrast, Kenny Wayne didn't just play the notes, he knew where to put them spatially and emotionally on "Gypsy Eyes" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return).

Taming the wild Guy: If you know anything about a Buddy Guy show, you know he's prone to flights of fancy -- telling stories in the middle of his songs and just cutting them off completely if he doesn't like the crowd reaction. He had one such option in a set with Billy Cox and then was relegated to the background, where truth be told, he provided some tasty licks on "Hey Joe" and "Them Changes."

Not missing what was missed: It was a very strange thing. "Purple Haze" and "Fire" were not in the set. Don't know if it was due to the night's cancellation (Bootsy Collins begged off) or the fact that the show seemed to be running long (Billy Cox was checking his watch quite a bit during the final set), but possibly Hendrix's two most well-known songs were not part of the repetoire. I actually appreciated that. Others didn't.

Spin on a Dime: These are just my little opinions. Mark's uploaded the entire show at Dime. Feel free to check it out and let me know what comes across as the best in show for you. http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=486959

Marsters of my own domain

I didn't expect to get a whole new obsession out of attending MegaCon 2014 in Orlando with my sister. The plan was to meet James Marsters and Eliza Dushku (best known for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," but whose work I've appreciated in other shows as well) and a couple of voice actors who worked with my not-so-secret favorite John Reilly on the animated "Iron Man" series.

That left a lot of time to attend panels and wander around the packed Orange County Convention Center. I decided to go to the John Barrowman panel with Lorrie, I'd gotten an inkling of the man's personality-times-infinity at a previous convention. We got fair warning from the panel moderator that it wasn't for people who were faint of heart or easily offended.

First thing he did was nearly incite a riot by getting the regular people to fill out the VIP seats. He regaled us with tales of flying to the convention and being scared that breaking into a song from "The Little Mermaid" might have adverse results if he sang the dirty version.

He told us lots of great stories about his husband, Scott. Our favorite was about being in a stage version of "Rope" with Alexis Denisof and Anthony Michael Head. We would do anything to get our hands on some video of that action.

Most of the panel was based on audience questions, and believe you me, these people aren't afraid to say anything -- like deeming "Torchwood" to be "the gay alien show." Of course, when you're the first person to kiss The Doctor or the first guy ever to be naked on "Doctor Who," you probably have to expect that sorta thing.

He was asked "If you could ride any steed into the battle, which would you chose" and picked John Steed of "The Avengers." Yay, a reference I got! And then another: Pick any musical. He chose "Wicked," then told us he even has a peppermint green Mercedes convertible called Elphie. And he also appreciates "what that show stands for," which I appreciated.

He told us about fanboying when he got to meet Gene Kelly. And how a director of the B-movie "Shark Attack 3" told him to get a reaction from his flatlining co-star by saying something suggestive. Of course, it stayed in the movie -- the uncut version at least.

There were really great stories about pulling pranks on the "Torchwood" set that were told with reference points that made me want to rush home and binge-watch the series, which of course I did upon my return. The funniest re-enactment was of when Captain Jack was encased in cement naked (of course) in a quarry and his co-stars' reactions to seeing him, not just without clothes, but with Stay-Free maxi-pads (with wings!) on his feet. At least he used protection.

And he capped off the panel by showing all of us his Torchwood undies.

After that, I did get to meet James Marsters. First, the quick photo op. If you haven't done a convention photo op, it basically consists of standing on a line for at least half an hour and then trying to say something funny and charming in the five seconds while you're posing for a shot with that person. I not only got a hug, but some kind of fierce hug-turned-choke hold. I could feel that pressure on my windpipe for a couple hours afterward. You get to pick up your photo like an hour or so later, then you can get on the autograph line with it if you're so inclined. I was.

I loved Marsters in "Buffy" and "Angel," but I really wanted to talk to him about was his "Millennium" episode "Collateral Damage," in which he played a high-strung Gulf War veteran. Getting on the autograph line on Friday was fortuitous indeed, because everything went batty the next day. I got to really talk with him and look into those eyes that somehow manage to be steely and warm at the same time. He said as a fan of Lance Henriksen's work, he expected him to be as intense as the characters he played, but the opposite was really true. He said that extended to producer Chris Carter, who was open to input from the actors and just about everyone involved in production. And then extended the analogy further to directors like Robert Rodriguez.

He was a charmer to be sure.

The first thing we wanted to do Saturday was go to Marsters' panel, so we went right up to the hall where it was taking place to stake out a spot on line. After we got let in, we received the bad news. There was an accident on the interstate, and he was caught up in the traffic. I don't think anyone left the room, even though it was going to be a shorter panel due to the string of events lined up after it that day. About 40 or so minutes later, Marsters bounded in. Literally, he ran. He ran to get to our panel. Like I said, a real charmer.

So what's the first thing he gets asked in Q&A? To sing for us. He just ran all that way, and now you want him to sing? He didn't beg off, delivering a little country ditty that he wrote in Romania. As he said, as an actor, you find yourself in those kind of situations.

He said he was up for hearing any question, although he reserved the right not to answer it as well. He challenged the group to try and make him blush. And then a host of great stories from being in "Buffy," "Angel," "Torchwood," "Smallville," "P.S. I Love You" with Kathy Bates, the "Hawaii Five-0" reboot, "The Metal Hurlant Chronicles" (which sound fascinating) and more. The unique experience of recording audio books and how it differs from television acting, described as "trying to do your job all day while someone is throwing gravel in your face."

He got bizarre requests too, like being asked by a hair dresser what product he used and if she could touch his head. Another asked if he would like to build a snowman with her a la "Frozen."

He told us about the difference between acting on "Buffy" and "Angel," basically tighter reins on the budget that led to shorter workdays. And the "Buffy" cast's uniform terror at the musical episode.

So those were two panels that really raised the bar -- and this was after we bailed on the three-person "Smallville" one the first day because it was a yawn a minute. Now the "Torchwood" panel the next day, well, that was a little different. It was John Barrowman with Eve Myles (Gwen) and Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto). They started off with grinding dance moves and it just took off from there.

David-Lloyd was thrilled that someone asked Barrowman about how he kissed instead of the reverse for a change. There was good-natured ribbing about spoilers (Barrowman said everyone in the room should have seen all the eps by now), and then both Myles and Barrowman walked out when someone mentioned David-Lloyd's character's death.

They all have the same favorite episode, "Countrycide," from the first season. Although I do believe it's more for the hijinks they got into on location and perhaps less for the episode's gory content (which they did like too.)

They referred to filming of the show as their golden age, when they were up (cough, cough) for anything and the panel proceeded as some kind of one-upmanship about behind-the-scenes tales that were truly hysterical. Myles buried her face in her hands quite a few times, while Barrowman cackled so hard it seemed like he could barely breathe.

They were great stories and I won't wreck them by trying to state them as pithily as they did. Got a video link here, if you're a fan of the show, check it out, because it really was the best time.

After that, time for a little shopping while awaiting my photo op with Dushku. She was very pleasant, but it's such a short period of time and she actually left for the day after doing a second one with Marsters. Those lines are soooo long, and so many people wanting your attention, I can see why she bolted. But yeah, it was a little disappointing.

So I'm wandering around the autograph lines and Barrowman's is like bat-shit insane, just going on and on and fragmenting into other areas and going on and on there. Meanwhile, David-Lloyd's line was all but non-existent. That made me sad, so of course, I made a beeline to him and told him how much fun the panel was. He's truly adorable, even moreso then when he was all clean-cut and wore sharp suits on "Torchwood."

When you get up to the actors, they have a bunch of different photos lined up on the table and you pick whichever one you want to get signed. When I have difficulty choosing, I ask the actor to select his/her favorite. When I did that with David-Lloyd, he said it depended on what kind of mood I was in. I said "cheeky," and sure enough, he picked out the cheekiest one.

I went off to find Lorrie and show off my newest treasured possession and to bemoan how no one's going up to him on the lines. And then she came to meet him too, even though she's not big on the autograph thing. First thing she said to him? The same thing I did about the panel! Oh well, Bronze and all that...

We were close to departing for the day when Sis noticed that Eve Myles line was also empty. So I said I'd like to meet her and just when we went up to her ... she left for the day. Can't blame her either, she's a new mom. She did make eye contact, probably figured that we'd be back the next day, but that was all she wrote for me.

Oops, almost forgot the other meetings! On the first day after James Marsters, I wanted to hunt down Jennifer Hale, a well-known voice actress who was in 10 episodes of "Iron Man" as Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter and others. I told her I run a YouTube channel and Facebook page for John Reilly, the show's co-star with Robert Hays. And then I proceeded to hunt down photos of John on Facebook to show them off to her. Jennifer said there was another "Iron Man" voice at the show too -- Jim Cummings. He's really a spectacularly well known voice and has done everything from the Tazmanian Devil to Winnie the Pooh. On "Iron Man," he did multiple voices over 17 episodes, including MODOK and ... President Clinton? He signed right over his character on the DVD art.

And then off to meet Richard Hatch. I'm a big fan of "Streets of San Francisco," mostly because of the Karl Malden-Michael Douglas combo, but the series went on one more year after Douglas left. As Hatch recalled, it was the hardest year of his life, because Malden was very close to Douglas and didn't really take to Hatch. He said he didn't even own his episodes on DVD, I replied that I hope he gives them another chance some time.

Then I changed the subject to something Hatch liked a lot more -- "Battle of the Network Stars"! One of my favorite guilty pleasures. He said he always loved being on that and "Circus of the Stars" and anything like that that networks wouldn't dream of making any longer because of all the insurance concerns and actor egos involved.

So the trip just to hang out with Sis ended on being so much more. I put off writing this blog for over a week, mostly because I was watching all the "Torchwood" eps -- yes, even "Miracle Day." I think it's a fantastic show, really in my wheelhouse with hints of "X-Files" and "Millennium" in it. I would be bummed that I never would have watched them if I didn't go on this sojourn, but I don't have to!

Cross purposes and Brotherly love

For four festivals, the charm of Crossroads has been the opportunity to see favorite musicians -- guitarists to be specific. But the best part about it is to have them play with and off each other. So if you're watching a set of someone who is not exactly a favorite (i.e., John Mayer), chances are he'll be joined by someone you do like (i.e., Keith Urban) within a half-hour or so.

It was really one choice matchup after another, starting during Eric Clapton's opening acoustic set with Vince Gill and Andy Fairweather-Low on "Lay Down Sally." Booker T., Steve Cropper, Matt "Guitar" Murphy" and Blake Mills tore it up on "Born Under a Bad Sign." Robert Randolph spent all of Buddy Guy's set with the Chicago bluesman and his teen protege Quinn Sullivan. And it's as much fun to watch them interact as listen to what they conjure up musically.

One-ons: When not on the main stage, the combos kept coming in the front corner enclaves on each side of the stage for "one-offs." The amazing Sonny Landreth with the spot-on Derek Trucks. Doyle Bramhall II and John Mayer paid tribute to Doyle's late dad with "Change It," a song written by his father with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Emcee Dan Aykroyd even got into the act -- with a big assist from Keb' Mo' -- on "Got My Mojo Working" the first night. The second night, Keb' tore it up with a bonafide bluesman, Taj Mahal.

Biggest surprise: Keith Fuckin' Richards! The lights go out. We think they're going to come back up on the final set of the festival -- E.C. and his band. But instead there's Keith, smirking away. Everyone's head explodes. Then he takes the lead on "Key to the Highway" and the Chuck Berry cover "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller." We tried as hard as we could, but no one was beaming more than Clapton.

Second biggest surprise: After providing the perfect capper Friday night, The Allman Brothers' Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes and Trucks reconvened in the one-off portion of the stage the second night. That was surprising in and of itself, but when they started the cover of Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done," just wow. It really hit home considering the Crossroads drug treatment facility in Antigua is the reason the festival exists at all.

Least welcome surprise: Not really, but Mark and I were having a discussion about when we'd see Keith Urban. He prognosticated that maybe Keith would come out with John Mayer on Friday and I very quickly discounted that. So much laughter ensued when that was exactly what happened and it was a spiffy cover of "Don't Let Me Down" at that. Guess this is the one time you're right for 2013, Mark.

Clearing the decks: Intentional or not, the acoustic set that kicked off this year's Crossroads gave Eric Clapton a chance to get some chestnuts out of the way early. "Tears in Heaven," "Lay Down Sally," "Wonderful Tonight." Check, check, check. And Eric moves on.

Eternal show-stopper: Gary Clark Jr. He's an astonishing talent of staggering proportions which was fully realized during his own set the second night. His brand of music can't be easily classified, referenced or pigeon-holed. Maybe that's why he hasn't been the superstar that he has every right to be, but I'll bet you can sit any and ever aficionado of music down, and they'll come away with wide-eyed appreciation of his talents.

Second thoughts: I've never been the biggest Robert Cray fan in the world. I've seen him several times before and I've always thought he's very talented, vocally and musically, there wasn't that emotional element there for me. Definitely rethinking that after Crossroads. He's got it, he brought it, I'm sold. Robert Cray's a bluesman.

The courteous host: There was no gun slinging from Clapton. He brought tasty licks whenever he came out during a set, whether it was with B.B. King, Cray and Jimmie Vaughan or with jazzy Kurt Rosenwinkel. The best of the bunch was by far with The Allman Brothers on "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad" on Friday. It's so in their wheelhouse for Eric to play with the Allmans and it sounds ever so sweet. I've been lucky enough to experience that a couple times, and I certainly hope that pattern holds in the future.

Hello, old friend: Coming into the festival, I was most excited about Robbie Robertson playing with Eric on the final set of the night. They started with "He Don't Live Here No More," a song Eric guested on from Robbie's latest album. Then the tribute to Levon Helm, strangely accomplished without Robbie saying his name via "I Will Be Released." And he came back for the grand finale, "High Time We Went," which was unfortunately beset by technical difficulties. It was deflating to not be able to hear many of the solos by all the guitarists.

Coping mechanism: It was all planned. Break time during Citizen Cope. Then that guy comes on with Doyle Bramhall II. Unfair business practice! And while that's a drawback (to me), Doyle -- who by the way was rockin' a serious younger Robbie Robertson vibe for me both nights -- did get to burn up the stage once again during that set with Clark Jr. on "She's Alright." II and Jr. should definitely form a band. How about the moniker "Seconds, Anyone?"

Best surprise: Albert Lee, Vince Gill and Keith Urban. They just barreled through a covers set that included Rodney Crowell's "Ain't Living Long Like This," Ray Charles' "Leave My Woman Alone," Dire Straits' "Setting Me Up" and The Rolling Stones' "Tumbling Dice." It just seemed to end way too soon.

Best non-guitar performance: It's tough, there was some great warbling going on. But for me, it started and ended with Gregg Allman. I always feel so blessed when I have the chance to take in the Allmans. The musicianship is just perfect across the board, and no matter what their nucleus has been through, hearing him sing is like an old friend coming up with a hug and saying (or in this case, singing) just what you need to hear at that very moment.

Living the theme: Everyone should have a theme song. This particular pearl of wisdom came to me via "Ally McBeal," but haters shouldn't hold that against it. It's true: You hear your theme song and it bucks your energy up immeasurably, doesn't matter if you were already "up there" or not. My theme song is "Got to Get Better in a Little While." And you better believe when Clapton and company started cranking that one out, thoughts of lethargy after sitting in the same spot for five hours quickly dissipated.

Ladies, anyone?: If there's anything to be dismayed about the weekend of wonder, it might be the lack of women on the Crossroads front. We got to hear Susan Tedeschi warble with Los Lobos and Beth Hart almost sang the house "down, down, down" during Jeff Beck's set. We know Susan can wield her axe. And lest someone believe that women can't get 'er done, there was Beck's bassist Tal Wilkenfeld scorching her solos as the sole and shining example that sends such a theory crashing out the closest window.

Postgame show: Mere footsteps away from the Garden, I got to tell Clark Jr.'s drummer Johnny Radelat that he has my dream job (and my dream hair with that fro' that was whipping around with every beat). Was brow-beaten into introducing myself to Keb' Mo' (OK, glad I did that.) And got to tell Albert Lee that he was awesome (some wordsmith I turned out to be). You can accomplish a lot in a 20-minute period after a show if you set your mind to it ... and follow the right people.

Final words: Don't know who is going to be tasked with putting the DVD together for this one, but I don't envy them that job for sure. How do you pick? Which one of Clark Jr.'s perfect numbers do you go with? Do you choose "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad" for the Allmans' electric set at the expense of Taj Mahal with the Brothers on "Statesboro Blues?" And what about the one-offs? You gotta take "The Needle and the Damage Done," right? Well, what about the crowd-pleasing "Midnight Rider"? See what I mean, that's just a few of the impossible choices that will have to be made. Well, I'll be watching and waiting and then judging them on their decisions.