About a week before the end of 2009 I had thought I would be ringing in the New Year like any other year- asleep in the guest room of my parents' house after a night of puppet shows and magic tricks in downtown Fort Collins. But powers of the universe that make awesome things happen focused their kick ass rays unto my increasingly cool life and sent me the most incredible night of my life.

Where to start? My outfit. Well, I ended up looking like a pirate. But that's okay, dress up is fun! We got to Gridlock, took us an hour to get in but we got in. We had the best seats in the house. We were the second couch back from the stage in the center, and the couch in front of us was too close to the stage. So we were beyond stoked to have the best seats. Yeah! There were a ton of Adam fans there. But I didn't notice any of Adam's family or friends or anything in the VIP.
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I was sitting on the couch, having dinner when I got a tweet that Tommy Joe (Adam's cute bass player) was in the VIP tent. We were just in the VIP tent getting food so I grabbed my friend Ali and we took off. The VIP tent was a long walk around but I saw a gate open that looked like a dark short cut. So we went through there, and without knowing and no security we were actually backstage. But I didn't know, we thought it was just a short cut so we were in a hurry. But I did a total double take as I suddenly rushed past Monte! Monte Pittman is a guitar legend in the making. He's Madonna's guitarist as well as Adam's and he and Adam and a current rock guitar legend Tommy Victor of Prong formed Citizen Vein before Adam was famous. I stopped on a dime and looked at him, he looked at me and I said, "Monte?" He said yes and I began to squee!! I was gushing and hugging him telling him how much a loved Citizen Vein and Deepest Dark (his solo cd) and Prong. Don't hate me, Adam fans, but it's just fact I was starstruck when I met Monte, but not when I met Adam. I'm a rock girl, and he can shred! Then Monte waves his friend over and says, oh you have to meet Tommy Victor. Squeeee!!! I'm standing with Monte and Tommy of Citizen Vein. And we're talking about Citizen Vein, they're telling me all about it and I'm in fangirl heaven. Then Monte looks over and points across the backstage area to the lights and crowd and says that Adam's here now, all humble and nice and assuming I'd want to run over. But I was just completely honest and without thinking I turned to Monte and said, "I've met Adam before, I'd rather talk to you." I wasn't intending on flattering him, but I guess I did. I really was so excited to talk rock music and talk to him and Tommy about Citizen Vein. It was incredible. Citizen Vein is alive and well. They said to think of them more as a future super group. Also, I asked why Tommy Joe and not Tommy Victor was Adam's bassist. Quite simple. Tommy Victor is 50 (doesn't look it at all). Appearances matter and Tommy Victor had zero hard feelings about it. Just the way it goes.
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Monte was awesome. I got over being starstruck because he's such a cool guy. And his eyes are a beautiful blue. I don't know why they photograph as brown. He was so gracious and took me over to meet Tommy Joe. I really didn't have anything to say to him so I just told him how hot he was. Guess he liked that cuz I got hugs. I also met Longineu, Adam's drummer. He's young and considered by drum people to be one of the best drummers in the world. He's so wild and aggressive when he plays, and his tweets have such energy, but in person he is so quiet and soft spoken. I didn't meet Lisa, Adam's keyboardist. She used to be in Smashing Pumpkins, though, so I know she must be awesome. She was there, though. She's petite (I know, she looks tall on TV but she's petite) and very very pretty.
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So Monte and Tommy Victor and his awesome girlfriend and I are hanging out until Monte had to go play. Tommy Victor just got in backstage, doesn't have seats, so I'm like well, I got the best seats in the house, come with me! So I take them to our couch. And so funny, later my friend walks over and she points at Tommy and his girlfriend all mad and says, "No, this is a private table, you can't sit here." I laugh and grab her and I whisper, this is Tommy of Citizen Vein and Prong. The look on her face was priceless! lol She's gotta learn, the universe is just aligning to make my life awesome right now. I don't know how it happens, but it's happening.

So after the New Years countdown Adam takes the stage. Dressed like he did at the AMAs Adam starts with Music Again. When he hits that note- HOLY CRAP! He effortlessly nails the note in full voice without the slightest hesitation. Boom- sonic perfection. I turn to Tommy Victor and I ask him, "Did you know he could do that?" And he just smiles so proud and says, "Oh yeah, that's Adam." Adam continues through the songs with absolutely other worldly perfection. He's having the time of his life on stage, I'm dancing like a freak, singing along and just continually blown away every time Adam opens his mouth. I just keep gushing to Tommy about Adam's voice and he just keeps smiling, already knowing how good Adam was. But Soaked. Incredible. The drama of it, the full voice, the absolute perfect delivery. Wow. After the song I turned to Tommy and said, "Did you know he could do THAT?" Even he was blown away!

There are tons of videos on YouTube of Adam's performance, I won't go into detail. But he was on fire on that stage. This was a superstar. An icon. Without the limitations of choreography or the need to save his voice for the next day, his voice, his look, his moves were raw and powerful and iconic. I asked Tommy, "Is the world ready for this?" He said he hoped so. He was just gushing with pride. Monte and Adam are like his proteges and this was their first actual concert together. It was amazing to stand with Tommy, too, right in the middle, best seat in the house, because Adam and Monte kept looking at us and acknowledging Tommy. The three of them are very close friends so it was awesome to see them all excited over the first concert.

Adam must have blown my mind to bits because I don't exactly remember after he left the stage. But I do know somehow I was backstage again. I remember someone telling me that Neil (Adam's brother) was over in the corner. I took Ali over, and me being me, I go right up to Neil and tell him how much I love his blog. He's very nice and polite but I can tell he's skeptical. Maybe because I have black hair and I'm at an Adam Lambert concert and the phone I just took a picture of him with is covered, as he noted, with a huge picture of his brother. So I tell him, "Your acrostic sign was brilliant. Oligarchy, Bolshevik, Aristocracy, Muslim, Atheist." I passed the test. He gave me a hugs and I was telling him how he had a voice and he should blog more. He was so humble, saying how hard it was to write. I told him his blog is too smart for most people, but that's a good thing. He agreed, his being too smart was a good thing. lol He was great. He's tall and sweet and was gracious with pictures.

Spider (he's not a musician but he's the fourth in that clic), Monte and Tommy Victor let me go into the private room backstage. Woo hoo! I did get Tommy into VIP, I guess it was just fair. Even with the tightest security at the door, Adam had two huge bodyguards on his shoulders at all times and I counted seven bodyguards for him in the room, plus other security. After unknowingly waltzing onto the FYE video shoot (see, I told you the universe is making my life awesome) I was worried about the lack of security. Worry no more, friends, Adam's in good hands. Anyway, Monte introduced me to Adam's mom. She is beautiful! I just stared at her at first, I could not believe the young, stunning woman in front of me had a 28 year old. Wow. I didn't talk to Adam. I felt weird and just lucky to be there. You could tell it meant so much to Adam and all his friends and family to finally be making it. It was starting! Adam was so very happy that he was just dancing. It was certainly a most Happy New Year full of excitement all around.

The private room emptied out and the party was over. Adam left in the middle of all the security guards, they practically ran out of there. It was such a perfect night! I just wanted to write it all out, to share but also to remember. I'm so afraid I'm going to forget! I was surprised I was even in LA to see the show at all, so I'm still in total shock that I was a fan who got to be in the middle of it all.

This is my favorite fan picture of all time. Even more than the picture of me and Cassidy Haley where I look thin. lol Rock, baby, wooo!!
http://www.twitpic.com/wj46t

And here's some more I posted to Flickr. No pix with Adam, sorry.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cazmargenau/sets/72157623008876519/