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Post by Gigi on Nov 2, 2006 22:41:04 GMT -5
I just got home from the book signing. Too late to write a full report, but HE SAT ON ME! More news tomorrow.
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Post by katekor on Nov 2, 2006 22:50:06 GMT -5
Haha, can't wait to hear this one!
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Post by Mary on Nov 3, 2006 2:00:16 GMT -5
I'm waiting, I'm jealous, I'll see you Saturday
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Post by Gigi on Nov 3, 2006 9:40:15 GMT -5
Okay, here goes….. Link to picturesWe arrived at the theater about an hour before they were scheduled to open the doors (5:30). We decided this was the best way to get an early letter for the book signing. There were only about 20-30 people already in line ahead of us. The end of the line had some upholstered chairs so we got a nice seat for our wait. Before they opened the doors, the bookstore people came around and offered people the chance to trade their book or voucher for a pre-signed book since Lemony Snicket could only stay to sign books until 1 AM. (They did this so that if a parent came with a child, perhaps only the child would actually have him sign their book and the parent would get a pre-signed book. This would get more real fans through the line to meet him.) Of course, I had brought TBB and TRR from home instead of getting The End signed, so we got bracelets for the book signing. We got A bracelets, so we would be in the first group. Yay! Once they finally let us into the theater, we chose seats about a third of the way from the front (row 10 I believe) and I got an aisle seat. The show finally started around 7:10. Lemony Snicket and Stephin Merritt came out on stage with instrument cases, looked around for something, looking very confused. Finally he introduced himself as Daniel Handler and said that they were looking for Lemony Snicket who apparently wasn’t there to play percussion. They decided to go ahead and play while Handler called LS on the phone. So Stephin Merritt played and sang “Smile” while Handler talked on this silly wooden toy phone. At this point he walked through the aisles, talking on the “phone”. He would stop and stare at people and stuff like that. Then, he actually came over to me and sat on the arm of my seat. I had to move my arm and put my hand on his back. He then moved over and basically sat half of his body onto my lap, leaning way over onto me, so I put my arm all the way around him, like in a hug. All of this was very exciting for me, but very unexpected. He was so close that my husband couldn’t get a good picture of us both, just a very close-up picture of Handler’s head. (A friend of ours was sitting in the row ahead of us. I’m waiting to see if she got a better picture on her cell phone. *crosses fingers*) Then he got up and continued his act. Stephin finished “Smile” and Handler hung up the phone, saying they would have to do percussion on their own. Next, they did “This Abyss” with Handler joining on accordion. At different points in the song, he did the “drums” with his own mouth sound effects. Next, he stole a copy of The End from a girl a couple rows ahead of us. He did a reading from it, the part at the beginning with the storm. He had two volunteers from the audience assist him with sound effects on various percussion instruments. (I don’t remember exactly, but somehow in this part he offended Stephin Merritt, who packed up him ukulele and stormed off. All part of the act.) Last year, he had three moral lessons. Right now, it escapes me what they were. This year, there was only one moral lesson: If you see Count Olaf, scream and run away. So for his final song, he did the song “Scream and Run Away” with the audience participation. We were to pound our feet on the floor like we were running and then pose like we want to be found when we die. All together, the show ran right about 35 minutes and then the book signing started. Like I said, we were in the first group of 25 people. After a short wait, we were ushered into the signing room. He was nice and fresh, animated and friendly. My daughter went first with her teacher’s copy of TBB. She was wearing a shirt with a big butterfly on it. Handler told her to hold still and started hitting her chest yelling “There’s a butterfly on your shirt!” Then he calmed down and said, “Oh, it’s part of the shirt.” She of course thought this was hilarious. He asked if she had read TBB (which she’s in the middle of actually) and she said “No”. He praised her for being so smart not to read it, he signed it and then moved it right next to himself, not handing it back to her and told her to move along. This confused her and she stood there waiting for the book back and he kept telling her to leave. Next he signed my book. I was such an idiot. I didn’t ask him any of the things I meant to. I blathered on about how I hoped he enjoyed Milwaukee and he said he expected to spend most of his visit in that room. He signed my book and gave it back and then finally gave my daughter her book too. Lastly, my husband was holding my TRR for him to sign. I don’t really remember what they talked about because I was busy taking the pictures then. I’m sure he made some comment about a man having a book signed to a woman’s name. But I was listening and there were lots of people doing that. The black guy behind my husband was having his book signed to “Zoe”. And then it was over. We went back and sat with our friends for a bit and waited for them to return from the signing (They were C’s). Our other friends had arrived late and had P bracelets. We weren’t waiting for them to get their books signed. We estimated they would finally get in around midnight. We had our books signed by 8:05 and got home just before 9:00. So much earlier than I had worried we would be out. All in all, a pretty fun and exciting evening.
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Post by Mary on Nov 3, 2006 10:09:07 GMT -5
Soo, are you going out with him today? I am wondering if you have a secret date you are not telling me about. Did he smell good? Do you think he recognized you and chose you to sit on? That is so cool.
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Post by Gigi on Nov 3, 2006 10:14:02 GMT -5
No, I'm not going out with him today, although I know what hotel he's staying at. When I talked to him at the signing, I mentioned getting out and seeing the sites in Milwaukee, but I don't think he made the connection.
Smell good? Well, he didn't seem to have any cologne on, but he didn't stink either.
I don't know if he recognized me or not. I never sent him my photo, just what I've posted here. Before he sat by me, he had been standing maybe 10 feet away (on his phone) staring at the crowd and then walked right to me.
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Post by katekor on Nov 3, 2006 12:23:26 GMT -5
Wow that's so exciting Gigi! Sounds like a fun time!
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Post by Freshie on Nov 7, 2006 17:28:53 GMT -5
EEE. What fun! That's what happened in Natick too. But he didnt do the moral lessions, I think. It was a blast. : D I was in the third row way to the left. I should of sat on the aisle. D : EEE. If he sat on my lap I would of died. O.o I did, however, get to hug him. : D Gah what fun. I got a video of it with pics and videos galore!
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Post by Gigi on Nov 7, 2006 19:35:47 GMT -5
I think his show is basically the same at each stop along the way. Stephin Merritt even seems to wear the same outfit at each stop. One difference I noted between Milwaukee and Downer's Grove is that Handler had two different accordions. It was easy to notice, one was black the other red.
I'm still working on getting that picture of him on my lap. A friend sitting in front of me has to get the picture off of her phone.
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Post by SnicketFires on Nov 8, 2006 21:33:50 GMT -5
IS THAT CLAUDIA?! *dies* Gigi, were you allowed to take photos at the event? Because every Handler show I've been to, photos are not allowed. Only six days until he comes to Vancouver! My mother was just talking about it to me. She can't believe he stays until one in the morning to sign books. Gigi, I think that Handler doesn't bring his own accordion when he goes on the road. When I saw him at the Doughnuts event, he was talking about how the one he was using that day was donated or lent to him, and that he didn't get to keep it/it wasn't his own; he had to return it. He did sign it, which I thought was nice. Gigi, did Stephin sign things too? Did he have a seperate line or something? *anxious, because it's a school night*
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Post by s on Nov 8, 2006 22:21:25 GMT -5
I don't know about the Milwaukee event, but in Downers Grove, Merritt hung around for an hour and a half to sign CDs and then left, while Handler stayed for, you know, forever. Several hours. And photos were allowed.
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Post by Gigi on Nov 8, 2006 22:23:03 GMT -5
Gigi, were you allowed to take photos at the event? Because every Handler show I've been to, photos are not allowed. The theater had their standard "No flash photography" signs up, but nobody cared or said anything. I thought the poor guy would be blinded by all the flash bulbs going off. Same thing in Illinois last Saturday. Actually, 1AM is early compared to some of his stops. Didn't swans say he was at the signing until like 3AM in Texas? He only stayed until 1 AM here because they made a trade-off with pre-signed books in exchange for an early night. That would explain a lot. I don't know much about accordions. Are they all pretty standard? You would think a musician would always want their own instrument with them. Oh well. Yes, he will sign his CD's. He is also willing to spend a little more time with his fans, taking time to converse, take pictures, etc. He had a separate line. I had him sign my TT booklet by his picture. (I should scan it in some day.) Hope you enjoy the Vancouver event. Take lots of pictures and tell us how it is.
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Post by SnicketFires on Nov 9, 2006 21:48:58 GMT -5
Yes, Handler stayed quite late in Dallas.. poor guy. From 5 PM till 3 AM. Wowza. Hey, Gigi, I totally relate to getting in front of Handler and not being able to ask anything. My friend had to ask the question I really want to ask (what sunny's charity word was).. and then when it came time for me all I did was smile and nod my head. That's it, couldn't even get a word out. I know how intimidating it is to talk to God, (:
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Post by katekor on Nov 10, 2006 23:59:08 GMT -5
Vancouver? British Colombia? My dad was a missionary there like 25 years ago.
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Post by mistakenfrisbee on Nov 14, 2006 0:56:19 GMT -5
Actually Handler may have stayed past three AM because I checked the Handler on tour thread, and someone who was in group thirteen had their book signed at 3:17 AM and there were fifteen groups total. I was group 11 and had my book signed like at 12:30 to 1:00 in the morning. So people were staying, and getting their book signed (I bet the movie theatre above barnes and noble made a landmine) and he probably stayed way past three in the morning especially if you add in breaks. Nah, his very last one was at 3:17 AM. I was in group 13 and had mine signed at 2:30ish. There were 14 groups. I wish I could've said more too. He stunned me with his charm.
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