We Belong Together

When I was an undergrad at Rutgers, most of my time was spent booking concerts. I wrote a one-man show about it and I have plenty of stories, (making Dave Chappelle laugh, getting called a communist by the bassist from Weezer, getting yelled at by They Might Be Giants' [formerly Barry Manilow's] tour manager) which I will eventually expand upon in these pages, but my favorite story has to be from after I graduated.

During my tenure, I did everything to be as accomodating as possible, from purchasing EVERYTHING on their riders (Carrot juice, socks, Magnums), to booking acts I couldn't care less about (Edwin McCain, anyone?). As long as people got ahold of me ahead of time, I would do what I could to help. But without fail, at every show, a girl in a wheelchair would show up at the backstage entrance. Now, gyms and soccer fields aren't the most wheelchair accessible, so I had no problem letting her in. But inevitably, as soon as I left to get yelled at (or kicked in the head) by a tour manager, her ENTIRE sorority would end up being backstage. Just another headache on the day of a concert.

A few years after I graduated, Gavin DeGraw did a concert at Rutgers and once again the sisters of whatever sorority (Delta Gamma, I think) did their thing.

After the show, the concert crew loaded out the sound and lighting equipment, they noticed that Gavin's tour bus was still there...with an empty wheelchair outside.