Wow! What a rush!
Hi Guys, I'm back from being Dave's personal assistant for the day, in Milwaukee. I'm still having to remind myself that it wasn't just a cool dream.
Here's my story:
I woke up bouncing off the walls, I was ready for an awesome day! My friends and I left Madison for the show around noon and not a minute too soon. During a pit stop on the way I ripped the butt of my pants, now I was ready! Lol.
I got there at exactly 2 and called Jeff to get in. I met up with him at the stage, he had an all access pass for me. Too Cool! I got to post the schedule and the set list for the day, an awesome one I might add! In the process I got to check out the bands dressing room, very nice. While I was hanging up the sheets Jeff noticed the rip in my pants, we both got a good laugh over it. Not a bad icebreaker. When I was finished they told me that I got to pick up the band with the runner at their hotel. How awesome was that!
When we got the hotel James and Shawn were in the lobby, I introduced myself and showed them to the van. Then Wade (The tour manager) told me to got get Dave in room #709. I did a little "woo hoo" dance in the privacy of the elevator. I got to his door and knocked, gulp. A few very long seconds passed before my Redheaded Hero opened the door. He stepped back and I came in. Ooh, he had bags for me! He spent a little while poking around the room, picking up the last few odds and ends to be taken down. Nice room! A big cloudlike bed, a hot tub, you name it! He handed me a backpack and asked me to be extra careful with it, his computer was tucked inside. He gave me a rolling suitcase to take down with it. "I'll be down in a minute, will you wait for me in the lobby." he said. Hell yeah I would. I got Dave's bags safely to the van and waited for those elevator doors to open. He got down to the lobby shortly after that, and asked me to take him to the van. I was ecstatic to be walking him out. He pitched the bag he brought down with him inside and hopped up into his seat. He got all settled in. Then the runner asked "Is that Dave Mustaine?" All I could do was shake my head and laugh "Yeah, that's Dave Mustaine." I was still having a hard time believing it myself. I loaded up Glen and Wade, then we were off! It was a short but very enjoyable, ride to the Rave.
Bags and band members came spilling out of the van. Dave told me he needed his red case brought up to the dressing room, then headed up the stairs. I turned around to see J Lo's fly open, and had to think for a second as to whether or not to say anything.
"Ah James, you might want to zip up your pants".
"Nah, it's okay I like the breezy feeling." and we both smiled a little.
He stepped out to reveal Glen, one seat back, behind Dave's big red case marked HEAVY. Glen helped me wiggle the case out of the van, and to my delight it much lighter than I was expecting. I started up the stairs with the bulky bag and Glen came walking up the stairs beside me and asked "Would you like some help with that"? I told him I was fine and that it's wasn't as heavy as I thought it would be, but thanked him for the offer. Despite the load being more than manageable, I wasn't sad to see the top of those stairs. Time to put the wheels on that baby to use. I rolled it into the dressing room, where Dave was already deep in conversation with crew regarding plans for the night. I asked glen "Hey, how much do you think they invested in lava lamps?" He said that he didn't know but that it was pretty cool. That it was.
For the next while I was pretty busy. They set me up with a radio so they could get a hold of me whenever I was needed. It also kept me up an everything going on. I was running all over the place; on and off the bus, in and out of the dressing room, and taking lists and items every which way. I was making and taking phone calls too.
Things slowed down just in time for me to get to watch their sound check. Wow. After they finished up Glen came up and talked to the sound tech for a minute, about things that I couldn't remember or understand. He started talking to me and asked if I knew where Old haunted pool was. I didn't, but it sounded pretty cool. We decided to head off to find it. We went running all over the Rave finding a ton of rooms and different members of the opening bands. I wouldn't normally run around like that, but hey I was with Glen Drover. What were they going to do, throw us out. We finally found the old Olympic sized swimming pool, it was really cool and we spent a little while checking it out. On the way back out Glen tripped over one of the many metal knobs sticking out of the tiles. I couldn't resist saying "You be careful, I will be in some deep shit if I bring you back broken!" Glen had to go to the tour bus for an interview , so I thanked him for killing a little time with me.
I went upstairs to join the crew for lunch. Everybody was incredible, asking if I was having a good time. Hell yes I was!
Later Dave came by the office to check out some hair stuff that had been picked up for him. He said "Man this stuff is just awesome!" Anyone who has ever seen his hair would have to agree that it must be. I pictured him doing a commercial for it and smiled.
Next they gave me some posters to go around and have the band sign, sweet! I went in to the dressing room and found James and Dave inside. Dave was busy, so I caught J Lo's attention. While he was scribbling away, I told him about the pool. He said he wanted to see it and asked if I would show him the way. Of course I would! I took him the back way to avoid the crowd. As soon as we got there James was right behind me clapping "Check out those acoustics." I took him back up the way we came, and felt pretty slick for getting him past the box office twice, without anybody noticing. He thanked me for the tour and I thanked him for the company.
On the way out to find the next one, I ran into glen, coming in. I had him autograph the posters J Lo had already signed, and thanked him for it. I asked him if he had seen his brother anywhere, since I still needed him for the posters. He was pretty sure that he was still on the bus, but figured he would be up in a few.
Not more than a moment after Glen walked into the dressing room, Shawn came up the stairs. I explained the whole poster deal, and without hesitation he scrawled his name through the pile of signed posters. Once again a thanks was in order, then I let him get on his way.
Obviously the posters had yet to be signed by Dave, so I waited for the most opportune moment I could find to ask " Could I steal a moment of your time when you get a chance?" He signed the whole pile for me as I waited. Ha ha, now this was fun!
It was back to business, doing laundry and fetching ice. Getting through the crowd was like trying to shove a block of cheese through a screen. Despite the inconvenience I was proud to see a packed house for Megadeth.
I had just finished up, when it was time to start ironing. She took me to the dressing room where Dave was stationed at a desk watching some program. I was pretty happy to find she was setting me up right in the room. I got ironing away. Halfway through the first shirt, somebody came in to announce the new UA shirts had been approved. James took one and began modifying it right away. He finished altering his shirt and came over and put it on the pile, pulling the one he wasn't wearing out. Glen swung past the ironing board and thanked me. How sweet. James had started to play a little, it was so nice to have some sound filling the room. He was sitting directly around the corner from me, for the moment I had the best seat in the house. I could have Ironed for an eternity under those conditions.
The guys had a meet and greet scheduled so they all shuffled past me, out to meet their adoring fans. About a quarter of the way through the pile I got to J Lo's clothes, and he had turned them inside out. I was so flabbergasted I had to turn to the security guard behind me and say "Nearly every man I have ever known has had trouble getting their socks to their hamper, and this Rockstar turned his clothes inside out in advance for ironing!" I was impressed.
Glen came out to look for an Advil, but never found one. I silently wished him better, and continued my work.
I got to Dave's jeans, they were extremely soft and really high quality. I guess if I had to be on a stage under those lights, that's what I would want to be wearing. I finished up and stood there waiting for the iron to cool down. Security and I yakked a little back and forth. Dave was still sitting quietly at his desk, and the chatter hadn't seemed to have phased him. Good. We got on the topic of fitness and I was telling him about a commercial I had recently seen for the Perfect Push-up, that had looked like a damn good idea. "I've got those" Dave said. I guess he was listening after all. He did the little motion the it uses in the air in front of him, and I grinned wide. It was so nice just spending some time in his presence. Of course nothing great lasts forever and eventually had to go, so the guys could get ready.
The show snuck up on me quick and was over way too fast. I saw the whole thing from the side of the stage! Oh Yeah! As the band left the stage I got to hold the door for them, leading into their dressing room.
I had a quick second to say bye to Glen and thank him once more before the radio on my hip asked him to get on the bus.
A little later the radio cut in once again demanding more security out at the busses. I peeked outside to see Glen in a sea of fans and security was pushing them off to the sidewalk.
James passed through and I thanked him quick for everything. Before I headed out I ran around the building to thank and shake the hands of Tracy, Jeff, Wade and everybody else I could find. I really felt that everyone there had gone out of their way to see to it that I had an awesome day. I walked out the front doors with a glowing heart. Thanks so much.
-Jamie M Kaufmann
