PAIN AND COMFORT

Bought three seats for this show; two in section 8, row C, seats 5 and 6 and one in section 2, row cc. Went with my wife and good friend. The plan was to switch off who went down and sat in the section 2 seat. So we decided who would see what, and when and where we would make the ticket exchange. My wife went first and watched until the end of The Pot. She ran out and met me at the rendezvous point during the extended ambient intro to 46&2. "Go all the way down to row J" she said as we made the handoff, "I saved a seat for you". Intrigued and excited, I ran to the section 2 isle, flashed my ticket and down I went. Row J. Ah, Row J. I found myself standing 20 feet directly in front of Justin and Danny as they pounded out the beginning of 46&2. NEVER have I been this close. At some point I realized that my hand was glued to my mouth in amazement. "My buddy Greg is going to shi t himself when he comes down for the end of the show" I thought. "Everyone back home will shi t when they see how close we got". I reached in to my pocket and grabbed my camera. As discretely as possible I turned it on, turned the flash off and aimed it at Justin. Click. Nice. Then, disaster...

A man about three times my size rushes me and grabs me by the arm. "Let's go" he says, dragging me up the isle. I began sweating, my heart pounding. After taking my ticket and erasing ALL pictures on my camera, the 275 pound power trip dumped me outside the front gate to the Marcus Ampitheater. "Have a nice night" he sneered. "Fuc k you". Panic. Think. Cell phone. Please Greg, answer your phone. Divine intervention. Somehow, some way, my friend's phone (which only works about 1/4 of the time) manages to alert him to the fact that I am calling. "Are you SERIOUS?!?!"

My wife got my friend's ticket and came running out to the main gate where I was waiting rather...um...impatiently. It took some convincing, but eventually the gate staff bought the story that I had simply "forgotten to take my ticket with me". I made it back about 3/4 of the way through Rosetta Stoned. Never got to see Danny pound out the drum break in 46&2. No Schism. And, perhaps worst of all, no more section 2 ticket for Greg. Live and learn.

Other than my unfortunate run in with "the man", the show was amazing. Managed to get some sweet video of Lateralus. Now I'm running on about 2 1/2 hours of sleep after having driven back to Chicago after the show. Bittersweet. A show I'll never forget. Sorry Greg. Spiral out...