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Let me share with you our whirlwind magical extravaganzacal experience last week with our favorite band, "The Red Elvises."
My wife Lisa and I have been fans ever since we saw them on Austin City Limits Music Festival. Sunday October 1st, we drove up to Green Bay Wisconsin to see the band for the 5th time. They were performing at the Oneida Casino Lounge. We listened to them on our CDs in our |
The lounge was so packed that we couldn’t get in, but we could still see them from the casino. And everybody in the casino could hear them. I saw old ladies playing the slot machines and tapping their feet to the music.
So we stood by the end of the slots, watching our favorite band, dancing, and having a great time.
And I want to say what a wonderful addition Elena is to the band. Her beauty, energy, and skill at the keyboard add a whole new dimension to the Red Elvises experience.
After the show, we went up and said hi to the band and bought a CD. Lisa and I then went to the casino restaurant for dinner.
As we were eating, she could see out into the hallway, and all of a sudden she perked up and said, "Igor is walking by." as she raised up in her seat. A few moments later she said, "There’s Oleg." and again raised up, then saying, "I think he saw me." I chuckled as I chewed my chicken strip and thought, "what a star struck fan." And was also thinking if we switched seats, I’d be doing the same thing.
After eating, we went up to our room and got ready to go play in the casino. I told Lisa to bring the CD and the Sharpie just in case we bump into any of the band members, and headed downstairs.
We were walking past the restaurant and someone was waving us to come in. It was Oleg! Lisa looked at me and said, "Come on. This is unreal." We walked in and there was all of the Band, having an after show dinner.
I said we didn’t want to bother them while they’re eating, and Igor said, "No, sit down." These guys are too gracious. And for them to recognize us from past shows and wave us in, that was too much.
They all signed our CD, we talked for a while and I did some magic tricks for them. I said we were going to let them finish eating and go play a while in the Casino, not wanting to wear out our welcome. Oleg suggested we get together later, said he would call us and asked Lisa for her phone number.
I just now asked Lisa what was going through her mind when Oleg asked her for her phone number and she told me she thought, "Holy crap!!! Holy crap!!! Holly crap!!!"
In a few moments Lisa said, "My phone is ringing." And Oleg said, "Yes, it is me. Now you are in my phone and I am in yours." Lisa’s face was beaming. And Oleg said he would call us when he was done eating.
We left, and on our way to the Casino Lisa said, "Who do we think we are?" And I said, "Red Elvis fans."
After playing in the Casino for a while, we walked out to the lobby, and Lisa got out her phone to save Oleg’s number. As she was, she accidentally pressed the call button and it was ringing. She said, "Oh, oh... I’m calling Oleg" and handed me the phone. I hung it up, thinking the call didn’t have time to go through. In a few moments it rang, and it was Oleg! He said he was just ten seconds away from the lobby. Talk about accidental perfect timing.
We grabbed a few beers, headed back to the rooms and had an excellent experience talking with Oleg for a few hours.
Oleg did a very funny routine for us about the hangers in the hotel. Holding one in his hand he said, "These you can take off and you can even take them home if you want to. Like they are saying, ‘Steal these. Steal these.’ Other places they don’t even come off. Like they are saying right off the bat, we don’t trust you." It doesn’t come across in type the way it came across when he said it, but Lisa and I were laughing our asses off. And no, we didn't take any hangers.
Earlier, when we were in the restaurant, Oleg and Igor were talking about seeing us while they were on stage and they saw us and said "Hey, look. People we know." I referred back to that in the room and told Oleg to hear them say that they saw, recognized and talked about us while they were performing was really way too cool. He looked at me very seriously and with total conviction said, "We don’t lie to you, we are your favorite band." Lisa and I laughed, but it was so true.
At the end of the night, Lisa and I giggled ourselves to sleep thinking about the Red Elvises day we had.
I know that was quite a ramble, but I wanted to let everyone know the fun experience that we had and it was all attributed to the Red Elvises.
Now, hang on with me because I have a little more to share, with a kicker at the end.
Friday October 6th, we saw the band at the Northern Lights Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It seats 500 and I just knew it would be great lighting and sound because we’ve seen shows there before. And it was another great show. We brought a bunch of friends that hadn’t seen the band before, and they are now fans too. Lisa and I shot a roll of film at the show and the pics turned out fantastic.
After the show, we were thinking if we should push our luck and call Oleg to see if we could get together with them for a while. After some deliberation we figured, nothing ventured, nothing gained... okay, call him.
They were in the restaurant and Oleg said we should come over. Again Lisa said, "Who do we think we are?" Which became the theme for the week. We hung out with the band in the casino restaurant, again, with our friends Kevin and Suzanne, who were becoming bigger fans by the second. I got to do some more magic for them, and we just had a great time.
Saturday, Oct. 7th, we drove to Madison Wisconsin and saw them at the Annex. Again, another great, great show. There was a big Badger football game in town. And everywhere you looked there were people wearing the team’s color. You might guess, it was red. Oleg said when they got into town he thought it was a May Day celebration.
Afterwards, we offered to help take some of the things out to the van. And they said okay. I never thought lugging boxes would be such a thrill.
Lisa and I were waiting at the bar while they were packing up and one of the bouncers came by and said we needed to leave. Lisa said we were with the band and he said okay and walked away. Then she turned to me and said, "I can’t believe I just said we were with the band." and we both laughed.
After this show, we didn’t meet them at a restaurant, they shared their pizza with us and we ate off of on one of the speakers before taking the equipment out.
As we were finishing I said, "Okay, if you don’t mind, I’d like to do one more magic trick." And Elena said, "No. Do more than one." I thought they would be getting tired of seeing the crazy magic guy doing magic. To hear her say that made my day even more.
Okay, so here’s the topper. Yesterday I was with family and opening birthday presents and cards. I opened one card and to my amazement, it’s from Adam, Elena, Igor, and RockenRoleg. Lisa got them to sign it at one of the concerts. And you know what? Seeing the Red Elvises three times in the week before my birthday, and getting that card were my favorite presents. And I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
So, here’s the thing. We’ve gone from fans, to groupies, to short term roadies, and now, if I may be so presumptuous, to friends.
So, that’s my story of my Roctober week with the Red Elvises. The greatest Rockin’ Roll week of our lives with the greatest Rock ‘n Roll band.
Prestidigitationally, Danny Magic
P.S. Red Elvises Rock!!! We love you guys... and girl.