The first documented use of the Bumpersnicker as a bumper sticker.
Draft version January 05, 2004 08:56:46 PM -0500
With fall Other Ones tour only a month away the sticker topic quickly faded from the list and I started making plans for the debut of the sticker Game. I had tickets for the Albany, Boston and Philly shows many list members were making it out to the shows and many wanted stickers for themselves. I still had almost 800 stickers left and this looked like a good chance at getting a bunch into circulation and having some fun with the tribe, most of whom have never met in person before.
Albany Knickerbocker Arena we hope to get a bunch of people together
preshow by the Egg, just like the old days, but the weather was not cooperative. it snowed
so bad we almost didn't make it to Skank's house, our host for the evening, it took almost
double the usual time from Boston to Albany and at times I was the only visible car on the
Mass Pike. We finally get to Skank's as he's getting ready to leave for the show, we hop
in his car and we are off. When we get to the arena I figure out I have left the stickers
in the car back at the house, and set off in search of lot treats and begin an
unsuccessful attempt at phone tag with people I have no idea what they look like.
We managed to meet up with Tim and Caryn before going in and trade horror stories about
the drive up and go in. The next day we leave Skank's house and at least get to leave him
a sticker and it's time to plan better for the Boston shows.
Fleet Center Boston had 2 shows and the weather was more cooperative and
started meeting people mid afternoon at a local bar near the old Garden. My brother and
girlfriend were heading off to Thailand in a couple days and were able to make the 1st
night seeing the strange scene of a tribal gathering. I think at one point close to 20
people filled the little back room of the bar trading stories and taking photos. When it
was time to leave I gave a demonstration on the "Hiding" technique I had come up
with for the stickers and applied many on the way to the arena while we prepared to go
inside.We had a great time and my brother left the next day to fly to Thailand with a
dozen stickers he put up in various airports and places in Thailand. Back in Boston for
the 2nd show I got to spend the day with brother Dylan from the list and waited for others
to arrive and chatted for hours. Shortly before entering the Fleet Center, I was looking
for some freinds in a bar when someone I don't know walk's up to me and says "you
look familar", I ask if he's from the list and he replies he's from DNC, I get ready
to continue looking for my friends and hand him a sticker. He then recognizes me and say's
"you're the guy from the webpage" which confuses me and he continues that
there's a web page up on DNC about my stickers. Not being a DNCer I am puzzled and he
comes back and asks for one that isn't creased from being in my pocket. I find my friends
and we go into the show and I tell them about the guy and the webpage with my picture. I
hand out more stickers and go home after the show forgetting to try and search for this
webpage about me.
The next day at work one of my friends sends me a link to the page and says there's a
whole thread on DNC in the Ratdog message board about me. I follow the link and flip out
finding photos I had sent up to my list now being used by some guy on his site in a page
about me. I then join DNC as Sticker Dude and start searching the October archives for
"OBIE", there were a lot of results and sure enough there was the link to the
wanted poster. I was surprised by the comments on the board and started cutting and
pasting the ones mentioning me and created a PLQ webpage to match his link to my site
after one of the people gave me the idea from the message board. I was now scrambling for
a major stickering event that weekend in Philly and after sharing my finding with the list
had many friends wanting to help sticker the Spectrum and we floated a rumor that I was
going to cover the Rocky statue in stickers before the show.
Bobby fans are people too. The DNC message board posts.
I was actually disappointed how my little joke was now a matter of discussion on a public board, but happy at how many people now wanted to have a sticker or 2 of their own. The Philly event was one of those road stories that is best left as a verbal traditon but no one that was there will ever forget Tim's brownies.
I also started getting in photos of the stickers "in the wild".
The first documented use of the Bumpersnicker as a bumper sticker.
I knew it wasn't really pasted on the screen, but it was boost to my morale.
Lee and Wayne modeling the new PLQ T shirts at the Roanoke VA show.
Thanks Chris for coming up with the shot I originally envisioned. The sticker as a
talisman, seeming to be used in a green tea ceremony.
Steele modeling the PLQ hat, occasionaly available at the Orpheum in Boston. Ken has his
in his office.
Kidding around 30th St. Station in Philly .
The tour ends, people return home and winter sets in, again the stickers fade from memory on the list. A couple times during the winter I hear of random sticker sightings at Red Rocks and one at the 30th St station in Philly is posted to the Philzone message boards in the winter bringing a smile to a strangers face that shared it with the Philzone.
The sticker next made an appearance at a Govt Mule DVD screening with Warren and Mike Gordon. Here's my notes on the evening.
Mike Gordon, it was very cool and the Q&A session was excellent with only a couple stupid questions to Mike from the Phishheads who obviously weren't there for the Mule DVD. one guy argued with Mike about who his 1st music teacher was and when Mike answered the kid told him he was wrong. as most of you probably figured out the question I wanted to ask Warren was about Phil and more importantly my sticker ;) being the insensitive asshole I am I was surprised at the backlash and hatemail I got from my sticker project last fall. the thing that got me thinking the most was the comments like "those are offensive and the band probably thinks so too". in a deliberate attempt to be a kindler gentler OBIE I put the project on hold until I could get more feedback on the sticker and see if it really was offensive to anyone but hardcore Bob fans. last night my plan was to use my question to ask Warren if he found the sticker offensive, I had my prop and a camera to record the moment. I got the the theater early and it being a "local venue" I knew the layout and went to the stage door to see what was happening. after the rest of the group decided to go for beer I decided to wait. within seconds of them leaving up drives a nice Volvo and out hops Warren and Mike Gordon. there was about 6 people at this time and Mike was getting stuff out of his car as Warren tried to get in the backdoor and he chatted with the waiting fans and posed for a couple pix. I waited my turn and said hello and asked him if he found the sticker offensive, he chuckled and said "no". he then said that he and Bobby have become good friends lately and told him it wasn't antiBobby but pro Phil Lesh Quintet, he nodded in agreement. meanwhile he's still trying to get in the backdoor and i'm the only one left so I went into the whole story of the sticker and how it came about at Camden last year and starting at last summers Red Rocks I started putting my stickers up at the shows and handing them out after the shows. I admitted I was the one that put one on the Mule bus and soundboard, he just smiled and nodded the whole time trying to get someone to open the door so he and Mike, who was staying 10 feet away the whole time, could go in. after some more chat about Phil and the dynamic of guests with the band he finally asked me to go around front and see if I could get someone to open the door, which I did after he signed an autograph for me. (see attached) after the movie the Q&A was great and having asked all my questions outside I was able to just sit back and enjoy the comments. as the Q&A came to the end I asked my friends if they wanted to go meet Warren and Mike and they said yes, so we went back to the stage door and waited by Mike's car for them to come out. this waiting gave me time to put one of my stickers on Mike's Volvo and get a picture of it ;) sure enough they came out, pictures were taken, we got our ticket stubs signed and told them what a great time it was and thanks for being so fan friendly. so the pix are at the developer and my brain is mush from 3 hours sleep BUT I got "tacit approval" to continue my campaign to get Phil to bring back the Quintet for another tour. hee hee hee OBIE |
To be continued...
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Last Updated: Monday, January 05, 2004 08:56 PM
