September 26, 2007 the band Arcade Fire was set to play in Lehi, Utah. This date coincided with a low point in my financial history. I quite literally had less then $20 to my name. The going rate for tickets to the show was just over $40. Seeing as how the Arcade Fire are one of the best bands in the world right now, particularly when it comes to live shows, I decided I would go to the outdoor venue and listen from outside the gates.
I got to the venue and took a walk around. When I got to the side of the venue that was across from the parking lot, I saw several large buses next to a building and figured that this was the bands back stage area. I went into the building and saw one member of the band chatting with someone involved with the tour next to big table of finger foods. Now having figured out where the band was, I decided to try my hand at being a member of their entourage. I headed towards a road that lead to the back of the stage and a security guard stopped me and asked for my badge. I told him I left it in the building and could go get it if he would like. He asked me too and I said I would, but I first wanted to ask him about some things. He said alright and I spent the next 20 minutes acting like I had never been to Utah. I asked him about Thanksgiving Point (the venue we were at), Mormons, skiing, and all the other things people ask me when I tell them I am from Utah. I told him I was with the opening act, LCD Sound System, and when they finished I told him I was going to go see them off stage. He said alright and I went on my way. I had now gone from not being able to get in to the show to getting backstage for free.
Once backstage I only had one more security gaurd question me. I happened to catch the name of the head of security (Austin) during my talks with the other gaurd and said that he had OKed my being back there. I went out front and watched most the show from the front row. The show was incredible and I watched the encore from the wings of the stage. When the band left the stage, I shook each of their hands as they went back too the busses.
After the show I made my way back to the building I had found earlier, and after about an hour of the band meeting and greeting long lost family, radio contest winners, and other completely uninteresting people, everyone filtered out except me, a couple friends I snuck back, and the two bands. We proceeded to have a dance party to LCD Sound System's new album that hadn't been heard yet by anyone outside of the bands inner circle. The guitarist of LCD and I had a dance off while the Arcade Fire drummer sat in the corner taking pictures. None of the Arcade Fire crew had what you would call "good" dancing ability (skinny tall redhead doing the robot anyone?) but they were all sorts of fun to hang out with. They were also kind enough to give us all the food that was left from the meet and greet. A couple hours later, we said our goodbyes and headed to our cars.
Once in the car, still beaming with the joy of hanging out with one of my favorite bands, me and my brother headed home. We got about a mile down the road and got pulled over for having a "red flagged" license plate. I had some unpaid tickets that had turned into a warrant so I was put in the back of a police car and carted off to prison where I spent the next 20 hours. The first 2 hours were spent trying to get ahold of my brother to bail me out but the phones in jail cant dial to cell phones. I was forced to call my step mom at 3 AM and she informed me I would be staying the night in jail. After that chat I got put in a solitary holding cell for 3 hours without any blankets or pillows or anything resembeling comfort. Just a toilet, a sink, and a concret bench. Finally they took me over to wear all the other hooligans were staying and as look would have it, I got the top bunk. Below me was a doctor who was put away for filling out perscriptions for himself.
To summarize my night, within about 3 hours I had seen one of the best shows of my life, met some of my musical heroes, danced with said heroes, and been booked in the Utah County jail. Life can get pretty intresting when you only have $20.
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