Vegas: The Show!!!

So much smoke in the place – any second now!


999,999!!!! I start screaming I’m excited, but now I know for sure it is the last time. I’m sad – but not like I was in Billings. Billings was my last show, Portland and Vegas have been gifts – I wasn’t even supposed to go, so how can I be sad?


DIVA


I had a seat – I forgot – I could dance! I was jumping and dancing and going crazy! It was FUN! I got so caught up in jumping and dancing so much I barely took any photos. It was so much fun!


I took off my shoes and I just went for it! I would jump and the sound would change when I jumped above the people – it was like flying…. My feet were bleeding by the end, and I was a little soar when I got home (perhaps I shouldn’t have gone running my first day back though eh…)


It was fun at all. I’m so grateful to Abby for letting me go in her place. Her seat was awesome.










GREAT DESTROYER!




They did 28 again! I can’t believe it. Three times have I gotten to hear my favorite song off Ghosts.


Perhaps one day soon Florence will get her with of 12 in a few months. I hope so. She’s like – the biggest fan ever and needs to hear her favorite.


Oh Josh, now it really is the last time…. But I am here, and I am really glad we all came.


Terrible Lie.

You ready guys!? Throw up the flags!

Mine was Lights in the Sky. I started waving it, but mine was really only a decoy, the others did not know. I made another flag, so I took that one out.


It was big, so I would only hold it up a little – but I saw him look at it at least twice. I hope he understood. Mostly I hope he wasn’t mad. Since the others couldn’t be up front -


I wanted him to at least know they were there. And If could help him to find them – especially his French Girls, I wanted at least to try. If he saw the other flags in the crowd – then maybe he would know, Florence was the one holding Ghosts 12, and Marie Corona and so on… It was the best I could think of.




Kayla made me promise to call her from the show. I almost forgot. I took out my phone to do it near the end and saw her text.

“Now Alley’s leaving!?” We knew it! Jen was right last week. Figures, Oh alley…


Head like a Hole! Oh no! It’s almost over!


I looked back to find everyone. I could barely even find Florence. But I did see someone a few rows behind me off to my left. I just want to let the record show – I had a better seat then Meathead ! Oh come on, you know I love Meathead – Just like you know I love Rob.


JOSH! People yelled more for him then usual this night….


I nervously waited at the end of Echoplex…what was he going to say?


Reptile….

His speech. He began by commenting on one of the many Big Titty Bra Signs in the GA Pit. Then he went on to say that it was the last night for Josh, and then added it was also Alessandro’s last night. He talked about the last night for the screen, how it was over and now he would have to try and hook it up at his house so he could watch porn (As if that wasn’t his plan all along. You know Rob at least had that shit figured out from Day 1, boy was probably watching porn on that thing the whole time when TR wasn’t looking. Oh I kid – you know I love Rob.)

Then TR went on to clarify his infamous “’Was it Something I Said’ Post” from a few days earlier...

They were going to reform the band – as a FOUR piece! (Eh? Glory of the 80s!?”)

Then he said – they would come back to the US in the spring! And then Europe!

I was so relieved and happy… there was still something final and sad about it, but I was happy to know we’d all be together in the spring. He thanked the band once again, and the crew (naughty boy forgot to thank the fans, but then – one can’t really blame him…)


The Good Soldier!


I was pretty happy…


I did the Pity Call for Kayla. I’m not sure why she likes those, they’re kinda tough to hear…but, she asked and its really no trouble for me to do it for her and I’m happy to do it if it makes her and Tess happy – now if only I’d had that one during the speech – I’ll tell her later… if I can stop crying that is…


By now I shouldn’t have to tell you all how I was during Hurt….


…Or In This Twilight…


No – god no….


Oh Robin - Good-bye Robin!


JOSH!!! Good-bye Josh.


Good-bye Justin!


See ya Alley. Alley ran off to throw his keyboard into the crowd…(more on that later)


Good-bye Trent.


I’m going to miss them… a lot. I was still crying when the lights came on. My phone was still on. “I screamed to Kayla, hoping she could hear over the crowd – “It’s OK – it’s not over – he said they’re touring in the spring!” I repeated a few more things from the speech to her, then since I was crying still told her I would talk to her when I’d stopped. I hung up the phone. The guy next to me and I – we just started hugging. We were all so emotional at the end. (Only it wasn't quite over yet... I just didn't know it then.)

Florence found me, Marie found me – we all hugged. Jen and Lukas found us too. We all hugged. We waited outside for another one of Florence’s friends she was supposed to meet after the show. Problem is, Florence doesn’t have a cell phone with her – and hadn’t set a place to meet her friend either. So we waited outside after the show but we couldn’t find her.

Everyone it seemed had come out of the, but she still wanted to wait. Florence didn’t want to not wait for her – which is understandable, so we waited. Jen and Lukas were exhausted so they went back up to bed. I wanted nothing more then to drink water and take my shoes off. My feet were killing me, my toes were bleeding and I could barely stand I was in agony and weak from jumping so much. I didn’t want to leave Florence. Everyone had left the venue. Rob came out…the crew started coming out. Rob just kept standing there, and if there was a sign….So finally I told Florence had to go back upstairs, just to change and then I would be back down. I nearly collapsed when I got to the room. All I wanted to do was sleep. But I changed, laced up my boots and marched back downstairs.

Florence was alone. Marie had gone up to bed. I told Florence I would wait with her, but she knew her friend wasn’t coming. She was sad about it, and sad about post show, so we went and got a drink at Starbucks. Then we walked around the casino – we spotted the crew guys in the dark, circular bar in the middle of the casino. I wanted to run. She and I went back up to the room. On the way I saw Josh, and I was too scared to even look at him. Then we saw Justin, and you know me... Justin was headed for the same elevators we were about to get on ourselves Florence were so heart broken, and at this point….what the hell.

Justin’s the nicest guy in the world. I’m not really scared of him anymore, and I knew if anyone could make things better, it would be him. I ducked onto the elevator just before it could close with my head down. I ended up standing right next to him, but he did not see me. He did see Florence as she stepped onto the elevator! Right away his face lit up! “Hey!” he said as he gave her a great big hug. He told her something (I can’t repeat other people’s stories) that made her feel a lot better. So I felt better, then we went back to the room.

I was about to lay down. But you know Florence. Friends come before the band. She’d seen Justin, but still wanted to find her friend. She kept thinking her friend might be in The Deadly Bar with all the Crew Guys. I highly highly doubted that, but didn’t say anything. I want to sleep, I hadn’t in days, and would only have two hours before we had to get up fro the flight, but I didn’t want Florence to have to be alone. So we went back down to the bar.


We didn’t find her friend, but we found some other friends! Sarah and Anthony!!! Anthony caught Alessandro’s keyboard! Alley even signed it for him! Oh I love it when good things happen to good fans. Sarah and Anthony are super super nice. And I love them both!


When Florence went into the bar, I waited outside by a slot machine and played with my camera while I waited for her. I was scared to go in and see all the Crew Guys in The Bar. Brett was there, Todd was there, I could see the blond guy named Blumpy. I was brave enough to talk to Todd earlier in the day – but any more was way too much for me. I was afraid to bug them. Plus I think Rob was in there, and you know how much I love Rob.... He must have been there, I saw him like 87 times that night.

Then I saw Florence walking around looking for me. I ran up behind her. Sure enough, her friend wasn’t there, she was so sad. But she added super calmly, (cuz to her its no big deal at this point) that Robin had been there. I stopped in my tracks-----

“Diva!?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “He gave me a hug and….” (I can’t tell her stories, but the point is she’s pretty comfortable in the presence of The Diva and vice versa)

Wait a minute. I’m ready – I want to meet The Diva! I looked in The Bar, I saw shadows, but one was unmistakeable - The Diva!! -There he was!!! “Florence – please introduce me!!” She shrugs, “Sure.”

So we go in. There’s a lot of people I know there, fans crew guys, Leo. Everyone is around Robin wanting to meet him. I’m having total fan girl moment, and I feel so stupid. I’m totally doing that thing I don’t want to do - I have to bug Robin now at the after show, when he is surrounded by fans as it is.

Still, I could’ve done this two or three times back in Fragility Days – but I was too afraid. If I didn’t do it then I would never be able to.

So the other fans cleared, and there I was – looking up at Robin. I must’ve looked like a terrified little kid – I sure felt like one. Robin looked down at me, extended his hand to shake mine and sweetly said – “Hi. I’m Robin.”

I shook his hand – and I told him my name(s) Carol, and Riot. Then Florence said to him, “This is my friend, she was afraid-“ Then Robin was like – Aww – and he hugged me! So I hug him back and you know then I’m all – I loved you – I loved you since I was like a 14 year old little kid (No I wasn’t all weepy and crying – it was just cute) and he was all hugging me back, and like – no it was cute.

So then Florence goes to take a picture of us. There’s this funny awkward moment where we go to put our arms around each other for the pic. I put my arm up over his shoulder – and he laughs and – you know because he’s like three feet taller then me I can’t reach – she then he puts his arm over mine – I put mine under his and -


We take picture.

Robin is the nicest guy – all the stories everyone said are true.


I got to meet The Diva! I tried to wake Lukas and Jen – but they were too tired and sad from TR’s speech. Soon after all the excitement we slept for a few hours and we all left for the airport…

One last tour post very soon.