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I am new to this site and just registered. I am not here to create a stir or to denigrate Lucinda, who I love as much as any artist. I am a 60 year old male in Charlotte, NC who drove 2 1/2 hours yesterday (and took a vacation from work today) in order to see Lucinda at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. What an incredible venue that is. She was wonderful, as I bet she most always is in person. I had goose bumps numerous times and had a ball introducing my wife, son-in-law, and pregnant daughter to one of my favorite Americana performers. I collect LPs as a hobby and love to listen to my vinyl, including several of Lucinda’s records. (I am still looking for Essence on vinyl.) Given my feelings for this special artist, I decided to take some album jackets and see if I could get her to autograph them. My daughter had told me that one could wait outside the Orange Peel and meet the artists as they board their buses. We waited outside in 32 degree weather for an hour, more and more folks drifting away as time passed. I heard stories about how Steve Winwood had mingled with fans and signed many, many autographs. Same with the Indigo Girls and Tod Snider. At one point a guy comes down and says Lucinda will not be signing any autographs and that we may as well leave. We stayed anyway. It got down to 5 people with 4 things for her to sign. Another guy came out and told us to forget it, she wasn’t going to do it. Folks, I swear to you that at 60 years old I have never asked for an autograph from anyone. I am so put out and discouraged about her now that I would really like to hear from someone who knows her just how she could do this to a handful of fans who’d stood in freezing weather and who had paid good money to see her perform. Please enlighten me. Thanks.
First of all, welcome to the Lu forum, elbee.
I’m Tom (tntracy), the moderator here in the forum, and I was at the show at the Orange Peel last night (I live in Atlanta – I drove up to Asheville yesterday for the show, then drove back home today). I am sorry you were disappointed after the show in not meeting Lu & getting your items signed by her. I know whatever I say here will not serve to alleviate that disappointment, but let me attempt to explain the circumstances after the show last night as I heard them directly from Lu’s tour manager. I heard them while several long-time forum members who travel around the country as often as they can to see as many Lu shows as they can & I were inside the venue after the show waiting for a possible “meet and greet” with Lu.
There was a combination of events that greatly restricted Lu’s after-show time & availability. First, they were on an extremely tight schedule, as they had two days to get the tour buses & equipment from Asheville to Austin, TX for the SXSW festival. This is always a big event, but is even bigger for Lu this year as she is headlining Lost Highway’s (her record label) special 10th anniversary show at the festival Friday (tomorrow) night. Although they did have two days to make the drive, since it is an extremely long drive (18+ hours according to Google Maps), they have a mandated layover half-way so the drivers can get their required sleep. So, to meet this schedule, the tour manager told us that there was little time available between the end of the show & the scheduled departure time for the buses.
Furthermore, we were told that Lu was visited after the show by a long-time personal friend whom she had not seen in many, many years. As you can perhaps imagine, Lu wanted to visit with this friend & this visit took up what little time Lu had available while the buses were loaded with equipment. Therefore, the aforementioned forum members who were waiting also did not get to see Lu last night due to the tight schedule & Lu’s friend’s visit.
I can tell you that after the many shows I have been to over the years, more often than not, Lu makes time to meet fans by the buses & sign items for them. However, sometimes tour schedules, visits from old friends and / or family, and other circumstances can prevent her from doing this. Unfortunately, last night was one of those nights. I hope you can understand, and I also hope you get an opportunity in the near future to meet Lu & get your items signed after another show…
Tom
Elbee– I am Lucinda’s mgr I am very sorry that happened last night- it is not we normally operate. I came down the stairs with Lucinda and her tour mgr last night as we were leaving and saw her go over and get a picture with a couple people and then saw her tour mgr move her toward the bus. It was a spontaneous moment and I wrongly assumed that she had taken care of everyone who was there. It is not at all an excuse but there were some extenuating circumstances happening last night. It is the tour mgr’s job to set the travel schedules and get the buses rolling after the show and last night there was a lot more urgency to get on the road asap for a couple of reasons –we had a twenty hour drive to get to Austin Tx with a stopover in Little Rock to let the drivers sleep -(that is where I type this from) so we were already cutting it close. In addition we have had numerous breakdowns with Lucinda’s bus on this leg and not been able to get a replacement, so there was a lot of urgency to get on the road that because we all were in fear that anoter breakdown would put getting to Austin when we needed to be in serious jeopardy. Like I said above I do not offer this as an excuse only as a reason why our tour mgr was very anxious to get us on the road. He had alerted the band and crew the day before that we had to load out and go. He was also telling the after show people that we had to leave as soon the equipment was loaded and that Lucinda would not be able to see anyone after the show so he was trying to give everyone the proper heads up what the situation was. I also purposely went out and talked to the after show people and also explained the situation. When we came outside the venue we were already running a little behind and while I did think that Lu stopped and took care of everyone, apparently our tour mgr was over zealous in moving her along and you were left behind. She can’t always stand out and sign, but when there is only a few people and they have obviously been waiting, we always do it, and our tour mgr knows that too, but obviously that didn’t happen last night and I’m going to talk to him about it.
We are going to be in Charlotte on April 27 and if you are going to be there I would like you and whomever you would like bring to be our guest for the show–and the after show. My email is tom_overby@yahoo.com–please email me and let me know if this will work for you.
I sincerely apologize that that happened last night and I am very glad you reached out and let me know.Regards,
TomWow guys. This is why I was careful to not be too judgmental when describing last night’s events. I just couldn’t believe she would “dis” her fans without some reason. Especially when there were so few of us. I will be in town on the 27th of April and will be in touch! Thanks so much and this…that is having such a forum as this where one can get such quick communication with those “in the loop” so to speak, is pretty darned cool. Later fans.
Elbee, I can vouch for all that has been said on this thread as I have been lucky enough to have been that fan after a show and the team and Lucinda were more that first class.
Sorry it did not work out for you last night, but speaking of first class, I think that again Tom O has more that shown his class towards us fans by his amazing gesture for the Charlotte show, my,my many people would love to be in your situation now.Good luck and well done Tom O.
Tom O you are indeed a gentleman and it’s very generous for you to offer this fan a personal invite to meet Lu in Charlotte.
Just to add a little humor to the subject you wrote:
“In addition we have had numerous breakdowns with Lucinda’s bus on this leg and not been able to get a replacement, so there was a lot of urgency to get on the road that because we all were in fear that another breakdown would put getting to Austin when we needed to be in serious jeopardy”.
Now here is a bus that made it to Austin’s SXSW way back in 1999.
Wonder if it’s still on the road and available ? 😆
Photo is courtesy of none other than Bob Harris of the BBC when he first met Lu at The Broken Spoke in Austin.
I posted Bob’s blog under Lost Highway’s 10th Anniversary SXSW 2011.
[attachment=0:140058q5]bus in Austin SXSW.jpg[/attachment:140058q5]And here is the story on this swing band’s bus.
http://johnrrogers.com/austin-texas/the-texas-top-hands-western-swing-band-bus/lwj
Wow, Tom (Overby) I am so impressed by your generosity. Classy, that’s what that is. elbee, have fun on April 26th in Charlotte. Party on, my friends.
@Rainydayman wrote:
(elbee, the Charlotte show is actually April 26th at the McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square)
True dat – Lu is in Knoxville, TN the 27th…
Tom
Believe me guys, I already discovered the date. It is all I have been able to think about for the past 36 hours. Thanks anyway. Not sure I have ever seen such a classy action as Tom’s offer. It is still blowing me away. I went to the NCAA games in Charlotte last night and it was late when we got into my car to leave. Found that SxSW was playing live on “Outlaw Country”. When I heard Robert Earl say that Lu was next I got pretty pumped. Got home and she still wasn’t on. Sat in my car and listened as long as I could…long enough to hear another bang-up sexy as hell version of Essence. Finally went into the house at 1:40am. Woke up this morning, the words repeating over and over in my head: “Baby, sweet baby…”.
That’s cool, elbee! 8)
Maybe we’ll get to meet – I plan on being at both the Charlotte & the Knoxville shows…
Tom
Very cool for you, Elbee! TO has a tendency to blow many fans away with his understanding it’s all about the fans. (tnt…I chose my words wisely 😆 )
You need to report back in after your show and we would love to see pictures, too! 8)
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