My Overview of the 2007 DS Event in Tarrtyown

[Nancy]

It might have been someone playing a cruel joke as you suggested.  However, the joke's on them if that is the case since it didn't bother Frid.  He just smiled and said "Oh, really?"

nancy

How bizarre. And how could anyone possibly think they could get away with something like that?  :-  

[jennifer]

It might have been someone playing a cruel joke as you suggested.  However, the joke's on them if that is the case since it didn't bother Frid.  He just smiled and said "Oh, really?"

nancy

How bizarre. And how could anyone possibly think they could get away with something like that?  :-  

i'm glad JF took it well because i think it is a pretty sick thing to try

and MB i took care of a man once in the recovery room with a broken hip
who was crying for his mother he was 81 and i was then told
by the surgeon that his mother was indeed alive at 105 and he lived with her all his life
must have been that .01% heehee
jennifer

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It might have been someone playing a cruel joke as you suggested.  However, the joke's on them if that is the case since it didn't bother Frid.  He just smiled and said "Oh, really?"

Anyone warped enough to possibly leave that sort of message as a cruel joke is obviously not dealing with a full deck and most probably wouldn't even foresee that Frid's reaction would be the logical one.    Although, they might have cared less what Frid's actual reaction might have been because there's a real possibility it was all about getting off at having pulled the stunt in the first place. That sort of person can often be detached from reality to some degree. And if so, it's really quite sad...

[BuzzH]

I heard several people who said they had attempted to find his room, phone his room and etc etc.

Un-be-liev-able!  Some ppl!    He was actually in the room next to friends of mine and they saw him come and go a few times during the weekend.  But they were respectful of his privacy and of course didn't bother him.  It amazes me that some ppl *actually* think they'll get an 'audience' w/a star, *any* star, by knocking on their door.  More than likely they'll get a ride to the pokey instead as I'm pretty sure there are active stalker laws in all states now.  I mean, last year Johnny Karlen was my next door neighbor, and except for saying hello when I first saw him (I was just arriving at my room, he was coming out for some ice) I totally left him alone too.  BTW, that woman who claims to be his daughter was there, surprised she didn't go up to the mic and cry, "Daddy!"  

Anyway, Jon did look good, but I have to confess, he didn't sound good, at least not to me.  His voice was a little scratchy, like he was just getting over a bad cold or something.  Maybe the trip down took something outta him, I don't know.  But that room was totally standing room only, we were all the way in the back and were lucky to have the seats we got.  As Brandon mentioned, there were a few ppl who groaned when Pierson announced that Jon was stopping for the night because he was tired, some even had the nerve to say they'd been ripped off!  Obviously these ppl were first timers and don't realize that they didn't pay $60 for his autograph, they paid $60 for a rubberized chicken dinner!  

One fun note for my cousins however, as we had driven up from Jersey on Friday we of course were parked in the hotel lot and at one point I noticed a car w/an Ontario plate and wondered if it could be his (I mean, what are the odds right?).  Then when we left to have dinner (we didn't attend the banquet) I saw another car just two cars away from the aforementioned one w/an Ontario plate as well and it was a personalized plate to boot.  Needless to say, there was no doubting that it was either Jon's car or his nephew's!  I won't reveal what the plate said out of respect for Jon and his nephew (I was going to post a pic of it but decided against it, there are just too many sickos out there-the phone call from the 'mother' is proof of that), but it was definately one of their's!  Midnite knows what I'm talking about as I showed it to her on my camera phone.  

Anyhoo, it was a great weekend seeing friends I only see once a year, but it was TOO short!  Some of my friends I barely had time to say 'boo' to!  Just thankful that next year's is a full on 3 day Fest!  Disneyland here we come!  

[Nancy]

BTW, that woman who claims to be his daughter was there, surprised she didn't go up to the mic and cry, "Daddy!"  

It might not have been the same woman you are thinking of, Buzz. There are a few fans claiming to be relatives.  In any case, she never made herself known to "Daddy."

Anyway, Jon did look good, but I have to confess, he didn't sound good, at least not to me.  His voice was a little scratchy, like he was just getting over a bad cold or something. 

A combination of allergy and not exercising his voice anymore before doing any lengthy presentation or reading. I thought the voice came across scratchy too but he wasn't sick or anything.

As Brandon mentioned, there were a few ppl who groaned when Pierson announced that Jon was stopping for the night because he was tired, some even had the nerve to say they'd been ripped off!  Obviously these ppl were first timers and don't realize that they didn't pay $60 for his autograph, they paid $60 for a rubberized chicken dinner!

Fortunately, JF didn't hear any of the complaints.    I don't blame people for being disappointed about not getting the personalization on Saturday night, however, it's not as if they came away with nothing.  All the attendees received an autographed photo of Barnabas.   Frid wasn't making big bucks for his contributions.

One fun note for my cousins however, as we had driven up from Jersey on Friday we of course were parked in the hotel lot and at one point I noticed a car w/an Ontario plate and wondered if it could be his (I mean, what are the odds right?).  Then when we left to have dinner (we didn't attend the banquet) I saw another car just two cars away from the aforementioned one w/an Ontario plate as well and it was a personalized plate to boot.

There were several people at the hotel from Canada besides Frids.  One Canadian bought JF (and "the table") drinks and came over to chat.  He and his wife were from Burlington, Ontario.  Another Canadian, an atty, came over an introduced himself. He was down on other business but had watched DS as a child while living in Chicago.  He couldn't believe there was a DS Festival!  The atty had moved to Canada after marrying his Canadian wife.  Small world indeed.  The Canadian transplant atty couldn't believe the coincidence!

nancy

[Midnite]

I saw another car just two cars away from the aforementioned one w/an Ontario plate as well and it was a personalized plate to boot.  ... Midnite knows what I'm talking about as I showed it to her on my camera phone.  

I can tell you with certainty that it wasn't JF's car, Buzz.

[BuzzH]

BTW, that woman who claims to be his daughter was there, surprised she didn't go up to the mic and cry, "Daddy!"   

It might not have been the same woman you are thinking of, Buzz. There are a few fans claiming to be relatives.  In any case, she never made herself known to "Daddy."

No, actually it was the same woman that was in Tarrytown 3 years ago.  However, I have no doubt that there are probably several fans who claim to be his daughter (and son).  

I saw another car just two cars away from the aforementioned one w/an Ontario plate as well and it was a personalized plate to boot.  ... Midnite knows what I'm talking about as I showed it to her on my camera phone.  

I can tell you with certainty that it wasn't JF's car, Buzz.

Oh I agree w/you, I think it was his nephew's car, or the nephew's wife.  If it was a fan's car and not a Frid family member's car, well, then that plate is just this side of scary.  

[Teresa]

  I confess I did once knock on a someone's door when I was about 18yrs old. Well not really knock I slid a note under the door. It was Peter Wolf from the J.Geils Band. His room was next to ours. So note went under the door and few minutes later he came out and I got a big hug ( all I wanted was for him to sign the note so I was very happy ). Anyway I would never do anything like that now. When your 18 you can get away from it. When you're in your 40's it seems kind of desperate

[arashi]

Thanks for the recap Nancy. I'm glad that the love from the audience was tangible from the stage. You could feel it from the seats as well. Kind of moving to be a part of.

I heard several people who said they had attempted to find his room, phone his room and etc etc.
It was quite an experience. I felt teary eyed when he came out. That kind of lump in your throat feeling.

My Mom said she felt the same way. Here was a huge part of her childhood come back to her at an event she never thought would happen. The same thing happened the first time we saw the Monkees in concert.

[Nancy]

Especially since JF didn't drive his own car down. His webmaster drove him.

Nancy

I can tell you with certainty that it wasn't JF's car, Buzz.

[LdyAnne]

I heard several people who said they had attempted to find his room, phone his room and etc etc.
It was quite an experience. I felt teary eyed when he came out. That kind of lump in your throat feeling.

I had a room near to his and passed him several times in the hall but made no attempt to intrude. I even joked with my roomate that he might think we were stalkers because we passed him several times.

LdyAnne

[Nancy]

This sort of thing is something that people like Jonathan expect at events.  There is always some nut who wants to cross the line of appropriate behavior and be a weekend stalker - try to hunt down the celebrity's room, phone, car, where he or she is likely to eat, etc.  Normal people don't do this.  It's beyond civil behavior to try and hunt down anything belonging to a celebrity and make that thing public in some way.  It's a form of stalking.

Because of nutty behavior as described above, Jonathan has to have his phone at a hotel forwarded to someone else's room to be answered, have a special knock at the door so he knows it's not a fan, have someone else drive him to events so fans do not know what his car looks like, try to take pictures or make public his license plate information or even break into the car to grab a "souvenir."  I can go on and on about precautions that have to be taken.  Yes, as someone said you would think middle-aged people would be beyond what they see as harmless behavior but it's stalking and it's weird.  It's a fact of life for most celebrities whether they are long ago stars or new ones.

Nancy

I heard several people who said they had attempted to find his room, phone his room and etc etc.

[Phil]

Oh, come on, Nancy. It's not like he's going to miss that lock of hair.  Which I'm gonna sell on Ebay.

One.

Strand.

At.

A.

Time.

Bid now!

[Gerard]

I wonder if it would work if someone notable who is finally cornered by an "over-excited" fan who utilized stalking tactics to just stand there, absolutely still, staring coldly in his/her face, not saying a word, not reacting, just standing there, staring, staring, oh, so coldly.

Gerard

[BuzzH]

Oh, come on, Nancy. It's not like he's going to miss that lock of hair.  Which I'm gonna sell on Ebay.

Hey, KLS sold his hair at a Fest once, can't remember how much it went for but it was pretty sick!  Then someone told me that Ann Wilson kept a couple of his teeth (she'd driven him to the dentist or something) and Jim sold those too!  About as sick as selling off Michael Stroka's clothes and DC's personal effects this Fest.  I mean, come on, did he REALLY have to auction off DC's Friar's Club card!?