Wheaton College Show

[johnnybobbo]

This show was the 3rd time I've seen Nickel Creek and they just keep getting better - individually and as a group. Just a fantastic show.

Question - what was with the guy who was walking backwards down the center aisle, stopping occasionally to kneel on his way out? He did this both during the Ditty Bops and Nickel Creek sets. Security didn't seem to mind, but that was just weird. Making a statement of some kind?

[genefruit]

Oh boy, I have debated about discussing this but what the heck. The guy was sitting in the balcony for most of both acts and he was quite the sight. Prior to the show, my wife and I were sitting near the front but decided that the balcony would probably work better for us.

When we went to the balcony, we walked by the guy and sat about six rows up from where he was at. As we sat down, our eyes crossed paths and he stared at me. He then proceeded to make some sort of angry face and throw the I love you sign. For those who are not following, it is the hand gesture that one makes with the thumb, forefinger, and pinky. I have been to a bunch of concerts, so the guy really didn't cause me any concern. I just thought that he was some radical Wheaton College student.

During the Ditty Bops he screams out a hoot at the end of each line of lyrics. This lasted into the second song when three guys behind us had hit their limit and expressed their disdain for his enthusiasm. He then walked down to the center isle and performed his backwards slide & dip to the back of the room.

Intermission comes and hopefully you have lasted this long into this posting, as it is about to become stranger. During intermission, he returns to his seat in the balcony and I am sitting back and reflecting on his antics. Once again our eyes cross and he repeats the face and hand gesture. He then proceeds to come up to us to talk. Here is a synopsis of the conversation:

crazy guy - I have a serious question to ask you
me - OK
CG - If I give you a thousand dollars, will you tell everyone you know that I am the devil?
me - you have failed to define your universe of everyone. Who is everyone
CG - Everyone you know. I want you to tell everyone you know that I am the devil so that I can go around and refute it.

thoughts of 10 copies of Here to There dance through my mind which must have slowed my response. As I contemplated his offer, he proceeds to throw the hand gesture again and says

CG - This is the sign of the devil, isn't it?

Not one to question, but if he was the devil, wouldn't he know his own gang sign.

me - No this is the sign of the devil and throw the traditional devil horns (forefinger and pinky). Due to some type of genetic abnormality I am double jointed <- possibly he also was but a different sort of joint. Due to this, my fingers become very crooked and jagged looking when throwing the devil horns. He sits there while staring at my hand and appears to contemplates that the entire time that he thought he was being so demonic that in fact he was sending a warm I Love You gesture. Having met his match, he gets up and walks away.

2 cent analysis - he was tripping on hallucinagenics at a Nickel Creek show or he is just an edgy Wheaton College student.

[lerdave]

I was at the Weaton show and briefly noticed that guy when he was in the center aisle of the main floor. I'm glad I didn't choose a seat near his. He sounds a little scary.

Wheaton College would be one of the last places I would expect to meet the devil. I wouldn't think he would stand a chance there.

I've been to a few Nickel Creek shows and that was the first one where I saw any security. Strange that they didn't seem to be keeping an eye on that guy.

[e-rock2]

Yes, I saw the devil that night too. I was sitting in the same section as Gene and didn't have the good fortune to have an actual chat(or the hand gesture dual) with the devil. Gene, you must go to iamthedevil.com and report that you have seen him in the flesh. WOW!! I saw him stalking the stairs and hooting during the early songs in the Ditty Bops set. He would be hooting from the front row where he was sitting and then he would go up top and be even more looney. I couldn't believe how loud he was. Sometimes he would leave and head downstairs which now I know what was happening there. From what I've heard about Wheaton College(and I apologize to the sane students there), it doesn't seem like a major shock. I was just glad that he wasn't as obnoxious during the Nickel Creek portion of the show. Gene, I'm just happy you beat the devil at his own game and lived to tell the tale. Insert devil's horns smiley here if there is one available.