2007 - Mika @ 9:30 Club Washington, DC - 12 June

[JeyJen]

Hmmm, I remember several girls with long blonde hair...

 

I was wearing this:

 

 

--Jack

 

jack i love the way you were dressed!!! love your vest!!! and i don't know why, maybe it's the skirt, but you remind me Snow White (is it the right name? the disney cartoon )

[Wendi]

Kjoshi - what a brilliant night you had - great report!!!

I am so glad you all had a fab time. There is hope for us in November, if we all have our badges and flashing hearts!!!

Mika - you are a honey - even with a chest infection you care about your fans!!!

deb - lovely picture

[JackViolet]

Sorry that this will be long, guys!

 

I ended up coming to the venue relatively late: 5-ish or so, I think. There was already a good line going, and everyone was dressed in lots of color! I found Hootchatootch (or she found me?) and met her adorable daughter and was briefly introduced to other fanclub members. Hootch had brought along a heap of those flashing hearts, and gave me one to put on--they were brilliant (and later served in quite good stead!). She also said that the band had arrived mere moments ago, but they went in before anyone could say anything to them. Anyway, then Deb and mgpm and friends showed up, and we just stood around chatting.

 

Pics of the line, stretching out from where we were standing:

 

 

 

These were Shelby's friends! (Shelby is in the back.) She had also brought along an MFC sign, though she didn't get it professionally printed like Deb.

 

Becca and her friends with umbrellas:

 

Deb and her friend, holding the drawing I made for Cherisse:

 

We all gathered around to look at the scrapbook that mgpm put together, and it was a really wonderful piece of work. Hootch and her daughter got Mika a build-a-bear Chew Chew. :-D

 

I'm not sure how much you really care about the rest of the stuff I got for Mika (gold braces, checkered socks, a bead bracelet and a drawing of him), so I'll just put a link to the pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/Katranna/costumey/Mikaconcert/mikapresents.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/Katranna/costumey/Mikaconcert/Debandmikapresents.jpg

 

At first it was really hot, but then it started to rain, which was kind of a drag. While we were huddling and trying to get out of the rain, someone from the club came out and talked to these two girls next to us--and then he took one of them back with him to be a Big Girl!

 

Her name was Ashley:

 

They later did her makeup and hair and everything--and covered her face with glitter, hah--and she looked amazing on stage.

 

Anyway, eventually the club security told us that if we came by the side of the club, they'd let us in the basement to get away from the rain. We kinda hung out there till the doors opened, and it was hot and overcrowded, and Deb and mgpm were the only ones who saw Mika come in, due to sheer chance, because they went outside to repark their car. However, we could hear the sound check going on, and we heard Mika go through a bunch of the songs, so some of us were joking that it was like having two concerts.

 

Then, finally--FINALLY, almost an hour late--they opened the doors and we were allowed to go upstairs. We all rushed to the stage of course, and I think we got pretty good places, though I got separated from the MFC crew. I was almost at the very front, kind of behind/between Becca and her friends.

The girl behind me kept saying that she was being pushed a lot, and that people were hurting her, but no-one was pushing me... yet.

 

Sara Bareilles came on, and her set was nice and surprisingly brief, and she was very sweet. Then after a bit of the usual wait it was time for Mika, and OMG. He was amazing of course, but there were these people behind me, who pushed aside the girls I'd been chatting with and just kept shoving the entire show. To be honest, they almost ruined the whole thing for me, because I could hardly enjoy myself or even concentrate on Mika when they kept pushing all the time. I basically had no room to move, and kept being pressed into the stage, and it felt a bit like being in a wrestling match.

 

But yeah, Mika. He was great--I had no idea he wasn't feeling well. He was his usual ball of energy, jumping around everywhere, dancing, sweeping all over the stage and being a master showman. His stage presence and manner are really incredible, and he's matured so much as a performer in the last few months. He's so good at it, for someone relatively new to it all--I was much amused to see, for instance, how he played the crowd. He would often come up to the edge of the stage, and of course everyone's hands would go flying up, and they'd all try to touch him--but even though he'd stretch out his own hand as though he wanted the audience to touch him too, he'd always stand JUST far enough away that they couldn't. The only exception was, in fact, when he noticed the MFCers (with Deb's gorgeous sign), and he'd keep going over to their side and playing up to them, and at once point I think he actually leaned down enough for them to be able to touch his hand.

 

Anyway, so since I noticed that he didn't really want people to grab at him, he just wanted to play at it to keep the audience happy, I was trying to put my hands up without, you know, attacking him or trying to touch him. Most people were fine anyway, but again, the people behind me were really agressive! At one point when he did come close enough for a few enthusiastic people to make contact, they shoved me so far into the stage that I ended up kinda pushing my hand against his hip just to maintain balance. And I'm still kind of annoyed about that. So next time I'll either stay further away from the stage, or make sure to stick to the MFCers, who all seemed to be having a good time without too much physical aggession.

 

So Mika did Sweet Dreams, and everyone screamed, and he did his drum solo for Love Today, complete with some very skillful balancing on one of Cherisse's drums, and threw the sticks into the audience at the end--dunno who got them, but they were lucky!

 

I tried to take some pictures of him when he sang Happy Ending, but since I'd turned off the flash so as not to get noticed, they came out really crap... and then security told me to stop anyway.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/Katranna/costumey/Mikaconcert/mikaperform2.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/Katranna/costumey/Mikaconcert/mikaperform1.jpg

 

Sorry for how much these suck, guys.

 

Then at the end, with Lollipop, they all came bouncing back and Mika was a cow, and some of the people around me were totally stunned and had no idea what was going on, and I loved it. They did a whole little pantomime on stage, where all the animals attacked the Cherisse-rabbit, and she fought them off and hit them over the head with her sticks, and then they all collapsed in a pile. To be honest, it was slightly dirty...

 

The big finale itself, of course, with the lollipop girls and the confetti and the balloons was great fun and like a real carnival. And yeah, I also stuffed some confetti in my bag for no reason. And kjoshi and her friends got the setlist and Mika's drink afterwards, because the stage manager seemed to like them a lot.

 

Okay, so this was obsecenly long and boring, sorry. Aftershow recap coming up next...

 

--Jack

[leighhodgson]

WOO HOO, you all got to meet him! Delighted! :woot_jump:

[robertina]

debbie, i saw you in the pic!!!!

pink lady!!!!

 

mikalife is getting REAL!!!

 

anyone has got a pic of TOOTCH??? please!!!

[Wendi]

That was rotten Jack, that you had people shoving you and making it less enjoyable - I am sure Kath, Leezy etc will have their elbows sufficiently pointed by November so no-one does that to them.

Looking forward to the next part!!

[Blue]

WOW!!!!

 

What an amazing reports of a fabulous Mika Eve!

 

What a fantastich manager and what an amazing Mika again! I hope he will take care of himself though... Performing while suffering from a chest infection can't be good for your health...

 

And I love all the pics! Jack, COOOOOL outfit!

 

Looking really forward to read more reports! But I realise that you might all have Sweet Dreams at this moment so I will be patiently waiting until the morning comes at your place.

[robertina]

WOW!!!!

 

What an amazing reports of a fabulous Mika Eve!

 

What a fantastich manager and what an amazing Mika again! I hope he will take care of himself though... Performing while suffering from a chest infection can't be good for your health...

 

And I love all the pics! Jack, COOOOOL outfit!

 

Looking really forward to read more reports! But I realise that you might all have Sweet Dreams at this moment so I will be patiently waiting until the morning comes at your place.

 

Now you can watch the video blue...you'll have time to get over it!

[Sivan]

great reviews! except the pushing part! argh!

[Blue]

Now you can watch the video blue...you'll have time to get over it!

I just did and I am completely out of breath now!

 

First from reading the reports from DC and now again from watching the video!

[mariposa]

Hey Everybody!!!

 

Thank you soooooooo much for all the reviews!!!! I enjoyed reading them so much!!!

Wow! I'm getting more and more amazed by Mika's manager, he seems to be such an adorable guy!!

I'm so happy for you all that you got to meet Mika after the show!!

 

But I'm quite worried about Mika's health, wonder when he'll finally get a rest?! In ny case: All the best Mika! Get well soon!!!

[carrinevie]

AAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW so gald you all got to meet him - but no chicken - prob realised deb and hootch were gonna be there!! x x x x x

[violet_sky]

Thanks a lot for that looong part one of your report, Jack. You know I'm very much into details, so I enjoyed it. Good that you got a place right in front of the stage and I'm glad to read that you had a good time with the other MFCers right before the concert. I'm really sorry that the pushing crowd spoilt the fun a bit for you Being slightliy claustrophobic anyway I can understand very well how annoying that must have been.

I like the pics you have taken, it doesn't matter that they're a little blurry 'cause you caught the atmosphere. And, gosh, how I LOVE your drawings. Awesome. Do you have bigger pics of them?

I'm looking forward to reading part two...

[JackViolet]

So after the show was over, I ran over to the MFCers as soon as I could, and we were all trying to figure out where we should wait for Mika to give him our presents. People were going in all directions, and I decided to go outside and try to wait by the back door where he came in. Just as I was about to leave the club, though, I saw Hootch and her daughter standing on the stairs to the balcony level of the club, and she told me that she was waiting for Jerry to come down and give out more passes, and that Deb and mgpm were already upstairs.

 

Here's where the flashing hearts came in really handy, because she told the guard that I was with them 'cause I had the flashing heart, and he let me stay and wait without protest. Then Jerry came down, and at first he only told Hootch, her daughter and me to follow him, but then Hootch pointed to kjoshi and said that everyone who had a flashing heart was fanclub member, and so Jerry told security to let everyone with hearts up.

 

So we all filed upstairs and waited for Mika and chatted with Jerry. Who is wonderfully nice. Not only did he give us our chance to meet Mika, but when Hootch asked him to pass some presents onto the band, he went and got them to come out and see us as well. And he brought us lollipops! And he liked the hearts and took one of them.

 

We told him how much we appreciated him, and all the lovely stuff people on here were saying about him, and he seemed really surprised. But he definitely deserves his own fanclub. I doubt most managers are that gracious.

 

Here are some photos of all of us waiting around:

 

 

 

That's mgpm (Linda) in the front, then Deb, then me, then Tootch, then Shelby.

 

 

And now the other way--with Tom at the end, and Deb's friend.

 

And since people wanted pics of Tootch...

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/Katranna/costumey/Mikaconcert/debandtootch.jpg

 

I have to say, the thing I really regret now is that I kept my flash off, because I didn't want it going off in people's faces (and because I usually hate flash photos). But I should've kept it on, because all my photos came out awfully blurry, including the ones of me and Mika. So I would really love it if the rest of you would send me your photos... especially the group ones!

 

Anyway, then we saw Mika come out! But he had a whole line of people to get to, so we decided to wait a little. Meanwhile, Tootch went to give her presents to the band, and I gave Cherisse my drawing, and took a photo with everybody.

 

 

I actually do have a less blurry one--we re-took it--but I like this one better. It's all spontaneous and silly.

 

I also saw Yasmine and Mrs. Penniman walk by, and I went up to tell Yasmine how much I enjoyed her artwork (and her earrings...). She told me she had noticed my outfit and really liked it. Then I took a photo with her, but she asked that it not be up online, so I won't post it here. Ironically, it came out far better than any of the other photos, hah.

 

Then I saw that the fanclub members had gathered around Mika, so I went up to join them. I can't really give a conversation recap, because I didn't so much have a contained dialogue with him, as I kinda hung around with everybody else and we all talked.

 

Anyway, when I walked up, mgpm was showing him her scrapbook, and introduced me, and he told me that he really loved my drawings there. I told him I had more things for him, and gave him the load o' stuff (he laughed at my suggestion that he should expand his horizons by trying checked socks in addition to striped ones), and also the other drawing (I linked it in the last post). He seemed excited and told me that I should do comics, and then he hugged me. Which was really nice because I wanted to ask for one, but didn't want to presume, and this way I didn't even need to ask. :-)

 

Anyway, then we all thanked him for putting on such a great show, and this is where he said that it was actually a bit difficult for him that night because he was sick... and I told him that he'd best take a break because we were all worried about him! And that we all think his schedule is insane and want him to rest, dammit. (He explained stuff about management, so I went off in a corner to tell Mickey that he should make Mika take a rest because he was getting ridiculous, and I was not happy!)

 

Right, somewhere in between all this I had him sign things. I actually couldn't think of anything good for him to sign--I explained that I was weird about keeping my CD covers all clean and stuff--so I had him sign my bracelet. Then I got him to sign an apple for Yoppappop, and told him how she wants to meet him and hopefully he'll make it happen at Paris.

 

And Yop, at first he was like, "who?" but then he remembered, and smiled, "right, I know her! And she has the hair!" and I replied, "Right, so you know why the apple--and hey, her hair's not that big!"

 

 

So now I need to send it to you.

 

Then I realized that I should have him sign my ticket, but when I was about to pull it out I saw how knackered he looked, and he was sick and all, so I told him that nevermind, I wasn't going to ask him to sign anything else because I could see he was tired. And he looked grateful and thanked me. (Honestly that made me a bit sad.)

 

And then someone (Jerry? he was doing so much and was so great!) suggested a group MFC photo, and we all posed with Deb's poster. Can't wait to see those; that was a nice idea for a photo.

 

After that, um... there was more random talking. I don't know. He liked how international the flashy hearts are, and oh, Blue--we noticed his phone chain and got all excited and about it, and he was really surprised that we knew it was from you. Tootch said, "but we talk to each other!" and he was like, "but how do you know I even have it on my phone?" and I told him that there was a video of him taking it out and that he should be scared of the internet.

 

Oh, and when Tootch and Dylon, her daughter, gave him their bear (which he loved, but she'll tell you about it) he noticed the stamp on Dylan's hand and was like, "Now what is this? Do they really need to stamp her to tell people she can't drink?" And then I joked about how he obviously doesn't know the girl, because if you just let her at a liquor cabinet, well...

 

So basically I talked a lot and was silly and obnoxious and sarcastic half the time, which I do when I am nervous.

 

And I also briefly talked to Lorna (lollipop girl), and um, then some more to Mickey. Who was really really nice and got all worried when it turned out that thanks to staying so late, the metro had closed and I didn't really have a way to get home. I had only meant to joke about it with Shelby, who was the last fanclub person Mika talked to, but he got seriously concerned and kept asking me where I lived and how far away it was and even tried to call Jerry over for advice, and was really sweet.

 

And eventually Shelby and I were the last ones to leave, and as I was heading out I saw that Mika had come out to talk to all the people still waiting outside. Even though he'd already talked to all of us for far longer than I think most other people would, and he was tired and sick. He's really kind of ridiculously amazing.

 

This is awfully long again, sorry! Linda, Tootch, Deb, Shelby--it was really wonderful meeting all of you, and all you girls are awesome! Thanks to Linda and Tootch especially for everything you did for me. And I hope you can send me your photos, because mine didn't come out...

 

--Jack

[Blue]

Thanks for your awesome report Jack!

 

A Mika Eve that you will never forget...

 

The apple is cool! Hehe, I am sure Yop will love it!

 

Deb told me about the beads! She even touched them He might think the MFC is a sect, an insane bunch of people who know everything about each other, the colour of their underwear, their blood group - or worse! And we know all about Mika too of course!

 

Owww... your pics are fantastic! You definitely had an amazing night out!

[dcdeb]

Warning... VERY LONG!

 

So... JackViolet did such a good job with describing the events

leading up to the show and the show...

Not sure I can add anything, but I won't let that stop me

 

My neighbor and I got to the club at around 5.

Around 5:45ish it started rain. Then it started to POUR.

Thunder and lightning, cats and dogs type of rain. Ugh.

Eventually, the club took pity on us and let

us in to the basement bar area. They checked our

ID and told us NO CAMERAS, although they

didn't do a thorough job of checking for them...

but later if they saw you had a camera, they made

you check it.

 

Doors were supposed to open at 7:30; they had us wait

forever downstairs -- it must have been at least 8 p.m. when they

finally let us upstairs.

 

Finally got upstairs and got right at the front of the

stage. We didn't care about being in the center,

because it was a TINY stage! I had no idea it would

be so small! So we stood in front where Martin/Luke

would be.

 

I had gotten separated from my friend, so went to look

for her and stumbled across where they were selling

merchandise. Of course I had to buy a tee-shirt --

and Mirtilla, I got your rosette! I hope it's not too

crumbled! (And Lissy, I bought a new one for you --

I think that with the rain etc. I pretty much

destroyed the one you loaned me! So I'll get the

new one to you somehow!)

 

While I was waiting to buy my stuff, who should

approach me but Lollipop Girl! I was so stunned,

I blurted out, "Oh, I'm so happy you're here, I can't

wait to hear you sing Happy Ending!" She looked shocked

and tried to stay in Lollipop Girl character -- I apologized

for blowing her "cover," and told her that tootch had a

stuffed Chew Chew to give Mika, which horrified her! LOL!

I pointed in the general area of where tootch was and she

went to look for her. When I got back, Lollipop Girl was

there, admiring Chew Chew, since he wasn't trying to

steal her lollipops. Very cute.

 

Opening act was a very good singer named Sarah Bareilles

-- really, she had quite a voice, the only problem was she

was Not Mika. Otherwise I quite enjoyed her very short

set.

 

She was only on for a half-hour, then after a half-hour

break -- it was MIKA TIME!

 

He bounded on the stage around 9:30 and ran through the

show pretty much as he has done for all his previous

shows... started with Relax, followed by Big Girl,

then a few slower tunes, I think Any Other World

and My Interpretation? Fuzzy on the order, but

it was the usual set that he's been doing, as far as I

could tell, except I felt they were rather rushing through --

not talking much between songs at all. Just boom,

boom, boom, one right after the other.

 

The show itself was great, despite that -- he's

an amazing showman, and getting better

all the time. And yes, we were standing

in such a fantastic spot. A few times he came

right over and leaned down toward us -- made

this old heart go pitty-pat.

 

But I did think you could tell his energy level was

a little lower than usual, especial during Sweet Dreams

and Love Today -- neither was quite as wild as we've

seen in some recent videos that shall go unnamed

 

But this is not a complaint at all! It was still a

wonderful, fantastic show and I loved every minute

of it!

 

When the band came out dressed as animals for

Lollipop, we

could see Mika's green pants peeking out from the

cow costume, and there was a new (at least to me)

character -- Martin as PIGLET! (If you know that I'm a

Disney fan, too, you'll know why I was so excited at that!)

We were standing by both the bubble machine and the

confetti canons, and once the bubbles started I was

getting blasted with sticky soap until one of the

stagehands noticed and moved it (thank you!)

and the whole place was an amazing flurry of

confetti, bubbles and giant ballons! You have to

experience it to know how much fun that was!

 

It was all over by 10:30.

 

Then we had to figure out where to hang out to meet Mika

and the gang -- we all had gifts for them.

As I said in an earlier post, it was very confusing, no one

knew what to tell us, until tootch spotted Jerry

and he so kindly brought us all upstairs.

 

We had to wait while Mika talked to some press, then

there were a few other people waiting, then he came

and spoke with us. For ages. Individually and as a

group. Took photos, signed

autographs, chatted and chatted, told us he actually

has a chest infection and that he really shouldn't have

performed, the doctor told him not to... You could

hear it when he spoke, he coughed now and then and

could tell something was going on. But despite that

he was as nice and patient and kind as could be.

mgpm showed him the miniscrapbook she had assembled

with all of our pages, and he looked at it in detail,

marveling over JackViolet's drawings (and they were

impressive, believe me!). And loved tootch's gift,

but I'll let her tell about that (she's driving back home

today -- hopefully she'll be online later to share!).

 

I had seen Martin dash out earlier, and I guess he

never came back -- I think I overheard someone

say he wasn't 100 percent well, either? And then

at one point when we were speaking with Mika,

I noticed Luke poke his head out from a side

room, but then he never reappeared again, to my

dismay Also Mika's mum and sister both passed

through and left while we were still chatting

with him. again. But I did have a nice few

minutes with Mikey and Cherisse -- and was surprised

to find that Cherisse really is shorter than I am! That's

a rare thing for me!

 

So eventually we dragged ourselves

away so that somebody else could have a chance.

 

*sigh*

 

It was great, just fantastic. I'm sure

there are things I've forgotten, so I'll be

anxious to read any other reports!

 

And I can't believe it's over...

 

dcdeb

--

Everybody's gonna love today, love today, love today

Everybody's gonna love today

Anyway you want to

Anyway you've got to

Love, love me

Love, love me

[violet_sky]

Thanks again, Jack! And you look really gorgeous in you funny dress

And how awesome are those drawings... Amazing!

[dcdeb]

Just a few pix... many of mine aren't so hot, unfortunately

[Blue Sky]

GREAT REPORTS, LOVE the DETAILS!!

 

You guys had such a great time, I am so happy for you all, and especially so glad to see you photos so I can put faces to names!

Interesting the Yasmine doesn't want her photo on the net, wonder if she realises it is already everywhere here???

 

And all the fuss around the Portofino picture and concealing the identity of the girl, and now we all know her by her first name!!! LOL!!

 

Looking forward to videos, more photos...and one question, where can we overseas girls get a flashing heart?

[robertina]

GREAT REPORTS, LOVE the DETAILS!!

 

You guys had such a great time, I am so happy for you all, and especially so glad to see you photos so I can put faces to names!

Interesting the Yasmine doesn't want her photo on the net, wonder if she realises it is already everywhere here???

 

And all the fuss around the Portofino picture and concealing the identity of the girl, and now we all know her by her first name!!! LOL!!

 

Looking forward to videos, more photos...and one question, where can we overseas girls get a flashing heart?

 

 

http://www.flashingblinkylights.com/Acrylic-Heart-Necklaces-SKU-NO-10558.htm

 

this is the usa site where tootch bought hers, and they ship abroad.

there is another site in the UK, but they ship only inland.

 

the flashing hearts are the same anyway!

[Blue Sky]

http://www.flashingblinkylights.com/Acrylic-Heart-Necklaces-SKU-NO-10558.htm

 

this is the usa site where tootch bought hers, and they ship abroad.

there is another site in the UK, but they ship only inland.

 

the flashing hearts are the same anyway!

 

You are a lifesaver Robertina, thanks. Now I can get ready for July 30th....a long way off I know!!

[Blue]

I love your great report Deb! And the pics!

 

You lucky bastards...

[violet_sky]

Thanks a lot, Deb!

[dcdeb]

This is awfully long again, sorry! Linda, Tootch, Deb, Shelby--it was really wonderful meeting all of you, and all you girls are awesome! Thanks to Linda and Tootch especially for everything you did for me. And I hope you can send me your photos, because mine didn't come out...

 

--Jack

 

Jack -- it was great to meet you and everyone else

as well! Sorry I didn't get to spend as much time talking with

everyone as I would have liked -- the whole night was a bit

surreal to me.

 

And Mika really did love your

drawings -- when he saw the Holy Johnny, he said, "you know, the thing is

that actually rather looks like me!" I'm not sure if you were there when he

said that

 

dcdeb

[Cassiopée]

Thanks so much for the details all ya lucky ones!

 

Jack: you're drawings are awsome! and your outfit too!