Vegas, Baby!

Elevator door at the
Hard Rock Hotel in
Las Vegas, NV

Previously:  I got to Vegas on my birthday and began to explore the hotel. Without the meet and greet package, I knew I wouldn't see any of the band members except onstage.  But really, I told myself I would be happy to share the same building with them for a couple of hours.

My body told me it was past time to have supper, and having had only a salad for lunch, albeit a very nice salad, at Chicago Midway, I was hungry.  The map of the hotel was fairly useless to anyone over forty, as the names of things were printed in teeny-tiny letters and I probably should, but don't carry a magnifying glass around with me as a general rule.

And, I wanted to find the box office right away to pick up my ticket.  How exciting!  My first Def Leppard concert--ever.  I wanted to physically hold the ticket.  On the elevator down, I figured out the "casino" floor was the first floor and, surprisingly, I didn't get too lost, too often.

But man, I could not find that box office.  And you know me, I asked for directions.  Like, twice.  Jimmy Buffett would've said, "It plum evaded me."

I did, however, find the Hard Rock Store and saw they had some of Claire Jane Vranian's shirts, as worn by Joe Elliott onstage.  Check out her website, www.ICJUK.com or on Zappos at http://www.zappos.com/inspired-by-claire-jane.  They also had some of her incredible feathered rock and roll handbags.  I looked around but I left empty-handed 'cause I needed to eat.

Right next to the store is a restaurant/bar called "Culinary Dropout" (www.hardrockhotel.com/las-vegas.../culinary-dropout ) and it looked like a fun place, even at the early Las Vegas hour.  I went in and sat at the bar.  I ordered a glass of wine and hoped to strike up a conversation with someone other than the bartenders.  Not that they weren't a lot of fun, 'cause they were, but you know.  They get busy.

Presently, I noticed a woman who I thought was sitting alone and sort of kept my eye on her, in what I hope was not a creepy way.  Hahaha!!  (I'm cracking myself up, as I have everyone else to whom I've told this.)  Really, I just wanted to see if a companion showed up to join her.  None did, and when she ordered another glass of wine, I got up to see if we might hit it off.

I had been sitting beside a large square, cement-like column, of sorts, so I had an obstructed view of the long table behind it.  When I walked around the column, I got the shock of a lifetime.  In one of those seats obstructed from my view was Rick Savage, bass player extraordinaire of Def Leppard!  He was having a conversation and a pint with another guy.  Afterwards, I had the thought that this other man was someone important to the tour, but at the time, I was basically unconscious, so he'll have to forgive me.



Rick Savage, bass player
extraordinaire for
Def Leppard

Honestly, I hope I didn't gasp and drop my jaw, but I can't swear to it.  I had on my Hysteria pick necklace and just dropped by their table quickly to point it out.  I can't even believe I did that!

"See what I'm wearing?" I asked Sav.

It took him a couple seconds, but then he recognized it and smiled.  Fortunately my feet and legs held me up. 

"Are you coming to the show tomorrow?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah.  That's what I'm here for," I answered.

"Fantastic," he said.

Stay with me,
there's more

 

Mary O, Vegas Virgin

Ded Flatbird, Def Leppard's
"opening" band in Las Vegas
2013

Man, what a trip!  I can't even believe I went to Las Vegas by myself.  I literally, (yes, Sheldon, literally) lost sleep trying to decide whether to go or not.  I had tons of encouragement, but it was my brother, Jim Ogden, who decided it for me.  He said, "If you don't go, you'll regret it."  And I knew it was true.

Here's the story.

When the announcement came out last November that Def Leppard would be doing a residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, I was so excited!  Excited until I realized I didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of attending.  Not only had I never been to Las Vegas, I had never been to a Def Leppard concert in thirty years of fandom.  They were in Charlotte in June (? I think) of 2012, but we were sort of indisposed during that time, and I couldn't even think of going.

Oh, and then the excitement began to build within the Lepp Nation online.  The mania of Viva Hysteria hit Facebook, Rock Brigade Fan Forum, plus the myriad of other Lepp pages.

I became more and more melancholy with each new posting of someone getting their tickets.  It seemed as if no one was getting a regular ticket.  It seemed like they were all able to afford $750.00 per ticket for the "meet and greet" with the band.  Or, they could afford one M&G plus several other regular tickets for multiple nights.  WTH?

Color me sad.  And the more I talked about it, the less likely it seemed that I would get a chance to go.  Christmas came and went.  No tickets in my stocking. 

The new year began the online countdown to March 22nd, the date of the first show.  Color me depressed.  As the date approached, as well as my birthday, the more despondant I became.

Hubs noticed.

And finally I brought it to him.  Keep in mind, this was after I had repeatedly told him "I didn't expect to go."  I mean, airfare from Charleston, hotel, ticket--even a regular one--not to mention merchandise, of which, if I got to go, I planned on purchasing a LOT--would probably run upwards of $1000-$1200--in the middle of the "sequester" scare.  So I hadn't seen any possibility.  However, we talked about it and it came to pass. 

Wha-a-a-a-t?!  Hubs would not get to come with me because of work, but he wanted to see me happy, so I started planning.  Yes, I know I have a great husband.

My review of the concert, beyond the adjectives "awesome," fantastic" and "loved it!" will be in a separate blog.  You guys know I rock hard, right?  Just checking.

So I gathered my courage over travelling alone to a place I'd never been--a BIG obstacle--and arrived in Sin City and the Hard Rock Hotel, on my birthday about four o'clock.  The excitement had worn me out somewhat, but I was pretty wound up.  I called home to let Hubs know I'd made it and then put on my exploring shoes, so to speak.

Stay tuned