Kissing the Piano Man

Brunch with Becks is an ongoing weekend series where I wax poetic on tales from my life starting with the 9 Truths. Yes, I too can’t comprehend that all these odd occurrences have happened to me.

Billy Joel in Southampton, UK many years later.Yes, once upon a time I kissed Billy Joel. It was while he was on The Bridge tour in 1986 and I was a senior in high school.

But before I can tell you how that went down, you need to know the back story. It’s actually more odd and unbelievable than the actual kiss.

My brother and I were huge INXS fans and the previous summer we went with mutual friends to see them outside at Meadowbrook. One of those friends was Meredith. She was brave and beautiful and used to getting what she wanted.

Meredith decided that she was going to try and sneak backstage and I went along for the ride, not having any idea where it would lead. She found a path at the far side of the lawn and I followed her meekly. It wasn’t very secure and she actually found a way to get behind the stage.

We ended up in a little nook underneath the stage, giggling like schoolgirls and trying to figure out how to get near the band. Without getting in trouble, of course.

Our giggling attracted the attention and a man with a flashlight who found us huddled under the stage. We were busted! But remember, Meredith was beautiful and had a way about her. The man took pity on us.

The man was a VP at Brass Ring Productions. He led us to a deck off of the backstage and gave us a few warnings. He told us that the band would be coming off stage shortly and that we could mingle.

Sternly, he told us not to go any where near Michael Hutchence. The iconic lead singer was off limits. He said it over and over. We promised that we would behave; we would not approach Michael Hutchence.

The band came out onto the deck and there he was in all his glory: Michael Hutchence! Right freaking in front of us! All those stern warnings were left for dust. We ran towards him like the star-struck teens that we were. Security immediately pulled us off and we were sent on our merry way, happy in the fact that we touched the lead singer.

Later in the summer I went to see the Psychedelic Furs. Sitting on the lawn, I spotted the guy from Brass Ring. I ran up to him and asked if I could get backstage. He said no, that he would need advance notice to do that, but he did give me his card and told me to call him if I needed tickets for something.

Boom.

When the Billy Joel tour was announced I found the business card and made the call, asking for 4 tickets for the show at the Joe. And he said yes!

The tickets were pretty good, near the stage in the lower bowl. But… I saw all these people getting down to the main floor. Channeling the brazen spirit of Meredith, I grabbed one of my friends and off we went. People were bribing the ushers with various items to get on the floor. I didn’t have anything to offer and I didn’t possess the beauty and charm of Meredith.

A kerfuffle broke out and the usher went over to handle it. We took our chance and snuck down to the main floor. That just wasn’t going to be good enough, though.

During the concert all these women kept on running up on stage and I thought, “why not me?” I made my way to the front row, pretending that’s where I was suppose to be. I made it! But I still wanted more. I turned to the guys standing around me and said, “Lift me up.”

They did and my 5 seconds of fame had arrived. I was on the stage at a Billy Joel concert at Joe Louis Arena. I clumsily ran up to the Piano Man while he was singing and planted one on him. To be honest, I’m not sure if that kiss landed on his lips or cheek. All that I can confirm is that I kissed him. He didn't kiss back.

Security was upon me once again, pulling me by my elbows from behind; they took me to the side of the stage and pushed me off. Standing right there was Mr. Brass Ring Guy. Shaking his head with his arms folded, he looked at me and said, “never again.”

The next night Billy played a second show at the Joe. Friends who were there told me he was limping (it was reported that he sprained his ankle the night before, trying to avoid all the people jumping on stage) and that the front row was comprised of a wall of security.

I kept Mr. Brass Ring’s business card for years but I never called him again.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

The winner of the tickets for The Fires of Beltane is Cheryl Kohs (@kokopuff)! Have fun Cheryl and enjoy the show.

Weekend Roundup

1. Thunderdrome! - Dorais Velodrome in Detroit is the spot to be for raw racing! Mopeds, scooters, minibikes, fixed gear, bikes, go-karts and more will race around the banked track. April 30th.

2. Guernsey Farms Dairy Taste Fest - The family owned dairy in Northville opens it's doors and will be offering tastings of all of its products, including some new ones. April 30th.

3. The Fires of Beltane - Celebrate the rites of spring with the Detroit Fire Guild, the Detroit Fly House and live music. April 30th.

4. Detroit Wig Out 2011 - This one night party is a benefit for MOCAD. Grab a wig, sport a new look and listen to live music. April 30th. There is also a family-friendly version on May 1st.

5. Totally Awesome Fest - Three days of music, magic, fashion and pancakes in Ypsilanti. Activities for all ages. April 29-May1.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Stand tall and zoom around Detroit

Spring is here, hopefully for real this time, and that means it’s time for the Segway tours of Detroit to resume. Inside Detroit, a non-profit that promotes Detroit as a destination to live, work and play, has been offering Segway tours for almost two years now. (UPDATE: They are now known as D:hive Detroit.)

I had the pleasure of going on a pre-season tour yesterday and it was truly awesome. Previously, I’ve been on a walking Dive Bar Tour and a bus tour for Transformation Detroit with Inside Detroit. I’m so happy to have now added a third mode of transportation to my experience.

The tour guides are highly knowledgeable, offering little nuggets of information along the way. Since I’ve been on a few tours, I do know much of it but I always learn something new and my love of Detroit always swells to levels I didn’t know it could reach.

Zooming along the Riverwalk in the wind is an amazing feeling. Segways can reach 12.5 miles an hour and sometimes you feel like you’re going way too fast. But it’s so much fun that you don’t want to slow down!

We covered a lot of ground, from Campus Martius to Hart Plaza, the Riverwalk, Greektown, Harmonie Park/Paradise Valley, Ford Field and Comerica Park, Grand Circus Park and of course, Woodward Avenue. This is a whole new way to play in and learn about Detroit.

The guide pointed out major landmarks, historical buildings and favorite haunts on the ride. We even got off the Segways for a brief stop to take in the glorious banking hall of the Guardian Building.

Inside Detroit offers two Segway tours, the downtown tour and the Dequindre Cut tour, which also takes you through Eastern Market and Lafayette Park.

The tours resume this Saturday, April 30^th and to celebrate they are offering a $10 discount on the segway tours for this Saturday. Book now and you'll be zooming around Detroit in no time!

Win tickets to The Fires of Beltane

Last week I posted about the Detroit Fire Guild and their new show The Fires of Beltane. The show is this Saturday night at The Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac and promises to be an unforgettable evening of music, fire performance, circus arts and theatrics. Say goodbye to winter and embrace spring with this fantastical show that is sure to delight your senses.

Not only will the Detroit Fire Guild heat up the room but The Fires of Beltane also features acrobatics from the Detroit Fly House and live music from Bride Stripped Bare, OttO Vector and DJ Intercom.

It just so happens that I have one pair of tickets to give away for this hot event! How do you win? It’s simple, just post in the comments one song with “fire” in the title and the artist that performs it.

No purchase necessary to enter. The winner will be picked randomly from random.org. Only one entry per person. Contest ends at 11:59:59 EST on 4/27/11. The winner will be announced Thursday, April 28^th.

Photo credit: John Wiley of PhotasticImages

Lemonade Day Detroit will inspire young entrepreneurs

What was your first job as a child? For many, it was setting up their very own lemonade stand on their front lawn or sidewalk. Lemonade Day Detroit is taking that to a whole new level this year in a community-wide event in June.

The program started in Houston in 2007 and has now gone national with 28 cities participating this year. Lemonade Day Detroit will teach children how to start, own and operate their own business by opening a lemonade stand on June 12, 2011.

From stock control to profit margins to costomer service, the children will learn entrepreneurial skills they can use in the future.

We believe in Lemonade Day’s mission to arm our youth with the knowledge that they can do whatever they want, and be successful. At a time when we need to look for ways to show what this region is capable of, who better to inspire us than Metro Detroit’s littlest entrepreneurs? ~ Mike Fezzey, president of Huntington National Bank's East Michigan Region, the Lemonade Day Detroit’s presenting sponsor.

Besides business skills, the program will also teach the children the concept of “spend a little, save a little and share a little.” A portion of their profits will go to a charity of their choice and they will be encouraged to open a savings account with the profits.

They are hoping to have 15,000 children, from pre-kindergarten through high school seniors, participate throughout Oakland, Macomb and Wayne Counties.  Children can register and pick up their free Lemonade Day backpacks at Huntington Bank branches, Lemonade Day Detroit Community Partners and Art Van stores.

In addition, Art Van will be giving the children a chance to win a trip to Disney World. There will also be a contest for “The Most Successful Stand” and “The Best Stand.”

What can you do? It’s as simple as buying a glass of lemonade from one of the participating Lemonade Day Detroit stands in your community. I envision the streets lined with creative stands. And how can you say no to those cute faces? Let the lemonade tasting begin!

Photo credit: pink.polka