Ode to Mark

This is Mark.

Such a huge weekend lets just take this one entry at a time. Plus 44, this past Friday night, one of the best of my life. It was amazing. The whole thing was amazing. I had picked up Cris from the ATL airport, had my big group with me, stopped off for a little Quizno’s action before the show, and then headed to the Coca-Cola Roxy venue. We searched around for a little while and then all at once we finally found it, it is such a cool looking theater as it is all lit up in the front kinda old timey looking. On the marquee it read + 44 TONIGHT! There was a HUGE line waiting for the doors to open that wrapped all around the building. I was so excited I could barley hold it in. Pictures and flyers of plus 44 were stuck everywhere.

I knew that night would be something to remember. I got anxious waiting in line, so I went ahead and went with Church Mouse around front to will call to get our tickets. Afterwards I said, charity come with me for a few min. I just want to see something. We wandered back to this back alleyway and kept looking and all at once we saw the tour buses parked. There were about 2 or 3 other kids just standing out there and I asked them if this was their bus or not, about that time my eyes made contact with the side window and in there I just saw Mark Hoppus just hanging out. I mean I couldn’t believe my eyes….. much less speak. Charity knew she needed to run go get Cristin, so off she took into the night and came back within just a few min with Cristin and Travis. By the time they had gotten back they had closed the blinds on the tour bus and we could no longer look in. I knew mark was in that thing though, no doubt in my mind. So for the next 2 hours I sat and waited. We all sat and waited. There were giant body guards everywhere so we had to keep our distance. Finally, the bus door opened and someone stepped out. It was Shane. One of the new non-blink members of Plus 44. I was so pumped. (the one with the shaved head in the pic!) We talked to him for a little bit and me and cristin got our picture taken with him!! Thanks to my wonderful and awesome sister Charity! It was so exciting!! He was describing travis’ drumming situation. Travis had broken his arm about 5 weeks ago and he had learned how to play the entire tour 1 armed!! He was describing how his right foot was rigged to a snare drum to produce a beat by petal and his left leg was playing the base. While his left arm played the rest od drums and symbols. It was madness!! He truly is the best drummer in the world. Anyone who knows anything about music knows this. Anyway he said he was back in the hotel and had not gotten there yet. He was so nice! Then Shane finished his cigarette and went back inside. The opening band The Matches had already started playing their set inside but I just didn’t care, I just wanted to wait outside until Mark was called from his bus to begin warm ups. Finally the time had come and the body guards made us go on the opposite side of the alley so they could come out. Mark with cooler hair than ever hopped out of the bus, threw up his hand and said ‘WELL HEY!’ I just couldn’t believe it. I was standing there and Mark Hoppus just said hey to me!?!?! I froze I couldn’t speak. What words could I say??? We started walking with him to the door of the venue and he started to come over to us but the body guard said he needed to hurry up and get inside. I was just like "dude holy crap I love you man!" He just kept walking and was laughing and said “Thanks man thanks! Cool…. listen I promise I can’t right now, but meet me back here after the show is over and I’ll meet you and sign whatever you want!" Then in the doors he went. Cristin me charity and travis were all so pumped and jumping up and down we just couldn’t believe it!! This guy who has gone multi-platinum, played in front of millions of fans before, in the biggest pop-punk band in the world, and I just got so close to him and actually had a conversation with. My most favorite famous person ever!!! (Yes I sound like a groupie, and I’m proud to say that I am one!) The concert was amazing!! Truly amazing!! We were just feet from the band the whole time. Travis Barker was ridiculous as always and was just so cool. Everything rocked. They played all songs on the new album including one bonus song called Christmas Vacation which is a cover by the decedents. It rocked!! Words can’t explain. Everyone just had a blast. After the show ended we all went out back around their bus along with at least 300 to 350 fans! The place was swamped! It was insane and I was so disappointed that I wanted to cry. Everyone was all over the place and after about 30 min had passed, Mark stepped out back to say hey to everyone, and everyone just freaked out!! He had body guards all around him and he was in the center and people were giving him things to sign. I couldn’t move. I just enjoyed sitting there and watching him so much. I was in my own little world. Cristin looked at me and said “WALT THIS IS YOUR DREAM AND YOUR GOING TO BLOW IT!!” with those words screamed in my ear, she grabbed the ticket stubs out of my hand and made her way up through the crowd getting pushed around and thrown around until she finally got within screaming distance of him. I followed behind her, kind of protecting her and shoving on everyone to get her through there. She said, “Mark you promised us!!” and he goes “WHAT?! I PROMISED!? DID I!?” and he reached through and took the ticket stubs out of her hand and give us 2 autographs. Cristin tried to explain that I was his biggest fan and please take a picture with me, but he just said that theres no way he could do that in all the madness, but that he wanted to…but people were going psycho!! It got so out of hand that with those words he was guided back inside the venue building and gone forever. He went around to the side door and jumped in a van that took him away!! It was crazy!! He was the only one out of the band that stuck his head out to sign a few autographs and say hey, only because he had promised us before the show!! Crazy huh?!? Bottom line, Cristin is the coolest girl in the world and it things like this why I love her so much, because she shares my loves and is such a trooper. I love her so much. Charity is awesome, and it was so cool to have her right there beside us experiencing the whole thing. She was freaking out and screaming louder than anyone, and was ready with camera in hand to take a picture. And Mark Hoppus is the greatest! Pictures soon to come!! FYI : Plus+44’s new album when your heart stops beating hit stores today! Go out and buy it!!!