QotD: Brush with Celebrity

David Cross.

It was after his infamous show at the Exit/In in Nashville. That show was off the hook, and I don't throw that phrase around lightly. It was sold out, jam packed, and David Cross was ragging on the owner for insisting there be tables in the joint so he could serve sandwiches. It was brutal. The comedy itself was just ridiculous. I have never, ever laughed so hard, ever. I remember him saying, "I knew Nashville would kick ass."

His show lasted well over two hours. He'd go take a pee break or go get another beer and just hand over the microphone to some girl in the audience while he did his business. One girl tries to heckle him, but he shut her down so hard. She was hating on New York City. The result was not pretty.

So it was really intimate and awesome and after the show was over he just plopped down on the edge of the stage. He was ready to meet and greet. So everybody lined on up, except for me, I cut line. (I was drunk on SQUAGELS!) He noted as much once I made it up there to say hello.

"You totally cut line, I saw you." I confessed, but assured him it wasn't so much cutting as saying hi to an old friend from high school who happened to be a bit farther up. That old friend from high school was an enormous David Cross fan and had brought an old video tape of Maynard from Tool doing something ridiculous in his pre-Tool days. (Maynard and David are friends.) He had stuff for him to sign and a camera. I did not bring a camera. I asked old high school friend to take a photo, and he did, but then I never saw him again. He promised to send it to me.

So, somewhere out there exists a picture of me cheesing it up with David Cross, my arm wrapped around him. I would love to see it.

P.S. I heard he spent that night alone drinking PBR at Springwater and playing an arcade game. Bummer, I just went home.

[I have also met Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips and Mary Lynn Rajskub of '24'.]