My Summer of Billy Squier 2009

A brief journal, including photos, of my travels following my favorite rocker, Billy Squier, on tour summer of 2009.

The First Time...

I clearly remember the first time I heard the music of Billy Squier. I was at a party at an apartment of a boy named Jimmy Elmer. A typical weekend party at Jimmy Elmer's consisted of beer, illicit drugs, and extremely loud music. Jimmy had the best stereo system of the time, which consisted of two turntables, double cassette tape-players, and two huge five-foot speakers that blasted the works of AC/DC, Van Halen, Def Leppard, and The Talking Heads to name a few. Often, the music was turned to a level so deafening that the only form of communication was to read the lips of others through the smoke filled room.

This seemed like a nuisance and forced solitude to me; after all, this was a party, a gathering place to drink, talk, laugh, and socialize. But, after the very first time Jimmy played Billy Squier’s Emotions in Motion album, the volume and the solitude didn’t bother me in the least. I recall the beat blasting out of those giant speakers on the first track “Everybody Wants You.” I remember instantly thinking that the resonance of the singer was different, sexier, and sweeter than the previous artists heard coming from the massive sound system. I felt the soul soothing rhythms stir in my chest with the second song “Emotions in Motion.” The lyrics within the third song “Learn How to Live,” replicated the feelings I, as a teenager, felt but couldn’t express. The timbre and quality of the music was far different from anyone I had ever heard.

Looking around the room, I searched the faces of others wondering if anyone else was hearing what I felt. The taps of feet and the bobbing of heads from males and females alike gave credence to my new discovery. Yes, others felt the difference too. However, I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough. I had to hear Billy at every party Jimmy threw. I longed for information regarding Billy, so I bought every rock magazine I could afford in hopes of discovering any written word about him. I sat for hours watching MTV every Saturday desperately hoping to catch a glimpse. I dreamt for years of meeting him. I attended every concert he performed in my area. But, I never had the opportunity to meet him. That was then. This is now.

After twenty-six years of dreaming about meeting the extraordinary singer, song writer, guitar player, my dreams have come true—not just once, but in fact several times over. This blog contains a brief glimpse into my travels during the summer of 2009 while following my favorite rocker the one and only--Billy Squier.

10/7/09

Billy in Traverse City, MI July 7, 2009






Traverse City Michigan was by far my favorite trip even though
I took this adventure solo. I flew into beautiful Traverse City
and stayed at the Holiday Inn located just a few blocks from the
Cherry Festival. During the afternoon I walked around the Festival
and later walked back to the Festival to catch the show. At the concert
I was in awe of my surroundings. I even wrote a short free-flow poem
about the experience, which I included in a multi-genre writing project for a class
that I took this summer:

Heaven
A serene Traverse City sky dances with yellow and pink
the sun sets on the water of Lake Michigan bay
fluorescent hues blend with the deepening blue
high in the air, on stage, cradling his guitar, stands Billy Squier
belting out his famous “Rock me Tonight.”
His voice powerful, sweet, and sexy.
In a crowd of hundreds, emotion pours over me.
I revel in the beauty of the scenery to my left and to my right.
I praise God for both.
Mark Clarke sees me in the crowd. He motions me back stage.
I accept.
I’m in heaven.

During the packed outdoor concert, Mark Clarke spotted me in the crowd
and motioned for me to go backstage. Finding Billy's tour manager, Mike, I
explained to him that Mark Clarke invited me backstage, so Mike walked me
through the gates.

Going behind the gated area of the outdoor venue I felt slightly strange. After all,
I had no relationship to the group, so I felt very self conscious. Walking behind the
trailers and equipment, Alan St. Jon spotted me and immediately greeted me warmly.
Marc Copely and his lovely wife, Kirsten, also said hello.

A few moments later, Alan invited me inside Billy's trailer and offered me a glass of
wine. Sometime thereafter, Billy appeared and chatted with me briefly. I felt like
an incredible intrusion, but Alan made me feel very welcome.

Traverse City was beautiful, Billy and the band played incredibly, and the weather
was perfect during the evening concert. Walking back to the hotel late that evening,
I was on cloud nine. I was overwhelmed with joy at the gracious acceptance by
Mark and Alan. But most of all, I couldn't believe my good fortune of sitting casually
near Billy, each of us on a brown wooden folding chair, talking, and drinking red wine out
of plastic cups. I was no one in particular—just one of the gang—just a fan—just hanging
with my idol.
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About Me

I've been an avid fan of Billy Squier since the very first moment I heard him sing on his Emotions in Motions album. Over the past few decades my love for his music has never faltered. Since my early twenties I have dreamt of following him to as many concerts as possible, but I never had the chance until now. First, back in the 80's it wasn't exactly easy to find out when and where a band would be playing. One was pretty much at the mercy of radio spots to disclose concert information and even then it was only announced for the local area. Then Billy took a very long hiatus leaving his fans with brief glimpses of him until he jumped on the road with Ringo. Alas, by the turn of the century I was old enough and financially secure enough to follow him to a few shows with Ringo. Fortunately for me, he loved performing so much that he decided to tour on his own. Finally, my dream of following Billy around the country and actually meeting him has come to pass. Thanks to the Internet, I am able to find up to the minute tour dates and city information in order to plan my route. It has been one fabulous summer for me as I follow my dream. I wish others the same opportunity and good fortune.