Quite possibly one of the best days of my life.
KISS 108 is Boston’s #1 hit radio station, and in being so,
we are expected to hold the largest events in town.
“KISS Concert 2011” was absolutely no exception.
It was 8:30 in the morning and we loaded into KISS 108’s sales van and started to make our way toward the Comcast Center.
I knew it would be a long day; a long morning of setting everything up, preparation for the artists and a long night of taking everything apart and loading it all back into the vans.
We made our way into the gates, and using VIP entrances and exits, our van was parked amidst David Guetta, Taio Cruz, Tinie Tempah, FloRida and The Far East Movement’s coach busses.
The expectations of the KISS crew were pretty much assumed: you professionally talk to any artist that you happen to talk to without asking for pictures, autographs, etc. We were expected to be helpful, kind and courteous to anyone we came across, because well, we were running the show.
After hours of hanging signs, popping up tents, unloading free swag for promotional tables and getting everything squared away with the I.T. department, we prepared for the artists to arrive at 1:30 p.m.
But the thrill of the day wasn’t in the preparation, as I initially thought it would be as I began to set up promotional tents.
It was no big deal when I was standing behind One Republic holding a Pepsi and they asked, “How are you? And why aren’t you drinking alcohol?”
I thought it was funny that they were genuinely interested in why my other hand wasn’t holding some type of liquor bottle.
I smiled and said, “I’m doing very well, thank you. And... I’m working.”
They continued to carry their instruments into the artist lounge and I made my way backstage to see what else there was to be done.
While being apart of KISS 108’s “Street Team” (the promotional team), you are required to perform tasks in whichever department you sign up to be in. For this occasion, Frankie and I decided to be in “Fan Photo”.
This meant that our All Access Pass would do wonders as we rallied up the crowd, took pictures of as many fans as we could and in the meantime, got to be up close and personal with some of the biggest name in today’s music industry.
There were a few artists that I jotted down as “must-sees”, and when it came time, I carried on my duties of Fan Photo Girl to the front of the stage. “All Access” really means ALL ACCESS- any where and every where I wanted to go, I went. The lip of the stage was technically my best friend through half of the night.
The Ready Set’s “Love Like Woah” was on my must-see list because I play that song on my morning radio show back home in Florida.
The Script’s “For The First Time” and “A Man Who Can’t Be Moved” were also on there for the simple fact that they are both awesome songs.
I had to see Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” because it peaked at number one on the U.S., Canada, Switzerland and U.K. charts.
Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” and “Dutty Love” were on my list and Tinie Tempah’s “Written In The Stars” and “Pass Out” were too.
I knew New Boyz’s “You’re a Jerk” would set the crowd off into screams.
One Republic’s “Apologize” and “Good Life” songs were on my list along with Jessie J’s hit “Price Tag” that sent her straight into the world of fame.
I could hardly believe that I was going to see David Guetta, so his whole set was pretty much at the top of my must-sees, as the same went for Mike Posner and FloRida.
As each artist went on and off the stage, they relaxed back stage in what we had prepared as “the artist lounge”.
Here, artists mingled with one another, talked to the KISS staff and were able to enjoy refreshments and each other's company for a brief time.
After I watched a few of my must-sees, grabbed some highly anticipated video footage from the orchestra pit and ran around to take fan photos, I was finally able to go backstage once again and wander around living pop culture on my own 5-minute downtime.
I walked into the KISS Trailer parked among the artist’s tour busses to recharge my camera and then walked back out into the parking lot to wait.
It was hot, but not too hot.
Artists were unloading form their busses and private cars and goofing off in the parking lot with each other. I propped myself up against the side of a banister and texted my partner in crime to see if he was able to score any more of the KISS cards that we hand out as we are snapping photos.
But instead of getting an immediate response from Frankie, an artist that looked semi-familiar was staring in my direction.
I could have sworn that he was looking past me, but as he walked up to me, I knew I was wrong.
“Hi. How are you?” he said in his English accent.
“I’m doing great. And yourself?” I said in response, carrying on a conversation with an ordinary person, just as myself.
About 5 minutes later, as he was called away by what seemed to be his manager, he extended his goodbye to a hug. “It was nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m on at 6. If you can make it, that would be cool.”
Immediately and obviously, I knew that he was a performer, but as many songs as I listen to on a day-to-day basis, I hardly ever get a good look at exactly what they look like.
“Sounds good, but you never introduced yourself,” I said to him.
“My name’s Eliza, like Doolittle.”
He smiled, showing off his cute, front-right chipped tooth.
“Oh, wow. My bad,” he said. “I’m Tinie. But I’ll see you soon I’m sure.”
And just like that, Tinie Tempah walked away, turning back a few times to smile at me and what, as it seemed like, to reassure me that he was a genuine person.
My mind went a mile a minute in the slowest way possible.
Fame and fortune is all in lights.
Half of it is amped-up energy.
The lifestyle of an artist is just as fast as anyone else's day, it’s just that theirs requires a lot of traveling, meetings and high-lifestyle attitude.
Nothing that I wouldn’t be able to handle, I thought.
I walked back into the KISS trailer, grabbed my camera and found Frankie.
I told him about my little run-in with Tinie Tempah and just as any other day, we carried on with our duties, running around the Comcast Center to snap hundreds of pictures of screaming, elated fans.
After about an hour of covering the Comcast Center’s grounds, we decided to go back, get something to drink and sit down for a few minutes.
Still on the hunt for extra KISS cards, we walked into the artist’s lounge in search for one of the KISS promotional managers.
But right away, before I could even make it to the KISS double-door headquarters, Tinie Tempah walked back up to me.
“Ms. Doolittle, could you help me find something?” he asked politely as gently rested his hand on my back.
“Sure. What are you looking for?” I asked back. I didn’t know where everything was, but I had a pretty good sense as to what was what, who was who and where things were by then.
“I’m looking for a bit of hot water,” he said.
His Cockney accent was so thick that I could barely hold back laughter.
After a minute tease, I pointed him in the direction of hot water, which was located not even 2 feet away from where we were standing.
I wouldn’t be able to accurately quote the rest of our conversation, but it was along the lines of “I’d like to see you again. Let me know when you’re available. May I have your number? When will I see you again?”
And it was just like that. Simply and plainly, we exchanged numbers and I told him that I would watch him perform, that I would be at the top right of the stage and for him to look for me.
He smiled, thanked me for promising to watch him perform and then I walked away.
Time passed by very quickly from then on.
Sean Kingston was on and off before I knew it, and even during his show, there I was, standing at the front right side of the stage.
When Tinie came on, I immediately started filming.
I knew he was a good performer.
I had heard many people talk about how great it was that one 22-year-old kid with a back-up DJ could get the crowd so amped up.
He began to rap, and as you can see on the video, runs directly to me, bends down to high-five me as I switch hands to record and then goes back to the middle of the stage to finish his song.
(uploading video ASAP)
The story behind why he high-fived me is better than the actual footage of him high-fiving me.
Regardless, it was just really cool to capture on video.
I met up with him, his DJ, his videographer and his photographer afterward for a quick chat before they were off to Rhode Island then then New York.
All of them were very down-to-earth, relaxed guys.
After inviting me out for a night in Manhattan, they left and later shot me a few texts within the next few following days to see if we were able to meet up.
But after Tinie Tempah and his crew left, I met Mike Caputo, a producer in Massachusetts who has previously worked with headlining names in the music industry.
I was set to meet up with Tinie the next day for I thought that I didn’t have plans.
Mike Caputo’s phone was plugged into an outlet behind the chair I was sitting at.
After he pardoned himself for reaching behind me, I sparked a conversation, asking him what his part in the whole ordeal was.
He told me that he was a producer, he had found LFO, Boys Like Girls and worked with JoJo on many of her previous songs. His part in the whole ordeal at the KISS Concert however was to represent a back-up dancer that was there by the name of “Kenzie” because he just had her signed to Interscope Records.
After socializing with Mr. Caputo for what felt like 30 seconds, I was able to tell him my dreams and aspirations, why I was there and what I wanted to do with me life.
“Whether it’s acting, dancing, singing or modeling, I’m your girl,” I said to him.
I was confident. I was real with him.
I handed him my business card as he looked at me sternly.
“There’s a dance audition tomorrow in Plymouth. You know where that is?” he asked.
I had no idea. That was my second day in Massachusetts ever.
The question was foreign to me.
“No idea, but you better believe I will be there,” I said with a smile.
“Great. I’ll text you the address,” he said back to me.
And after exchanging numbers with him, I made a new contact, found out where to go the following day and networked yet another situation.
New Boyz’s 19-year-old member, Ben J, asked me “What yo name is, giiirl?” like I would fall for it just because he was performing at something I was working at.
“Eliza,” I said back to him as I stretched out my hand, willing for a hand-shake.
“Eliza Jordan,” I said. “And usually when you meet someone, you look them in the eyes when you shake their hand,” I added because he was giving me the up-down with his half-opened lids.
“Damn. You sexy,” he said. “I’m Ben. From New Boyz.”
The conversation was short, sweet and to the point.
Ben was nice, but he really didn’t do himself any justice at that point, especially since the last song he performed was “You’re A Jerk”.
A little past 8:00 p.m., I was able to catch up with Far East Movement after their performance. They performed just as I thought they would: eclectically, professionally and tastefully.
And again as I expected, they were even nicer off stage.
I talked to their audio engineer for a good half hour.
We originally began the conversation because I was shivering and he asked me if I would like to wear his Red Sox hoodie.
I thanked him, but resisted.
We talked about how he went to Berkley, met Far East Movement as he was in California and has been producing much of their music ever since.
I gave him my business card as well and asked him to keep in touch.
I felt it a little odd to ask him for his number, so I gave him my card instead.
David Guetta got out of his bus only moments before Mike Posner did.
Artists from throughout the day were surrounding the two as they casually made their way into the artist’s lounge.
Both of them were so calm and collective, so polite and courteous.
Their attitudes really made me appreciate their music that much more (which is ridiculous because I LOVE their music as is).
David Guetta lit up the stage with his energy alone.
(uploading video ASAP)
On either side of him, he had men on stilts, armed as enormous lit-up robots with fog machine guns shooting the crowd.
Not only was his barricaded DJ booth glowing and sparking with lights, so were his synchronized robots.
Guetta put on an amazing act — an act that none other than one of the world’s best DJs could have put on.
I waited for Mike Posner to come out next. Pressed against the front of the stage, I got some of the best footage anyone could have possibly recorded.
“Cooler Than Me”, a song that Posner practically recorded and produced in his Duke University dorm room on his MacBook Pro, was an amazing sing-along for the crowd.
His confidence was appealing, not something that was too strong or overwhelming for the crowd. He acted a part in the crowd, eventually getting off the stage and into the orchestra pit himself.
Seeing an artist take to their “past life” like he did was a nice reality check that all of these artists are still just like us, live lives similar to ours and have been in our shoes.
After all of the artists were done performing, after all of the interviews were conducted, all of the pictures were taken, after everyone was fed and on their ways to different cities, our KISS crew took down all of the equipment and packed it into the separate vans.
On our way home, Frankie and I had a serious talk about life and what was to come of it within the next few years for the both of us.
I’ve known for quite some time now that the entertainment industry is where I’m bound to be. It’s a place that I want to call my home, an industry that I want to work in everyday and it is a passion that drives true day in and day out.
