Ashley Flotte’s Legal Blog

“You are stoked. These people are stoked. I am stoked. That is stoked to the third degree.” – Rivers

For those on the edge of their seats, rest assured that taking part in the Weezer Hootenanny (“the Hoot,” as it was called) is now without question in my proverbial ‘top 5’ best nights of all time.

I played the oboe on stage with a rock band I have adored for 14 years. I shook Rivers Cuomo’s hand. Brian Bell spoke to me. I saw Scott Shriner’s gold tooth up close. Um, I didn’t really see Pat Wilson, but I sensed his awesomeness.

The evening started out with a backstage rehearsal, during which an individual who was “with the band” in some capacity took us through the two songs we were to play, to ensure we could in fact competently play our instruments. Once we were nice and warmed up, guitarist/back-up vocalist Brian Bell entered. (!!). We again practiced “Island in the Sun” and “Beverly Hills” a couple of times, with Brian on guitar and vocals. At one point, he approached me and the two girls playing the flute next to me, asking the three of us to play a certain harmony during a certain section of “Island.” Brian, flute girls, and I proceeded to practice the segment as though we were the only ones in the room; everyone else just had to wait. All I could think was, I am playing my oboe for Brian Bell—how does this happen. And yes, I happen to have this glorious little nugget on video, courtesy of 94.5 The Buzz.

After the rehearsal, I got to catch only about 30 minutes of the show before having to again report back stage. While sad to miss a huge chunk of the concert, I did get to hear “Greatest Man” from the side of the stage as we were lining up for the encore. And the sacrifice was 100% “worth it.”

There really isn’t a way to describe the excitement of actually playing on stage with a band you have idolized since adolescence without sounding ridiculous, obsessive, and/or mildly inappropriate—so I will spare you. But… uh… IT WAS GREAT.

After our two songs, lead singer Rivers Cuomo went down the line of musicians and shook each player’s hand, thanking them for participating. I could see that everyone wanted to say something to him as he came by, but what can you say in 2 seconds? And it’s not as though he could hear us over the screaming crowd. Although I couldn’t hear him, I did read the lips of a guy playing a bongo drum; during his handshake, apparently all he could think of to say was “I love you.” I love it—right to the point.

So, thanks to The Buzz for collecting the 30 of us; thanks to Weezer for being geniuses; and thanks to the Smith & Garg and Blue Sand Design faces in the crowd who caught my debut!

Seriously, times are hard. The economy is rough, we’re in a financial “crisis,” and we’re all in some way under personal stress. Good times like this are PRICELESS. And to all the band nerds of the world–watch out—those years of awkwardly playing pop songs on symphonic instruments might pay off!