Meet And Greet in Franklin

[playon81]

WARNING!!! THIS IS A NOVEL & I APOLOGIZE!!!

First of all, Franklin was a beautiful town. I fell in love with the ambiance & "Mayberry" feel. The Red Pony was an incredible bar for GREAT margaritas, wine, etc. The Breadbasket had incredible food! The bluegrass festival was incredible! Overall, a wonderful place!

Now, about the show:

Franklin Theatre was a beautiful room. GREAT acoustics!!! GREAT show, as always. Lindsey actually played "Rock Away Blind," from my (loud mouth) request! Sorry, Elle, the outro is still absent. I was psyched about getting to meet him again. However, it was very unorganized and rushed. This was my first "official" meet and greet.

I met him at other shows only by chance or luck. He signed my Rennaisance guitar & was extremely nice. Therefore, I feel those experiences were better and the "so-called" VIP ticket was a joke. The security guy was extremely rude, demanding I get what I want signed, basically so I could get the hell out of the way. He took my camera, stated it wasn't in the camera mode, it was recording.

So, I changed it for him and they stated that were going to have to move on. I basically begged like a bum, only to get a photo. Lindsey was rushed as well. However, I gave him my demo, stated how much he inspired my guitar playing over 15 years and once again begged, but only this time for Lindsey to actually care enough to listen. He was distracted, as if everything I said was redundant and too insignificant for him to acknowledge.

I am sure he has heard SO MANY people tell him the same thing at EVERY show. However, if he is going to put himself into a position specifically labeled as a MEET & GREET, then he should at least take the time or pretend to acknowledge the people that paid good money to see and praise him. So, in closing, it was an INCREDIBLE show. If anyone can be lucky enough to have the opportunity to see him perform, DO IT!!! But, if you want to pay MORE money and feel like a begging dog for a treat, then I would skip it.

Don't get me wrong, guys: I did not expect a 5-10 minute conversation, nor did I think he was going to say: "Hey, there's Ryan, the Youtube guy who jams these awesome covers!" He was nice, but rushed and distracted, as if he wanted to get out of there a.s.a.p.! Finally, at least I gave him a demo, although his entire staff has one. Hopefully, he will finally hear it...

[MrStevie]

Sorry, you also had a "rushed" experience, Ryan. There's no excuse for LB and his people to make fans feel like crap for meeting him. If it's too much of an imposition to give fans a few minutes of time (which you charged them for to boot) DON'T DO IT!

Why offer these meet and greets if you're going to come off like you'd rather not be there?

LB's no actor, but he could do a better imitation of someone who cares about fans that paid good money to meet him. My take is not popular, I know, but he was great to me when I met him, so I know it's in him. I didn't pay anything for the privilage either. I'm sure it helped we talked about somebody else's music, not his own. That had his interest, but you shouldn't have to hit the right button for him to be gracious. He was very gracious to me and I'm not half the fan some of you are, so.

[snicksfan85]

Originally Posted by playon81

Franklin Theatre was a beautiful room. GREAT acoustics!!! GREAT show, as always. Lindsey actually played "Rock Away Blind," from my (loud mouth) request!

And I was the enthusiastic, girly "YES!!!" behind you because, as I stated many times on Facebook and Twitter during the week, I would have been pissed had he not played it.

[Lindsfan]

Originally Posted by MrStevie

Sorry, you also had a "rushed" experience, Ryan. There's no excuse for LB and his people to make fans feel like crap for meeting him. If it's too much of an imposition to give fans a few minutes of time (which you charged them for to boot) DON'T DO IT!

Why offer these meet and greets if you're going to come off like you'd rather not be there?

LB's no actor, but he could do a better imitation of someone who cares about fans that paid good money to meet him. My take is not popular, I know, but he was great to me when I met him, so I know it's in him. I didn't pay anything for the privilage either. I'm sure it helped we talked about somebody else's music, not his own. That had his interest, but you shouldn't have to hit the right button for him to be gracious. He was very gracious to me and I'm not half the fan some of you are, so.

Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine?

I love how you just lurk around the Lindsey forum until someone says something bad about LB and then you can't pounce on it fast enough! Mayb - MAYBE - Lindsey was just having a bad night, or not feeling good, or his hands really were hurting, or maybe he just wasn't into it that night. It happens. Does it suck? Yes. But, it happens. No one is on all the time. We all have bad days. He is gracious to a fault on most nights. Night after night, after night. He's entitled a bad night. I'm sorry Ryan and Nancy didn't have the experiences they had hoped for - and I appreciate the class they have shown in relating those experiences without resorting to trash talk.

Seriously, the only time you jump in over here is when you see an opportunity to piss on our cornflakes. Good for you. You seem to really hate Lindsey. Wallow in it if you must, but do us (me, anyways) a favor and wallow somewhere else.

[elle]

Originally Posted by playon81

the people that paid good money to see and praise him.:

Originally Posted by MrStevie

(which you charged them for to boot)

i'm really sorry you didn't have experience that you were hoping for Ryan.

but the 2 quotes above are really completely unjustified. good money? charging to a boot? $100? (or $125) ? i'm sorry guys, people his caliber would charge an arm an a leg for just the cheese-smile pic, and he doesn't. at his M&G, he gives you personal time too and not just have the staff rush you through a pic and an autograph.

yes, some people may feel better about these then others. i went to 3 of these and each experience was different. i told Nancy how i felt after the first one, and it turned out i was completely wrong! but - he was EXTREMELY nice at all 3 of them, whether rushed or not.

so PLEASE stop posting crap like he should stop doing these b/c you don't like them... he didn't charge you $800 for them, so you lost nothing if you went and didn't get what you felt you deserve (and yes Ryan does deserve a bit more, but obviously, LB doesn't know it and you can't really blame him for it). if you didn't like it, well don't do it again. others will jump at the chance!

in my experience you get to really tell him 1 thing in the time you have allotted - so choose before the M&G what you REALLY want to say to him, b/c there's a good chance you won't have a chance to "hang out" at the M&G - that's not how it's structured, and i assume most M&Gs aren't, even for much more money.

[elle]

Originally Posted by playon81

If anyone can be lucky enough to have the opportunity to see him perform, DO IT!!! But, if you want to pay MORE money and feel like a begging dog for a treat, then I would skip it.

Nashville sounds like it was more rushed for whatever reason, and i'm really sorry you felt that way but again that was never in a million years how at least i felt, or all those other people gushing over how incredibly nice he was, many that i know personally and have seen their m&gs.

yes, i wanted more time. yes i had things i wanted to tell him that he obviously wasn't familiar with, and he didn't have to be - and i didn't have time to explain them. but begging? again, sorry for how you feel about the experience but please don't give other people wrong impression.

you get 1-2 mins, and if you want a photo and an autograph, that all that needs to fit in that timeframe. that's it, and you need to make of it the best you can - have your camera ready if you want a photo, and if you want to talk more, don't ask him to sign and personalize things for you.

[sodascouts]

Originally Posted by elle

so PLEASE stop posting crap like he should stop doing these b/c you don't like them... he didn't charge you $800 for them, so you lost nothing if you went and didn't get what you felt you deserve (and yes Ryan does deserve a bit more, but obviously, LB doesn't know it and you can't really blame him for it). if you didn't like it, well don't do it again. others will jump at the chance!

Originally Posted by elle

sorry for how you feel about the experience but please don't give other people wrong impression.

One can hardly fault Ryan for advising against buying meet'n'greet tickets when he's had a bad experience. It's no different than telling someone you don't recommend they go to a certain restaurant because you had bad service there. Maybe your friend went to that restaurant and had great service... but since you didn't, you're not going to recommend it.

I still recommend the meet'n'greets and I am grateful that Lindsey does them, but I respect Ryan's opinion and don't think he did anything wrong by expressing it.

Ryan, were you looking straight at Lindsey when you spoke to him? Lindsey seemed to be having trouble hearing what was said to him unless he was facing the person directly. Several of us noticed this, so it wasn't just me. It's possible he didn't hear you clearly. I'm not trying to make excuses for him - just putting that out there.

[elle]

Originally Posted by sodascouts

One can hardly fault Ryan for advising against buying meet'n'greet tickets when he's had a bad experience. It's no different than telling someone you don't recommend they go to a certain restaurant because you had bad service there.

that was not really directed [only] at Ryan. and i'm not sure generalizing from one experience is justified, however much i do understand needing to vent. you vented, but didn't tell everybody else "don't try to meet your idols, you will be disappointed".

[elle]

Originally Posted by MrStevie

he was great to me when I met him, so I know it's in him. I didn't pay anything for the privilage either. I'm sure it helped we talked about somebody else's music, not his own. That had his interest, but you shouldn't have to hit the right button for him to be gracious. He was very gracious to me and I'm not half the fan some of you are, so.

if he was so great to you, why are so so fast to jump on him when you hear some different opinion?

Originally Posted by Lindsfan

Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine?

I love how you just lurk around the Lindsey forum until someone says something bad about LB and then you can't pounce on it fast enough! Mayb - MAYBE - Lindsey was just having a bad night, or not feeling good, or his hands really were hurting, or maybe he just wasn't into it that night. It happens. Does it suck? Yes. But, it happens. No one is on all the time. We all have bad days. He is gracious to a fault on most nights. Night after night, after night. He's entitled a bad night. I'm sorry Ryan and Nancy didn't have the experiences they had hoped for - and I appreciate the class they have shown in relating those experiences without resorting to trash talk.

Seriously, the only time you jump in over here is when you see an opportunity to piss on our cornflakes. Good for you. You seem to really hate Lindsey. Wallow in it if you must, but do us (me, anyways) a favor and wallow somewhere else.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by elle

if he was so great to you, why are so so fast to jump on him when you hear some different opinion?

I'm sure he has his reasons.

I love Lindsey, but I'm not blind to the fact that he has a reputation for not always being the easiest guy in the world to get along with. I'm sure there have been times when people other than those he works with directly (including, but not limited to fans) have had negative experiences.

Sometimes it's hard to get a bad taste out of your mouth.

As for the Franklin meet & greet - it seemed to be a little doomed from the start and I'm not sure they should have done one there anyway. There was bound to be a lot of friends or music biz peeps that Lindsey needed to hang with and I'm sure he was anxious to see them. I hate it for the fans because I would have been upset if I had paid the money and had that experience. But, I would have gone into it mentally prepared for something like that to happen. Also, from what I understand, the venue was a new renovation so the staff may still be working out some kinks.

[elle]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

I love Lindsey, but I'm not blind to the fact that he has a reputation for not always being the easiest guy in the world to get along with. I'm sure there have been times when people other than those he works with directly (including, but not limited to fans) have had negative experiences.

Sometimes it's hard to get a bad taste out of your mouth.

i understand that, i really do - especially if it's something that affects one personally - but i still hate to see all the negativity that just seems to build into an avalanche so fast.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by elle

i understand that, i really do - especially if it's something that affects one personally - but i still hate to see all the negativity that just seems to build into an avalanche so fast.

I know you love him! And, it was just this one time, right? Hopefully, he'll be able to redeem himself to these fans in the future.

Unfortunately, you can't always please everybody. Even Mr. Wonderful!

[elle]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

As for the Franklin meet & greet - it seemed to be a little doomed from the start and I'm not sure they should have done one there anyway. There was bound to be a lot of friends or music biz peeps that Lindsey needed to hang with and I'm sure he was anxious to see them. I hate it for the fans because I would have been upset if I had paid the money and had that experience. But, I would have gone into it mentally prepared for something like that to happen. Also, from what I understand, the venue was a new renovation so the staff may still be working out some kinks.

i kept thinking that when reading all the posts from there too.

on the other hand, i think in Columbus he was catching a plane the same night, and looking from the side, m&g seemed to have been much more rushed than others i've seen, but it still seem to have been a great experience for people who were there. so i guess hard to tell.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by elle

i kept thinking that when reading all the posts from there too.

on the other hand, i think in Columbus he was catching a plane the same night, and looking from the side, m&g seemed to have been much more rushed than others i've seen, but it still seem to have been a great experience for people who were there. so i guess hard to tell.

Hmmm. Maybe it was just the added pressure though of wanting to be with his buddies. Getting on a plane is one thing, but getting to hang with friends you don't see often could have made it a little more irritating to him to do the m&g. Honestly, I was surprised he was doing them at all. I always heard he hated those things.

[snicksfan85]

Hey now. People shouldn't feel like they have to lie about their experiences or white-wash it to appease everyone. No need to chide people for sharing how they felt it went, good or bad.

The amount he charges really doesn't matter. He's offering an "extra" that involves meeting the general public and he's very aware at this point what that involves. If he doesn't really have the time or really isn't into it, he shouldn't offer it. At the same time, fans can't expect the world. But they should at least get his full attention for the minute or two that they have with him. That's not too much to ask. (Although, I do think the inability to hear people well plays into that, as I discussed with Nancy after the show.)

Nashville is a weird town anyway because everybody and their mom wants and expects passes. I was surprised it was even offered here for the audience. I think that was a bad call on management's part just because the amount of potential people he'd know that want a shake and howdy on top of those that pay for it.

And to be honest, these experiences weren't even really that negative. I could tell you horror stories about M&Gs, chance meetings, working with some people in the recording industry...