My Crazy Quest to Meet Steven Tyler--Revealed for the First Time Ever!
I seriously cannot believe this photo--circa 1998 by the way--is real.
We got to the arena hours before the show started and somehow my friend found the guitar tech that reached out to him. It was a blur but before I knew what was going on, the guitar tech asked if we wanted to watch sound check. The next thing I knew, I was staring at an empty stage with Steven Tyler's infamous mike stand and those iconic scarves inches from my face. The guitar tech said as long as we didn't go crazy—or touch the scarves—that we could stay. I was only 20-years-old and in shock that this moment had manifested itself. It didn't occur to me why the tech was so concerned about how we were going to behave until Steven Tyler himself stepped out on stage. I froze. I was in pure shock and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating. He was so close that I could almost touch him. I wish I could tell you what he sang and I wish I could tell you what was going through my mind but every part of my body including my brain just shut down. Steven, ever the perfectionist, sang a few songs, made some notes, requested some changes, jumped off the stage and started walking right towards me. I thought we just happened to be standing in his path and at the very least he would smile and brush past us. But no, he stopped right in front of me.
O.M.G. I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even open my eyes for this photo!
"Hi, I'm Steven," he said and extended his hand. I honestly felt like I was having an out of body experience. "I saw you guys watching, what did you think? Anything we should add to tonight's set?" And then it happened. I vomited. No, not that kind, I vomited up a mish mash of words and feelings and tried to make them coherent as I told Steven that he should sing whatever he was in the mood to belt out and that he was my creative inspiration (whatever that means!) and I had never connected with music the way I did with his and I was so honored to meet him. I should mention, it was never guaranteed that this impromptu road trip was going to result in a meeting with Steven or any members of the band. But I decided that just in case, I should come prepared. And so, I brought Steven a few gifts (sigh, I know, I was a little over the top) and presented them to him after my word vomit episode ended. What do you give your idol? I heard he collected crystals (to this day I don't know if that is actually true) so I bought him a few "positive energy" ones at a local new age shop and gave him a book I loved about creativity and following your passion called The Artist's Way. He flipped through the book like it was the most important and special book he had ever seen and hung the crystals around his neck. He looked me deep in the eyes and said "Thank you, Lauren" with such gratitude that it almost brought a tear to my eye. I'm mortified thinking back that I actually gave him gifts but here is the moment to prove it!
