I can pinpoint the exact moment that I developed a serious girl-crush on Lady Gaga. My sister was obsessed with her first single, “Just Dance,” and as I recall, my brother didn't completely hate the song. We played it, on a loop, the entire way to our family Thanksgiving and had a sweet dance party in the car. As Gaga came out with more songs, it became a major form of entertainment to watch my sister freak out every time one of her singles played. Then I saw the video for “Telephone” – the costumes, choreography, sets, lighting, make-up; my mind was blown. From performances to interviews, Lady Gaga radiates a persona that is nothing short of enthralling.
While working in Wickenburg, AZ, I met a fellow little monster. Though the work environment was trying at times, we escaped by playing dress-up and listening to Lady Gaga. We'd spend hours applying our make-up, throw on some fishnets, and drink boxed wine in my room all night. The day we found out that Gaga was going to be in Phoenix we bought our tickets without clearing it with our boss. Without a doubt, we were going to that concert. After months of dress rehearsals, we arrived at the Monster's Ball in true monster style: sans pants. The concert took us on a journey as Gaga not only played a flaming piano but melted faces with a high-heel guitar solo. Caught up in the moment, we were catapulted out of Arizona to Planet Gaga. I figured that nothing could top the concert and filed it in my mind under “unforgettable.” There was no way any other Lady Gaga experience could top seeing Mother Monster in concert. Then again, life always has something unexpected up it's sleeve.
Every year, the fishing lodge I work for hosts several “big-deal” businessmen. For a few days, the entire staff does everything in their power to make sure our special guests have everything they could possibly want. When the Gould party arrives, we don't say no; we find a way to get them whatever they want. After a particularly stressful day, Lara (my roommate) Facebooked me to come down to the office, informing me there was a surprise awaiting me that was too good to miss. After a short debate (via Facebook chat), I grudgingly headed down the boardwalk to see what she wanted. I entered the office and was greeted by George Kalinsky (the official photographer for both Madison Square Garden and the New York Mets) and Paul Gould (Managing Director of Allen and Company, LLC) presenting me with an original Kalinsky print of Lady Gaga live at Madison Square Garden. I thought they were just showing me the picture at first, but slowly, I realized George was actually giving me the portrait.
As it turns out, Lara had been eavesdropping on their conversation and when she heard them bring up Lady Gaga, mentioned that I was a huge fan. The portrait had already been given away to Sandy Climan (president of Entertainment Media Ventures – the guys who brought you Iron Man), but he was kind enough to give up his photograph so that I could have it. When they handed me the picture, I was so blown away that I incapable of forming sentences. I muttered a stunned “thank you,” as I fought back tears and the urge to hug both guests. The look on my face must have been priceless because Paul and George had ear-to-ear grins on their faces as I struggled to come up with something to say besides “wow.”
Weeks later, I'm still flabbergasted and tend to pull out the photograph just to make sure it's real. Seasonal professionals work long hours and put aspects of their real lives on hold for months at a time to live on location. The main payoff doesn't show up in our paychecks; it lies in the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that occur with every season. In my case, the seasons biggest payoff came in the shape of an amazing photograph of a pop icon taken by a world renowned photographer. Sometimes, I guess you just get lucky.
No comments:
Post a Comment