LTWT 2022 Part 1: The Line
- sheriosullivan
- Apr 9, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 15, 2022
You know that feeling you get when one of your bucket list dreams come true? I wanted to see Louis Tomlinson in person (Who? He was in One Direction. Oh, that Louis!). I bought a ticket to his show. It cost more than I’d ever spent to see an artist perform (when my daughter found out how much I spent, she sent me replacement money!).
I counted down the days, eager to grab my packed-to-the-brim backpack, call Lyft, and be transported to the back of the very long line to the front doors of the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA. It is 3/10/22 7:00 am, and tonight, Louis Tomlinson performs music from his first solo album, Walls. Welcome to my world. I am beyond excited.
It was my plan to wake up by 4:00 am so I could get to the theater by 6:00 am, so I could get as close to the stage as possible when the doors opened at 8:00 pm. I’m in General Admission (GA), affectionately referred to as “The Pit” where there are no seats, none, at all, no sitting anywhere. ♥#1 Yes, it was absurd to think I could stand for four hours.
I woke up at 4:00 am without any problem. It was the getting up and moving around that proved difficult. It’s like that when you’re 70 years old. I arrived at the Fox Theater and followed the line of fans against the building. It was 7:00 am and there were already 150+ people ahead of me.
A bearded man wearing shorts and a thin jacket was at the end of the line. There was a walkway between the building and a parking lot. The line continued on the other side of the walkway, so that’s where I took my spot.
Directly in front of me were two women, Roslyn and Cloe, who are freshmen at Chico State studying to become “fun and cool science teachers.” (Yay!) The bearded man noticed a couple of metal café chairs on the sidewalk, he grabbed one and put it in his place in line. I thought “brilliant” and grabbed the second chair. When the owner of the closed café arrived she offered anyone who needed a chair to help themselves to the many ones she had in her café. So sweet!
You cannot possibly understand, but I’ll try to help you understand, what it meant for me to get that chair. I hadn’t really given much thought to “how” I was going to stand in line. ♥#2 Yes, again, it was absurd to think I could stand for 12 hours. I’d packed a quillow (a quilt that folds into a pillow) in my backpack. However, when the reality of the situation hit me, that chair proved to be my saving grace. I know for certain I wouldn’t have made it to the actual concert if I’d had to sit on cold concrete for hours. I shot a prayer of gratitude to the universe, placed my quillow on the chair, and plopped down.
Somehow, I traveled back in time to August 29, 1966. I was 14 again, waiting in a long line of fans wearing more merchandize than a Fab 4 museum, singing, “Good Day Sunshine…” at the top of our voices. I was there to see the biggest band in the world – The Beatles – at Candlestick Park in SF. My best friend, Cathee Names, and her mother (who served as a chaperone, God bless her!) shared a picnic lunch, as we listened to music on our very small transistor radios. We were flush with all the joy, anxiety, and excitement barely contained by teenage girls on their first real adventure into the world of rock and roll. I blinked and returned to my place on 19th Street in Oakland.
I was soon joined by a young woman, Saya, on my left side. She had come alone, like me, and we quickly bonded. Saya works two jobs: at Starbucks and Jamba Juice, and she’s planning to attend community college. We talked about our families and how the dynamics in them had shaped who we were as people and especially as women. We agreed that the strong women in our lives had given us the strength to follow our dreams. Saya, in turn, befriended the girl next to her, Sophie, 16, and her mother, Lindsay, who love to bond by attending concerts together. These five amazing young women formed a group and included me in their experiences of the long day. We watched each other’s belongings, secured our places in line, and became friends.
In those early morning hours the unrelenting wind blew through my bones and shook me in chills. Even as I draped myself with the quilt, I may have let out a small groan or two. Roslyn and Cloe must have heard me because when they returned from a trip to their car they brought their red sleeping bag for me to put over my lap. All of these women were so compassionate and thoughtful throughout the day it made my heart twirl.
We were told at one point by staff we could use the skating rink around the block if we needed a bathroom. A couple of hours later we were advised the skating rink had changed their mind. This became an issue when my bladder began to yell at me; guess it was those three cups of coffee and a full water bottle. Lindsay and Sophie had already decided to find a bathroom, so I joined them. Our destination was a bathroom in a restaurant they’d heard about a few blocks from our spots.
We set out walking, passed a few places, but they were closed or only open for take-out. We finally reached the plaza in front of the offices for The City of Oakland where there were two porta-potties. The first: too disgusting to use. The second: we could stand it if we held our breath and used the brown paper towels. I was shocked the theater, or the city, hadn’t planned to provide facilities for the 2500+ fans, instead of placing the problem at the doors of other businesses in the area.
Along with fans of every age, gender, tattoos, and size, and some with every color of the rainbow in their hair, there was also a steady security guard detail to make sure there were no problems in the line. They were friendly and didn’t hesitate to answer any questions we had about the whole process. They even advised everyone to keep careful track of their phones as there were “people in this area who can grab your phone so quick it’s just a blur.”
The energy and positive attitudes of the fans were remarkable and completely understandable considering the artist they were there to see. One Direction created and fostered a safe, loving atmosphere for all their fans. Each member of 1D in their solo careers have maintained this safe place at their concerts. The young today don’t see color, they don’t see gender; they want to learn someone’s character, their heart. I think that’s why I was treated so well by everyone I encountered. They didn’t care how I old I was because I was there to see Louis Tomlinson!
Throughout the day a trio of young women took a variety of surveys of the people in line. Everything from what was their favorite Louis song to who had any 1D or Louis tattoos. I hope they post the results somewhere; I’d love to see the answers! Another young woman carried bags of snacks along the line – now stretching down the block, around the block and up two more blocks – offering bottles of water, chips, crackers, candy, and multicolored flags, depending on the fan’s desire, all free! Just another way Louis’ fans took care of each other.
It became apparent the bearded man was someone’s Dad through the tidbits of conversation we exchanged with him. We never learned his name or saw his cape. He was simply HeroDad, a man willing to stand in line for hours because his daughter couldn’t miss her math test. When she arrived in the late afternoon, she jumped into her Dad’s arms and told him at least 50 times how much she loved and appreciated him. It was a beautiful moment we all shared.
My son, daughter, and a friend called me several times during the day to check on me, which melted my heart. My son asked if I'd charged my phone, did I have enough water, etc., just like the Dad I never had. My daughter was concerned for my safety. I told them all I'd made friends and that seemed to ease their minds.
Across from the theater is the massive bronze Remember Them: Champions for Humanity Monument in the Kaiser Plaza park. I decided to check it out. As described on it’s website, “This inspiring larger than life bronze sculpture depicts 25 culturally diverse role models who have made significant contributions toward global peace, freedom and human rights over the past 150 years.” Along with the four giant pieces there are individual bronze sculptured heads with their most famous quote beneath them. Of course, there was Lincoln, Gandhi, Ruby Bridges, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr., but there was also Harvey Milk, Malcolm X, César Chávez, Helen Keller and Chief Joseph. Perhaps it was because I was drunk with positive energy, but I had a profound spiritual experience. If you haven’t seen this masterpiece, Do It.
At about 3:00 we were informed the theater would open the doors early at 7:00 pm. Moments later, while Lindsay and I were sitting and talking, Sophie jumped from her chair quick as a wink and ran down the walkway to the parking lot behind the theater. She had spotted the two infamous tour buses. Suddenly, groups of young women were running and gathering at each parking lot exit, screaming. Louis Tomlinson had arrived. Sophie was lucky enough to see him, talk to him briefly and capture it all on her phone. When she came back to us in line, she showed each one of us the video. I was so thrilled for her.
At 4:00 the line was condensed, which meant anyone with folding chairs, blankets, pillows, tents, etc. had to take their stuff back to their cars or hotel rooms. Roslyn and Cloe gathered all their belongings and left for their car. By the time they returned, the production staff was checking vaccination records and stamping a black smear on the back of our hands. Next came more staff to check our tickets and put specific colored bands around our wrists depending on the location of our seats; they also used this opportunity to put white bands on people 21 and older who might want to drink. I had no idea there was a bar in the venue.
While we waited for the doors to open, a rumor began to spread along the line. Louis had invited 21 VIPs to the show, and they would be admitted first. Speculation as to who these VIPs might be was rampant. It’s a shame management didn’t just say Louis’ guests were children with serious health issues from the “Make a Wish” foundation.
When the doors were finally opened, there was a surge in the line as people ran to the open thresholds and inside the theater. Immediately, I lost track of everyone due to the push of fans as we went through the metal detectors. Saya, Roslyn and Cloe had offered to save a place for me in the Pit, while I knew Sophie and Lindsay wanted to be as close as possible to the stage. At last, I was standing on the stairs leading to the Pit. My heart was pounding as I tried to catch my breath. This was really going to happen. I was going to see Louis Tomlinson perform in person!
Next: Part 2: The Concert.