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Top ten fandom moments, you say?
We'll do this chronologically.
1. The Empire Strikes Back theatrical rerelease, February 1997 - A packed theater and me completely new to it all. I'd never seen the films before the theatrical rereleases and knew nothing of the plots other than the inevitable pop culture touchstone, "Luke, I am your father." Anyway, what I specifically remember from this is Darth Vader’s entrance on Cloud City - the music, the buildup, the magnitude of Lando's betrayal and the utter ruthless evil of that man all converged in that moment. It felt like being suckerpunched in the gut, and I did actually gasp and ache from the phantom pain of it. I don't ever remember reacting that strongly to a character before or since. Oh, and it's my favorite of the movies, too, and I don't see that changing.
2. The X-Files Expo, April 1998 - A fangirl's dream come true. I remember it was held in an old hangar and everything, hordes of people lined up and I barely convinced my parents to let me go (since I'd be alone). I remember having seat #1013 for the Q&As, seeing the theatrical trailers for the movie for the first time, having my picture taken in the mockup of Mulder's office, shaking hands with Frank Spotnitz, the surreality of talking to Mitch Pileggi and William B. Davis (I actually think it would've helped if he'd been wearing a Hawaiian shirt and not a suit - it was like talking to a genuinely smiling Cigarette Smoking Man, which is just weird, yo) and the total sweetness of Nick Lea. Yeah, good times.
3. My hard, fast descent into Smallville (and slash), the week of April 22, 2002 - It began with my randomly turning on the TV while doing homework Monday night to a random rerun and sort of pseudo-watching it. Then I caught an interview with Michael Rosenbaum on Tuesday, Nicodemus on Wednesday (and how *that* episode made me a fan I'll never know), found TWoP on Thursday, saw Sorority Boys its opening night Friday, found the slash archive on Saturday, and it was just.that.fast. Miranda and I still marvel at the intensity and speed with which we fell into that fandom. Final papers almost didn't get written, but then, wouldn't you rather be reading Te and Jenn, too?
4. Meeting Michael Rosenbaum at WizardWorld, July 2002 - I booked that flight less than a week in advance, not knowing anyone going to the convention (much less actually ever having been to one) or ever having been to Chicago at all. But I had it so bad for the boy, I couldn't resist for $136 round-trip. And wow, was that a great day. This was before the show was huge so the fans were pretty cool and all of them dedicated, so it was a smallish, fun crowd, and we all got a chance to chat with Michael once we were up to the table. He complimented my Photoshopped screencaps that I had him sign and we chatted about the virtues of driving fast cars and our respective writing aspirations and other stuff and while I liked him before, I was seriously overwhelmed by his natural charisma (I watched him interact with weeping teenagers, five-year-old boys, and grandparents with equal grace). He's this warm, goofy, talented kid and I wish him nothing but the best. Definitely my most satisfying encounter with a celebrity so far.
5. Challenge for the Children IV, July 2002 - My, unbeknownst to me, first foray to the sparkly side. Lured by the promise of good friends, I wasn't told it was an *NSYNC event until my arrival in Orlando. But really, the protest was mostly a token knee-jerk reaction as a result of a conditioned aversion to anything pop culture, and it wasn't long (less than 24 hours) before I was waving around boxer shorts and clutching my bosom in Lance's name. What a fantastic time, meeting Nia and Sheila and Lise and Al and many others and getting to watch the boys be as endearing as humanly tolerable by doing nothing more than playing a little basketball. I remember getting consistently three to four hours of sleep a night because of sneaking my laptop into the bathroom to read fic, watching The Reel *NSYNC, subsisting on mostly chocolate caramel cups and Pixie Stix and the tentative beginnings of love for the boys and this fandom.
6. Joey in RENT, October 2002 - My first trip to New York, too. We were there for all of two and a half days which mostly consisted of gawking at Times Square and seeing the show three times (though we'd only planned once). I didn't know the show but I'd always wanted to see one on Broadway, and Joey! and remember being cold but excited just being there, not to mention meeting yet more people including Diana and Te and singing Once More, With Feeling selections in the subway. The first night we actually had tickets for, but my name was the very first one they called for the lottery so Schiz and I had close-enough-to-touch (or at least get sweated on) seats. Loved the show, and Joey, well, he floored me completely. Between him and the city, it was enough to lure me back during finals week that December.
7. Justin at the National Car Rental Center, July 2003 -![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
isilya and I had floor seals (yes, seals - *g*) for the event, and I couldn't have asked for more enthusiastic company for my first concert event in the fandom. I'd read others' accounts of the show, but no one can adequately capture what was in that room, the way Justin had everyone at his slightest beck, the revamped Rock Your Body I love so much, hearing Gone live (I'm one of those who considered it a shoutout/tribute,) the creepiness of Cry Me a River, his top-of-the-piano dance solo - I could keep going. It was a fabulous night spent screaming and squeeing with some of the best girls I know.
8. The 2003 Grammy Awards, January 2003 - Not to cast aspersions on all our hopes, but I have a feeling that not getting into this fandom soon enough to see the boys perform together live will make my list of Top Five Regrets when I die, but this provided a small slice of that excitement. Watching them spiffed up and singing together in real time, even if it was on TV was an exhilarating little moment of hope realized.
9. JC at Spreckles Theater, December 2003 - First night of the December club tour. Getting there was no small feat (again during finals week, naturally), but all was forgotten as soon as we saw the marquee. Now, everyone expects some things and hopes for others, but I hadn't even come close to imagining how much I'd enjoy JC's performance and music. I remember being almost sick to my stomach with excitement for him and watching the show utterly awestruck. Plus, meeting Adam, which really was just that cool.
10. Meeting Lance at Animal Avengers, December 2003 - I was a Lance girl before I was an *NSYNC girl. Love that boy so very hard, from his tacky taste in restaurants to the way he wears a suit to his space aspirations to his easy blush to his undeniable dorkitude. There really is no asking for a better setting to meet one of them either - free champagne, a few rounds of Blackjack, getting to talk to him about space (the one conversation I'd always wanted to have) and shaking his hand. It's so cool to meet someone that nonchalant about the insanity that surrounds him and really paid attention when we were talking. Couldn't have asked for more.
1. The Empire Strikes Back theatrical rerelease, February 1997 - A packed theater and me completely new to it all. I'd never seen the films before the theatrical rereleases and knew nothing of the plots other than the inevitable pop culture touchstone, "Luke, I am your father." Anyway, what I specifically remember from this is Darth Vader’s entrance on Cloud City - the music, the buildup, the magnitude of Lando's betrayal and the utter ruthless evil of that man all converged in that moment. It felt like being suckerpunched in the gut, and I did actually gasp and ache from the phantom pain of it. I don't ever remember reacting that strongly to a character before or since. Oh, and it's my favorite of the movies, too, and I don't see that changing.
2. The X-Files Expo, April 1998 - A fangirl's dream come true. I remember it was held in an old hangar and everything, hordes of people lined up and I barely convinced my parents to let me go (since I'd be alone). I remember having seat #1013 for the Q&As, seeing the theatrical trailers for the movie for the first time, having my picture taken in the mockup of Mulder's office, shaking hands with Frank Spotnitz, the surreality of talking to Mitch Pileggi and William B. Davis (I actually think it would've helped if he'd been wearing a Hawaiian shirt and not a suit - it was like talking to a genuinely smiling Cigarette Smoking Man, which is just weird, yo) and the total sweetness of Nick Lea. Yeah, good times.
3. My hard, fast descent into Smallville (and slash), the week of April 22, 2002 - It began with my randomly turning on the TV while doing homework Monday night to a random rerun and sort of pseudo-watching it. Then I caught an interview with Michael Rosenbaum on Tuesday, Nicodemus on Wednesday (and how *that* episode made me a fan I'll never know), found TWoP on Thursday, saw Sorority Boys its opening night Friday, found the slash archive on Saturday, and it was just.that.fast. Miranda and I still marvel at the intensity and speed with which we fell into that fandom. Final papers almost didn't get written, but then, wouldn't you rather be reading Te and Jenn, too?
4. Meeting Michael Rosenbaum at WizardWorld, July 2002 - I booked that flight less than a week in advance, not knowing anyone going to the convention (much less actually ever having been to one) or ever having been to Chicago at all. But I had it so bad for the boy, I couldn't resist for $136 round-trip. And wow, was that a great day. This was before the show was huge so the fans were pretty cool and all of them dedicated, so it was a smallish, fun crowd, and we all got a chance to chat with Michael once we were up to the table. He complimented my Photoshopped screencaps that I had him sign and we chatted about the virtues of driving fast cars and our respective writing aspirations and other stuff and while I liked him before, I was seriously overwhelmed by his natural charisma (I watched him interact with weeping teenagers, five-year-old boys, and grandparents with equal grace). He's this warm, goofy, talented kid and I wish him nothing but the best. Definitely my most satisfying encounter with a celebrity so far.
5. Challenge for the Children IV, July 2002 - My, unbeknownst to me, first foray to the sparkly side. Lured by the promise of good friends, I wasn't told it was an *NSYNC event until my arrival in Orlando. But really, the protest was mostly a token knee-jerk reaction as a result of a conditioned aversion to anything pop culture, and it wasn't long (less than 24 hours) before I was waving around boxer shorts and clutching my bosom in Lance's name. What a fantastic time, meeting Nia and Sheila and Lise and Al and many others and getting to watch the boys be as endearing as humanly tolerable by doing nothing more than playing a little basketball. I remember getting consistently three to four hours of sleep a night because of sneaking my laptop into the bathroom to read fic, watching The Reel *NSYNC, subsisting on mostly chocolate caramel cups and Pixie Stix and the tentative beginnings of love for the boys and this fandom.
6. Joey in RENT, October 2002 - My first trip to New York, too. We were there for all of two and a half days which mostly consisted of gawking at Times Square and seeing the show three times (though we'd only planned once). I didn't know the show but I'd always wanted to see one on Broadway, and Joey! and remember being cold but excited just being there, not to mention meeting yet more people including Diana and Te and singing Once More, With Feeling selections in the subway. The first night we actually had tickets for, but my name was the very first one they called for the lottery so Schiz and I had close-enough-to-touch (or at least get sweated on) seats. Loved the show, and Joey, well, he floored me completely. Between him and the city, it was enough to lure me back during finals week that December.
7. Justin at the National Car Rental Center, July 2003 -
isilya and I had floor seals (yes, seals - *g*) for the event, and I couldn't have asked for more enthusiastic company for my first concert event in the fandom. I'd read others' accounts of the show, but no one can adequately capture what was in that room, the way Justin had everyone at his slightest beck, the revamped Rock Your Body I love so much, hearing Gone live (I'm one of those who considered it a shoutout/tribute,) the creepiness of Cry Me a River, his top-of-the-piano dance solo - I could keep going. It was a fabulous night spent screaming and squeeing with some of the best girls I know.8. The 2003 Grammy Awards, January 2003 - Not to cast aspersions on all our hopes, but I have a feeling that not getting into this fandom soon enough to see the boys perform together live will make my list of Top Five Regrets when I die, but this provided a small slice of that excitement. Watching them spiffed up and singing together in real time, even if it was on TV was an exhilarating little moment of hope realized.
9. JC at Spreckles Theater, December 2003 - First night of the December club tour. Getting there was no small feat (again during finals week, naturally), but all was forgotten as soon as we saw the marquee. Now, everyone expects some things and hopes for others, but I hadn't even come close to imagining how much I'd enjoy JC's performance and music. I remember being almost sick to my stomach with excitement for him and watching the show utterly awestruck. Plus, meeting Adam, which really was just that cool.
10. Meeting Lance at Animal Avengers, December 2003 - I was a Lance girl before I was an *NSYNC girl. Love that boy so very hard, from his tacky taste in restaurants to the way he wears a suit to his space aspirations to his easy blush to his undeniable dorkitude. There really is no asking for a better setting to meet one of them either - free champagne, a few rounds of Blackjack, getting to talk to him about space (the one conversation I'd always wanted to have) and shaking his hand. It's so cool to meet someone that nonchalant about the insanity that surrounds him and really paid attention when we were talking. Couldn't have asked for more.