Yep to all of the above. I met BW backstage in the fall of 2009, during the legendary solo tour leg that saw him performing "Monster Mash" and playing piano live for the first time in 15 years or so.
It was a small space, with the band members coming and going, and I was like the third in line. There was practically no security. And when we were shown in. there was no one to run anything -- it was just us, and Brian, and Foskett off to the side (mainly talking to other people). There was an awkward moment or two, with everyone looking at each other.
And then Brian boomed, "Okay, who wants to take some pictures?" And he got the line moving, and signed lots of things, and smiled big for cell phone cameras, and stood up the entire time. And he wasn't exactly exuberant or chatty, but he was certainly in command of the situation, and made it all happen. (I had him sign the program for TLOS, because I always have artists sign their most recent work.)
Very, very cool!
(Little St. Nick didn't deliver the new adult beverage emoticons! )
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