Let's go Surfin' Now....

Everybody's learnin' how, come on a safari with me! Anyone who knows me, knows that the Beach Boys are my favorite band of all time. And, no, I'm not 60, I'm 30. And yes, it was very hard to be a die-hard Beach Boys fan in the year 1990 when I was 12 years old. Kids at school picked on me and teased me without mercy (I guess it would have helped if I didn't wear my "I love the Beach Boys" pin everyday, but hey, you live and learn).

I was very stubborn about my Beach Boys too when I was younger...I refused to buy or listen to any music that wasn't the Beach Boys from the age of 10 to about, oh, 18. I collected everything Beach Boy I could get my hands on from music, books, autographs, bumper stickers, videos, pictures, you name it, I have it. I even have a bowl made from an old record - it seemed like a totally logical purchase when I was a teenager.

I am from Connecticut, and back in the day, the Beach Boys only came to my state once a year, but would perform two shows. Somehow, they always managed to have their concert on the night before the first day of school. The catcher was, they played two shows with an hour intermission in between and I HAD to go to BOTH shows...the idea of them playing a concert in my state that I couldn't go to was just unheard of. Mom went with me to the concert and to get her to go to both shows, I would buy her second ticket. When you have the allowance of a 12-year-old, buying three tickets is a huge investment and requires a lot of self-control in the spending department leading up to the day they go on sale. But I was able to do it every year.

So, every summer, on the day before school started, Mom and I would put on our Beach Boys T-shirts and pins and head to the show. My mom is great - every year we would try our best to get backstage somehow, but failed year after year. We got close when I was about 13 or 14...I had joined the Al, Bruce, and Carl Fan Club and I got a letter in the mail saying that since I was the first person from Connecticut to join, I was my state's representative. It was my responsibility to contact the other members in my state and let them know that I was the State Representative, and that the list of fellow members was attached. I eagerly sought out the list of my constituents, and found out that I was the only member on the list. Not to fear - they would send me the names and addresses of people as they joined. 18 years later, I'm still waiting.

Undeterred, and with 13-year-old determination, I brought my letter to the concert - surely, this was my ticket to backstage! The first show ended, and with Mom in tow, I marched up to a security guard that was about 7 feet tall and weighed about 600 pounds. In my most professional, grown-up voice I let him know that I was needed backstage. He didn't budge. I tried again: "Excuse me, sir. But I am the Connecticut State Representative for the Al, Bruce, and Carl Fan Club, and I need to conduct my interviews!" He still didn't budge, but he did get a good laugh out of it.

Now, present day, the Beach Boys are coming to Mohegan Sun! I usually get free tickets to a lot of shows at the casino, but hadn't gotten anything for the Beach Boys, and I was pretty bummed. My husband suggested that I just call and ask, and I figured, what can it hurt? The worst they can do is say no. So, yesterday I called the VIP services and asked if I had any complementary tickets available to me.

And the response???

"Yes, Mrs. Kaufmann, we have 2 tickets for you to see the Beach Boys on Friday, August 22nd at 8:00."

I think I yelled out "I'll take them!" as soon as she said the word 'beach'....So, dear hubby and I will be going to see The Boys once again this August. Now, if I could only find that letter from the Al, Bruce, and Carl Fan Club.....