Okay, so I got to see them live. At Shakori Hills Grassroots festival. And it was amazing! Got to stand right next to the stage with my girlyfriend (the stage was our Armrest, great angle for pictures) and we just rocked out there the whole time. Pretty much anyone there could attest to just how ridiculously excited I was about the whole thing. One of the helperdudes we chatted with later said that he saw me shaking from thirty feet away about it.

Anyways, about two hours before the Flecktones went on, we were watching another group, and the fiddler/vocalist said that she plays in Futureman's Black Mozart Ensemble. And Futch was standing there in the crowd. Starstruck and light-headed, I went up to him and asked him to sign the inside cover of my Flecktones lead book. The HUGE thing on the right of the picture is that. Roy "Futureman" Wooten's ridiculously awesome signature. And he just chilled out there until maybe half an hour before he had to go get ready to perform.

About two or three songs from the end of the show, I started holding up a page in my sketchbook that read "Will you sign my songbook?". I know that Bela noticed it a few times. Not sure about the rest of them. Sadly I didn't get any autographs while they were on stage.

Afterwards, we went over to the tent where they were selling copies of "Rocket Science" (Flecktone's latest album) and asked if they were going to come out to meet fans. Well, they had to eat and then they were doing an interview, but someone still went back to ask. They weren't going to come out. But I was told that there was the possibility of sending something back to be signed. Sent my book back and came back about half an hour later. At this point, Bela had signed it, but the rest of them had already gone back to the bus. So we sent it back again. About an Hour later, it was returned with all 5 (yes, FIVE) signatures on it.

So. Happy.

Names on the cover:
Bela Fleck (Banjo, Bandleader)
Victor L. Wooten (Bass God)
Howard Levy (Harmonica and Piano, "Man with Two Brains")
Casey Dreissen (Plays Fiddle for a few tunes, and I think he's a roadie)

I don't know if people who are really famous realize it, but still taking the time to sign an autograph for a kid whose world has been totally changed by their music means so much. So, so much. Don't know if I'll ever be able to see them live again, but I can say I an exception was made to get autographs on a book published of their work. An exception just for me.

(Book cover (C) Hal Leonard Corp.)