[carly's fabulous finding of the strokes:: Me and my friends went to the Arizona show on jan.28. I pulled up to the hotel and saw the guys walking around the corner then looked over and saw the tour buses. I just about had a heartattack and nearly hit a few cars trying to park. So, the next day me and my friend went into the spa to kill time. Out walks Albert. He didn't come to the spa though. I think him and a couple of the Longwave fellows were waiting for us to leave? Anyway, then all of a sudden, there's Julian. At this point I'm dumbfounded. We soon left the spa then went and got dressed. I finally worked up the nerve to talk to Julian. They were playing basketball and I shortly interrupted them. Saying nonsense about having to drive from California because there were no L.A shows(this was before I knew about the secret one, I feel like such a moron now). After acting like a lame 12 year old for a couple more minutes I left. Waiting for the elevator to go back up, Nick the appears. I saved the elevator for him and then listened to him talk about him getting his laundry done. Then at the show, I got a quick wave from Fab as we were waiting to get in to park. It was all enough to last almost a lifetime. Killians, Honey Brown, and other dank beer I met The Strokes last November when they came to Birmingham, AL. At that point I had no idea who they were, therefore I didn't go to the show. I closed Naked Art Gallery, where I work, early and decided to go to my friends bar to see him and get in a state of belligerent drunkenness. I was sitting up at the bar complaining about the ridiculous music they were playing, work, and my life in general and then heard some guys laughing at my subtle yet witty remarks. I turned around and said something along the lines of "Shutup." Albert or Fab (I really cannot recall) came up and started talking to me. We were first talking about how much the music scene blows and how younger people need to be introduced to rock legends (VU, Leonard Cohen, The Clash, The Ramones, Talking Heads, etc.). At that point I was sitting at a table with all of them talking nonsense or whatnot. Nick and I took turns on buying rounds of Killians, Honey Brown, and other dank beer. They later told that they were in a band called The Strokes and they were touring to promote their first album. I can't remember exactly, but I think I said something like "Woopty-fucking-doo." Before I left they told me that I was a "cool chick" and I then corrected them by calling myself a "dorky fucker." I have talked to them on other occasions after that night because we exchanged digits. The last time I have spoken with them was the night before the Brit Awards, and they won....go figure. They are cool, down to earth guys if you are showing your true self, but if you treat them like they are famous (even though they are in some ways) they will totally take advantage of the situation. Anyway, that is my wonderful encounter with the "almighty" Strokes. Parabola the misadventures in west LA ok so when me and my friend heard about the strokes show in San diego we were soooo happy. We made all the plans to get there and go back (we live in west la). So even though its a 2 hour drive my mom said we could go and she'd take us. We got all our friends together and she dropped us off at the venue. Little did we know that it was a bar and therefor 21 and over only, which sucked we are 14 and 15. So there we are my mom had driven off and we tried to be slick and get in anyway i coasted past cuz im really tall and built but my friends were at the door and they ratted me out. Thats ok i was pissed too i woulda done the same, but anyway i was dragged out getting laffed at by drunk revelers and such. We were totally stranded in a different city with ery little money so when we got a cab and told him where we were headed he said it would cost us plenty. we got into LA and told the guy we would get teh money out of "our appartment" It was actually my frends place and when he buzzed us in we went out the back of the place and left the cabby with a hefty fee. i Know it was fucked up but hey blame it on the venue. - Memphis Caught up, by the cops] the strokes blew me away since the first time i heard of them.my friend burnt me a copy of the cd with both when it started and NYC cops, and he gave it to me the morning that i had planned to run away from home to go see my girlfriend a few states away. we've been going out for 26 months now. well, i had the bus ticket and all, so i got on the bus and left my city, and put on my headphones and played the cd for the first time (i had only heard Last Nite before this, and i already loved the song) i was blown away. well, i listened to the cd for about 9 hour staright until the cops caught up with me (my parent's called the cops (oh yeah, i'm only 16)). this cd is very close to me, because it really represents all that i felt as i was traveling on that bus towards the girl i love. well, that was a little over 2 months ago, and the strokes cd hasn't stopped playing since. -carlos- [Media hype, etc. As a displaced east-coaster, living in Colorado and itching for something gritty, real and new, I was pleasantly haunted by The Strokes' video "Last Night" for weeks after it came on one night at about 2 a.m. on MTV. What? I'm an MTV watcher? That's right. It is the only way for me to keep in touch with anything at all that is going on in the modern music scene...however it is still up to me to syphon out the extraneous crap. As I said, for weeks, the song was in my head. I could not remember the name of it nor the name of the band. I needed to know but I did not have the time to sit in front of the television. Finally, I saw it again. I made some calls and bought the disc the very next day. I've listened to it forwards and backwards. I went on-line to find out more about the band. I luckily found out they were playing at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, I purchased a ticket and went. After various situations at home that almost prevented my attendance, driving almost 15 hours one-way through numerous snowstorms, and a brief nap, I made it to the show. While I was, perhaps, disappointed by the show's brevity, I was not at all let down by the music. And the band? They were clearly having fun. Isn't that the whole idea? I was surprised to learn that the band have been victims of US media over-hype, considering I have not once heard them on the radio here in Colorado nor have I even heard their name mentioned. Take it from me, a tried and true music lover who missed out on any and all hype surrounding the band, this is a solid, tight and talented band. Their music sounds both old and new--the taste is entirely fresh. I cannot wait to see the band they have only just begun to be. Lisa Evon ["we spotted Fab, and nearly ran over Nick" This incident happened quite some time ago, but I thought it would be fun to share the story with others. I was bummed when I couldn't get tickets to see the show on Feb. 3rd in San Diego. I thought I was never going to be able to see them live, especially after finding out that San Diego was their last U.S show before heading to Hawaii, then Europe. I thought, 'Fuck, I might as well go down there, if anything just to hear them.' It was a rather long drive, six or so hours, not bad since I live in the bay area. I met up with my sister in LA and we drove down to San Diego. My god, the drive was heavenly and the freeway was fucking beautiful. We reached 4th and B, and as we drove into a parking lot behind the venue we spotted Fab, and nearly ran over Nick. ( Now that I think about I wished that we did, just so that I can say 'Sweet Jesus, we ran over Nick!'). My sister didn't think to stop and I didn't even think to jump out of the moving vehicle, besides if I did I would have scrubed badily in front of them and my glamorous demeanor would have been tainted, so it was a good thing that I didn't. We parked. We walked arround. With forty bucks and a pack of cigarettes, we were hoping to buy some tickets from random scalpers trying to make a buck or two. Instead, we spotted a crack in the side door and helped ourselves inside the venue. I was so scared, I was about to shit a brick. We casually walked up the balcony and sat in the seats until doors opened and when it did, I felt like crying. We got front row. It was beautiful. The band was great, but Julian seriuosly sucked; however, we didn't mind, we didn't pay. We later met Niko and Albert, and I had them sign my poster. Albert kept my pen after signing my poster and used it to sign fifty other people's shit and I was like "Dude, you have my pen." In my mind I was like, "Yeah, you're awesome and I would love to have a drink with you sometime, but give me back my fuckin pen." We didn't meet anybody else, but we really didn't care. I heard the will playing another show in the same venue on April 23 to make up for the one in Feb. I tried to buy tickets. They were sold out. ' Fuck, I might as well go down there, if anything just to hear them again.' Thelectricornut Vannyvy Kao letterman show I saw them at the san diego show was a great time. julian's stage presence was similar to the letterman show, he stood in one spot but ocassionally twirled around, had a sip of beer and banged it hard back down...and he tends to mumble profanities to himself. they played one new song- not MMITB or Ze Newie but an actual NEW SONG--it was cool. he was wearing grey cords, a vintage reggae shirt and some weird green army vest revealing his supple arms. so once the show had ended- we waited for a FUCKING LONG time and people slowly started diminshing as time went along, and this beautiful, i mean beautiful exotic brazlian or something of the sorts girl was hanging out in their bus ..she was sooo beautiful girls were telling her "you are so beautiful"... so i don't know who she was ??? But i swear i saw this guy looking like julian's brother also hanging backstage and he walked out with jules at the end... albert came out first really sweet chatting with us, signing and taking pics-- then julian. And when nick came out he looked at the small crowd waiting for people to screamfor him, but no one did..ohh pobrecito..then fab who was sooo NICE but almost TOO nICe and sensitive to his fan's needs (but he was fuct up kind of) Nikolai and matt romano came out. Matt was hanging out with ryan's boyfriend (some weird buff surfer dude- he can do better) and some loud obnoxious girl had all 5 of them sign her breasts, she would yell their name " heeey FABRRRiZZIO sign my tits why don't u""" they were kinda of liking it but taken back.. thensome chic in a red velvet floral dress takes albert's hand and takes her to her car for him to sign it. Then albert gets all of them to sign and Fab writes "May this car take you everywhere and beyond.." When jules goes to sign the car --the breast girl hugs him and straddles him and he picks her up laughing and spanking her ass, and she starts licking his neck and whispering some shit....seriously it was the best!!!! Then we get on the same freeway going North and for the longest time we could see the lights of their bus....sorry this is so long but i just had to tell ya guys bout last nite. DeviatedFromNorm [I WILL MEET THEM I caught The Strokes this past January at the House of Blues in Orlando. Of course, the show was amazing and I was amazed when it was over -- it felt like it was SO SHORT. Anyways, me and my friend Jen were psyched to try and meet the guys and went over to he door that led to the backstage area. We couldn't get in, so all we could do was wait and see if they would come out. Finally the door opened and Fab popped his head out and looked around. :) Me and my pal Jen were the only ones who saw him and waved. He gave us a little wave and smile back and then popped back behind the door. We got all excited, we're like, Maybe they'll come out! We waited and Fab popped his head out again. This time these two other girls near us saw him and screamed their heads off. I shrieked because they startled me. He waved at them, then he turned and saw us and waved at us again. :) We waved back. Unfortunately no one else came out, but the next time I'm seeing The Strokes I WILL MEET THEM. haha It's my mission. Dana