The Wilkinson's
Mahnomen, MN
May 27th, 2000

by Tracey

After making stops at Dayton's, a gas station, & Mr. Ed's resteraunt, Toni, my mom, Suzie, and I arrived at the Shooting Star Casino. It had only taken 5 hours, including ALL the stops! After getting the tickets, we were actually let in the venue to see our seats (The Wilkinson's had just finished up their soundcheck and stage technicians were setting up). Then we got ready (consulting w/ my aunt on clothes and make-up but hey what can I say we wanted to look nice).

"Shooting Star Casino is proud to present Giant Recording Artists, The Wilkinson's!", came a voice from the stage as Suzie and I started screaming from our 7th row floor seats (which were really close, on Steve's side)! The Wilkinsons came onstage and we couldn't believe how close we actually were! It was great, cuz there were mostly adults and stuff in front so Tyler kept on looking at us…hehe and in Hypothetically I started waving my lightsaber around and he saw it when he walked over by where we were sitting and started laughing and shook his head yes and smiled. Suzie went up to the stage and gave Amanda a note and I got a pic of that. Well pretty soon the concert was over, and the Wilkinson's went around shaking hands in the first row (by then me and Suzie had ran up there and squeezed through and Tyler shook my hand and I think Tyler and Amanda shook hers).

We went back to the hotel room and found my mom and aunt to go to the second show. This time we had 8th row on Tyler's side (which was cool cuz it was the first row in the second section so we didn't have any heads in our way to take pics). They started the show off with "Can't Do a Thing Without My Heart" and launched into all their hits. During Boy Oh Boy I went up and handed Tyler a note (hehe it was Star Wars) and he put it by the drumset. During Jimmy's Got A Girlfriend they told everyone to stand up and so me and Suzie ran up to the stage and I made it to front row! My aunt followed and stood on the steps taking pics with my camera (thanks aunty!). They came back out for an encore and the crowd went wild! After that they shook hands and left.

We got in line with my aunt (who we were letting back with my mom's card so she could try and videotape, but the guard stopped her). We spotted Kiaya playing with Tiggy and my aunt had us go get our pic taken with her…some lady had been asking her about the mandolin and she even got in a pic with the Wilkinsons…and I asked her if she thought it was weird how they got all this attention and she was like "not really I'm used to it". She's really nice! LOL when we were up there with a few others someone was like "Kiaya's getting all the attention" or more than the Wilks or something and Steve, Amanda, and Tyler looked over and I think Tyler was like "Yeah she is!" or something hehe whatever it was funny.

Then we were next for the Wilkinsons. Suzie went first and had a picture taken with the Wilkinsons and a banner she'd made, they really liked it…and she gave Tyler a frog charm (he thought it was cool he was like Dad I got a frog! LOL Tyler) and Amanda a cute moon bracelet we'd bought together…and Amanda thanked us.

Then I went up there and got my pic taken with them and said something about graduation to Amanda and she started talking about it and dumb me I kinda interrupted and was like "yeah I'm graduating too" and she didn't really say anything but I think Tyler was paying attention hehe and then I gave her a note for all of them and I said it had my Wilkinson site's address on it and Tyler was looking over her shoulder trying to read the note (LOL Tyler) and he was like cool! And they mighta said they'd have to check it out or something…I dun remember. I asked Tyler if he'd read the note I gave him and he goes "Yeah!" Then I gave him some bday presents (a Darth Maul watch, and a Star Wars handheld videogame thing). He was all like COOL! And looking inside the bag and taking stuff out and it was funny because he took out the watch and I was like "it's a watch" and he was like "you can never get too many of these" and Steve goes "it's a watch" and Tyler goes "yeah I know" LOL Um hello Steve. And then I gave him my pic I'd drawn of him and I was like "I don't know if it looks like you" and Steve looks at it and goes "yeah it does!" and Tyler puts his arm on my shoulder and goes something like "Hey if I tried to draw anything, if I tried to draw a stick figure it would look like a 2 year old drew it." And I started laughing and then I believe I walked off and me and Suzie watched my aunt talk to them about traffic…it was really weird cuz they were all joking around like old friends (guess some people are like that).

Then it was time for the public meet and greet. I went and stood in line but never went up to Steve, Amanda, and Tyler because I was too busy talking to Chris (their mom). She's really nice too! As Steve, Amanda, and Tyler were leaving my aunt called him over and so we got to talk to them for a little bit. Then we headed back to our hotel rooms, an end to a great nite :0)