The Wilkinson’s
Mall of America
April 7th, 2000

by Tracey

It all started at 9 am when my mom and I reached the mall.  I started freaking out cuz no one else was there yet so we walked around for awhile and at about 10 we went and snatched front row center.  Finally when people started showing up I talked to some of them and made a few friends.  Then at about 1:30 or something my friend AJ showed up and we grabbed some lunch.  By that time it was almost soundcheck time and the soundmen were testing out the mike’s.  Then the Wilkinson’s came out themselves!  (it was awesome cuz there were only a few rows of people there so far and I was right between Tyler and Amanda’s microphone’s about 3 feet from him!)  They sang tidbits of a few songs and the whole song of one of Tyler’s leads (I forget which one). Then they walked offstage saying they’d be back at 6 for the show and AJ and I made a poster.  By the time 6 came around I was getting really nervous.  My dad had shown up and was somewhere but I hadn’t found him.  Screams started up and I looked and saw Tyler, Amanda, and Steve next to the stage waiting to go on.  Tyler was looking straight at me, but I was too shy to do anything so I told AJ and AJ looked at him and he looked up at the next level and smiled (ha Tyler we caught you!) 

Then the DJ came on and announced them and the music started.  They sang a few songs, then picked a few fans from the audience in a Q and A session.  Then they did another number and picked a few more fans.  I knew almost all the people picked!  Just as Steve was about to start up the next number Amanda stopped him by pointing to me so I asked if they had any nicknames and Amanda was like “you mean for each other?” and I was like “yeah”.  Tyler replied and said “yeah I have one for Amanda, AMAAAAAAAAAANDA” and everyone started cracking up and Steve asked Amanda what she’d called Tyler the other day and she said “a scary little man” and the few hundred people cracked up again.  I held up the poster I’d made and Amanda and Tyler kept looking at it (as AJ sayz).  They sang a few more songs and they were off.  All in all they’d sung 8 songs that I can recall (Jimmy’s Got A Girlfriend, Fly, Boy Oh Boy, Hypothetically, Don’t Look at me Like That, Shame On You, 26 Cents, and Yodelin’ Blues). 

After signing for the few handicapped people in a separate room (how sweet) they came back to sign for the huge crowd and my mom was first in line!  It was so cool cuz all the photographers were up there taking pics of me getting autographs (oh man where are these pics gonna end up? L).  My dad took tons too, a few of which you see above.  Amanda was first and she greeted me with “Hi!  How are you?”  and I was like “Good, great show!” and she was like “Thanks.” And I asked what they were doing afterwards and Amanda didn’t know, they hadn’t eaten supper yet (poor guys it was like 7 by that time).  I got out the bears I’d made for them and wouldn’t ya know the last one I grabbed was Amanda’s…I gave her Chris (their mom) and Kiaya’s (their lil sis) too and she’d pass each one to Steve to look at (Tyler was looking too but unlike Steve and Amanda who were blabbering away about how sweet it was that I made them and how cute they were he was totally silent, I looked up at him while I was talking to Amanda and he was just staring at me smiling this huge smile J). Then Steve asked if I wanted him to put my shirt in the bag cuz they were done signing it so I said “sure” and held open the bag.  I asked them if they’d sign my poster too and Amanda was like “sure.” I asked Steve what they were doing afterwards and he said they had to catch a flight at 6 am the next morning (ouch that's early, they didn't even get to see our mall sad).  By this time I was in front of Tyler and I handed him his bear and he thanked me, then I asked if he’d sign my picture of him and I too and he said “sure” and smiled.  They weren’t supposed to personalize things but naughty me I asked if he would personalize the pic and he said “sure! What’s your name?” and I was like “Tracey, T-r-a-c-e-y” and he ends up putting it w/out the E (oh well *L) and then I asked if I could hug him and he gave me a hug :0) Then I left and walked around the mall for awhile with AJ.