I think that musicians are probably harder to get autographs from than actors. I say this without any real authority, but it would make sense to me - how often are musicians out? Actors are always making random appearances but musicians might come around every time an album is released and that’s it. And I have had much better luck with actors outside of venues than I have had with musicians.
That said, I was not going to wait outside after the show for Joanna Newsom because it was Madison, WI in December and less than 30 degrees - I wouldn’t even expect her to stop, and I sure wouldn’t want to stand out there in the cold for a chance. So, even though I had tickets, I didn’t plan on getting her autograph after the show. About a week before the show though, I read on the Joanna Newsom sub Reddit that she was doing meet-and-greets after shows and I got excited.
The day of the show, we get there about 15 minutes after the door opens and I ask the person at the merch counter if she would be coming after the show. She told me that she didn’t know because she didn’t do it after every show, and she would find out afterwards. The show was amazing, maybe one of the three or four best shows I have ever seen. She is just as great live as she is on her albums. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her hands as she played the harp; it was genuinely mesmerizing. I have never had such an emotional reaction to a show, her music really speaks to me.
After the show, I head to merch and ask if she will be coming by. Still no idea. I wait near the merch counter, and the crowd thins out until there are maybe 30 people left. The merch person nods to me, ‘yes, she is coming.’ The crowd thins out further to maybe 20 people, and the security comes by and asks us to line up because Joanna is coming out.
She could not have been sweeter. She signed my Y’s LP and I took a picture with her. This is now one of the best pieces in my collection, top 5 for sure.
