Posts by Sean Martin98

I already shot them an email through their main contact page, so what’s my next move? Should I tip off the U.S. Embassy in D.C., or maybe give M. Moore a ring and suggest he fly over to film a documentary about a country that’s basically pickpocketing American citizens? You know, people who actually put in the work for the arts. What would you guys do? Honestly, I feel like a moron for being this transparent—explaining myself to total strangers who didn't even ask, and even if they did, they haven't earned the courtesy.

Cheers!

So I headed out with my bottle in hand, fully intending to come back in, but the bouncers at the entrance spotted it immediately. They gave me this look like I was up to no good when I tried to head back inside, so I had to play it cool and tell them it was a "special" bottle. They offered to hold onto it for me, which obviously wasn't an option, so I just packed it up and headed home. To make matters worse, after I tucked it under my shirt, I ended up smearing wax all over the fabric. I spent the next three days soaking the damn thing in heavy-duty detergent and boiling water just to get the mess off.

Then again, maybe I shouldn't have even bothered. I mean, who actually launders a shirt after getting candle wax all over it—especially when that wax comes from the worst whiskey paired with the greatest R&B band in American history?

I’m betting they’ll swing back through Chicago eventually, so I’ll just bring the bottle to the show. Honestly, I doubt these guys are exactly "tech-savvy," and I highly doubt they’re ever going to reply to an email (and yeah, I already tried hitting them up through their website). On another note, my conscience feels a little lighter now. A few friends warned me that some haters might try to stir the pot, but look—I’m not out here trying to flex or pull any shady stunts like trying to flip the bottle for a profit. I really appreciate you guys getting where I was coming from without blowing a gasket; consider this my apology to the whole group and a formal apology to the DM. See you at the next gig. My plan? I’ll fill the bottle with Jack Daniel, because let’s be real, it’s better. We’ll knock that thing back before the band even hits the stage, then hand the drummer a candle and the bottle. It’s probably a pretty basic, uninspired suggestion, but honestly, it’s the best I can come up with right now. Look, I’ve got over ten dead MOONA albums sitting around—everything from studio recordings to live sets. If anyone actually wants to hear them, just hit me up and I can burn them for you.

They’re brilliant, sure, but seeing them live? That’s a whole different beast. They're way more convincing when they're actually standing right in front of you.

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Look, I ended up grabbing this bottle from the concert in Chicago back on October 21, 2006. Since they had already played their main set, I didn't realize there was going to be a second encore. In the heat of the moment—and honestly, a bit of an unplanned decision—I snatched the bottle right out of the candle holder (which, by the way, was because I'd actually dropped my own candle somewhere). I truly had no clue how much that specific object meant to them, and since the band means the world to me, I feel terrible. Part of why I went for it was because some guy in front of me swiped a drumstick the drummer had practically aimed directly at me; the drummer looked right at me before tossing it, but this dude reached out and grabbed it first, leaving me empty-handed. I just assumed they did this ritualistic thing with the bottle before every show and swapped it out constantly. But once I got home, I saw the bottle was covered in layers upon layers of dried wax, which made it pretty obvious this thing has been through a lot of shows. I heard about the drummer's reaction once he realized the bottle was gone, and man, I felt like absolute trash when I found out. I knew it was part of their ritual, but I genuinely thought it was a replaceable prop. So, I figured, hey, I'll just take it. I don't know, I'm going to check their official website right now and try to reach out. I swear, I will pay for the shipping myself to mail that bottle back to them if it's even possible. I’m not some lowlife, and I wasn't even drunk when I did it. It just never crossed my mind that they were so deeply connected to that piece of glass. To me, it's a cool souvenir, but I would gladly give it up just to make things right with them. My apologies to the rest of the fans. Please let me know if you have any idea how I can get in touch with them; I'm heading to their site to hunt for a contact now.