I wondered about the hotel when they couldn't muster a third key for us... and again after I saw what "three blocks" really meant... (I guess I should have realized that when you're in the middle of nowhere, blocks don't really have the same meaning). But the hotel actually turned out to be fine. There were deer everywhere, and they weren't scared of people, which was kind of creepy.

We went Thursday night to scope out the lay of the land (literally!). Registration was closed, but we met Cass Teague from the Nashville Tribune, who was fun all weekend (hi!). The moon was out, rather appropriately. This picture was taken through the hotel room window. Go digicam!

Friday morning I had my photo with Adam Busch, Danny Strong, and Tom Lenk. Danny said I had the best shirt so far. I'm starting to feel differently about my diagonal stripes :)

Incidentally, I have no idea what I'm looking at in this picture, but it sure as hell isn't the camera.

When we went to line up for Andy Hallett photos, we learned that he had cancelled his appearance at the last minute. We didn't find out until later that he was hospitalized with a serious illness. I got this email from Andy's mailing list:

Hi everyone, thanks for checking up on my new site! I wish I had better news for you at the moment, however I am having a bit of a rough time right now, medically speaking. As you know, it would take a lot for me to miss a scheduled event (ya know what a ham I am...) but Im unable to fly or travel at the moment. Last week I was hospitalized due to a minor viral infection that was complicated by exhaustion.

This minor problem turned not so minor quite quickly and was causing major problems with my lungs and breathing. I was in the I.C.U. At Cedars-Sinai Medical for the past 5 days under the care of wonderful doctors and nurses who I owe the world to. I am forever grateful for the care, concern, and unbelievable treatment given to me by all of them, but especially Dr. Sourpik Avakian. She was by my side every step of the way and gave me constant hope and lots of love. Thank you Dr. Avakian for everything...I owe ya one and I love you.

Doctor Avakian and I are both predicting and hoping for a speedy recovery, but I just have to rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest (as she says). I am very sorry if I disappointed anyone with my absence from this weekends event in the Poconos, believe me Id be there if I could. I promise to make it up to you somehow.

So thats it for now, Ill keep ya posted as time goes on. Thank you again to the wonderful staff at Cedars, to my awesome circle of friends who have helped me immensely through this, especially Dayne Johnson, Mark Lutz, Matt Williamson, Dr. Avakian, Janet, Dr. J., Charlie, Reiss, Pat Brady, and my Mom and Dad. I love you guys very much. Oh and sorry to that little nurse I had to cuss out while in the hospital....I was kinda cranky that day....oops.

Hope to see you all soon.

Best,
Andy

We were so sad not to see Andy - Gillian and I met him at Dragoncon last summer and he was really a standout guest. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Visit Andy's official website for information about sending get-well messages.

Iyari had a lot of energy on stage, and had good answers to pretty much everything. She had a new haircut, which looked great on her. She said that her agent had always told her that she had to have long hair, but she believed she was too light to compete for typical latina roles anyways, so she went ahead and cut it (and then immediately got two commercials). She also said she auditioned for a regular role on the L word, and is waiting to hear about that. She reported that she'd been traveling, had lived on chocolate and cheese in France, and put on 15 lbs - but she's back to normal now and wouldn't take anything back.

She said her favorite things on Buffy were kicking ass, and kissing Willow. Of course there were questions about kissing Aly, and Iyari cheerfully reported that it was soft and tender... Someone asked if Aly was the first girl she had kissed - Iyari paused, and said "No. Next question?" She told us that 80% of Kennedy's stunts were her, and that she liked doing them. She told a story about getting a compliment from Lucy Liu's stunt double, which had inspired her to take martial arts. She also told us about an incident on the set, saying jokingly that she's a real-life hero - when shooting the Showtime scene where the potentials are standing up on scaffolding, Indigo fainted, and Iyari caught her. And it was all caught on the film... If she could play any other character on Buffy? It would be Drusilla. Favorite episodes? The Body and Once More with Feeling - she has yet to see Hush.

She said she tried college "a few times" and didn't like it. When asked what is the one thing she is dying to do, she replied "Be a mother." Someone asked if she had any hidden talents; she said "If I told you, they wouldn't be hidden... Yes I do. Next question?" What actors would she like to work with? She loves Nicole Kidman, but isn't sure she's ready to work with her.

What were his best days on Buffy? He replied, predictably, "Every single one". He said he's happy just to have work. He also said that he really liked his last scene on the show, in the red VW, talking to Sarah. If Clem could have a love affair with someone on Buffy? Leary wants it to be Faith. He told us about standing next to Eliza Dushku on stage at a posting board party, and how Danny Strong told him to stop staring and drooling - he did a really funny example of staring and drooling. Someone asked if he would do photo ops in Clem makeup - he said yes, but that would probably be very expensive, particularly since the show isn't on anymore, and they probably sold the prosthetics on Ebay to pay for the wrap party, because [sarcastically] "Fox has no money..." Someone asked about working with Michelle Trachtenberg - he said that she had gotten a bad wrap because her role was written very whiny, but she was in fact very professionsl, and a "great little actress". She felt like a kid sister to him, so when he watched her in Eurotrip, he said it just "felt wrong - wrong in all the right ways."

Gillian and I decided that getting pictures as a pair would yield better luck for us. We were on a mission! Leary was as always friendly and accomodating. I was determined to talk to Adam, since I'm a huge Common Rotation fan, and he holds a special place in my heart because of that. I told him that I loved the live albums, and he told me that they had a new one (Hotel Cafe 2). He said he thought it was the best one yet - saying that "it might not be the best evening you've ever spent with us," but that the songs were really tight. I told him I was really excited about the show the next night, and that they shouldn't be opening for James (it should be the other way around). He was quick to insist that it was just that acoustic sets always go first. He said that they played together once at the 14 Below, and James went first. Gillian and Jess and I took a picture (although Jess is looking at the wrong camera, lol), and I got a kiss on the cheek. :) Good reward for being a traveling CR fan, I think :) We talked to Eric too - who I love seeing, for the same reason as Adam. Although it's usually easier to talk to Adam after CR shows, so I haven't talked much to Eric. We talked about the living room shows, and other CR-related stuff. I asked him to do Princess of Venice (which he didn't do, incidentally, but which I finally got in Woodstock the following weekend :). We didn't manage to talk to Tom Lenk or Iyari.

And then we visited the bar, where I was informed in no uncertain terms that they didn't have any ales. They had some lagers though... Some famous folks, including Stephanie, Danny, and Eric, could be spotted in the bar. I talked to Jordan Katz, of Common Rotation fame, who was carrying a frying pan...

The Angel Panel was a Stephanie Romanov Panel, due to Andy's absence. It started late, and Stephanie told us that she had been in the bar, thinking to herself that maybe she was supposed to be somewhere right now; she had a drink which she told us jokingly was just tomato juice. As usual, she was funny and forthcoming. She told us that she moved to New York when she was 15, and started working as a model. That she got to do a lot of traveling, and it was really fun for a while. But that she eventually wanted to do something more challenging. Models Inc was her first acting job, which she did before having any training. She told us that she had dated a guy who's favorite show was Angel; he was telling her all about it, how she had to watch it, then a week later, she got a call to audition. She also said that she once dated Michael Dorn - it wasn't clear if this was the same guy or not. And of course, when asked about the scene with Wesley where Lila dresses up like Fred, she volunteered a Fred impersonation...

Naturally, there was lots of comedy and little actual question-answering. Danny and Tom kept mentioning things they did together, and at one point, Danny volunteered the clarification that they are actually not a couple. There was much friendly needling of the others by Lenk regarding the fact that he had been on Angel, and they hadn't. There was a press person alternately crawling and walking across the area in front of the stage, and he was the butt of numerous jokes/threats from the panel.

Someone asked is there was anything they would have liked to do on Buffy, that they didn't get to do. Leary said immediately "Make out with Faith". Danny then said that the thing he would have liked to do is watch Clem make out with Faith... and Lenk said he would just like to have a video of the whole thing. It was revealed that Lenk was a good artist, and that in school he was in the marching band. Danny said that he had tried out for Xander, and (obviously) didn't get it. Someone asked if they knew they were going to come back and work together in season 6. They said no (of course, nobody ever knows they're coming back - I wish people would stop asking that question!) Adam said (and you can never quite tell if he's being serious or not) that he found out he was going to work with Danny from a random person at the supermarket checkout line. He said "Who's Danny Strong?" Then, clearly joking: "Oh, Danny Strong! From Pleasantville!". (That was particularly funny because we randomly caught Danny's bit-part in Pleasantville on TV the night before.

Someone asked Adam if he would go with music or acting, if pressed to choose. He said that he doesn't want to chose, and doesn't think that he will ever have to. He said that he likes both, although they have more control over the band, since it's their baby - as opposed to TV, where an actor has no control - and that there was perhaps a slight preference for things over which he has more control. He said that they're touring this summer with They Might be Giants. See www.commonrotation.com for tour dates!

When asked about reality television, the consensus opinion was negative, and the panel agreed that there were now far fewer acting jobs available. A similar opinion was voiced by JM in his panel the following day. Other points relating to current affairs: DS finished the National AIDS Marathon in 6+ hours (near the bottom of his age group), but raised $7000 for the cause. And someone asked about politics - Adam said that he is not so much pro-Kerry, as anti-Bush. Everyone reiterated the need to vote, and someone pointed out that there were more people in the room than the number of votes that decided the 2000 election in Florida.

Tom Lenk signed my trio picture, which had been signed last summer by Adam at MR, and by Danny at Dragoncon. Danny signed a Superstar picture, and Adam signed a picture of me and him from the House of Blues in Boston. He asked me where the picture was from, and I told him, and he asked me who they played with, and I blanked on the name, but I was like "that guy... from that band..." He knew who I was talking about, and laughed (it's Danny Wood, if you were wondering). I bought the new live album (Live at the Hotel Cafe 2). Adam was right - it's excellent. Iyari was nice, as usual. Stephanie signed my photo-op with her and Christian Kane from Flashback Weekend. She said "This came out nice. You look good, Chris looks good - I look scared." We laughed, and she showed the picture to her sister. Christian Kane also signed this picture later, in Tampa. James Leary was selling pictures of Clem in the red VW bug - I had to get one :)

After two great years of music making and touring I have decided to dissolve the band Ghost of the Robot. This was not an easy decision to make but one that was thought out thoroughly with consideration to you, the amazing fans and my amazing band mates. There are no bad feelings or creative differences that lead to this decision. I have always given 100% of myself to my craft and I felt that the band and the fans would suffer now that I will be devoting all my time to new film and television projects since Buffy and Angel are no longer in production. Please know how much I have appreciated everyones support of me and of the band. I hope that you will continue to support me in my future film and television projects. This decision will not affect me participating in or attending any conventions. I love the feedback I get from my fans and look forward the next time I see you.

All my best,
James Marsters

Anyways, once they finally came on it was fun, and I was close enough to get some pretty decent pictures of James. Click the thumbnails for pictures (opens in a new window).

When I went up, he said "Hey! I met you last year, right?" Obviously, I could have died. I just said "yeah". Although that would probably be true of 80% of the people in line, so it's also a reasonable guess. I told him "You seemed to have an awful lot of fun last night" - I was really talking about the making out with fans during the show thing, but he didn't take the bait, and just said "Yeah, I did." He put his arm around me, and we took a picture. James, joking, tried to tell the photographer that it didn't come out, and that he needed to take another one...

Gillian: "My photo session with James was the day before Melinas. Lucky for me, I too got to sit at the front and watch James interact with people for half an hour before my pic. Not only did I see how James was with everyone, but some of the people get so excited and nervous they could barely speak! One woman I thought for sure was going to faint she managed to stammer that it was her birthday and the best present she could have would be for James to say her name, which he did very meaningfully she was close to tears! I was pretty cool cause it was my second con and photo with him but still I got a few butterflies in my stomach when it was my turn. He said it was nice to see me again which surprised me that he remembered, and I asked for and got a really nice hug. I had wanted to say that I liked the natural brown hair but since a few others had already said that I opted for youre looking really good James. Giving me the once over, he replied so are you. What a highlight of the event for me!"

There were other questions as well. Someone asked if he was going on the Vulkon slayer cruise, and he answered that no, he was going to be busy. Then he let drop this bit of choice news: someone gave him 50 million dollars to produce Macbeth. I'm not kidding you, that's what he said. He said that he had found out three days prior. Someone asked for a monologue, and he did one from The Tempest. I think it's the same one he did at Dragoncon last year - I've got a clip (it's the last one). When asked about his son, he said that he's eight years old, and beautiful. Someone told him that he was beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, and he said "thank you, because all this [gesturing at himself] is just bullshit."

He said that Marlon Brando was the best role model for film acting. Someone asked if he would dye his hair again, and he said immediately "No." Then he said "Well, once, to make a Spike TV movie" [!!!!]. Someone asked about Dark Shadows (the WB vampire remake that was passed on). He expressed some resentment, but then said that he had friends involved in the show, and that he wished them well, etc. The audience was making noise, which he thought was Dark Shadows booing, and he kept trying to defend them. We were actually trying to tell him that the pilot had been passed on, which he didn't know. He seemed really surprised, and said that it was a symptom of reality TV.

He made some pretty graphic statements about Iraq, and Bush (got it in a clip - second to last one). I'm pretty sure someone walked out after that. Someone else told him he should be a politician, and he said, quite seriously: "Yeah, I'm thinking about it."

Now on to the music questions... Someone asked about choosing acting vs. music. He said that he wasn't sure he would have time for the band. Someone said "you do both" and he replied "kinda". When asked if he played any other instruments, he said no, that he could only "barely" play the guitar. Someone asked if he got nervous, and he said that in theater, no, because he "owns the stage". But with music, he said he always felt "second best"; that he's been playing for two years, and it still never feels right. Pretty telling comments, I think.

Finally, someone asked one of Dean Lipton's questions (what would you like to hear at the pearly gates) and his answer was "I know you fucked up, but you tried." I would have taken more pictures, but they took the lights down, and it was really fruitless.

NEW!   Transcript! (By talkenglish2me at More Than Spike.com)