2003-08-19 - 10:18 a.m.

Toby had told me John Cameron Mitchell tour guided him and some others around NY and that he would be at the show tonight. I loved Hedwig. I saw the poster and walked in the theater not knowing anything and loved it. It's the best rock musical since "Rocky Horror". I got the dvd, the soundtrack, and the staged-version soundtrack. I'm a sucker for rock musicals and rock operas. "Phantom of the Paradise", "The Muppet Movie", "Velvet Goldmine", "Rock N' Roll High School". And movies about rock like "Rock Star", "The Meatloaf Story", "Trick or Treat", "Still Crazy". There's more I can't think of now. I submitted a song to AMC about songs in movies but they didn't want it. I'll put it up on the site.

Anyway, so I'm at Warsaw and see John Cameron Mitchell hanging out upstairs. I'm shy and starstruck so I keep walking and then later he goes, "Hey, I'm John," and Toby goes, "That's Corn Mo, the guy I was telling you about." I went ahead and said the "your fuckin' awesome" shit to him. He's a really nice man. Really nice.

During the show, the Spree asked me to sit in during "Light and Day" on accordion. I got excited and sat in the choir two songs before (Hanging Around the Day and Soldier Girl) with my singing buddy, John Lamonica.

I can't not smile when I'm playing with them.

At the end of the show, Tim started singing "Wig in a Box" and into the second half of the verse, John Cameron Mitchell came out singing with him. It was fucking magic. Like the first time I ever saw Rush or Stryper.

Then, The Trachtenburgs got on stage with them to sing "Five Years". Tim goes "Corn Mo, where you at boy?" and I had felt like I'd already worn out my welcome but I went up there cause it's so fun. I sang with Michael and behind me was fucking Hedwig.

Emilioooo.

One time I was on the elevator at work and Gene Wilder was standing in the back. Me and my friends were quietly freaking out. When the elevator emptied, I hung back and told Wilder that he "was one of the few truly magical people in the world."

I pulled the same stunt coming back stage. I got my accordion real slow-like and waited for the last member to come off-stage and I went up to him and told him it was fucking magic. And John Cameron Mitchell hugged me. Fuckin' awesome.