Imagine being a fan so desperate to contact your favorite band that you turn to Reddit, throwing up a plea for their attention like a flair in the night hoping they'll see it and get back to you. Then imagine they actually did.
That's pretty much the experience one Offspring fan had when he tried to do something nice for a childhood friend who'd been hospitalized in a car crash days before they were supposed to see the band perform in Philadelphia.
See also: Seven Things You Didn't Know About Smash
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The fan, who goes by RRMuttonchop (pictured above in the tie-dye t-shirt), posted his story on Friday.
Hey I am a twenty eight year old guy from Delaware who was supposed to go to The Offspring show tomorrow in Philadelphia with a childhood friend. He convinced me it was a good idea to go since they were playing the entire album smash and we had grown up on it. We have been friends since we were six and the album smash came out when we were eight. We grew up on the album, I remember listening to it pretty much every time we hung out until we were at least 14.
Last Friday however by his house my friend was tboned by another car and is now in a coma and might not live. We had talked about going to a show together for years, but our tastes in music had diverged like they often can and life got in the way at some point.
I am writing this because I would like to try to get in contact with someone who knows The Offspring and maybe get a signed tshirt or copy of smash. I know it is a long shot, but I have seen reddit do great things in my time of mostly lurking. He is an amazing guy and when he wakes up I would like him to wake up to even though he missed the show he was not forgotten.
Any help would be appreciated. Best regards RRmuttonchop
Edit one. Wow! Just wow! I am a bit overwhelmed at the support right here and how quickly this was noticed. Thank you all for taking an interest. I just sent Dexter a message and am waiting to hear back. I am kind of at a loss for words at what else to say.
Edit two. I also am still going to the show.
Edit three. Thank you all for the kind words and sentiments. I will keep posting tomorrow. Good night and be safe everyone.
Then something crazy happened. Frontman Dexter Holland responded just hours later with this:
“This is Dexter. So sorry to hear. Please send us your contact info and we'll be in touch. Hope to see you at the show tomorrow.”
The comment was validated by Ese from Gringo Bandito, who works with Holland on his well-known line of hot sauces.
Of course the post, which we discovered on Friday, left us feeling all warm and mushy inside. We knew Dexter was a good dude from the way he treated out friend and photographer, the late great Andrew Youssef who covered the band for years. But actually reaching out to a random fan in need definitely seemed to go above and beyond the call of duty of the OC-bred rock star. So how did things turn out? Well, today RR posted an update telling us how he'd made contact with Holland and the band at the concert.
Hello redditors! Follow up to this story from before. Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday, but I had nothing new to report until I no longer had computer access. I showed the reddit thread to my friends father, who was shocked that contact was actually made, he said to have a good time and let him know how things go. In the afternoon yesterday, I received a call from a member of Offsprings tour manager and after clarifying some details He informed me that two backstage passes would be waiting for myself and my girlfriend at the will call window.
On the way up to the show I was bit of a basket case. I went from psyched, to nervous as hell that I was going to start crying in front of the band. After getting to show I called my friends father and told him about what was happening. He said to enjoy the show, but informed me that it was not looking good with my friend and to brace for the worst. This increased the feels, but I am glad he told me because I am the type of person that likes to be kept in the loop. He also asked me to pass along his gratitude to the band and the staff that made it possible.
During the second of four sets I received a text from the manager asking to meet after the second set. Shortly after the second set he came and found us. He took us back to the dressing room where we were able to watch the end of an acoustic set, which was one of the coolest things I have ever been privy to. Offspring did a few meet and greets before us, and eventually we were introduced. I was nervous as hell and did not want to embarrass myself so I did not say much, even when prompted to explain what reddit was. They asked about my friend and I told them things were not looking good. I passed along the message from my friends father, and we took two pictures that are pretty sad looking as it was a bittersweet emphasis on bitter moment. They signed two shirts for us and good byes were said as well as thank yous on my part.
The fan even posted photos of him and his girlfriend meeting the band. For all the verbal diarrhea that occurs on Reddit, this is a reminder that it can indeed be a wonderful thing. And most importantly, it's a great example of why we should always try to keep in touch with old friends who we've drifted apart from over the years. The fan's story obviously struck a chord with the Offspring camp, hopefully it does with you as well.
See also
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