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| Scene Title | Fan Loyalty |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | An impromptu concert leads to a fan meeting a musician. |
| Date | April 17, 2011 |
It wasn't exactly a secret show. More like an impromptu one, one born out of a whim and a thought set forward just a few hours ago. Robyn Quinn hadn't been intending to be on stage tonight, but with a brand new single released on Friday and a music venue sitting right below her place of living… what better way to spend an evening but by promoting it? A call had been placed over to Studio K so they could mention it on the radio, a post made on FaceBook and a tweet sent out, and calls made out to whomever she could get to come play music that evening, and stuff to sell gathered out of the corner of Quinn's room - what better night to debut the new t-shirts she'd gotten in yesterday!
The concert itself had gone well. Patrons of the restaurant caught without forewarning were a bit bewildered, but word of mouth spreads fast in New York, and there had been a decent enough turn out. Enough to make the night not a waste of time, and enough to sell off a decent share of the singles and copies of the album she had set aside for herself. It's wrapping up now, the last part of the short set dedicated to playing a few new songs Quinn was ready to debut.
One million lights in the darkness
Watching the night as it goes
Would you believe in a day like today?
Gone in an hour or so
You know
What she said?
One thousand eyes in the sky
Telling me things that they know
Would you hate me for what I say?
Gone in an hour or so
You know
What she said?
Fire in the eyes
You have to believe
That I never meant
No choice in a choice
Now's time to decide
The final song of the evening, an upbeat tempo filled with Quinn's signature keyboard style, is one of those songs, the musician barely missing a step as she moves between her two keyboards, belting out the lyrics behind her. To the side, Elaine's violin provides a bridging undercurrent between verses, carrying the song along, drums sounding loudly behind them. Not a full band tonight, but between her tenori-on, synthesiser, keyboards, and ingenuity, she's found ways to cover it as they move into the song's outro.
One shadow covers the daylight
Goodbye has come and gone
I wouldn't have this any other way
Here, never to go
And I know
It was right all along
With that, the lights go down, and the concert ends, and it's only a few minutes before Quinn's venturing out from back stage and back into the restaurant proper with the violinist next to her, arm and arm. She's a bit sweaty, but it's been a good night and a good show, and somewhat egotistically, she thinks it's maybe time to sign a thing or two.
Sometimes, even a little bit of minor fame goes a little to someone's head.
Though Aimee's a bit of a workaholic, and she normally avoids loud places when she can, she gets restless every now and then. She wanted to go out, be around people, and just relax for a little bit, and that desire brought her here. It would've been nice, probably, but finding one of her favorite musicians performing? That bumped it up to amazing. Good music rarely hurts her ears.
She'd beamed when she saw Quinn on stage, and when Quinn comes out into the restaurant itself, she's heading towards the pair, smiling brightly. "That was amazing! I have your CD, but I never thought I'd get a chance to see you play in person," she says, face and voice showing a serious case of fangirldom. Quinn and Elaine are lucky she's not squealing.
Arm linked with Quinn's, Elaine glances towards Aimee at the woman's genuine excitement and offers her a warm smile. "You're getting quite the reputation now, Robyn. Be careful now, don't want to go around breaking any hearts by accident." Doe-eyes level on Aimee after a quick look to Quinn. "I'm sure she'd be willing to sign something for you, if you'd like."
N0w it's Quinn's turn to be a bit bewildered. Sure, she was willing to sit down at the small merch table that Royce had just taken over now that the concert was over, but she wasn't caught up enough in herself to have expected this. Really, it's only the second time it's happened, and last time… "Sure, I'll sign something!" she remarks cheerfully. "Just no pulling any fire alarms, alright?" is added with a bit of a smirk, even if the young woman in front of them won't get the joke. "I glad you like the album, an' that you were able t' get out here t'night! It's good t' know I was able t' give you a good night." A look over to Elaine, and Quinn laughs. "I hope my songs aren't that sad, that they break hearts" she teases a bit.
No, the joke goes right over Aimee's head, and she gives Quinn a confused look before she's smiling and patting her pockets until she comes out with a scrap of paper and pen, offering them to Quinn. "They're good songs, and believe me when I say I'm more critical than most about the music I listen to," she says, still smiling, at both of them.
"Your songs aren't that sad. I just think people wear their hearts on their sleeves, after all," Elaine says, stepping out of the way to let Quinn head over to sign an autograph. "Ooh, well I'm certainly glad people with a good critical ear are paying attention and listening in. Robyn needs plenty more people who can give a genuine opinion."
"…That's all?" Quinn actually looks and sounds a little disappointed when the piece of scrap paper is offered. So, she takes it and- rips it in half? Hope that wasn't anything important. And while this might seem like a heartbreaking gesture at first, she shakes her head at Aimee and smirks. "That won't do at all." Looking past her, she waves over to where Royce sits at the merch table. "Royce! Can I get a shirt and some singles?" Oh yes, that's right.
"Trust me, it doesn't get more critical than mine," Aimee says with a soft laugh. Then she's frowning, and does look hurt when the paper is ripped, but it fades instantly at Quinn's next words and she beams. "Really? That's wonderful!" She looks to Elaine. "Will you sign it too? You played beautifully up there."
"What? Me?" Elaine laughs at the thought of an autograph, but she beams broadly all the same. "I'd love to. Never thought that would happen, but I guess some people are partial to the backup band sometimes, right? I'm glad you enjoyed it." She looks towards Quinn, then back towards Aimee. "I'm Elaine." She offers a hand forward.
"Oh, come off it. You're know you're an important part a' this too, Elaine," Quinn quips as she taps her foot. Stop being slow, Royce. "So, what's your name?" QUinn asks, sounding genuinely curious as she offers her hand as well. She doesn't introduce herself, obviously Aimee knows who she is. But, the gesture still has meaning, at least to her. "Did I not introduce you on stage?" Quinn questions, looking over at her partner. She probably did. Tonight was such a whirlwind she doesn't remember. "But yes, this is Elaine Darrow, my wonderfully talented violinist, even if she won't admit how good she is." A giggle, and a teasing look offered in teh redhead's direction.
"Anyway… thanks for comin' out. What'd you like about the album, if you don't mind me askin'? I mean… it's always nice t' get some feedback from fans, particularly since I'm workin' on new stuff at the moment. If I can play t' what people like, it's always a nice little extra."
Aimee's smile returns as she takes first Elaine's hand, then Quinn's. "I'm Aimee. And without the backup band, the music wouldn't sound the same, would it? I appreciate all the facets of music, small or large. And she's right, you really are talented. I play a little myself, not violin, but I know it's difficult. You're just as good as Robyn is," she says, sounding sincere.
"No one ever remembers the name of the band unless they've got all the CDs and look up the whole band on Wikipedia or something," Elaine protests, but she elbows Quinn playfully. "Robyn's just redirecting compliments cause she doesn't know how to take them. She's the real star." But maaaaybe Elaine's blushing just a tiny bit at the compliment. "Thank you. That's all her fault… she's helped me a lot with my violin work."
"She wouldn't be in my band if she wasn't just as good as I am," Quinn says with a bit of a laugh. "Aimee, it's nice t' meet you," she reiterates, this time being able to use the other woman's name. She wags a finger. "May be my name on the cover, but we're all the stars, you know." She shrugs. "All facets, eh? Sounds like I hit one home with that. Thank you, Aimee."
And then up walks Royce, the requested items in hand. "What's up?" he asks, shaggy hair hanging down over his eyes as he looks between the three of them, and eyebrow quirked between them. Quinn reaches out, taking them as she moves over the edge of the stage. More and more eyes are moving their way, a few people starting to move in their direction, if only out of curiosity.
Laying the shirt down, Quinn takes a permanent marker offered by Royce and scribbles down the sleeve of the shirt - "Robyn Quinn - Shine brightly in the darkness", before moving to unwrap the CDs. "Royce, why don't you get over here and sign too?"
"No, you're all the star. Trust me." Aimee hesitates a moment, then leans in closer to Elaine to admit, "I have really good hearing. Trust me, you're good," she tries to reassure the woman. Then she's smiling at Quinn, and nodding. "Yes, I'd love it if all of you could sign. You're all wonderful. I never thought I'd get the chance to meet any of you, so this is pretty cool for me."
Yep, there's no way Elaine's not blushing now. "Thanks, that means a lot," she offers, looking between Quinn and Aimee. "It's really nice to meet you, Aimee. I'm really excited that Robyn's got fans." She leans over carefully to sign her own name near Quinn's where there is room. "Fans mean not only is your work good… people are noticing it."
Once Elaine has signed the shirt, Royce follows suit, simply signing his name across - no corny saying for him. "Don't give too much away," he chides with a smile as he leans against the stage. A look up to Aimee, and he offers his hand out to her. "Royce Garret, nice to meet you. Don't let Quinn spoil you too much, it goes to her head really quick. We'll never hear the end of how awesome her fans are if you let her." He smirks, throwing a look back at Quinn as she opens the first single - She Talks To Spirits - and signs both the sleeve and CD itself, before sliding it over to Elaine and following suit on the Fantasies single.
"You're an ass," she offers back in return, even if he is kind of right. She'd be wearing a smile over this for days to come, almost certainly. "If you give me an email address or a phone number, Aimee… there's already a mailing list Studio K put together for shows and stuff, but if there's anything like this that happens again, I can make sure you know." And it probably will, knowing Quinn.
Aimee just beams at all three of them. "You're amazing. All of you. And you should all feel great about what you're doing. And I can most certainly give you my information." And she searches for something to write down her name, number and email address. "I'm still settling back into the city, but I'd make time for another show."
"Robyn likes to gush about a lot of things," Elaine says, reaching down and signing the sleeve and the cd for both singles. She fishes for some paper, offering that forward so Aimee can give her contact info. "New York can be crazy if you're just settling in, or even back in. It just never stops going. Especially these days."
"Lord, yeah, I don't envy you at all," Quinn offers back with a sympathetic look. "This is probably the worst time to be settling int' the city, I hope you're doing okay?" Forgetting the fact that the cap isn't on the marker, Quinn taps it against her cheek - leaving a nice little black mark she doesn't even realise is there. "Sable's still back stage, but if you don't run off I can make sure she signs everything too." A shrug, and Quinn turns back to the group, just in time for Royce to finish signing the CDs. The marker is offered over to Aimee, Quinn now regretting having torn that piece of paper. "An’ I don't gush!"
Aimee nods to them both. "I was born and raised here, but I've spent the last four years at school for the most part. The city has changed a great deal in those years," she says with a sad smile. "But there are still good people here. And Robyn? Um…the marker…" She taps her cheek lightly, in a mirror of where the mark is on Quinn. But then she smiles warmly. "I'm doing alright though, yes. I have my work, and I'm starting to be able to take time for myself."
Elaine cannot hide a laugh as Quinn gets marker on her face. "Hold still.." She licks her finger and proceeds to try and scrub the marker off of Quinn's face. "Careful with that thing. It's deadly." She nods a tiny bit, then looks to Aimee. "Well, it's good to hear you got to escape for a while for school. New York's nice, but… it's definitely changed over the last four years. I'm sure you'll get used to it again eventually. Just watch out for curfew."
Quinn doesn't really realise why there is a gross, wet finger being rubbed against her face until she looks down at the market, letting out a sigh. "Whatever. I'm sure it goes well with my makeup," she grumbles, slipping the cap back on it proper like. From where he stands, all Royce does is chuckle to himself. A look over to Elaine, and then to Aimee. "Thanks," she remarks, shaking her head. She's half tempted, of course, to unleash the marker on her bandmates for laughing, but she refrains. "Well… keep doin' alright through all of this, an' you'll of well. Things gotta look up eventually, an' I think we may finally be getting there…" Given what she's heard lately, at least, she can hope.
"Curfew isn't much of an issue for me," Aimee confesses with a sheepish smile. "And I hope I'll get used to it. I intend to travel a bit, but as far as where I live goes, I'm here to stay." The shirt and singles are taken, held close as though they were precious. "And I am monopolizing your time. I'm sure you want to meet your other fans, and I'm being rude," she says, glancing around, then giving a slightly guilty look to the bandmates.
Elaine raises an eyebrow just slightly at the mention of curfew not being as much of an issue, and she glances back to Quinn before she looks to Aimee. "Well, it's good that you're sticking around, and don't worry about our time. If we needed to go do something else, we'd say so."
Quinn doesn't seem terribly bothered by curfew nothing an option herself, instead she's fishing into her pocket and pulling out a pass of sorts, handing it to Aimee. 'You're not bein' rude at all. Here, take this, go get sable t' sign your stuff so that you have as complete as set as we can manage. Come to another show, you might get more." She grins, looking back over to Royce. "There's a few people at the booth, Royce. I'll be over there in a minute."
The smile returns to Aimee's face. "Really? That's great. Friendly people as well as fantastic musicians. A rarity, I'm sure. And I'd love to have her sign it as well. Next time I show up wearing the shirt, to show my support.
"Hey, now that is a brilliant idea. Got to generate more of a buzz, you know?" Elaine giggles. "Yeah, wear the shirt and show support. We'll be sure to make sure you get a call or an email about the next time we've got a show."
"No, no!" Quinn immediately turns back from watching Royce walk off, wagging a finger at Aimee. "I’m going to let you in on a little secret from when I used t' go t' concerts, parties, an' raves all the time, dear," meant in an affectionate and friendly way, for anyone wondering. An arm is slung across Aimee's shoulders - finally, someone as tall as Quinn, without being a giant or a midget! - a finger poking into her shoulder. "Don't ever wear the band's shirt to their show. You look like a dork. Those are the folks everyone at the bar an' at the front of the stage laugh at. I mean, I wouldn't. I'd love it. The support means a lot." She smirks, shaking her head. "But that's how it goes."
Aimee smiles warmly at Elaine, then blinks, then frowns, as she listens to Quinn. After the explanation she grows thoughtful. "I don't think I'd care. I'd be showing support for musicians whose music I love, not worrying about the opinions of people I don't know," she decides finally.
"Oh, I didn't know that, but I guess I haven't been to many concerts," Elaine murmurs, but she peers back to Aimee. "I think you should just wear whatever you'd like, then. I don't see any reason not to at least wear the shirt around somewhere and support the band…"
Arm still draped over Aimee, Quinn's eyes moves between Elaine and Aimee for a moment, before she smirks and pats the latter on the smack. "That's what I wanted t' hear," she says as she steps back, a hand lazily motioning at the shirt. "You've earned that. What I said's true, but the fact you don't give a shit an' want t' support us means a lot t' me. So, thanks." See? She wasn't really trying to be mean!
The smile lingers on Aimee's face. "I want to wear the shirt," she tells Elaine, before shifting that smile towards Quinn. "Ahh, testing the loyalty of your fans. A wise, and somehow I'm guessing entertaining, move," she says, the smile forming a grin. "Besides, it's not a hardship to deal with some rude people when you just gave me a shirt and singles."
"Oh, I had no idea that you were… man, Robyn, you're pretty crafty," Elaine says, but she nods to Aimee. "Hey, you're a dedicated fan and I'm pretty sure giving you that stuff will be great in the long run. Good fans get rewarded, huh?"
The smile on Quinn's face is wide as she looks between Aimee and Elaine. "Hey, I get t' be smart sometimes," she mockingly protests, arms crossing. "I like havin' fans. It's really feckin' surreal t' me, but it's nice. So yeah, gotta treat 'em right, eh?" She shrugs a bit, before stepping over to Elaine. "Why don't you take her over backstage before Sable runs off, I know she has t' get all the way back t' Staten before curfew…" She tips up, a quick peck placed on Elaine's lips. "If you head up before we finish here, I'll find you later, love. But I gotta go help Royce now."
She turns to Aimee, a hand placed on her shoulder. "An' thank you for comin' t'night. It's so nice t' know I have fans like you." Okay, Quinn's been good this entire time. But the way she finally gives in and looks Aimee up and down says she doesn't just mean dedicated fans. A wave, a smile, and she's off to the booth.