As someone who lives 30 minutes east of Sunset Boulevard, has spent countless nights jammin’ with late night bands at the Fonda and eating dinner at Mel’s Diner at 3 a.m., I consider myself an L.A. local.
Throughout the years, I’ve done more than just hang out in trendy cafes and buy vintage records. I’ve formulated a plan to meet every celebrity and get into any show anyone could be interested in going to.
I’ve met countless celebrities over the past several years, all without having any major connections or spending huge amounts of money. I’ve met a stumbling drunk Tyler Posey (“Teen Wolf’s” Scott McCall) at a hardcore show, I had dinner with Rob Raco (“Riverdale’s” Joaquin DeSantos) sitting right next to me on multiple occasions, and I saw the Arctic Monkeys, while dancing with Jacob Elordi (“The Kissing Booth’s” Noah Flynn).
Not only have I met celebrities, I’ve also developed a way of practically guaranteeing the best seats to almost any concert for the most reasonable price.
While some of this is a matter of a right place, right time situations, there’s always a strategy.
Knowing the resources available via internet is important. With social media, television, interviews and so much more at our fingertips, it has become easy to get almost any amount of information on anyone. I’ve been able to find home addresses, common dinner spots, and airport boarding times just from checking a few things on social media or watching an interview.
These days, concert tickets are expensive and arenas are getting bigger. Overall, it has become harder to enjoy seeing your favorite bands. I’m someone who has been to countless concerts, and I can tell you that I’ve never had a bad seat. My trick is to never buy my tickets in advance.
Almost every venue, from the Staples Center to the Wiltern to the Roxy, will sell tickets at the box office the night of the show. When tickets are bought from the box office of a concert venue, there is a better selection of seats and the tickets are not taxed. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to get fabulous seats. I’ve managed to get front row seats more than a handful of times using this tactic.
If you happen to be at a well-known artist’s concert, chances are everyone and their mother is there too. If you can hangout in the pit or near the VIP section your chances of meeting a celebrity increases a ton. About a year back, I went to the Forum to see Panic! At the Disco and had seats right by the Forum Club’s entrance. About 30 minutes into the show, all of 5 Seconds of Summer comes over and sits right next to me. The key is to just be aware of your surroundings and eavesdropping on other people’s conversations helps too.
At less well-known artist’s show, I recommend checking their followers on social media. It’s super helpful if you know who might show up to see a band they love. The good thing about small shows in small venues is that celebrities have less places to hide and their guard is down because they think they’ll be unnoticed. In instances like these, they also tend to be more relaxed and might be open to having a legitimate conversation with you. Back in 2015, at a Never Shout Never concert, I was able to have an hour long conversation with Awsten Knight, the lead singer of Waterparks and it was honestly the most genuine experience I’ve ever had with a celebrity.
Not only have I met celebrities and get seats close to the stage, for practically any show, but I also recently had the opportunity to be in a music video for a few well known artists. During June, I was picked out of hundreds of applicants to be in a music video for Machine Gun Kelly, Yungblud and Travis Barker.
To be cast in a music video, people usually have to audition first. This was a special case; there was an open invitation to be involved in Kelly’s music video, posted on his instagram story. Anyone could apply and I was lucky enough to get picked. Artists offer these kind of fun opportunities all the time, fans just have to find them.
There’s a few not so well known hangout spot around Los Angeles and Hollywood that are like beacons for celebrities. Some of my favorites are the Viper Room, Toi on Sunset, and the Rainbow. They’re some of the most energetic spots in Los Angeles and just have the best vibes. Anyone you meet knows somebody or has an amazing story to tell. Just talk to people and I swear you’ll meet someone with a story you wouldn’t believe.
None of this happened because I’m special or have connections; it has all been possible due to social media savviness, taking the time to explore Los Angeles and just talking to people. If anyone spends enough time in Los Angeles, they’ll learn all of its secrets, they just have to take the time.
