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Convention Information

BURBANK, CA
(Los Angeles Area)
Fri., Sat. & Sun. January 25 - 27, 2008
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
2500 Hollywood Way

Guests

Lucy Lawless
Renee O'Connor
Brittney Powell
Tsianina Joelson

Ted Raimi
David Taylor
Daniel Sing
Steven L. Sears
Katherine Fugate
Liz Friedman
Zoë Bell

Adrienne Wilkinson

 

2008 OFFICIAL XENA CONVENTION
Burbank, California, USA

January 25 - 27, 2008


Photos & Reports

Created and maintained by MaryD

Con 08 Burbank Lucy, and then Lucy and Renee

Review by KTL
fsktl@uaf.edu

Con 08 Burbank Lucy

 

Lucy. Oh lordy, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.

Lucy was wearing a rich, vibrant blue um, outfit. An unusual one-I wondered if it was a New Zealand creation. I’ve yet to see a picture that caught the exact blue of the outfit-it was almost a peacock blue, but non-iridescent. And what with the matching pants, Lucy was as leggy and as magnificent as a wild Great Blue Heron.

And man, did that outfit bring out the blue of her eyes.

She came out and may have rubbed her teeth as she said, "I have spinach in my teeth. Renee sabotaged me-she fed me salad". Lucy looked around the audience and said, "Lot ‘o men. We’re growing. Twelve years later and we’re growing."

I believe she said that she didn’t want to give out any spoilers for her concert for the sake of the people who hadn’t gone last night but were going tonight. Then she asked, "Did you find it at all revealing?" Someone from the audience solemnly declared, "We did not know about the Jews." Lucy repeated, "JEWS! It’s kind of a Larry David thing." She told us she was mesmerized by "Yentl". "I’d never met a Jewish person before." She talked about how Kenny Loggins looked so much like Jesus. "Ohhhhhh, that’s hot! That’s essential Kenny Loggins." And she made this sound like, "FWAAAAAA!"

"You can’t meet famous people in the flesh-it kills the illusion. An icon becomes just a person. It’s all over, rover." (Did she REALLY say rover? That’s what it looks like in my notebook.) She warned us, "We can’t get too close or you will never come back".

I suddenly remembered that last night at the con, she mentioned being a very young Catholic girl when "I Want To Kiss You All Over" first came out. And that she kept thinking, "THAT is so RUDE!" But she also found it really hot.

Meanwhile, back at the con--Someone in the audience yelled out, "Happy Australia Day!" Then someone (the same one or not?) yelled out something else and Lucy looked around and asked, "Can someone translate?" Then she repeated the screamed suggestion, "Talk about the time I spilled make-up down my crotch and up my wazoo". She mentioned that it had put her in "A very compromising position" and that they had pictures of it.

She looked at us and said, "What a phenomenon that I can stand here and do this". She talked a little bit about Tig and then imitated her. And imitated her laugh. I believe she also gave Tig kudos for being so funny.

She was asked about BSG but said, "I don’t give spoilers".

She repeated a story she’d told us last night at the concert. "A deer committed suicide in front of my Prius." She’d been driving around in a hilly area. She said that the Prius runs so quietly that the deer probably didn’t hear it. The deer fell off the cliff right in front of her car. She said last night that having a Prius smash into you is like smashing into a giant cake. After she hit the deer, she tried to inch forward (and she made a grating, squishing sound with her mouth). So then she backed up. "The Deer Squad eventually showed up".

She said that her car was in the shop, so they gave her a loaner. And what they gave her was a monster truck. "Prius-monster truck." She said she got that sort of embarrassment that riding in monster trucks gives a Prius owner.

A fan yelled out, "Did you get the deer?" Lucy said, "Yeah-I took my monster truck and picked up the road kill."

A fan brought up some magazines from New Zealand, from Xena’s early days. Lucy looked at one and said, "Look-I look just like Daisy!" She looked at another one and said, "That isn’t me." One had a shot of her as Xena with the title, "Lesbians Love Lucy". She said this was very ground-breaking? advanced? something along those lines for New Zealand at the time.

She said something about she doesn’t like to give in to emotional blackmail in regard to all the people who were asking for hugs and/or hijacking Lucy’s time on stage by spending it on telling her and us how Lucy has changed their lives. Luce did say something about giving a shout-out to someone.

She was asked about Kevin Smith. I believe she talked about the caring and generosity of Xena fans, how we had sustained his widow and kids through those difficult times.

"I think of Kevin when I do these gigs. When you’re singing great, it’s kind of like a trick. (He told me) ‘It’s not brain surgery-just let it out.’"

She said something "touched her life" and sadly, I didn’t write down what it was. "There’s lots of pressure in Hollywood to be fancy."

"We’re working on this show (the Roxy concert)-we want to pare it down. We’re having a party with the greatest fans anyone ever had. The Roxy loves it when you guys come. They say you’re the greatest fans. They see huge stars in there that play to like 15 bar flies."

A fan came up and told her that 12 million dollars has been raised by Xena fans. Lucy asked somewhat abruptly, "Where are your references for that?" The fan said something about her girlfriend going online and looking things up and adding them all up. Then the fan told Lucy that a group of fans had run a Xena marathon to raise money. That they had watched all of the episodes back-to-back. Lucy replied without a smile, "That must have been torture." Then she added, "You have two minutes-talk fast."

A fan asked if Season Five with the death of the gods was scary. Lucy said no, "There’s just not that atmosphere on set. Never any moral fear or bad feelings. Just ‘Sorry Adrienne-but the gods are tryna get ya.’"

Someone brought up a book written in 1904, titled, "The Three Fold Path To Peace". And it was written by Xena. Lucy took the book and looked through it a bit-she was pretty gobsmacked. She looked up and said, "What if there’s some connecting somewhere?" I think either she or the woman who brought up the book mentioned Eli.

Next I have Lucy saying, "I’ve seen that-dirty pictures. My face on other bodies online. Morphed. My feeling on that is this is a person with great skills and a boring life."

A fan asked if it bothered her kids (either now or when they grow up?-not sure of the question) that she has such a big lesbian following.

"My sons wouldn’t hate people if we didn’t. We don’t teach them to hate people."

Somewhere in here Renee came back because I have her saying, "Good answer, Lucy."

I cannot begin to understand why anyone would ask Lucy a question like that. Unless they’re a brand new fan who has no idea of the history of the show. Has no concept of how supportive and welcoming Lucy and Rob have been to the lesbian fans, how they embraced them and constantly praise them for their support of the show and for the good that they do in the name of the show.

More hug requests, more my eyes glazed over moments hearing someone talk about how "you changed my life"

The next topic was another fan favorite-discussing Lucy’s hair. The person who mentioned it didn’t like one look-either the brunette or blond, not sure which. Lucy: "I was so different when I was dark." Renee: "I like both. I don’t think Lucy can do anything wrong." (The ever protective Renee. Smile.)

Lucy said to the fan, "I’m not just my hair darling, I’m not just my hair."

I believe it was this same person who essentially told Lucy that in the past her singing has sucked-something about whiskey, breathy, something dismissive. And she informed Lucy that she was a singing teacher. I have written down, "You’re getting better", and then I have "Thank God". Not sure if it was this person or Lucy who added that. Or heck, maybe it was me. Since I don’t have many fans around me to quote, I’m apparently quoting myself.

Same person: "If you were offered an A movie-would you take it?" Lucy: "Oh yeah-I HATE A movies. I’ve turned them down before." I think Renee says about Luce here, "You put an enchanting spell on everyone you meet." Someone said that and it sure doesn’t sound like something THAT person at the mike would say.

And the big finale? This fan said that if they were serious about making a movie, she could help them out with that-that she had connections. Just let her know.

A guy came up and told Lucy that she used to baby sit his kids. She was quiet and just looked at him for a moment. Then he said something else and then it clicked and she began to reach inside her memory bank for the kids’ names, "Jake-Jacob…" She was close-he filled in the names and then I think he showed her that he had a picture of her with the kids. She came off stage and kissed him.

I think Renee asked her how old she was then. "14-15. I baby sat a lot."

Fan: "What was your favorite costume?" "The Annie costume. So comfortable. I still have it. Sometimes I wear it." Lucy rubbed her leg and said, "Mmmmmmm". (I THINK indicating that it was so comfortable. Or else I missed something big. . .)

More time spent by folks talking about how much Xena and the show meant to them. Lucy answered, "Thank the writers for that."

Luce was asked if she had every badly hurt anyone on set. She said that she once hit Kevin Sorbo really hard in the head and this was right after Michael Hurst had hit him so hard he had to have 12 stitches in his head. (Hmmm. Wonder if this was just after he gave that interview where he was ragging on various things about New Zealand.)

Lucy talked about the swords used on Xena. She particularly mentioned the resin swords. "So that when they began filming ‘Lord Of The Rings’, everyone knew how to make swords.

Someone made a mention of FIN. Lucy nodded and said something like, "Yeah, yeah, you wanted the trailer park. Beer cans."

She’s is repeating a comment/concept she and Renee came up with at the recent NY con.

Lucy said then about the ending of the show that, "If Xena and Gabrielle had shacked up on the side of the road, there would be no tension. Nothing to go back to." Then she declared, "It’s DRAMA!"

Today she added about the grrls living in a trailer park, "I always wanted to end my days as Betty Paige." (Pause.) "And I still can."

Then we had this loud, weird, sleazy sounding voice asking a question but there was no one up at either of the mikes. It was a real perv voice and was saying something about watching Xena (maybe undressed?) and finished by asking, "Is that weird?"

Lucy answered, "Ted-you’re an ass and always will be." And Ted peeked out from behind the black scrim on the right hand side of the stage.

Then he added, "I wear my Xena costume but some parts hang over."

People laughed and cheered and clapped and he slipped back behind the scrim, kind of like a "special porn edition" of a little coo-coo clock bird.

A woman said that she met Lucy’s private driver from New Zealand and I think she said he wanted her to say hello. Lucy declared, "I never had a private driver!" Then she realized the woman was talking about for the show-the driver who took her to the set. Renee laughed and said, "Lucy-this is your life!" (Old TV show where people from your past including some whom you haven’t seen in years, like your teacher or your best friend in first grade shows up to say howdy-maybe not everybody got that…) Renee’s wit always cracks me up.

I guess it was Lucy who replied, "Well, thank you very much."

Then I don’t know which one it was or if this was in reply to a question or if they just decided to declare themselves, but one of the grrls said, "We’re not doing any of that fan fiction tonight." Lucy had said last night that she had asked Missy Good to send her some fan fiction but that it was way too erotic for her to read at the concert. She had added, "And I’m not that much of a prude."

Today she said, "Where’s Missy?" Some folks yelled out that she was at Disneyland. One of the grrls said, "Busted!" Lucy talked about the porno fan fic again, saying there were things like "doubled devices" and then said, "Da-da-da, just not my show." She added that Katherine Fugate had said, "If there wasn’t a writer’s strike on, I could help you." (With some little story for them to read.) Then Lucy added, "She’s mad. I was sick (and didn’t go to the writer’s strike Xena day). But if I had gone, I wouldn’t have been able to sing." (It rained and had even hailed that day.)

Fan question: "What’s it like to kiss Renee." Renee: "Yes, Lucy." Then Renee added, "Very nice, very nice." Lucy said, "It’s hard to describe." Renee added, "’Cause it’s so amazing."

Lucy wanted to talk about the worst kiss she’d ever experienced. She said that her Auntie Linda (?) was in a nursing home I think it was and that when Lucy went to kiss her, some of her rheumy eye fluid had dripped down her face and dripped onto Lucy’s mouth. She said it was awful. Renee looked at her and replied, "Thanks." Lucy: "I got a lot of those stories."

Lucy told us how her kids had been watching (Fins, Fems and Gems) where Ted was Atticus. And he had them rolling on the floor. She had to keep rewinding his scenes, but they asked her to fast forward through hers.

They were asked to describe themselves in six words. One of them, Lucy I think, held her fist out and began to uncurl her fingers individually as she said, "I-am-a. . ." One of them put out, "I’m-prepared-some-spontaneous. . ." Lucy said, "Fly by the seat of my pants. . ." (Which is 7 words of course.) She added, "I can’t speak in six words. I need 6 paragraphs".

They appeared to have fun with it.

A fan asked about the war cry and Lucy said I think to the fan, "Okay-do it". Then Renee did it for her. My notes say, "Ren like a high pitched bird." Not sure if Lucy said that or if it was my impression that Renee did it in a lighter tone.

I noticed in either NY or Chicago when Lucy was asked to do the battle cry, Renee quickly looked at her and then just did it without saying anything. With I believe, an awareness that she didn’t want Luce to strain her voice for the concert that night. And she does it real well by the way.

Now at the desert party the night before, Katherine Fugate had gone around to the tables and kept trying to convince people to pull a practical joke on Lucy. Lucy had called some of the fans "Truckers" the night before. Katherine said that she and Renee looked at each other and didn’t know what she was talking about-and that Lucy had been using that term lately. So Katherine wanted everyone who went up to the mike to say something about truckers and then ask their question. Two folks were up there doing that-one said something and then another one said, "Truckers do it in shifts-they have no stamina." They also had made up some trucker shirts. Lucy laughed and talked about how she had made some comment on one of the earlier shows that her fans better not come to the show "Smelling like truckers". And she said that Katherine had gotten into the trucker thing. "Fugate can’t quit texting, "Hey truckers!"

A fan said that on the last Coffee Talk DVD, Renee said that she didn’t know her sexuality until she met Lucy. Lucy looked at her and said, "You did?" Then I think Renee said something like Lucy was obviously so comfortable in her sexuality. Lucy asked why she thought that-was it the outfit? And Renee answered something like yeah, she was so comfortable looking in that. Lucy said, "What makes you think that I was so comfortable in that outfit? I was so embarrassed when I first started to wear it". I think she mentioned the short little skirt. She said that it was really bad for the first few weeks or so. "Then, she got used to it and it was like being a stripper. ‘Oh yeah-I can go to the bank in this g-string’".

A fan asked if they had kept anything from the show. One of the grrls said, "Ted didn’t keep his hat." Then Renee with a very innocent, bland face said, "I kept nothing." Lots of laughter on that one because just about every year Renee appears in an old Gabrielle outfit for her photo ops.

A fan asks, "Describe each other in three words."

Lucy declares, "Ren has balls the size of America. (Africa?) Keep on trucking." Then, "Renee is so courageous. And so pit-bull like for going after what she wants." Then she said, "That’s just two."

Renee said, "Lucy is gracious. And authentic."

And that was the end of that. Rapturous applause, standing ovation, and lots of, "You going' the concert tonight?" which was mostly answered, "Yeah!"

KT

 

 

 

 

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