ALAINA PANGELINA | staff writer
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courtesy of Stefan Lim
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| Grammy U APU represenative STEFAN LIM (left) attended the Grammys as seat filler. |
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THE CLAUSE How did you get to go to the Grammys?
STEFAN LIM I am part of Grammy U and have been the campus rep since last year; I have been involved with Grammy U events volunteering my time, with whatever help they need. That’s something I learned…that you have to be available [for] a lot of events if you want to be known and to network. If you need help, whatever! I was supposed to do media production for the Grammy’s to help with Twittering and updating pictures, Facebook, YouTube, update the Grammy audience with behind the scenes look from red carpet down to press room. They changed their mind, instead of having the LA Grammy U they added other chapters, like Nashville, etc…I lost my spot and felt bad and been wanting to go. So they were like ‘Hey Stefan we can give you a spot as a seat filler.’ It turned out to be better. I was watching the entire show, whereas if I had been working I would have been running around.
TC How many people are seat fillers? What row were you in?
SL There are 10 seat-fillers from APU. But total there were like 100 of us. Dressed beautifully in like suits and gowns, and it turns out many people do this regularly. [For] some, this was their first time and never get to go. Others had been to the BET Awards 100,000 wanted to go. You know the seats the cameras show, like 50 percent are seat-fillers. I was in the first 10-15 rows. We play like a game of musical chairs and on commercial breaks we switch seats and there’s people waiting. Celebrities can walk around if they want or have a drink in the back, talk to other famous people.
TC You can move around?
SL Yeah, but it is like a show, and it’s lots of people moving around. In ten seconds they’re just like hurry and sit where you are, lots of pressure but interesting to watch how an award show works.
TC So you mentioned you got to see how some of the camera people work.
SL Yeah, being around there you see how clock work the camera people to the celebrities to the line feeders to security. It’s like ‘wow’, everyone knew what they were supposed to do. I bet there was like hundred of employees working.
TC Were the rehearsals already like clockwork?
SL They don’t really rehearse the people. It’s more visual-the camera angels. I have a feeling many were figured out on rehearsal, like camera angle. I would bet during rehearsal like the camera was being formulated. It can change all the time. I got to see the huge scale, and how they can change the set in seconds. Next up: one announcer only takes seconds to go from announcer to Katy Perry coming out of the banana to the set with Justin on piano.
TC There are speaking cues? Are they for the people announcing?
SL Some of us would take a peek and see what they were really talking about and know who was coming up next. People are cheering early, cause we can see it but the people above in bleachers don’t know what’s going on, 'cause we read it. This happened when Paul McCartney was to come up before the announcer was done saying it.
TC Are there cue cards for everyone?
SL They're done on the fly, hand-written.
TC Like when Timberlake was introducing out of order.
SL Yeah he might’ve been unprepared, with Chris Brown being arrested and everything.
TC Did you learn anything seeing the actual Grammy event?
SL Other than being star-struck with all the celebrities within 5 feet of you a nd watching them live in person, you realize how you look around and up in the bleachers, you’re with people who paid $300 dollars, and while the music industry has suffered from piracy and not selling physical CDs and the industry and economy not sparing it, I see it as a necessary art. Seeing how this place was packed and pay and sheer amount of people standing hoping to get last minute tickets, it’s still an economy that can make a lot of money. I guess you have to rethink. Music industry’s not about to die.
TC Any memorable reactions or stories?
SL I think the opportunity to go motivates you that these people…when I was sitting behind Harrison Ford, Radiohead, music execs, when else would I be there? It motivates and encourages you….paints a golden endpoint for you that you want to achieve someday. Wow! All these celebrities they know each other. The music industry’s huge and yet very small at the same time. You work with one person, you’ve worked with them all. It excites me to enter the industry that way, then come back like wow! How do I get there? I need to start thinking…good motivation…you need something to spark it up and it keeps you pushing. What an opportunity! Easily a four thousand to five thousand dollar seat where I was sitting.
I met other APU people there too. We were talking, standing in line, and she was doing Global Studies.
TC Why was she there?
SL She wasn’t in Grammy U, she was a regular seat-filler. Others too. I was like a newbie, waiting for someone to call my name, others were just pushing or getting friends with spotters looking for you to get a seat.
TC Do you pick it the day of?
SL Yeah, you’re just a person, they just want to fill the seats. For the first 15 minutes, I just sat there then got smart and worked my way to the front then I was there the beginning to the end, kept my seat pretty much the whole time, got to watch Paul McCartney and Jonas and Neil Diamond was like right beside me, right next to Jay-Z when he performed. I’m really looking forward to the 52nd. Great experience.
TC Go into more detail on sitting in the lobby at rehearsals.
SL I was in the press room, where every radio station, press room for the whole country. The interviews you hear on line are here. East Coast to Nashville come for the week, a couple days before, met labels, et cetera, interviews everywhere. Sugaland came down everyone wanted to interview them cause you don’t’ see them a lot in L.A.—they’re not based out of there. And all the celebrities were there, I mean Ryan Seacrest, Joey Fatone, Bourne Republic, Rihanna, TI, Katy Perry, Andy Dick, Nick Lachey, actresses …Akon, Boyz II Men, secondary top 40s, Flo Rida, R&B, TI was a great vie, everyone knows everyone. If APU can get in there, you know them all. It’s a great community…hugging, high-fiving, it’s the music industry. Maybe with the decline, it promotes community, bros and sisters to each other.
TC So the vibe was?
SL Everyone was updating and no [stuck-upedness]…such a warm community. As much as you think celebrities are pretentious, they’re like, yeah, we’ll take a picture. They’re all friends. I found it refreshing. Rather than thinking individual snobs, they’re all very nice people.
TC Did you ask for autographs?
SL More pictures, but all of them were like, yeah, of course don’t be silly. Joey [Fatone] was like, "well you know there’s real celebrities here right?"
TC Did you ask for autographs?
SL More pictures, but all of them were like, yeah, of course don’t be silly. Joey [Fatone] was like, "well you know there’s real celebrities here right?" There’s also all the pre-Grammy hype. You want to capture as much of the spirit as possible.
TC Any great stories?
SL I saw Snoop Dogg walk right behind me. His entourage was huge, physically. They were like 10 times my size. Nicole Kidman is absolutely gorgeous in person.
TC How was security there?
SL Apart from Staple security, each star had their own guard. More interesting stories: Harrison Ford is huge! He’s buffed, tall, hunky, a chunk of muscle on camera, he looks cool with the jacket, but when he stood he like blocked out the sun. He’s huge, but very nice and humble. I wish I’d had a chance to talk to them, you’re not allowed as a seat filler unless you’re talked to. They have a reputation. [In person] he’s right in front of you. I could’ve reached out and touched…Indiana Jones…Han Solo. I sat behind. Him!
TC Is it still sinking in?
SL Yeah! I was just like I’m staring right at them! Leona Lewis: beautiful…Coldplay Steve Marks, just wow. It’s an experience that helped bring everything to life, they’re real people, not just on the screen.
TC Anything that is so different in life?
SL Like Ryan Seacrest is really short. Shorter than me! Snoop Dogg is really tall, and skinnier!…I wrote the highlights: I had my first visual vomit experience: when Samuel L Jackson that MIA was performing with Lil Wayne, Kanye, Jay-Z and TI and the curtains came up I was like whooooo, from the first note. One of the biggest moment was shouting them, and wanted to cry tears of joy and hug them when Blink-182 confirmed their reunion. I’ve been their biggest fan since forever. Some of the seat fillers are old, not necessarily teenagers. Like grandpas! And they’ve been doing this for years, it’s a culture thing living in LA. You can go to the Jay Leno or Jimmy Kimmel show…some of the seat fillers would have priority maybe because they look like they’re execs and pros. Made some friends…but once there, it’s everyone for themselves trying to find themselves.
TC How does getting seats work?
SL It was Grammy U’s first time: offering members priority seating. I was a pioneer. I wasn’t a jerk therefore saying I’m sitting here! Some do that. I was representing Grammy U and APU. This program is only given out to them, are a commodity [magazine], seat fillers are crouching under each chair, taking maybe 10 of the books, like vultures, sell on e-bay or something for money.
TC Advice?
SL They tell you to come between 1 pm and 3 pm, be there by 1! Wait for 2 hours. You’re the first batch to go in, awesome seats, enjoy a great show.
TC Moving seats?
SL They just point and then you spot a person with a walkie and get their eye-contact. They know you’re ready, they just need a number. If you want a good seat, go get it.
TC How do you join Grammy U?
SL Join right now. Tomorrow, even people get to go to the appearance of LA Chapter members at the Recording Academy, the execs who run the world, the president of it, execs, join ASAP. I wonder why the membership isn’t as big as you would expect it to be. Seat filling also available for all kinds of other awards…TV show premieres, Oscars, Red Carpet events…Now because of this and all the promotion Grammy U does at colleges and to the media, APU can start being one of the liberal art colleges, the first ones.
