Oh My Josh!
Naples News
January 28, 2005
By Kori Rumore
Faithful fans and friends, Grobanites unite for pop star's first visit to Southwest Florida
It's midnight and Lois Titus is trying to stay positive.
The retired nurse from North Fort Myers has been waiting for a glimpse of Josh Groban, the 23-year-old singer who has been dubbed "The boy wonder of the voice" by The New York Times. She has been a fan since her daughter, Laura, gave her a Groban CD four years ago.
His songs — "You Raise Me Up," "You're Still You," and "To Where You Are" — have helped him sell more than 10 million records.
On Wednesday night, after Groban's first-ever Southwest Florida concert at Germain Arena, Titus waited by a makeshift fence near the tour buses for two hours, putting a sweater over her red rose-print shirt when it got cold.
"You don't ever want to expect more from him than what he can give," Titus said.
Finally, a little after 12:30 a.m., arena security chased away the final 20 or so fans, telling them that Groban had left right after the concert. It was time for Titus to go home.
"One good thing about all these cars being gone is now I can find mine," she said, walking to her little red one.
Spoken like a true Grobanite, a self-titled nickname for Groban fans. Inspired by powerful, breathtaking ballads, Groban's fans flock to his concerts. In 2004, Groban's freshman "Closer" tour was No. 20 on Pollstar's Top 25 tour list. Groban's 2005 tour has him performing in four Florida cities.
To Titus, a Grobanite has all the characteristics of a good friend. "It means to support him, respect him, to be loyal and friendly with the other Grobanites," she said.
Before each concert, Grobanites get together and exchange homemade souvenirs such as bookmarks and refrigerator magnets. They catch up on stories, about each other and about Josh. They give each other yellow rose corsages, a symbol of friendship.
Titus and another local Grobanite, Cheri Tarman of Port Charlotte, organized the get-together before Wednesday night's concert. Titus and Tarman, who met on the Internet, booked the Cypress Club for two hours beforehand, eating dinner for $20 a head.
Titus keeps in touch with other Grobanites through Groban's fan club, called Friends of Josh Groban. The $40-a-year club maintains a Web site where fans can purchase pre-sale tickets, download photos and music videos, and even check in to see where he is each day. Most of the diners at the Cypress Club are fan club members.
Peggie Devan drove from Sarasota to see Groban perform for the third time. She first saw him sing at the 1999 inauguration of former California Gov. Gray Davis, and says he has only improved since then.
"I liken him to a muse. He's my inspiration. He allows me to be creative," she said. " His music gives me inspiration and motivation to improve myself. In that way, I find myself more giving to other people."
A surprise phone call from Groban himself gave Devan the surprise of her life. She won backstage passes to meet Josh at his Tampa concert last year, after winning a contest with a poem she wrote about him in Irish brogue. The part-time nurse said she wasn't nervous before meeting him, and that the experience taught her a lesson in fan etiquette.
"Don't tell anybody if you have backstage passes, otherwise they'll hand you all kinds of things to give to him," she said.
Devan also remembers Groban's warmth toward her. "He hugs very well," Devan said. "His handshake, for his age, is a very sturdy, strong handshake. Unbelievable eye contact, too."
Wednesday's show was the ninth Groban concert for Carolina Aguilar of Orlando. The farthest she has traveled for a Groban show was to Los Angeles, where she attended the taping of the "Josh Groban Live at the Greek" DVD.
"It's like watching your favorite movie all over again, only more expensive," Aguilar said. "Plus, you can meet Grobanites from other places."
Maureen McNally of Ft. Lauderdale was one of six Grobanites who said they would attend all four Florida shows this month. She's also organizing the get-together prior to the Ft. Lauderdale concert this weekend.
"I'm putting together a gift basket for Josh filled with my special oatmeal surprise cookies, Florida oranges and grapefruits, and a copy of the movie 'Where the Boys Are.'"
Roxanne Britt and daughter, Emily, are an example of how Groban's music appeals to different generations. They have more than 40 posters of Groban in their Apopka living room.
"I recently went through a divorce and Josh's music has brought so much joy to my life," Roxanne Britt said.
If Tuesday night's sold-out concert was any indication of Groban's popularity in Southwest Florida, you can bet he'll make another trip to Florida soon. For now, Titus, like most Grobanites, will be content watchin Groban and his voice mature.
"I have never been so excited about another performer," she said. "I had given up on ever hearing a decent voice again. When I heard Josh, he filled that void, and it was like an answer. His songs really do raise you up. There's just no getting around it."
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