Met Jesse at Airport in DC and was great experience

This was prob 3 months ago but I was coming back from Nashville to NYC and had a layover in DC. They take us one one of those shuttles to a pretty small plane to fly us home and I look on the other side of the crowded shuttle and sure enough there is Jesse (had a white tee shirt w. jeans on, baseball hat on and a Milwaukee Bucks duffle bag). They're prob my favorite band of all time and I've seen them a bunch so I was sure it was him. He kept looking in my direction and didn't know why at the time but I was right next to his wife, stepson and baby daughter. We board plane and I'm not planning on saying anything but after we get off the flight I'm going up escalator and he's literally waiting right at the top by himself (his wife had stroller w baby and was behind). I figured he was alone and I'd regret not talking to him so I went up to him and put out my hand and said I 'used' to be a huge brand new fan. Not sure why I said 'used' to but that's what came out. He smiled and seemed super surprised and excited and laughed and said 'no way!', asked me my name and how long I'd been listening to their stuff. I referenced this old brand new top gun shirt I used to have prob 15 years ago and he seemed to almost not remember they had it til I mentioned it cuz it was so long ago so I think he respected that. His wife and kids then caught up and he introduced me to them. I walked w. them for prob 3-4 minutes and chit chatted about shows I'd been to and I forget what else. He was so nice it was crazy. He said his life now pretty much consists of taking care of his baby and made a joke about them getting home to feed their dog. I didn't wanna prod but he was being so warm that I asked him half jokingly if I should keep holding my breath for more BN material and he said "we're working on it, I promise" w. a smile. This was prob like a month before Science Fiction came out. At that point we got to next escalator and I said goodbye and shook his hand again and said goodbye to him and his family. He smiled and said it was great to meet you Tommy take care and thanks for supporting us (or something along those lines) and that was that. Def wasn't going to ask for a photo cuz I'm a 32 year old but I'm sure he would've obliged if I had. For him, I'm sure it happens all the time but for me it was pretty surreal experience meeting someone who is a complete stranger but was actually someone who has something to do w. shaping the person I am today who I felt like I knew in this weird way. I've never met anyone I idolized in that sort of environment so I consider myself really lucky. Anyway, figured this was the only place worth telling the story. The part I felt was worth sharing wasn't about the fact that I met him but moreso that he really was genuinely engaged in our conversation and seemed happy/gracious that I approached him. Wasn't awkward at all, zero ego, and totally just seemed like a normal Dad w. his family which is funny to me since he's a rockstar. Obviously, I don't know the dude from a 3 minute conversation but I'll never forget how happy I was afterwards and how weird the universe is sometimes.

/r/brandnew Thread