Insider Guest Column by Amy and Tamara

Townsend Insider GUEST COLUMN
October 7, 2001 by Tamara and Amy
Townsend Street Team

I think meeting Townsend was a stroke of luck. We were at a Christina
Aguilera concert and in the process of walking around we saw four very cute
guys we recognized from previous concerts working for 94.9, but this time they
were just there as themselves. They looked like they were there for a reason,
and not wanting to look stupid we asked some of the girls around who they
were. That's when we first heard the name Townsend. Of course we went up and introduced ourselves and talked, I think I even remember saying something as stupid as "Wow you guys are so fine to them and then like everyone else we
got pictures with the guys.The guys were attempting to promote themselves by
handing out business cards, but weren't getting the opportunity because of all
the girls around. We stepped up to the plate and offered to hand out the
cards. With in a half an hour we handed out all that they had given us. We
walked out of the concert wrapped up in cold New Kids on the Block sheets and
went home that night in total teenybopper mode talking about what we could do
to make a fan club for the guys and the next time we could see them.Yes I know
it's sad, but true. And that's how it all began. Who would think that a year later it would have progressed to where we have come. We are now partners in crime in almost all that we do, even being 3000 miles away now.We run the Townsend Street Team on and offline and have so much fun doing it.

This is our story.

Amy:
I remember the night before the Christina Aguilera concert I celebrated my
best friends 18th birthday. That was a long night; I think I got 2 hours of
sleep. I don't think Tamara even knows this, but I woke up the next morning
not sure I really wanted to go to the concert. (Side Note: Most Townsend days
start off with no sleep and not wanting to go, hmm) I went anyway. I showed
up late to Tamara's house and it was an interesting day of scavenger hunts,
New Kids on the Block sheets, and cookies. Even almost dying on the way home
from being so tired I was (and still am) really glad I did go. But that's
beside the point really. The point is we started out like everyone else,
fans.You have no idea how many times we stayed up late talking about "how
cute" Townsend looked or "Oh my gosh, they got a new member" and "I wonder
when they are going to put up new pictures". I admit it. We were really sick
in the head. We started the Townsend Street Team with really no idea it would
go anywhere. We saw there were plenty of other Townsend sites and fan clubs
and figured ours would just blend in with the rest. Yet we still worked hard
at what we did. We bugged the guys asking for favors and news. We went to
appearances and concerts just like everyone else and did our work. We handed
out flyers and talked to people and slowly it started to grow into more.The
fans were now recognizing us. People I had never seen or talked to were now
coming up asking us if we were "Amy and Tamara". People were making us sound like we were special or something. "Amy and Tamara" who are they? You mean strawberry and grape, the nerds, right? The guys who we were begging for favors were now asking favors of us. When did it change? Now I know this sounds weird but at the same time the Street Team was changing from "another
random Townsend fan site and club" Tamara and I started to change. We started to devote more time to working for Townsend because we believed in them rather than because we thought they were cute. At the sametime the whole idea of being a fan of Townsend started to grow hazy. Tamara and I have devoted many hours trying to figure out why we don't feel like we use to. We have yet to
find the answer. Why don't we get that same high when we see them or why its
been so many months since we have stayed up late talking about how cute Matt is or something like that. Speaking of Matt I think maybe that was one of the turning points in the whole relationship between the guys and us. Jayden is a great guy, but when Matt joined the group he really changed the whole atmosphere of Townsend. The first time we saw Townsend with Matt, that's the
first time I can remember us just being ourselves around the guys. Anyone
remember the game the Sownten Six-pack was playing that night? I guess at a
point you stop caring what they think. (Anyone who saw us the morning of Santa
Cruz, you know what I mean. haha)

Tamara:
At some point we realized that Townsend are just as big of nerds as we are
(if we are strawberry and grape i guess that makes them the rainbow pack), and
you don't care if your hair is messed up or if you are in your pajamas. We
started hearing stories about farting and other things that you really just
don't need to know about the guys... Things you just don't want to know
about the guys. Now, (for some unknown reason) we enjoy these stories, don't
get us wrong, but somethings we know, like their "special signal" do
still scare us. Everytime you see the guys it's like you are taking a step
away from being a fan and towards being a friend and getting closer to the
guys. I know the fans that have been around know what I'm talking about.
People ask us why we do the Street Team on almost a daily basis. And I
always tell them the same answer-because we LOVE it. We work hard and even though we have people try and bring us down sometimes, it doesn't work and I don't think it ever will for the fact that like Amy said, we believe in what we are doing. We know that the guys of Townsend have the potential to make
it, and we want to be able to say we were there from the beginning.

I guess you can say Townsend has been an adventure for us. We have
experienced so many different things and hope there are many more to come. You can be sure we are in it for the long haul and ready for anything that comes
our way.

Note from Mrs. T Rex: Thanks to Amy and Tamara for taking the time to write up their thoughts on Townsend. I'm not sure I understand it all, but that's ok, I don't have to - you folks were friends of Townsend's before I even knew the guys had formed a group! But one thing is for sure, you both are loyal to Townsend and you know the guys appreciate it. Take care and thanks again!!

T Rex thanks you, too. (You know he always likes it when people write... So - Trex, if you are reading this... when are you gonna write some more for us?)

Return To Insider Column Index