My friends and I hung out at the Ranch Bowl all the time mostly to see 2 Skinnee J's and The Urge in the late 90's. We were sitting outside of the Ranch Bowl leaning up against the building minutes before the opening band was going to start. We weren't planning on watching them. Just then this guy walks by us and says "You guys should go in to watch the opening band I hear they are pretty good!" So we went in to see that the guy who said that was the drummer Jose from Incubus. I think there was like 8 people in there. We were like "Jose you got us!" After the show they had a merch table set up and they signed a bumper sticker and a signed CD, for me and we went with them to Denny's to eat! After that we ended up putting Incubus on our "must go to shows" we became pretty good friends. We also ate with them after a show in Lincoln at the Old Chicago and we would follow them to Lawerence KS and see them 3 nights in a row (Ranch Bowl, Lincoln, Lawerence). I had some jewels glued to my eyelids and Brandon wanted to wear them. We also met up with them at Ozfest and Brandon spotted me and came up to talk to me. I saw them one last show in Lawrence KS. I was newly pregnant at the time. Brandon invited us backstage to eat from the band buffet and said I could go get a massage.... He told me if it was a girl to name her Genevieve, Then they just blew up and went mainstream. We drove to KS to see them once and we got there and the door said "Incubus Cancelled" We were really upset. That was what was so awesome about the Ranch Bowl. You always had to make sure that you watched the opening band because the next time they came around they were HUGE. I always wrote down all the names of the bands I saw and if I met them or not! There was no other place like it! If you never went there you just don't get it. I also have a scrapbook. I have tons of pictures mostly of 2 skinny j's and the urge. I also have posters, ticket stubs and autographs. The bands that I became friends with were 2 skinnee J's, the urge, funk junkees and incubus. We also saw Keanu Reeves band Dogstar. I remember him just kind of hanging out on the stage trying not to be seen. I caught a pink pick. My friend loved him and wanted to meet him. We waited outside the Ranch Bowl forever for him to come out. Security kept telling us to leave that he had already left and snuck out. So we left. We drove by later and saw a bunch of people still standing outside, so we went back. Security said "Ok he is coming out... please be quiet, respectful and he has agreed to take a few pictures but don't talk to him" We waited in line and we didn't have a camera so we made friends with someone that said she would take a picture and send it to us. We were getting closer to meet him in the line and this drunk chick started to scream "Keanu I love you!" He like freaked out and started to run. My friend and I got into my car and started to follow him to the double tree. Security stopped us and said we had to leave the premises.
-Sarah