Robin Williams and Steven Web page » CoffeeGeek

All through operating CoffeeGeek, we came upon that a couple of celebrities right here and there have been in fact lovers of the website online and on an overly non-public word, this made me fairly happy with what we’d accomplished with the group and the tips we printed and shared. One of the vital well-known particular person ever to learn CoffeeGeek was once additionally a slightly-regular, nameless poster in our boards for a time: Robin Williams. And there’s an untold again tale right here which I wish to proportion and make public for the primary time, on our twentieth Anniversary.

Robin Williams

Round 2004, I were given an electronic mail from anyone the use of the identify Robin Williams, asking about some questions about an auto drip system (a Technivorm, if I recall accurately). I duefully spoke back them, and ended the e-mail with “wouldn’t it’s loopy should you had been in fact the well-known Robin Williams?” I were given an electronic mail reaction again with the phrase “busted!”. Left me truly puzzled, so I wrote again asking if he was once the Robin Williams. He claimed he was once, and on best of that, confirmed me that he have been participating at the website online however beneath a pseudonym account, in our then-new boards.

To be truthful, I felt it was once a ruse, and simply left it at that. I couldn’t imagine anyone like Robin Williams would no longer handiest be a reader of CoffeeGeek, but additionally anyone participating in discussions in our boards.

Then in 2006 or so, my good friend Keith, who controlled the ComicShop on West 4th in Vancouver rang me up and instructed me to get my butt right down to his retailer, since the Robin Williams was once within the store and conserving courtroom (Keith didn’t know concerning the electronic mail exchanges, simply that I must get to the shop to look this well-known comic and actor). I did, and lo and behold, Robin Williams was once there, doing improv comedy and making everybody snigger their guts out.

After all I hung round, and simply as the store was once remaining up, Williams was once paying for the huge quantity of comics he purchased (he was once a collector). Keith presented me and after I were given an opportunity, I requested Williams if by means of any likelihood he learn the CoffeeGeek website online and despatched me an electronic mail a couple of years in the past.

Yup. It indisputably was once him.

And on best of that, his response when he came upon who I used to be more than likely blew about part of my mind cells to oblivion. He was once so enthusiastic and excited to satisfy… me!?!! He mentioned he was once a fan, mentioned he learn the entirety at the website online, realized a ton about espresso and coffee, and loved participating within the boards simply as a “commonplace” as I keep in mind him hanging it. It completely blew my thoughts.

Something I at all times regretted about that was once I didn’t have the concept proper then and there to invite him if lets do an interview with him, and even higher, have him as a visitor at the podcast. On the time, I recorded a per 30 days podcast from my house, and we had different well-known folks on it (from the espresso global), however simply believe a Robin Williams at the CoffeeGeek Podcast? I guess he would have mentioned sure too (finally, he almost lived in Vancouver round that point).

However I didn’t. And I by no means did. I didn’t wish to fan-boy out on him. I did then again proceed to respond to his occasional questions the few different occasions he emailed me (closing one was once in 2008). I believed it was once higher if I simply handled him like commonplace and didn’t impose, basically in response to the dialog I had with him on the comedian store two years earlier than.

I cried — actually cried — the day Robin Williams died. Any individual who introduced such a lot pleasure to the remainder of us, however couldn’t to find his personal pleasure, and concealed that incapability so, so smartly. We misplaced an enormous.

Steven Web page

My shyness and hesitance in attractive Williams to be interviewed or a visitor at the podcast caught with me for a number of years after my closing interplay with him, and it was once a be apologetic about. Which is why I had no hesitation about asking the following well-known particular person I knew was once a CoffeeGeek fan for precisely that: an interview I may just post at the website online. And that well-known particular person was once Steven Web page, of the Naked Bare Girls (and because then, an implausible solo occupation).

Round past due 2008, I used to be mindful that Web page learn CoffeeGeek and that he was once a significant house coffee nerd, however how I came upon escapes me nowadays. This was once nonetheless earlier than Twitter was once truly a factor and Fb had simply long gone to public get entry to a 12 months or two earlier than. All I do know is, Web page were given my touch electronic mail and had despatched me a couple of emails asking about the best way to get probably the most out of a Los angeles Spaziale coffee system.

We interacted backward and forward and this time, I didn’t hesitate and wasn’t shy – I requested him if lets do an interview for the CoffeeGeek website online. Smartly, we did, and Web page even shot a couple of pictures of himself in his kitchen, along with his LaSpaz system in the back of him for the interview. And right here it’s, at first printed in April, of 2009.

Since then, Web page invited my spouse and I to 2 of his non-public presentations in Vancouver and Victoria, and I’ve been in a position to provide him some very good espresso as a thanks on each events; and I additionally were given to witness simply how gracious and incredible he’s with lovers, one instance which I will be able to proportion with you currently.

Web page was once employed to do a posh non-public company serve as on the Cactus Membership Cafe English Bay Seaside location all the way through one of the crucial Competition of Mild Fireworks competitions in Vancouver round 2009 or 2010, and he invited my spouse and I to it as visitors. It was once tremendous posh and unique, and I felt solely misplaced (my spouse seemed fabulous and have compatibility proper in). Web page, who smoked again then, all the way through the center damage in his efficiency invited me to head with him to face proper outdoor the access gate house on Seaside Road as a result of smoking was once no longer allowed within the closed off (however outside nonetheless) facility.

So we had been in the market, speaking and nerding out about espresso and coffee, when a lady runs around the side road and engages him. She was once a complete tremendous fan of the Naked Bare Girls and Web page, and noticed him from the balcony of her apartment tower around the side road. And let me let you know, she was once critically dropping it – Beatlemania dropping it – over assembly Web page in particular person. It was once nearly frightening.

Web page was once completely best possible in that second (keep in mind there have been no cameras round, that is earlier than smartphones took off, nobody to report his interplay or keep in mind of it). He acted nearly as enthusiastic as she was once, yelling ‘I will be able to’t imagine I’m assembly YOU!” to her, asking her identify, giving her a large hug, and in fact having a dialog along with her – an enthusiastic, a laugh dialog. The girl was once nearly actually in heaven. This went on for a cast 5 mins.

Then Web page’s supervisor came over and instructed him it was once time for the second one part; the girl remembered that she introduced a BNL track CD and sought after him to signal it however forgot a pen. Web page requested his supervisor to seek out one. One was once discovered, and he signed the CD after which posed for a photograph along with her (she introduced a virtual digicam as smartly); I used to be the person who took the image. Web page then mentioned good-bye, and gave her an enormous hug and thanked her for being a fan.

All the time I stood again and soaked all of that during. How Web page made that lady – one of those loopy, dishelved, nondescript particular person – really feel like crucial particular person in the world. How completely authentic he was once along with her. How thrilled he was once to have interaction along with her. After, as we walked again inside of, he instructed me he by no means were given uninterested in that.

I’ve had conversations and interactions with Web page since that point, however I’ve by no means instructed him how witnessing that incident grew to become me into a perfect fan of his. No longer a perfect fan of his track – that was once already set in stone (The Refrain Lady from his 2010 Album Web page One is one in every of my all time favorite songs of his) – however of him as only a if truth be told just right human being.