When i get out, there is NO ONE on the floor. I go to the elevator bank, and when it arrives I realize I can go to whatever floor i want. I choose 8, b/c we were in the balcony, and i figured the band would be one floor below where the taping was. I get out of the elevator and start walking through security. No one stops me. I continue to walk and i see signs that say Green Rooms. 

I go through a long hallway, and i see almost everyone from the band, except Trey. I shook hands with Tony, Russ, Dave, Cyro, Peter??(flute) and Jen (then gave Jen a big hug and said she rocked). I told them they all rocked last night, and i couldn't wait to see them in Maryland. At this point some more people start coming out of rooms (Ray, and then some other people i didn't recognize). At this point I go right outside the hallway and i pretend i am talking on my cell phone. 

All of the sudden the whole band starts walking down this hallway. And about the 7th person in line is none other then TREY!!!! I swear to you at this point I'm two feet away, and just waiting to get tackled by some security guard. Anyway i manage to say "Hey Trey," and he stops and shakes my hand. I went to give him a hug and he just laughed. He asked me if i enjoyed the taping and I told him how much i did, and how last night's show rocked and I was going to see him in Maryland. 

I asked him if he could sign my ticketstub from last night and he said sure. Then I told him that i had two copies of a picture that i took of him front row at Maryland '99 doing the meatstick. I asked if he could sign them as well. He said no problem, asked for my name and signed it. I then asked him if he could sign the other one to my girlfriend who was not lucky enough to be here this instant. He said that was so sweet and nice, and made one out to Claire as well. 

At this point I'm shaking and he keeps asking me questions, like how long I have been listening and stuff. I told him that my life changed in '94 when i saw phish for the first time. Then some guy comes up to us (realizes we are in the middle of a hallway in NBC studios), and says, "Trey we are going to be late," and he gives me an evil-eye look.

Trey says goodbye, it was great to meet you, and then i see a security guard containing like 10 people that had some how stuck around to try to see Trey. I asked him how to get out of there (i was not thinking straight, to say the least). He looked at my shaking hands holding the autographed pictures, and said, "well i guess you got what you wanted, why don't you just take that elevator down."  

And at that point i get in an Elevator with Trey, the whole band and i guy from NBC. We get to the lobby and security escorts them to a back door where a van was waiting, and I met my friends outside, and was ecstatic. As soon as I came out, they knew were i had been (crazy intuition i guess).

This has been the greatest Phish/Trey experience yet. I know there will be more, but this was AWESOME!!!!

p.s. funny excerpt from my girlfriend Claire's email:

As for Trey... We went to see a taping of the late show with carson daly because trey was the musical guest. After the show, Mike had to run to the bathroom, so we were all waiting for him right outside. After he didn't come out for over 20 minutes, we knew he was with Trey.

Apparently, when Mike got out of the bathroom, there were no security people around. Therefore, he got in the elevator and pressed the floor right below ours, thinking that maybe the guests rooms would be there. He got out of the elevator, and just walked right into the room that Trey and his band was in. He talked to them for a few minutes, rode down on the elevator with them, and got two pictures, that he brought with him, autographed. One was made out to mike, the other was made out to me. CRAZY!

- Michael Merkur