Found in Surf City
Jose Paul Corona
The look on Jordan Pundik’s face said it all.
As he walked out of the Tilly’s clothing store at Five Points
Plaza in Huntington Beach the lead singer of New Found Glory was
astonished when he saw the size of the crowd outside the store
waiting to meet him and his fellow band members. More than 500 eager
teenagers swarmed the storefront to meet the band and get autographs
on Monday.
The line to meet the rock stars snaked all the way down the length
of the strip-mall.
Young girls in hip-hugger pants and black-leather studded belts
shrieked and screamed the names of the band members as they exited
the store.
“It’s weird,” Pundik said with astonishment as he greeted fans and
signed autographs. “People want my autograph. I’m just a kid.”
The 22-year-old never thought that people would be screaming his
name when they saw him, let alone that they’d know all the words to
his songs.
When the band was formed in 1997, Pundik was only 17 and there was only one thing on his mind.
“I just wanted to get out of Florida,” Pundik said.
The punk band calls Coral Springs, Fla., home but are on the road
now promoting their latest album, “Sticks and Stones.”
After signing autographs for their adoring fans, the group was
whisked away by a limousine to their sold-out show at the House of
Blues in Downtown Disney.
Their music has been played on L.A.-based radio station KROQ-FM
(106.7), one of the most popular radio stations in the region.
The band is known for its incessant touring and incredibly
energetic live shows, in which Pundik likes to get fans involved.
“I like to go down in the crowd and let them sing,” he said.
That dedication to their fans is obvious.
While they had only an hour in Huntington Beach, they weren’t
going to leave until they gave each and every fan an autograph.
They signed, pictures, posters, CDs, guitars, T-shirts, several
body parts and posed for pictures without question or complaint.
They also gave two of their more dedicated fans tickets to their
sold-out show that night.
Long Beach residents Mike Fodor, 20 and Alan Rosenquist, 19, both
rabid fans, arrived at Tilly’s at 2 a.m. Monday. They weren’t sure
how big the crowd was going to be and they wanted to make sure that
they got a good spot in line.
They got the first spot in line.
“We thought it was going to be packed,” Rosenquist said.
The two Long Beach City College students sat in a white Volkswagen
GTI and didn’t see anyone in the store until 9 a.m., when the first
employee arrived. Rather then being chased away or accused of
loitering, employees brought them chairs, gave them water and allowed
them to use the store’s restroom.
The long wait was definitely worth it, the fans said.
“Those are the coolest guys I’ve ever met,” Rosenquist said. “This
is magical. This is better then Disneyland.”
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