Lifelong Katy Perry fan Braiden Palumbo, of Redcliff, shares a viral moment with the superstar on stage during a tour stop at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on July 22.--PHOTO COURTESY BRAINDEN PALUMBO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
One lifelong Katy Perry fan had his dream come true during the pop star’s recent stop in Vancouver as he was called onto the stage to interact with, and educate, the American singer about his hometown.
Perry performed at the Rogers Arena during the opening night of the Canadian dates on her Lifetime Tour on July 22. During a portion of her concert, Perry brought up a group of randomly-chosen audience members onstage.
As Perry was choosing members of the audience to join her, 20-year-old Braiden Palumbo saw his idol walking toward his seats, located at the far end of the stage.
“Once I had noticed that she started walking on the stage towards the section that I was sitting in, I just screamed at the top of my lungs,” says Palumbo. “I was like, this is my moment, I am getting noticed. I put my hands in the air and shook them around like a crazy person.”
Perry saw the die-hard fan in the crowd and brought Palumbo on stage for what would become a whimsical interaction between the two that has since been shared and seen by thousands over social media.
“It feels amazing, I mean I grew up here in Redcliff, I’ve lived in Redcliff all of my life, and to represent Redcliff and share that piece of information with her, and I guess educate her, just makes me feel special.”
Perry warmly begins the interaction by asking Palumbo where he comes from and is taken back by his answer “Medicine Hat.”
“I’m sorry, I need to study better geography,” said Perry. “Where is that?” before confirming the city’s name twice with the crowd. “Medicine Hat? Medicine Hat? Your hats are filled with medicine?”
When asked what he does for work, Palumbo responded, “I work at the Co-op gas bar,”
Perry replies, “I’m sorry you guys are way advanced, what is a co-op gas bar?”
To the laughter of audience members in the arena, Palumbo responds, “It’s like a gas station,” before receiving a hug from the pop star.
“It was so mind blowing, it was so surreal,” said Palumbo. “I never thought I would get picked, all I remember thinking was, ‘is this real? Is this real?’ And then, I actually got up on stage, I’m like this is real, everybody’s staring at me now, oh my god, Katy Perry’s on stage.”
However, Palumbo says Perry quickly put his nerves at ease throughout the interaction.
“I was definitely nervous, absolutely, the more that we kept talking, the more I just got relaxed,” said Palumbo. “She is a really big star, but she is a human being, just like you and I are, and that’s kind of where my mind went.”
Palumbo was gifted a small rhinestone egg-shaped maraca-style shaker that has a KP engraving from the pop star’s team as a memento of his experience.
“I can’t even put it into words, like I can’t.” he says. “I have been a Katy Perry fan for as long as I can remember, so it means the world to me. I will never, ever get rid of that egg, ever.”
