Page 85 of For One Night Only

It’s finally here, Glitterbugs: the Glitter Bats return to the Hollywood Stadium for one night only! We know you’re all excited.

It’s been a rocky summer for Tinseltown’s heartbreaker Valerie Quinn, whom you may have seen most recently in the yet-to-be-renewedEpic Theme Song, but love looks good on the pink-haired songstress. Her beau, heartthrob Caleb Sloane, is back and better than ever. Punk rock’s boy next door has been quiet about his work away from the industry, but all reports say he sounds the best he’s ever been. Perhaps he’s getting inspiration from his new-old flame. If you missed their hot kiss on the red carpet, clickhere, but prepare to fan yourselves.

The two lovebirds are supported by jack-of-all-music-trades rhythm guitarist Riker Maddox, who was last seen filling in with Lime Velvet and absolutely shredding. (Real fans will remember that the Glitter Bats opened for LV back in the day!) Percussion master Keeley Cunningham keeps a steady beat from her drum throne, which has been installed in many recording studios over the years—you’ll even see her credited as a cowriter on former flame Bianca Martin’s seductive pop song of the summer, “Your Body and Mine.” Triple-threat Jane Mercer rounds out the group on the keys, and the songwriter, music director, and piano genius hasbeen keeping busy working on The Network’s newest hit series,Into the Dragon Realm.

The Glitter Bats have been busy bees apart, but they’re flying back to the stage together.

We spoke to a representative for the Glitter Bats who promised an exciting show—and hinted that there will be at least one surprise in store for fans. You won’t want to miss it!

Tickets have been sold out for weeks, but you can still catch all the hits streaming live on The Network. (Premium rates apply, see website for details.) And follow our Glitter Bats tag for nightly updates—I’ll be sure to share juicy details as they become available.

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Caleb

During our final sound check at the stadium, I can’t stop staring at Valerie.

The purple hair looks amazing, but she looks good in any color. That’s not it. There’s something strange about her today. She’s too enthusiastic, too cheery, too…different. It’s like she’s a louder, brighter, more intense version of herself, and it makes me feel like she’s a thousand miles away instead of standing at the microphone next to mine. After waking up tangled in the same sheets, the distance puts me on edge.

She’s always been fidgety, but today it’s different. As we go through vocal warm-ups, she’s jumping up and down on the balls of her feet. While Riker goes over his setup with the guitar techs, Valerie keeps adjusting and readjusting her mic stand. At one point, she just walks over to the edge of the stage and stares out at the thousands of empty seats, like she’s looking for something.

It’s got to be nerves. I know we’re all feeling them. The afternoon sun above the dome is hot, and the pressure is on. But still, I’ve never seen her like this before. Maybe it’s just my own anxietyoveranalyzing the situation, but I think that’s an easy excuse to ignore my gut.

On the last run-through of “Ghosts,” Val goes sharp bordering on shrill on the chorus, and it’s obvious to everyone by now that something is off.

“Jeez, Valerie, save some for the performance,” Riker says, reaching for his next guitar.

“I don’t know, we have a long-ass day ahead of us—if you took something, I want it,” Keeley says dryly, but she shoots me a nervous glance. I’m not the only one who noticed this is weird.

Valerie blinks, tossing her hair out of her face. “What? Y’all know I’d never take anything, especially before the most important performance of our lives! I’m fine!”

The most important performance of our lives.

My stomach twists. When did it become that? I fiddle with my bass strap, readjusting my instrument.

I thought we were giving fans one last glimpse of the Glitter Bats. We have nothing more to prove. The concert is sold out, and Valerie is all over social media. Fans are arguing about whether they want to kiss her or be her. They’re praising her talent and poise, defending her against the haters, making content about her best moments.

Valerie Quinn is no longer notorious—she’s beloved.

Everyone says nice things about the rest of us too. It doesn’t matter to me, but I know Jane and Riker and Keeley have gotten positive feedback from their teams. This reunion is going to help all of them.

And if I can’t stay, it’s the best parting gift I could give my friends.

“Well, your vocal coach would remind you to dial it back,” Jane says gently.

Valerie laughs, almost maniacally. “Right. Of course. You’re soright, I just got excited. I’ll totally dial it back.” Every word comes out slightly too fast, like she’s a podcast set at 1.5 speed. She puts her hands on her hips, then in her pockets, then grasps her microphone like it’s a lifeline.

Jane frowns but tosses her hair over her shoulder and blinks, adjusting her setup for the next check.

At least we’re not running through everything, just checking levels, and we get through “Daydreams Like This” in a much calmer fashion. Still, it’s almost as if I can feel Valerie vibrating, like she’s pounded a dozen shots of espresso. She paces between her mic stand and the front of the stage, fiddling with her earbud, like she’s not happy with the in-ear monitor. But we dialed that in hours ago, so it shouldn’t be an issue. It’s like she can’t stop moving.

Usually our eye contact on the bridge feels warm and a little seductive, but today it’s odd. Like she’s trying to send me a message, but I can’t sense what it is. There’s a disconnect, and I want to find it before we get onstage.

We all have to head to hair and makeup after rehearsal, so I try to pull her aside quickly, but she just tells me she has to “take care of something” before she disappears.

After we’re styled, we all show our nerves in different ways:Riker is obsessively checking over his iPad, ensuring he knows the changes; Keeley is fiddling with the drumstick she cracked earlier today; and Jane is playing a word game on her phone between bites of her rice bowl. Even Wade starts pacing when he comes to check in on us, and he asks about Valerie. That’s when I really start to worry—she always checks in with him, if no one else.

She reappears just in time to eat half of her chicken wrap before the last VIP event—a meet-and-greet cocktail hour just before showtime. Half of this event is fans, and the other half is industry people, so we’re all extra aware of our behavior.

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