Note: Please First Read "The Early Days of TBOX 1-2-3-4-5-6" if you haven't already!

By early 2002, I was STILL not back in Chicago, until a few twists of fate not only brought me home on May 8th (I remember the day!), but home to a new home housesitting for my friend Powlen and living in the heart of Wrigleyville, at 937 West Newport, an address which would become important in TBOX history!  Coming back into the Chicago scene, I felt like I'd been gone FOREVER, and honestly didn't know if anyone would remember me or if I would still fit in.  But a strange thing happenned - everywhere I went, people were like "Hey, TBOX Guy!  TBOX was awesome! When is TBOX this year?  I had a blast at TBOX!  I met you at TBOX!"  It was then I realized, wow, through all this time, TBOX literally was my lifeline back to Chicago. In each of the past 2 years, it was THE one thing that kept pulling me back, like the cord connected to an astronaut on a spacewalk.  I was BACK, BABY!  And being back, 1/2 a block away from the TBOX site and not 2500 miles away, I was determined with a VENGEANCE to make TBOX7 the BIGGEST and BEST TBOX EVER.  And for its time, it certainly was, which is why I call it...

TBOX7, The Triumphant Return (2002)

By late September, I was well into TBOX planning and promotion, and as the fever pitch built toward TBOX7, I was spending more and more time on it (which was probably a contributing factor to losing that last job I had!), and I knew it was a good sign when I had over a dozen friends flying in for it, from LA, Seattle, Florida, New York, all over the country.  With 10 people staying at my house, we all went out the night before, where I strenuously avoided doing shots, and managed to get in bed by 1AM.

When I awoke the next morning, TBOX7 dawned to a crisp and sunny day.  As we gathered the last of the badges and other preparations, we began 2 traditions that would last through TBOX11 - A) Anyone who wanted meeting at my house beforehand, and B) Holding the Olympic Torch Relay Ceremony starting on my front steps and going to Bar #1, marching down the middle of the street with the torches, singing the Olympic Theme.  It was also the first year I knew FUJI, who, is kind of important, and, it was the last year of TBOX before I started my companies.

Anyway, with all the anticipation, TBOX7 was a BLAST, and we had about 1600 people, and it was the First Year for "The Frame", Stickers, Laminated Badges, and a number of the other innovations you see today.  With my friends Biggins, LA Michelle, Seattle Greg, Kate, Scott, and Melanie helping me laminate the badges in my own kitchen, and thanks to help from our friend Amir, we were ALL Fancy with our TBOX7 badges and by this time, starting time had moved to Noon. (A note: the TBOX starting times evolved backward thru the years from 4PM to 2PM to 1PM to Noon to 11 to 10 to 930 to 830am in 2009)

So, TBOX7 was a very important TBOX. By the time TBOX7 was over, there was NO DOUBT that TBOX would go on every year, indefinitely, FOREVER, and become a Chicago Institution, and something that it was expected of me, nay, DEMANDED of me, to do every year in perpetuity!

View All The TBOX7 Photos Here on Flickr!  

The First Frame at TBOX7 on 12/14/2002 with Current Royal Court
Members Seattle Greg, Carrie Delight, Goze, and Bill


Jennifer T and The Santas at TBOX7

Getting TBOX7 Badges Together in My Apartment That Morning

A Then-Unknown Marina & Jodi (30 & 31) at Bar 1 of TBOX7!

View All The TBOX7 Photos Here on Flickr!