The confirmation of Lucas's first official concert created an unexpected wave of excitement across the country. Every major entertainment outlet picked up the story, adding fuel to the growing anticipation.
Lucas's official fan club, which had maintained a steady membership of about three hundred thousand loyal supporters, suddenly saw its numbers explode. Within days, they'd crossed half a million members and kept growing. The surge came from everywhere - not just the US, but passionate fans from Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Fan group administrators found themselves overwhelmed. Their usually manageable WhatsApp, Discord, and Instagram channels erupted with non-stop activity.
"Damn, this is good news, I'll get to watch Lucas perform live. This year is the best," a fan from New Jersey typed excitedly.
"Although I cannot go to US to attend the concert, I am also very excited that Lucas will have a concert! There might be chance that he later have a concert in my country too!" an Asian fan shared hopefully.
"I can't wait for the concert!" The messages flooded in as fans worldwide came alive with excitement.
But amid the celebration, a pressing concern emerged: "Why is the venue so small? Will the Greek Theatre be really enough?"
The worry spread quickly. Twitter and Facebook lit up with discussions about The Greek Theatre's capacity. Many pointed out that an artist of Lucas's profile deserved a larger venue.
The debate eventually reached Lucas's team. Neil stood in Lucas's living room, scrolling through the online reactions. "I told you that the venue you suggested was too small. The label's saying the same thing now. Even your fans think so."
Lucas sighed from his spot on the couch. "Well, I thought this concert would be just experimental — since I'm not planning to go all out on this one. If you think it's not enough, consider changing it then."
***
While the concert hype built among fans, Lucas's Modern Family family couldn't contain their excitement either. His phone lit up with messages from Sarah, Ty, Julie, Ariel, Nolan, and the rest of the cast. They'd all been secret admirers of his music since his "Perfect" performance on the show.
In the Modern Family writers' room, Steven Levitan turned to Christopher Lloyd. "Heard about Lucas's concert plans?"
"Hard not to," Christopher chuckled. "Between social media exploding and our entire cast and crew talking about it, it's all I've been hearing."
"You know," Steven leaned forward, "Lucas hasn't been on set physically for a while now. What if we work this concert into the show? Film Dylan performing with his band - use Lucas's actual concert for the episode?"
Christopher's eyes lit up. "Funny you should mention that. I've been playing with the same idea."
"Great minds," Steven grinned. "Could be perfect - tie Dylan's music career into Lucas's real concert. Kill two birds with one stone."
"It would be great," Steven continued, warming to the idea. "Dylan performing at a real concert, with actual fans. We couldn't script better authenticity than that."
"Plus," Christopher added, "Lucas is still under contract for Dylan's appearances, even if it's mostly been video calls lately. This could be our chance to get him back on screen properly, without disrupting his schedule."
"The only catch," Christopher's enthusiasm dimmed slightly, "is whether Lucas or Warner Records would agree. It's his first official concert... asking to film it for our show might be overstepping."
Steven leaned back in his chair. "True, but remember - Lucas might not even be here if not for you. That recommendation letter got him his first agency. Maybe we could call in that favor?"
Christopher shook his head firmly. "No, Lucas succeeded on his own merit. I just opened a door - he's the one who ran through it and kept running." He paused, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. "Though I'll admit, I never imagined that one recommendation letter would lead to... all this."
Steven caught the pride in his colleague's eyes and chuckled. "Look at you, getting all sentimental about your protégé."
"I am not," Christopher protested weakly.
"No shame in it," Steven grinned. "If I'd been the one to write that letter, I'd be bragging about it at every industry party. Actually," he laughed, "I'm still a bit jealous you got to him first."
Christopher couldn't help but join in the laughter, acknowledging the truth in Steven's words.
"We should contact Lucas's manager right away," Steven straightened in his chair. "Get this ball rolling."
Christopher laughed. "Watch us make complete fools of ourselves asking to hijack his first concert for our show."
"Please," Steven waved dismissively. "After twenty years in this business, if we were worried about embarrassing ourselves, we wouldn't have made it past pilot season."
Christopher smiled. "True. Back when we were pitching Modern Family to the networks, it was just you and me, refusing to give up and learning to grow thicker skin with every no."
***
At Lucas's house, Neil had taken over the living room, turning it into a temporary office while coordinating concert preparations. His phone hadn't stopped buzzing - venues reaching out, Warner Records executives following up, and now messages from an unexpected source: ABC's Modern Family production team.
Neil's eyebrows shot up as he read the proposal. "Well, this is interesting... They want to shoot an episode at Lucas's concert?" he muttered, scrolling through the message.
"Lucas, take a look at this," Neil called out as Lucas walked into the living room, still in his robe with hair dripping from the shower.
"What's up?" Lucas made his way over, peering at Neil's phone screen. His eyes widened slightly as he read the message.
"What do you think?" Neil asked. "Would you be open to their arrangement?"
A smile spread across Lucas's face. "You know, I haven't been on set physically in ages. Kind of miss everyone." He settled into the chair opposite Neil. "Actually sounds good."
"Hold on," Neil raised a hand. "Warner might not love sharing your first concert with a TV show. And the fans - they're expecting a pure music experience, not a filming setup."
"The label's easier to manage than you'd think," Lucas said, leaning back as he rubbed a towel over his damp hair. "And my fans? Most of them found me through Modern Family anyway. They'd probably love seeing Dylan make a comeback at one of my concerts."
Neil stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You've got a point. Before you were 'Lucas Knight,' you were just 'Dylan' to everyone."
"Yeah," Lucas smiled at the memory. "People didn't even know my real name back then. All because of that 'Perfect' performance in the early episodes."
"Things are different now though," Neil pointed out. "You've built your own name, your own brand. Some fans might not appreciate mixing Dylan back into it."
"Well, I know any bad feelings will fade once they hear Taylor's joining me," Lucas smiled. "Especially for 'Let Her Go.' That alone will make it worth it for them."
Indeed, Taylor Swift's appearance at the concert was already confirmed, though kept under wraps. They still needed to work on their collaboration songs in the studio, but having Taylor and Lucas perform "Let Her Go" live would already be a major highlight for fans - more than enough to offset any brief interruptions for filming.
"Besides, watching a TV episode being filmed during a concert? That's the kind of unique experience fans tell stories about years later. It'll be special."
Neil exhaled slowly. "Fine, you win. I'll discuss it with the label executives, but I can already tell there's no talking you out of this."
"Modern Family and Christopher's recommendation got me started," Lucas said softly. "I wouldn't be here without them. Sometimes you need to remember where you came from."
Neil sighed, shaking his head with a gentle smile. "Most people in your position would've forgotten the people who helped them up. But you? You never change."
"Speaking of gratitude," Lucas leaned forward, "any word on Taylor's schedule? Need to start working on those songs soon."
"Just spoke with her team actually," Neil replied. "Her parents gave the green light. Should be able to get you two in the studio within weeks."
Lucas nodded thoughtfully. With the concert planned for January or February, they had time. November would be tied up with the election, and he still had Mockingjay Part 2 to shoot. The timeline was tight but manageable.
***
The weeks flew by. Christopher and Steven were delighted when Neil confirmed both Lucas and Warner Records had approved the Modern Family shoot. Everything was falling into place.
By November, election fever gripped the country. When Lucas and Jennifer showed up at their polling station, reporters swarmed them immediately.
"Lucas, given your Twitter exchanges with Donald Trump about climate change, safe to assume you're voting Clinton?" one reporter called out.
Lucas just offered his characteristic smile, saying nothing. His stance was already clear from his social media presence - particularly his viral SpongeBob comparison that had gotten under Trump's skin. But today, he kept his thoughts to himself.
Lucas had always believed that both major parties, Republicans and Democrats, were just two sides of the same coin. Regardless of who people voted for, the outcomes often felt unchanged.
The government would still prioritize war over addressing pressing issues like healthcare, the rising cost of goods, and improving the quality of life for ordinary citizens.
However, this election felt different. Trump stood out among the Republican candidates, and not in a good way. His actions and rhetoric struck Lucas as overly contradictory and untrustworthy.
While he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the Democrats either, Lucas felt he had no choice but to vote for Hillary. There simply wasn't a viable alternative, and even if one existed, it likely wouldn't garner enough votes to make a difference.