The secret hideout of Billy Blaze was not a
secret for very long. A Canadian fan of Commander Keen soon brought the
attention of other Keen fans to a mysterious fortress in the Canadian
wilderness.
Surely this fortified mansion, with its blatant Commander Keen
motifs could be none other than the dwelling of the elusive Billy Blaze?
All that was known for sure was that a mysterious millionaire recluse
lived within its walls. Who else could it be?
Word of "Keen Mansion", as it was dubbed, spread throughout the many
Commander Keen internet chatrooms like wildfire.
In June of the year 2000, a gathering of
over four thousand Commander Keen fans had moved to take up
temporary residence in front of Keen Mansion, and the crowd was still
growing. Many of Billy's old colleagues were in attendance, including
Johnny Dash Daniels and Robert Prince. For an astounding twenty-three
weeks, the gathering known as "Keenstock" camped outside the mysterious
mansion, performing songs from the album Eat Your Veggies and
other acts in an attempt to draw Billy Blaze from within his stronghold.
An enormous stage in the image of Keen's football helmet was erected to
facilitate the performances.
Popular musicians such as Tom Jones,
Christina Aguilera and Marilyn Manson, not to be outdone by Princess L.,
also came to perform for Keenstock at no extra charge.
Many claimed that the likes of this
monumental gathering had not been seen since Woodstock '69. But although
this extravagant attempt to bring Billy Blaze out of hiding seemed to be
in vain, hopes were high. And eventually, it all paid off, in a way that
nobody could have expected.
