NKOTB(SB) in DC

I flew to Washington,DC this past weekend to meet my sister, Marsha, and our childhood BFF, Melissa, for one fun, EPIC night. It was the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys concert.  We were there for the New Kids.

I’ve mentioned here before that I’m a big New Kids on the Block fan.  A Blockhead.   I’m on the older end of the fan spectrum.  My sister is four years younger than me and Melissa is two.  They were in junior high school and I was in high school when the New Kids were at their peek of boy band stardom.  The boys were on every weekly cover of Teen Beat and Bop Magazine.  We were so obsessed that we had the magazine subscriptions. We would jump up and down when the new issues arrived in the mail.  Oh, look!  There’s Jordan with his rat tail getting longer shooting some baskets.  Or, there’s Donnie at a diner! What’s he ordering? Hash browns with ketchup?  He loves ketchup too??!!  Ahhhh!!!

OK, it wasn’t THAT bad, but we did have our scrapbooks.  I was a Jordan girl.  Marsha was Donnie.  Melissa was Joey.  It was perfect because we never fought over our future “boyfriends.”  We saw them in concert at the gigantic Washington, DC stadium. We had amazing seats close to the stage.  We had the time of our lives.  We came early to stalk the tour buses but never met them.

We took a family trip to Boston that summer and OF COURSE Melissa had to come along too.  The New Kids on the Block are from Boston!!  We did the standard family tour of the city, but we just HAD to look for their homes.  The only one we managed to find was Joey’s (score for Melissa!), but he wasn’t home.  Boo.  Melissa did meet Joey’s dad which was seriously the highlight of the trip.  Melissa has that photo.  I have the city tour photos.  (Please note the awesomely long hair, fanny packs, Boston baseball caps and friendship bracelets.  Oh, and the old school Budweiser Superfest T-shirt that I think I gave my sister. And, no, I don’t know why I thought it was cool to pose like that.)

When I left for college, the New Kid love started to dissipate.  They broke up.  The came back as NKOTB.  I graduated from college and started my first radio job in New York City.  I now had access to great tickets.  The three of us went to an NKOTB club show and sat in the front row. They sang brand new songs.  It wasn’t the same.

Then, Jordan and Joey had solo records.  I was living in North Carolina and still working in radio.  I was able to meet them backstage at two different festival concerts.  (My sister came down for the weekend to meet Joey. Melissa is still bitter. Ha.) It was really weird to be in the same space as my teen idol.  It was a thirty second “Hello and “I’m a big fan” and then they were gone.  It was still so very cool.  (Please note my short hair phase.)

Two years ago the New Kids on the Block came back together for their very first concert tour in years.  The three of us went to the DC concert together and had the time of our lives.  My sister was pregnant.  The entire place was filled with Moms.  It was hilarious.  It was just so fun to relive those concert memories from 20 years ago.

Then, this year came the formation of NKOTBSB.  Hey, I like the Backstreet Boys too (they have one of the Best Pop Songs. Ever.), but they are not the New Kids.  We went to the concert for the New Kids.  My sister was the super loyal one and wore her NKOTB T-shirt she bought at the last concert.

My sister wanted to stalk the tour buses again, but no sign of NKOTB at the venue loading dock. So we had dinner and drinks and headed to the show.  It was just as fun as 20 years ago.  We had great seats.  The boys, um MEN, looked fantastic.  They are all in terrific shape and their dance moves were sharp.  Jordan’s voice still has that amazing falsetto and Donnie can still make any girl scream.  Joey just had a baby and he was smiling from ear to ear the entire show.  They sang all their hit songs.  Melissa was the one taking the concert photos and it was no coincidence that every photo was of Joe.

OK, there was one of all their butts.

My husband asked if I would be embarrassed to write this blog post.  To admit that I loved, and still love, the New Kids on the Block.  I think that’s so funny.  Like if I went to a Cure reunion concert I would be perceived as cool?  Who knows.  I’m not ashamed of loving pop music.  The New Kids on the Block were the first boy band sensation cialis best price.  All the other boy bands (Backstreet Boys, NSync, 98 Degrees, etc.) just followed their lead.  And I know it’s not nerdy to say you love Justin Timberlake.   He’s cool.

Well, so are Jordan, Jon, Joey, Danny, and Donnie.  Keep hangin’ tough, guys.  We’ll be loving you forever.  (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)