i invited my sister to come along with me because if it wasn't for her being thirteen and in love with donnie wahlberg, i'm pretty sure my love for nkotb would have never come to fruition. also, when i was just a wee little nugget, she wrote a letter from jordan knight and stuck it under my pillow when i was sleeping. all i wanted was a letter from jordan, and she delivered. even if i figured out that it was highly doubtful that he would write such sweet words to me on the same exact teddy bear stationary that my sister had, it was still the thought that counted.
as much as i was excited for nkotb (new kids on the block, for those of you who aren't hip *or over 24*), i was pretty excited for the backstreet boys as well. i am a teenybopper. i'm not afraid to admit that my walls were plastered with justin timberlake and whomever else was in that band of his. i just love a good pop band. plus, i was in the prime age demographic when the pop / boy band phenomenon of the nineties came around. i ate that shit up like hamburgler eats hamburgers. backstreet boys were my number two band, but for a long time they were my bff (like i'd really NOT use the acronym...duh) jocelyn's favorite, so i definitely got my share of the bsb. i knew the dances and all the words, so i knew it'd make for a good time.
walking up to the hp pavilion was crazy. girls of all ages were everywhere. one even had on a shirt which i found to be pretty brilliant. it said, "wait, i thought this was supposed to be an 'nsync concert'. i loved it. they were blaring "everybody (backstreet's back)" and the thirteen year old in me started to giggle. i haven't been to a boyband concert (or former boybander) since 2007 when i went to see justin timberlake. at that point i had to prepare myself to spew squeaky girl sounds, because it had been quite a long while since i'd done a boyband scream. i didn't know if my old as shit self could handle it.
we got to our seats, and they sucked. kind of a bummer, but it was free. who can really complain about a free concert? the boys came on and oh. em. gee. the crowd went wild. the people who came up with this concept are incredibly smart. they filled up that pavilion. girls of all ages were there to relive both 1989 and 1999. it was great.
it was hilarious to see grown ass women acting all a mess when they came on stage. all of the boys (of new kids and bsb) looked great and performed really well as well (well as well - hah). the moves were so-so. i had to cut them some slack though, because 80% of both bands have already received their aarp cards in the mail. they were doing the best with what they have. nick carter tried so hard to look good, but mostly i was just embarassed by him. when i was 13 pelvic thrusts and stroking of microphone stands would have made me gone wild, but 25 year old me laughed at it and said, "really?" joey mcintyre has an amazing voice, and howie dorough and brian littrell are adorable as all hell. it was fun and a very interactive show.
you definitely could tell who was there for who, because the ladies with the gray all seemed to sit down when it wasn't time to do the new kids dance anymore and the youngins all jumped up to dance along to the "everybody" dance. i'm fortunate to like both bands, and know the words to most of the songs. although many after my generation probably do not. when i told my dearest boo, joey (who is 22) that i went to the nkotb concert he literally had no idea who i was talking about. not even after i belted out some right stuff & hangin' tough. i thought that he had to be crazy, but then i realized that i was just old and he was barely a twinkle in his momma's eye.
if you have the chance to see them, i'd do it. they deliver and your adolescent self will thank you.
don't be embarrassed -- feel free to sing along.
i was so happy to see that i wasn't the only one who busted out in this dance, too!
