7:21 am November 18, 2008NKOTB,
Guess what I did Saturday night? I totally partied. Like a rock star. Like someone who isn’t old and pregnant and totally uncool.
But first, a little backstory: My very first concert was when I was 12. It was New Kids on the Block and Tiffany. But really, at the time I wasn’t as interested in Tiffany as I was in the New Kids. Donnie in particular. He was the “bad boy” of the group. See, here he is wearing a badass bandana and a shirt with skulls… and not just regular skulls, but skulls that eat their own crossbones!!
I know, totally hot, right? And when I was 12, I thought that I was going to marry this guy. But then I got a little older and figured out that although it’s fun to date the bad boys, you don’t marry them. (Just to clarify though: I never had the chance to actually date Donnie.) That first concert was amazing. I squealed my guts out. Had I been close enough to the stage, I would have flung my training bra up to them. And then my mom would have made me go up there and get it back, because that would have been wasteful and over her dead body would she have shelled out another $12 for another training bra when I had a perfectly good one, but decided to throw it at some boys. I mean, that’s what would have happened, if we were front row. But we weren’t.
So Saturday?? The New Kids (hereafter referred to as NKOTB) came to Salt Lake City for their reunion tour. And I went, baby. I went with three of Jon’s five sisters, all of whom also attended NKOTB for their first concert. Two of them — the twins, Jen and Juli — also happened to be FRONT ROW at their first concert… which made me jealous, even hearing about it 18 years after the fact. I don’t know for sure if any training bras were thrown at that particular concert. And they told me that Jon, their then-teenage sweetheart of a brother, made them posters to take to the concert. Posters that he made himself with the New Kid’s faces drawn on them. And according to his sisters, Jon drew them pretty well. (And this is why I know that I married the right guy… because bad boys wouldn’t think enough of their sisters to make sweet posters for them to take to a stupid concert.)
So Saturday we drove up to Salt Lake and had our second experience with NKOTB. It had been 20 long years for me, and it was so. much. fun. As usual, I had the camera glued to my face. Because as a (recently lagging) blogger, I experience much of life through the lens (or LCD screen) in order to share it with the world. Or at least twenty or so readers. And in one way it’s good, because I had 99 pictures and video clips by the end of the night, to upload for posterity. And everyone’s all excited that I got some good shots. But I was probably the person there who was least in the moment because instead of thinking “Holy crap I can’t believe I’m here! How can I possibly get back stage and make out with Donnie??” I was thinking, “Holy crap, I hope my camera battery doesn’t die before I can get video of Jen and Juli dancing, and is my focus working right??” Yep, that’s where my head kinda was. Though there were definitely some moments where I was ga-ga over being in the presence of Donnie, and you will find that my pictures are very “Donnie Heavy”. (Sorry girls, there weren’t very many shots of Jordan.) You can totally tell who my favorite still is.
A few highlights:
In order to get into the NKOTB spirit, and channel the fashion insanity of the 80′s, we first had to all peg-roll our pants. If you were at all fashionable in the 80′s, you know what this is:
Yes, my shoes are the least attractive of the bunch. They are comfortable. And orthopedic. And if my water breaks, I’m not worried about ruining a good pair of shoes.
Joe, looking nice, and still the “baby” of the group. (But “baby” now means that he’s not yet in his 40′s.)
Jordan, who can still sing higher than most chicks I know. I can only imagine the painful rituals he goes through before hitting the stage each night. In fact, he may be pinching himself here. I’m not sure.
The hot mamas in attendance. That’s me, Juli, Jen, Lin, and Paige down in front. Paige is a friend of all the sisters. She smacked people with her arm in order to get us lower seats. She also beat the guy at the snack bar to get us free nachos. (Not really, but I totally wanted to ask her.)
My “35 weeks” shot. In my concert t-shirt, scored in the parking lot for less than half price. Cha-ching!
And when you’re a blogger and have the camera glued to your face, you are the only one who can get the money shots like this:
… and while everyone else is saying, “Woah, did Donnie just grab his crotch?”, I am already uploading it to facebook.
And all of my neurotic blogger worrying was for nothing, because I DID get video of Jen and Juli dancing before my camera battery died:
Much love, New Kids. We out.
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Too funny.. I’m so glad you got to relive your childhood!! Hope you had fun, but by the looks of it, I think you did!!
Comment by Joan — November 18, 2008 @ 10:18 am
Looks like you had fun. That’s a creepy picture of your hand.
Comment by Sam — November 18, 2008 @ 10:57 am
Um, in the spirit of being 12 again, I like totally can’t read your blog anymore because I cannot believe you actually liked and still like New Kids on the Block, yuck
Actually it’s a really funny y’all went to see them again and with the same enthusiasm, but for future reference, the METAL gods could smite you for doing the Dio demon horns at a New Kids show.
The same thing sort of happened to me this year, only with Iron Maiden. I saw them when I was in middle school and again this summer. I will never, ever stop loving METAL which makes me anti-boy band by nature.
Comment by Kerri — November 18, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Kerri- While I can respect your love for metal, those weren’t the horns of the goat I was giving the boys… it was sign language for “I love you”. Much more pure and appropriate for boy-band-lovin’.
And wow, I’m sorry if this has put you off of my blog forever… although if anything was going to do it, I can see New Kids being it. (But for real, you did see them at Hagerstown Fairgrounds in ’88? I thought it was something every 12 year old at the school had to go to… like gym.)
Comment by admin — November 18, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
AWESOME! Yep, I vividly remember my first New Kids concert at the good ol’ Hagerstown Fairgrounds too! Wow, I even remember decorating my bedroom walls with their posters and the back of my clipboard!!! Oh yea, I was cool like that! You used to do that too, right?
Great pics and video. I felt like I was right there…could of used a little more Jordan though.
Comment by Michelle — November 18, 2008 @ 6:19 pm
Yeah, that’s not the evil eye block, it’s very clear to me now, duh…you’ll have to forgive me. Last night when I was reading blogs, I had just consumed a WHOLE bottle of Sam Adams and I was loopy I guess.
I do remember everyone going to see the New Kids when we were in middle school, but I really never liked them. I remember being in that sewing home economics class and everyone (everyone female) squealing about them but I didn’t get it. I do think Marky Mark is kinda dreamy though. That’s close enough right?
Comment by kerri — November 19, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Oh and you look super cute pregnant at a show too! I love the bit about wearing the right shoes in case your water breaks, HA.
Comment by kerri — November 19, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
good times : )
Comment by Lin — November 19, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Donnie was my favorite, too! I never saw them in concert, though. It looks like you all had such a great time. I’m jealous!
Comment by Leslie — November 19, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
I loved NKOTB but through my little sister (your age) and in an aloof way (because I was in college…). Jon was my favorite and I can’t believe you couldn’t be bothered for even one shot of him. Sigh.
But you are quite adorable; thanks for sharing the love
If I could be guaranteed Donnie’s brother Mark [my 2nd husband] would attend their Seattle concert, I’d be there screaming this weekend…
Comment by stephanie (bad mom) — November 20, 2008 @ 4:38 pm