NKOTB Concert Recap: Still Loving Them Forever Part 2

So where did we leave off? Oh that's right I was running off on a tour bus with Jordan Knight...in my dreams.  No seriously, IN MY DREAMS.  :)



In reality, our cab driver finally got us to the United Center, a place I had longed to go all my youth.  And then I fulfilled another lifelong dream and got my picture with a statue of Scottie Pippen. Seeing Scottie Pippen and NKOTB in the same place in the same night? That's the stuff 1990-1994 dreams were made of.

We found our seats, which thanks to Annette's decision to upgrade at the last minute, were FABULOUS. My seat was right next to a guy whose girlfriend had obviously dragged him there against his will. I refrained from asking him which New Kid was his favorite because somehow I didn't think he would find the humor in it and also, I needed to be in his good graces for when my "Hangin' Tough" dance moves incringed on his space later in the evening. We made small talk with the girls in the row in front of us who were a mix of Backstreet Boys and New Kids fans. All was going well until, one young 20something girl (a diehard BSB fan but more recently an NKOTB convert) asked us, "Every time you see New Kids in concert don't you feel like you just might have a chance with one of them?" To which Robbin wisely replied, "Not really we're all 3 happily married." And the 20something girl? She looked at us as if she'd just noticed the 3rd eyeball on each of our foreheads, as if to say, "why would you even come to a New Kids concert if you're *gasp* MARRIED?!?" We got a kick out of that. As if since we're married we're basically dead inside and oblivious to the beauty of God's creations in the form of New Kids. :)

3 clearly NOT dead married ladiesWe went to get a little Diet Coke to calm our nerves and moisten our throats in preparation of 2 hours of screaming before the concert started and when we returned this girl was performing. I don't know her name. All I know is I ALMOST wore this same outfit.

Thank goodness I changed right before we left, THAT would've been AWK-ward.


Then the real opening act came on and it was Jordin Sparks. We had no idea she was the opening act and frankly, we really didn't care we were there for 5 reasons, and 5 reasons only Danny, Donnie, Jordan, Joey, and Jonathan. And really, we felt bad for her since she was kinda at a disadvantage. I mean 20,000 women most certainly were not there to see a beautiful, amazing FEMALE singer, especially one who probably wasn't even BORN when New Kids were all the rage. She rocked it though and did a great job (for a girl) . The highlight of her performance was watching this guy..

He was GETTING DOWN all throughout her music and then she debuted her new song called "I Am WOMAN" and that he was clearly NOT a woman did not deter him in the least from belting the lyrics at the top of his lungs and dancing to the music as if his life depended on it. I think for the 4 minutes of that song he truly believed in his heart that he was WOMAN! It was touching..and hilarious, mostly hilarious.


Once Jordin and her gorgeous hair left the stage, It took an interminable amount of time for them to prepare for NKOTBSB. It was hard on our hearts. Finally, the lights went down, the buildup music started playing...and kept playing....and kept playing...and I thought our heads were going to explode because the buildup? It was ridiculous. Pretty sure they played that build up intro music, had the smoke and lights going, for approximately 32 minutes before we finally saw the shadow of NKOTBSB behind the curtain. You know those signs they have at roller coasters that say something to the effect of "If you suffer from high blood pressure, heart conditions, are pregnant or nursing, you should not ride this roller coaster?" They totally need those signs at NKOTB concerts because it has basically the same effects.


And then BAM!.... fireworks went off and I screamed. It wasn't the "ahhh it's New Kids" scream it was more of the "OMG I'VE JUST BEEN SHOT" bloodcurdling kinda scream because I was so NOT expecting that and actually felt for a moment that I'd been shot but alas I was just at a New Kids concert with my heart beating irregularly outside of my chest. Then the curtain dropped and we saw this..

and died. The end.


Just kidding, but it was touch and go for a minute or a hundred and twenty minutes.


The concert started out with both bands on stage doing a compilation of both of their hit songs. A little NKOTBSB back and forth if you will. But then they would alternate and NKOTB would do 2 or 3 songs and then go away and BSB would do 2 or 3 songs. At first we were all, "Bye bye bye Backstreet Boys we want our New Kids back out here" but then we realized that "Bye Bye Bye" belonged to a different boy band and also, it gave us a few minutes to recover from New Kids being on stage so it worked out. But by the end BSB had grown on us and while we still wished they would just go already and bring back out our New Kids we enjoyed the time they spent on the stage and weren't singing them farewell songs. Then  BSB did this..

Our emotions ran amuck ranging from jealousy to hopefulness that maybe New Kids would do the same (they didn't) to admiration of the girls chosen for keeping their cool.  I'm telling you right now that if Jordan Knight had pulled me out of the audience and had me sit on a stool while he serenaded and danced around me I wouldn't be blogging right now and I more than likely would've made a spectacle of myself before I died right there on stage.  I have no idea how these girls maintained their composure (and their morals), I applaud them.
And then our New Kids came back out and at some point Donnie ripped off his shirt to reveal a very chiseled 6 pack.  Well, at least I think, it's all a little fuzzy between picking Annette up off the floor and trying unsuccessfully to focus myself.  I powered through the pain and palpatations and somehow got this picture.  Annette's nightstand may never be the same. 

And who would I be if I withhold the awesomeness that is my NKOTB husband...Jordan Knight?  Unfortunately, Jordan kept his shirt on the whole time.   But he was magnificent nonetheless. 

Hello my (other) love

Fun fact:  Jordan Knight has brown eyes and is left handed and so is my son Blade.  Coincidence?  Hmmm......  ;)

Is this heaven?  No, it's a New Kids concert.

When BSB left the stage and NKOTB appeared looking like this amid clouds of smoke and soft music I leaned over to Annette and said reverently, "I think this is what  heaven must be like!"

Apparently, blogger cannot handle all the awesomeness in one post as it will not upload any more pictures.  I can't blame it, it is a lot to take in.  So I'll be back with, as Paul Harvey says, "the rest of the story."  Although I'd be willing to bet Paul Harvey  probably never said the words "the rest of the story" and "New Kids on the Block" in the same sentence.  But I'm a trendsetter like that.  Come back soon for more pictures and the final installment of the NKOTBSB concert recap.