kimmy

nkotb: the total package tour

On Saturday night, I got the privilege of reliving some of the best memories of my youth. I’m pretty certain no one at the ‘The Magic Summer‘ Tour at Shoreline Amphitheater in 1990 expected to be rocking out at an NKOTB concert 27 years later… but there I was… in the PIT at Golden 1 Center, screaming my guts out at Joey, Jon, Jordan, Danny & Donnie with my fellow Blockhead friend C. And I loved every single minute of it.

NKOTB from the Pit!

I bought tickets last November during the fan club presale because they had PIT tickets. I’ve had great close stage experiences over the years (hello GARTH!) and pit experiences, and mostly it’s because I’m obnoxiously tall. I have also totally mastered the whole “excuse me… oh hey my invisible friend is up there… thank you so much…” squeeze move to get where I want in a crowd, so I feel pretty confident and comfortable in a loose group of hundreds of people. Therefore, NKOTB pit tickets were exactly how I wanted to live out my 37-year-old boy band fantasies. Besides… last time when we saw the group in 2008, we bought the cheap seats because we really had no clue what to expect… so I owed it to my 10-year-old fan inside to touch some NKOTB hands.

So this is where we were when the concert started. Center stage. Looking back on the rest of the Golden 1 Center and waiting for the show to start.

NKOTB Concert Attire

I “almost” whipped out some puffy paint to commemorate the night in true 80s/90s style, but instead I opted to embellish a Mossimo lace up tank with a custom freezer paper stencil of one of the band’s favorite hashtags at the moment: #bringinghappyback. (And yes, I did I just reveal that I totally follow every single New Kid on social media…)

Other primping details of the night included applying my makeup by following a YouTube tutorial, putting on fancy false eyelashes, and getting a bartender to make us Kamikaze shots in the frenzied last minutes before the concert.

What does The Total Package Tour Look Like?

And it was all worth it. Because of this. I affectionately hashtagged this #NKOTBbutts

This was our view when they were on the walkway stage. Those people across the way that never put down their phones are the $1000 barstool/meet & greet super fans.

(Can you believe I’m the first person to use the hashtag #NKOTBbutts on Instagram or Twitter? I’m sort of shocked actually)

And when they were on the main circle stage, we got closeups like this…

And this!

While it may not look like it, I tried to keep my phone in my pocket as much as possible during the concert and instead tried hard to make direct, longing eye contact with each and every member of the group. I had 2 moments with Donnie, where he fully acknowledged I was an absolutely insane, but lovely, person. (I’m really good at reading people’s faces) And I made Joe crack up once too! I saved Jon’s life by pointing out the oodles of streamers that he was about to trip and fall on at the end of the show. And I got a full hand touch from Jordan and Danny. So basically I collected NKOTB bingo!

Now maybe it seems a bit ridiculous to brag about this stuff out loud and in public, but let’s be real friends. Life is nothing but a series of ridiculous moments, and I am MORE than happy to add these to my pile!

At the end of the show… the New Kids were crying and screaming. We were crying and screaming. And happy was officially back in that arena.

And this is C and I after the show. (Her red NKOTB Package Tour shirt has been extremely helpful in locating us in all YouTube footage of the night) We don’t look quite as insane… but still ridiculously happy.

So we went outside, hitched a ride from C’s hubby-Uber (it’s nice living so close to Golden 1!), and went to In N’ Out to eat the dinner that we never had at 11:45pm.  And in true silly fashion, we ran into friends and Miss L’s Kindergarten teacher who were also seeking burger nourishment in their post-concert daze.

And now, as the night fades into blurred memories… all I have left are my iPhone photos… and all of the YouTube videos that other people took that night where you can see my flailing arms and bouncing head throughout the concert.  (See for yourself below!)

I hope everyone gets a chance to relive their pre-teen/teenage dreams later in life… because while it might just kill you to expend all of that energy, it definitely makes the heart feel just a little younger!

#BHLove