My 2 Nights with New Kids on the Block!

Well, I'm still feeling like I'm on Cloud 9 after last Thursday & Friday's New Kids concerts! The shows were BLOCKtastic {Yep, I made up this word!} & amazing! I know ALL two of you have been waiting so patiently for an update of what happened last week, so here it is--hot off the presses!


My friend Heather, her friend T, and I had 4* VIP tickets, which guaranteed us seats within the first 20 rows. Well, my friend M had 5* VIP because she waited too late to buy 5* for the San Jose show, which was the following day. We arrived in Sac around 3:15 and waited to meet up with Heather's friend T & our friend Megan, who lives in our area. Well, Megan was still stuck in traffic, so we drove up the street to ARCO Arena, which is where we had to drop-off M because she had check-in for VIP at 4:45 pm. Before we walked to the box office, there were these group of women, who were getting instructions from some ILAA reps (the company that handled the VIP tixs) & we thought this was where Maria had to line-up. No, it was the line for the soundcheck! The people who got invited to soundcheck were some lucky radio station winners. Our local radio stations pretty much suck when it comes to taking requests & playing new music. Grrr....!


So while M was in line, we chatted with another Blockhead, who I had met in Burbank, but who's also from the Bay Area. She's pretty cool, as is most of the Blockheads I got to meet. So we ended up going back & forth between the venue and Heather's car until it was time for the venue to open. I finally decided to change into my special t-shirt, which I had made for the concert! Donnie coined the phrase FACE TIME, so I chose to use it, but decided to add another touch to it so it'd have a double meaning! Anyway, I thought to myself, "What are the chances that my shirt would catch one of the guy's attention?!"


Around 7:00 pm, we were allowed to finally go inside the venue. The first place Heather, T & I head for was the merchandise stand. I resisted buying the official NKOTB track jacket I've seen Jon wear, and the blue/black t-shirt with all the tour dates on it. Maybe I'll get them next time. After making our purchases of just the tour program (a must have and a collector's item), we left to go find our seats. This was my 2nd time at ARCO Arena, but I had never been there for a concert. The venue is huge by my standards, but fairly small compared to others. So the usher walked us to our seats, which we find are in the 8th row!! Heather, T, and I couldn't believe the great seats we had! I asked if I could sit on the aisle since I'm height challenged! I actually had a great view of the stage!


Just before the show, I got to chat for a few minutes & take pics with a distant cousin of mine, who I connected with through two social networking/NKOTB related sites. Not only do we share our love for the New Kids, but we also share the same last name! However, she's managed to have found some small fame after having kissed Donnie onstage at an L.A. event this past summer! At least one of us has to be the Daring One! ;) The VIPs at the Sac Meet & Greet lucked out because after the guys took group pictures with them (including my friends M & Megan), the guys mingled with the fans, which consisted of about 70 people! I wish I would've known months back that I could've switched my VIP ticket from San Jose to Sac! Then I would've chatted up a storm with Jon!


The opening acts for the guys were Lady Gaga and Natasha Bedingfield. I had never heard of Lady Gaga 'til about 2 months ago when a friend of mine had LG's song Just Dance posted on her web page. I love that song! LG's costumes were a bit strange, but she sang well & was on for about 30 minutes. Then it was Natasha Bedingfield's turn to take the stage. Let me just say that I absolutely love Natasha's music! I think she writes her songs with me in mind! J/K! Seriously, her song Unwritten practically explains my life! NB puts on a GREAT show and she also sang for about 30 minutes.


By this time, it's 9:00 pm and we're ready for The Block! The concert starts and we're screaming our lungs off! They first play their new song Single, which I love! The next song they sing is one of my all-time favorites & it's My Favorite Girl! As the show progressed, it just got even better! The Sac show was considered their "goof off" show because the guys were cracking each other up and having fun with the small crowd! During the middle of the show, the guys took to another stage in the back of the floor section, which is called the B Stage. It's a round, rotating stage that let's you see all angles while they're singing & dancing. You are quite a lucky person if you're seated by this stage because the guys are right up in front of your face! So I quietly walked over towards the B Stage, which other people were also doing. I was afraid security was going to tell me to clear the aisle, but thank goodness they didn't because I'm NOT a threat to anyone! So the guys are doing their thing on this stage as I try my best to get some clear, non-action pics of the guys. I did manage to get a few good ones, especially of Jon's...uh...hmm...good side! ;)


So as the concert progressed, Danny & Jon get ready for their little contribution to the show. This is where Lady Gaga comes out again & sings Just Dance while Danny motions to the crowd. It's at this time where Jon picks up the video camera and starts to film the audience. During this time, I thought that I needed to take a pic while Jon is doing this, so I moved up a few steps. Just as he picked up the camera & pointed it to the crowd, the next thing I see is my face and t-shirt on the JumboTron! My friend J, who flew in from LA with 4 other friends--including my distant cousin--texted me at the end of the night & told me she saw me on the big screen! My other new friend, S, also told me that she saw me too! This (k)night ended on a high note! :)


The only negative aspects of the show were the drunk, obnoxious women. This woman tried to start a fight with another woman, who sat right in front of me. Thank God security stood between them because I didn't want the obnoxious one to ruin our night! And people were spilling their beer. Alcohol + hormonal women = Bad combination!


We were so...exhausted by the end of the concert--which lasted 2 hours--that we didn't wait around to send the guys off in their tour buses. We then headed home, which was still a 2 hour drive. I got home around 2:30 am and was so tired! It was time for me to go knighty-knight because I had to get up in a couple of hours to get ready for Concert #2!


It's now D-day, Friday, October 10th, the day my 4 fellow Blockheads & I get to meet NKOTB! Ok, so I already got to meet them in August, but now it was going to be with my new Blockhead friends! We left Sonoma County around 12:30 because we wanted to arrive early in San Jose. I found out that my friends T, A & K were at the HP Pavilion in the morning and got to meet Donnie & take some pics with him! :) So my 5 friends (Megan joined us because her friend had an extra 5*) & I arrived in SJ around 3:00 pm and my friend M (aka partner-n-crime for all NKOTB shenanigans) calls me to ask if we're going to the fan meet-up, which was being held at a nearby restaurant. I told her it was unlikely because we needed to be at the venue in another 1 or so. I desperately needed to find a restroom too because "Aunt Flow" decided to come on the wrong day. :( An hour or so later, Megan & I met up with the other 4 girls and I also get to meet my friend Amy, who drove in from Salinas with another friend.


We started lining up outside the HP Pavilion what seemed like an eternity! We waited 'til the ILAA rep gave us instructions. A few days earlier, we had heard a rumor that the San Jose VIP group was going to be small, like it was for Sac. Nope, we had about 200 VIPs! :( So at this point, we're waiting in the cold, windy weather until they checked us in & allowed us inside the venue. Around this time, I saw Zach, who is the guys' assistant and who Donnie has explained is in charge of backstage passes. If any person should desire some FACE TIME with Donnie or the guys, you need to show your FACE TIME t-shirts or posters. I had my t-shirt in my hand, but wasn't wearing it since I had worn it the night before. I also saw Robo, the Kids bodyguard of 20 years. Intimidating guy, but I'm sure he's a softie!


Finally, they let us in! We then go into the VIP room and find ourselves a table. Two girls from Modesto decided to join us & it turns out they're in our picture group (really nice girls). We chat for a bit and it's during this time that Robo gives his speech on the rules, which I had missed part of since I had gone to the ladies room. Moments later, the ILAA reps & bodyguards called our groups one by one according to our assigned letters. I was in the E group, so it was our turn to stand in line & wait.


Let me just say that it went by way too fast & was all a blur, just like the Burbank signing was. We were about to meet the guys, who were behind a black curtain. The first person I saw lined up was Jon! Next was Joey, followed by Jordan, Danny & Donnie. So they saved the best for last because I was the last one in our line or maybe it was because I was the oldest one there! Anyway, I don't know how I managed to sneak it in, but I brought in with me a small gift taped to a funny 40th b-day card for Jon. I was at a loss for words AGAIN because as I approached him, I said to him, "This is for you!" I think he said thank you and and then gave me this LONG, GREAT, BIG hug! Why does this man have this power over me?! Why couldn't have I at least introduced myself to him?! Mind you, I was still trying to block out of my mind what he had just said to the girl in front of me {something about her eyes}, who took my place kneeling down next to him in our group pic. Damn that woman & me for not thinking fast enough! Blame it on not having eaten much for the past two days. After Jon hugged me, I went to Joey with those gorgeous baby blues, which I was too shy to look into! We exchanged hellos and he hugged me. Sorry to say this, but he doesn't give the greatest hugs. Next was Jordan, who I said hello to & got a hug from (his nose looked red, so I assumed he was sick). He put the same amount of strength into my hug as Joey did. At this time, Robo is rushing everyone & I hadn't even gotten to the Double D's (Danny & Donnie) yet! So I give Danny a quick hug & say hello. Might I add that Danny is built like a truck! His "guns" are big! Last, but definitely not least, is the charismatic Donnie, who by this time I believe took off his sunglasses. He opens his arms and gives me a hug. After a few seconds, I let go because I feel as though I'm being rushed by security and he says this to me, "Where you going? Don't be shy. Come here." Next thing I know, he reels me in for another GREAT, BIG, LONG hug! No wonder he's my #2 guy! :) Ok, so I have a few seconds to quickly chat, so I remembered my friend wanted me to ask him if he had received the red Boston baseball cap she gave him the night before at the Sac M&G {I had gone with her to find a gift for him and I ended up picking out something I didn't think he had. I even left some of my DNA on it since she asked me to try it on for size!}. I don't remember what Donnie said, but leave it to me to put my friend's needs first before my own! So then I show him my t-shirt, in which I told him it had a double meaning to it! I think the next thing I said to Donnie was that I was on the JumboTron last night when Jon was filming! As he sees my t-shirt, he then points to Jon, who somehow managed to sneak up behind me to be the last one in the receiving line, in front of Donnie! So I quickly show Jon my t-shirt, he smiles at it, gives this silent laugh and then gives me another great, big hug! :) Just like that, the M&G is over. :(


So why did I have such a hard time talking to Jon, but not to Donnie?! The days & weeks leading up to the SJ show, I had really put a lot of thought into what I was going to say to Jon & the other guys. As my friend M explained it, "It's like that crush you had on that guy in high school. You were just too shy to talk to him." It just all happened so fast! I want a 3rd chance and this time I will talk to Jon! Maybe it'll happen at the last Cali shows next month!


Because there was so many 5* VIP at the Meet & Greet, the guys didn't mingle with us, which I was BUMMED about. So they all left the room one by one. First it was Joey, who left us with a few parting words. I can't remember what though, but I do recall he said he was going to swear, but then noticed one or two children in the room. Then Danny waved & left. Next was Donnie. However, Donnie came back a 2nd or 3rd time to wave good-bye to us again! After Donnie left, then Jordan followed with this playful facial-pointing gesture. Last, but certainly NOT least, was Jon, who had come out from behind the curtain eating a Twix bar (yummy, just like him!). He stopped & motioned to us, in VIP, to wait (like we were going anywhere!). Then he went back behind the curtain to bring back with him the gift & card some really NICE woman (yes, the one from ME) gave him! Jon got a hold of the bullhorn that was on the table & started speaking, but in a soft spoken voice. I didn't know exactly what was going on since I was in the middle/back of the room & had trouble hearing because of all the commotion. Next thing I know is that he raises the card up to show everyone and starts reading part of it (I don't know where the gift is at this point). I look up and I said to my friends, "Oh my gosh! That's the card I gave him!" Then people started singing Happy Birthday to him. I think he said something like it wasn't his birthday yet (it's on Nov. 29th, but I didn't buy another VIP tix, so that's why I gave it to him early). I was probably like 15 feet away from him when all this happened. Another person who was there and closer to where Jon had stood, said that he got a little emotional and had heard him say that that was the first 40th b-day card anyone had given to him! :)


So it's time for the concert and we still don't know where our seats are. All we know is that they're within the first 10 rows. An usher takes us to our chairs and we're in total shock! We find out that S, N & I are in the 2nd row! YAHOO!! I have never been seated that close to the stage! I guess it pays to buy your tickets right when the presale starts! My friend Heather & her friend K, thought they weren't going to get good seats because their ticket stub said something different. Boy, were they wrong because they ended up with front row on the opposite side of us!!


The show started with a bang and only got better! Lady Gaga went on first, then followed 30 minutes later by Natashca Bedingfield. At 9:00 pm, The Kids took to the stage to do their thing! I can't remember which song it was they were singing, but Jon took to the right side of the stage (which is the same place he always took back in the day) when suddenly I see him looking down and smiling at me (and I have a witness, who can verify this!)! I quickly snapped my camera & took the pic! Unfortunately, I had the stupid zoom on, so the pic came out blurry/distorted! I need to fix this so it doesn't happen to me again next month. By the way, my 2 nieces & I have Floor seats for the San Diego show. They don't know this, but our seats are right next to the B Stage!! :) Boy, are they going to be in for a real treat!


I can't wait for Concert #3 & #4! And yesterday my friends & I got confirmation from a radio interview Danny did last week, that there WILL be a tour next summer! :) YEAH!! My friends & I cannot wait! I better start saving up my $$ now!


So that was my 2 night adventure with the New Kids on the Block! If you have never seen them in concert, go see them NOW! It's nothing like when we were teens, of course! If you don't have the new album/CD, go out and buy it NOW! The guys do sing a lot of their old songs, but you may catch them doing an old step or two too!

I'll leave you with a few spoilers from the shows I went to! Enjoy! :)