On April 16th, my friends and I drove four hours to the "armpit capital" of California, also known as Fresno! You're probably thinking, "Why on the earth would she go there?" Well, we had our reasons...five very good reasons! Despite this being our first trip to Central California, my three friends and I (my Godsister merely went for the experience) made the trip because we were going to go see another NKOTB concert and were going to meet the guys again!
My Godsister and I actually arrived an hour ahead of my three friends, who decided to take another route. We didn't have much time to relax, so we started getting ready because we needed to be at the venue, located at Fresno State University, by 4:00 pm. Then we had to be in the building by 4:30 so that we could be directed into the VIP lounge. However, before heading over to the venue, we stopped off at BJ's Restaurant and ate some lunch. I was famished, but I only managed to eat like 30% of my salad and french fries. Yes, I believe I was starting to feel a bit anxious as to what was to come.
As we drove into the venue, I noticed all these women standing alongside this little hillside looking down. They were looking down at the tour buses, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the guys. A few people saw Joey and Jordan waved hello to a few fans. I met up with my friend K, who brought her friend B, and then my group of friends (H, K, S and my Godsister) and I gathered together to get in line. A few days prior to the concert, I had read that if we didn't already have a pre-made group of 10 people, we were likely going to be separated. We weren't going to let this happen, so we were fortunate to find three more girls--twin sisters & a younger (younger as in 29 years old) fan. YEAH! We were set!
We were the 6th group lined up, which meant we were Group F. As I stood underneath the doorway of the venue, I started coughing this nervous cough. I was experiencing a bout of anxiety because I was going to meet the guys again. :( Why now?! As we got off the elevator, I finally felt better when we found ourselves a table and started chatting with the rest of the girls in our group. We discussed different aspects of the group, as well as what we all did for a living.
Finally, at around 6:00 pm or so, a rep started talking and began to call out the letters of the alphabet because it was time to get ready to meet the guys! There I go again with the nervous cough. When our group letter was called up, I started feeling weak in the knees. Then as we approached the black curtain, my anxiety woes went away when I saw the guys!
I noticed from right to left were Jonathan, Jordan, Donnie, Danny and Joey. Of course, I went to Jon first and received a great big hug from him. As I tried to make my way to another guy, I remembered what my friend N told me: Stay put where you are and don't leave his side. If there's any time left later, go back and give a quick hug to the other guys. At one point, just before the group photo, I showed Jon what I had found the night before. It was a flier that was passed around my high school in Oct. 1988 announcing a benefit concert the guys participated in near my town. It was the one and only time they were in my area. I showed him both sides of the flier and, of course, I knew he wasn't going to remember. :( This small concert was likely the second one they had ever done to promote their sophomore album, "Hangin' Tough," and occurred immediately after their first, historical show, which was at the Fulton Mall in Fresno in 1988.
Well, needless to say, I stayed put next to Jonathan because within a minute or so, someone called out that it was picture time! We got into our places and they snapped the pic. The entire time I was thinking that Jon didn't look so good. Well, my friend had read Jon's Twitter message stating he was sick with the flu, so you could tell he was not well. Dang, he still looks good, sick or well!! So now I figured I'd have a few seconds to go give Donnie a quick hug and show him the flier too, but the Knight Brothers assistant, as well as a security guard, were rushing us out because they needed to bring in the next group. Literally, we were in the VIP room for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. :( One funny thing that happened as we left the meet and greet was when my friend K asked if she could get a solo pic with Donnie, which she did! Note to self again: Be more assertive and don't forget to introduce myself next time!
My group of friends and I re-grouped, and we finally received our tickets for our seats. As the usher helped my Godsister and I, we noticed we were sitting in the 2nd row, just steps away from the stage! I was blessed again with such great seats! My friends H and K were about two rows behind me, my friend S was near H and K, and my other friend K and her friend B were just one person away from me! K and B decided to stand right at the corner of the stage, so as soon as the lights went down, we joined them there!
The night was fantastic and I had a great time meeting up and hanging out with my friends! We decided to go to Denny's after wards because we were all (*insert Bostonian accent here*) stahving!
Our final morning together, my friends and I had brunch at the Cheesecake Factory and discussed the great time we had at the concert. I think all of us agreed that we (minus my Godsister, who will be moving soon) can't wait for our next adventure(s) this summer!
Showing posts with label Meeting NKOTB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meeting NKOTB. Show all posts
Sunday, April 26, 2009
My Adventures in Fresno
Friday, October 17, 2008
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! :)
Friday, September 19, 2008
My Night with New Kids on the Block
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I've been a little occupied, but I was also trying to gather my thoughts so that I can put them into words. You see, a dream of mine finally came true on August 28th! And btw, the above pic was not taken by me. It was taken at another event in NY a few days later.
Here's my story of my 3-day excursion in Burbank, where my friend & I were on a mission to meet our favorite group and to meet my crush! I'm trying to remember every little detail so that I don't leave anything out. I'll just say that it was all a blur because it happened so fast! Oh, and if you've read my blogs, you know by now that I sometimes write novels!
On August 27th, my friend M--who I hadn't seen since we graduated high school (but who I've known since grade school)--and I left our area at about 5:30 am and didn't arrive in Burbank until 1:30 pm. Needless to say, we drove for 8 hours & we were tired, but again, we were on a mission! We went to check-in at our hotel was & then we went to scope out the Best Buy, which was about 1 mile from our hotel, and where the event would be taking place. All was quiet and no one was in line--yet. I was going to call 2 new friends to let them know I was already in town, but decided to wait because they were both at work and I knew M and I would find something to do in La-La land. We ended up driving to Santa Monica and were caught in traffic (just a typical day for Los Angelenos) on the freeway. As we drove, my new friend, L, called me to see if I wanted to meet her and her mother-in-law for dinner. Unfortunately, M & I had already made plans, so I asked if we could take a raincheck. We ended up going to Santa Monica Pier & hung out there for about an hour or so.
I decided to play tour guide, so we ended up heading in to Hollywood. M had never been to the Griffith Observatory, so we made our way there. The observatory has been seen in many movies and was most visible in the 1955 movie Rebel Without a Cause with James Dean and (one of) my favorite actresses, Natalie Wood. After making it up the hill, we couldn't find any parking (the lot was full), so we just parked M's car on the side of the road and decided to check out the (smoggy) view of LA & the Hollywood Hills. As we were making our way downhill, I received a text message from my friend J and she tells me that there's about 40 people already lined up. Then I get a call from L telling me there's more people starting to line up! Ok, so there's no way we're coming back in the early morning, so we're going to have to camp out!! We hurried up & left Hollywood for Burbank (which is about a 15 min drive), got some stuff from our hotel room and then arrived @ the Best Buy a few minutes later, at around 8:00 pm. The camp out gave me the opportunity to finally meet my fellow Blockheads, who I had been corresponding with over the Net.
A new friend named T was going to fly in Wednesday evening, so I called her when I found out that people were starting to camp out. She said she'd contact me when she got in. At this point, we didn't have anywhere to sit & we forgot to bring our lawn chairs from home, so M walked to Target & bought two chairs. T finally arrived by cab to where we were sitting & we started chatting about different things, but the majority of the conversation was about the New Kids & how many people we thought were already here. I think there was close to 150-200 by maybe 11:00 pm. I think others started dwindling in in the wee hours to get in line.
So all of us pretty much got maybe like 3-4 hours of sleep and it was a very cold Thursday morning. And I'm usually very good at being prepared, but didn't realize that it gets cold in the San Fernando Valley just like it gets cold in my area. I thought to myself, "I can do this and make it 'til 10:00 am," which is when Best Buy was opening to give away 500 wristbands and lanyards/laminates. So 14 hours later, we make our way inside the store and found out that the regular CD would cost us $10 + tax, so we all made our purchases. Then we come to find out that we would have to come back in-person on Tuesday to pick-up your CD. Um, hello, we can't do this because we're going driving back home tomorrow/Friday. We immediately talked to the store manager & asked her if we could just pick up our CDs at our nearest Best Buy store & show them our receipts. She said we could try, but it wasn't guaranteed that we'd receive our CDs. What a bunch of crock! They definitely have some stupid store policies! I don't know why I just didn't ask one of my L.A. friends to mail me the CDs (ok, so the lack of sleep and exhaustion got to my brain). Anyway, so M asked this nice Blockhead, who had camped out right behind us, if she could mail us the CDs (she lives in the L.A. area). She obliged, which we were grateful for! Oh, and it turns out there's 3 versions of the new CD and yes, I wound up with all 3 somehow!
By now, it's probably about 10:30 or 11:00 am, so we decide to go have some breakfast since we really didn't have much time to eat the night before and we were so exhausted! We had a hard time finding a place to eat in Burbank & were relying on my friend, Garmin GPS, to help! After brunch, T, M and I headed back to our hotel rooms & planned on resting for a bit. The girls ended up taking a nap, but for some reason or another, I wasn't able to take one. Maybe it was because I was feeling anxious/nervous of what was going to happen within the next few hours. I ended up going downstairs by the pool & decided to re-write the letter I had always intended on giving to Jonathan if I ever got the chance to meet him. It was NOT a love letter. It was a letter basically saying thank you for having appeared on Oprah in 2001 to discuss his problems with panic attacks/anxiety. I don't know if he knows this, but he's inspired others to seek help and/or ways to deal with their own problems. I can totally relate to what he went through since I've also suffered with anxiety since childhood. I didn't really suffer from panic attacks persay, but I've always been a nervous/anxious person, which I believe stems from some traumatic experiences I endured.
So we agreed that we were going to head down to Best Buy at 7:00 pm, which was the time the signing was to start. We sort of wanted them to "save the best for last", so that's why we got in back of the line. A few minutes later, T & M went inside the store because T had to get a sticker placed on her camera so they'd know it was her own personal camera that she brought in. Well, they were gone for about 20 mins and I began wondering what happened to them. Then M calls me and says to get my butt inside the store immediately because the guys are making their way into the store from the back entrance and they want to see them come in! So I hurried past the crowd, where the line was around the entire store, and entered inside. I was trying to look inconspicuous, even though I tried hiding my (old) NKOTB poster book.
At one point, I heard Donnie was stuck in the men's restroom for like 10 mins because there was just so many people inside the store trying to see him. They'd bring him down one aisle & then would have to retreat down another one. Unfortunately, I couldn't see much because I'm height challenged, but I managed a few peeks here & there. About 15-20mins later, you finally see the guys making their way towards the table. Despite there being tons of people there, I was able to take a good shot of Donnie, who was immediately followed by Danny. Then you see Joey making his way, who was immediately followed by Jordan. However, as Jon made his way, I wasn't able to get a clear shot of him alone (so many dang people). :( Then we decided it was time for us to go back outside & get in line again.
L.A.'s KIIS-fm was filming the crowd inside and outside the store, after having interviewed the guys just mins ago. I found the video, which I've posted here! Look out for someone holding a poster book with a pic of the guys in tuxedos. Yep, that's me behind the book (at 2:55)! Also, some woman interviewed me and a few other people and told us she would post it on youtellconcerts.com. When I finally found the video link, I noticed my interview--as well as another girl's interview--were left on the cutting room floor. Oh well. There goes my 2 minutes of fame!
At various times, the Kids' bodyguard, Robo, comes out with a few Best Buy & Interscope Records employees to count the number of fans left in line. They made sure we held up our laminates and wristbands & made it clear that no one was going to get in back of the line twice. There were a few people who thought it'd be clever to do this and did! Robo said something like if we all behaved or played by the rules, then the guys would "show us some love"! ;) Here's the actual play-by-play of my encounter with the Five Bad Brothers from Beantown land:
I was trying to take as many pics as I could, but there were just so many people in line & everyone was in my way, so it was impossible to snap some decent photos of each guy, especially Jon. As I'm waiting in line, I noticed this familiar looking face to the right of me and sitting not too far from Jon. It was his mother (Marlene)! I really wanted to say something to her like, "Thank you for giving birth to this gorgeous man" {J/K!}, but I didn't because I felt like I'd be holding up the line. Heck, I should've just said something to her and then made my way towards the very back! I also saw this blond-haired guy sitting next to Jon and it turned out it was his nephew (Matthew), who turned into a fine, young man.
Anyway, so it didn't dawn on me to pull out my camera phone or my digital camera as I waited in line because I figured all these people would be in my way. Well, now I find myself right in front of my crush, Jonathan Knight!! He looks right up at me, says hello, smiles and then shakes my hands. Can I just say that this man is so HOT!! I didn't want to let go of his hand! This was about the time that I should've asked for a hug {Note to self: next time--and there will be a next time--ask him politely for a hug!}, but I didn't. Of course I forgot to introduce myself, but I handed him the Thank You card with a short 2 page letter and my business card inside, and told him that this was to thank him for something he did [as explained in a previous paragraph] a few years back. The letter basically explained how I could relate to what he's experienced for years & that he's inspired others--like myself--to seek help or a way to deal with our own issues. I really wanted to lean forward so that I could hear him clearly, but it was way too loud inside & there were just so many people around. I felt like if I had really leaned in, I'd be invading his space. So he took my Thank You card & put it inside his jacket pocket (where his sweaty chest would be touching it). Then I handed him my poster book & he signed his photo. The pic that one of the BB employees took of us really made my (k)night and year!!
So then I make my way towards Jordan & he looks up and smiles & signs my book. I really wanted to say something to him like, "Nice seeing you again" {I met him back in Dec. '05 when he performed near my hometown}, but I didn't think he'd remember this encounter, so I didn't say anything except hello & shook his hand. Then I made my way towards Joey, who has those piercing (baby) blue eyes! He's looking for his pic in the poster book & when he finds it, he says something to Jordan and pokes fun of their hairstyles from back then. As Joey's signing my book, Danny leans forward & signs his pic. I then move over in front of Danny and wait for him to look up. When he does, I asked him how he was doing & he asks me the same question! I think I might've said thank you to him, but I don't remember! After I shook Danny's hand, then Joey looks up towards me, shakes my hand too, and then smiles.
Finally, I make my way towards Donnie, who was sitting at the opposite end. And yes, I got some "FACE TIME" (if you're not already a Blockhead, 'get your mind right' and look it up) with him! Donnie has clearly stated that he wants to give quality time to all the fans! I didn't think what happened next was going to happen because all I was thinking about was what I'd say to Jon, but not much came out of me since I was so mesmerized by his hazel eyes & smile! Anyway, I said to Donnie something like, "Thank you for everything" and he leans over to let me give him a hug & then he moves his face towards mine and let's me give him a peck on his right cheek, which I NEVER expected to do! If I knew I was going to do this, I'd have actually given Jon the peck! LOL :) There's just something about Jon & Donnie that makes you smile and want to be surrounded by their presence!! ;) In fact, I hear Danny's a really nice guy too! And those "guns" he's carrying around these days! Wow! Actually, all the guys have been working out in preparation for the tour and they all look HOT!
As soon as the event was over, my friends and I went to the back of the building because we knew the guys were going to come out that way. Some other girls were peeking through the store's back window and notice the guys are ready to leave. As the white van pulls out at about 11:00 pm-ish or so, we all wave bye to the guys (mind you, we can't see them clearly because it's dark outside & the windows are tinted) and they're off. We noticed a couple other women drive off, who began following the van carrying the guys. As this is happening, we ran into Donnie's assistant, who said what these women did was so wrong. Well, it was too late and we all know that they were just living out their childhood/teenage fantasy. As soon as we left, T asked if we wanted to drive to Pasadena to grab a late meal with a few of her friends/co-workers, who were also at this event. Little did we know that we had more in common with T's friends!
Well, it's now 7:30 am on Friday and M and I only got 5 hours of sleep each. M decides to check her email on her laptop and notices a new message that Donnie has posted. It's the guys' first video blog (ok, so they're actually reading the comments we leave on the community boards), so we watched it. We heard Joey & Donnie "invite" the fans to come down to the rehearsal studios to watch them rehearse. So I got this idea to go over there after brunch to see if perhaps they were still there (the blog was taped the day of the Burbank event, but wasn't released until the next day/Friday).
We finally headed over there about noonish & to "stalk"…oops, I mean look for the guys. Hey, after all, they did invite us! So before we headed to their rehearsal studio, we went back to Best Buy & were literally standing in front of 3 TVs (at the store's entrance) for 30 mins just mesmerized by the footage on the screen, which we later find out is on the DVD that came with the Deluxe Edition CD. For those who don't have the CD, you can probably find this footage on YouTube! So we proceeded to park out in front of the studio & waited for about 45 mins. We didn't see anyone, so we drove to the back of the studio & noticed the white van the guys left in after the Burbank. T asked this one guy who worked there if the guys were rehearsing & he said yes, in Soundstage One.
We finally headed over there about noonish & to "stalk"…oops, I mean look for the guys. Hey, after all, they did invite us! So before we headed to their rehearsal studio, we went back to Best Buy & were literally standing in front of 3 TVs (at the store's entrance) for 30 mins just mesmerized by the footage on the screen, which we later find out is on the DVD that came with the Deluxe Edition CD. For those who don't have the CD, you can probably find this footage on YouTube! So we proceeded to park out in front of the studio & waited for about 45 mins. We didn't see anyone, so we drove to the back of the studio & noticed the white van the guys left in after the Burbank. T asked this one guy who worked there if the guys were rehearsing & he said yes, in Soundstage One.
So 45 mins eventually turned into 2 1/2 hours. While waiting, I just kept thinking that they're probably not here, so T went to go ask another guy, who was coming out of the soundstage she was told they were in, and he told us that the guys finished up yesterday and the only person who was rehearsing there now was singer Lindsey Buckingham (from Fleetwood Mac fame). We got conflicting stories. We even pulled into the soundstages across the street, but saw no one. Our hotel room was so close to the rehearsal studio that we could've probably have gone over there on Wed. or Thurs. & could've met the guys if I had remembered the name of the studio! If only I had taken the info with me! After we left, I totally felt like "Marcia Brady" in that episode of the Brady Bunch when she went to the studio to find Davy Jones of The Monkees (one of my other favorite groups) & wanted him to sing at her prom, but she missed him because he had taped the show the day before.
This is finally the end of my story. Wish I could've chatted with Jon more. I had this whole speech planned out of what I was going to say or talk to him about, but then I drew a blank. :) He definitely doesn't know the power he has over women! I'm so excited for October!
One last thing. I really didn't give it much thought that the guys would ever reunite. I mean, after having watched VH1's Band Reunited episode 4 years ago, I just didn't think this would ever happen. Regardless, I just wanted to say that I'm glad The Block is back and I'm grateful that these guys have brought many more Blockheads into my life! I heard a rumor that they may be coming out with another album next year & possibly a summer tour. If this is all true, then you know my friends and I will be there! But for now, enjoy the video and see if you can spot me! ;)
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