Reliving My Youth in NYC with New Kids on the Block! May 2008 About This Page:

[JaimeandChad]

Great start! My BFF NKOTB when we were kids and I just kind of let her, so I can understand your excitement.

[RobinKay6573]

May 15, 2008: What is another 17 hours...I have waited 14 years for this!!

Finally May 15 had arrived. Hotel arrangements were made for ONE night and flight plans were set. I had a bit of extra cash. Melissa’s parents picked me up at the Park & Ride and we were on our way to the airport. Excitement overwhelmed me. I knew deep down in side that this was not only a once in a lifetime experience but I KNEW that something GREAT was going to happen.

Airport check-in was easy. We had both only packed a carry-on because we didn’t want to have to worry about going to the baggage claim at the airport. We made our way to the terminal. As we were checking the board to see if the gate had chanced since the night before there was a girl standing there with this shirt on:



I laughed and jumped in front of her and said, “Hey, my guess is you are going to NYC to see Joey McIntyre.”
Her eyes got real big and she said, “Yes, I am.”
Melissa and I introduced ourselves. Our new friend was Brandy from Southern Indiana. She was heading out to NYC and meeting her cousin who was on another flight. After grabbing something from Starbucks we made out way to the gate. As we sat there and waited we talked. As our boarding time grew closer more girls joined our group. In the end there were 9 of us total on the same flight from Detroit to NYC to see New Kids on the Block!

Sadly because the flight was so full we were scattered all over the plane. I sat next a couple of older ladies. Most of the flight I listened to my Diskman (NKOTB CD of course). When I put my CD player away I started chatted with the lady next to me (she was a bit older then my mom). She wondered why I was going to NYC so I told her. She laughed and said, “That sounds like fun.” The lady on the other side of me said, “They are like your Beatles.” I nodded…she understood!

When we landed I could feel the excitement building up inside me. It was like 14 years of anticipation was finally going to be worth the wait. Melissa and I grabbed a cab and headed to the St. James Hotel. Two girls from the NKOTB.com board were letting us keep our suitcases in their rooms while we were in line. We gathered the necessities and headed to 30 Rock. We arrived at 3 PM on Thursday, the concert started the next day at 8:30! A group of girls gathered behind us just as we sat down. Everyone shared where they were from and their name. Then the big question (we Passporters are familiar with) “Are you on the boards?” “What is your ID?” When I said my ID everyone that wasn’t looking up their eyes shot right to me. Ummm…yeah…guess I am well known there too. It is all good….I am not a troublemaker.


Some of my "Line Buddies" BTW the grate kept us warm!
See me on the right?


Melissa, Brandy and I sleep on the street!

[RobinKay6573]

May 16, 2008: Will everyone please stop SCREAMING!

Honestly sleeping on the street wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. We were about 150 back in line. NYC commuters were curious why there were people sleeping on the street and would often ask someone in our group (apparently we looked like the friendliest). “We are waiting for New Kids on the Block they will be on the Today Show tomorrow morning.” The reactions were mixed…from “you’re crazy” to “Wow good for you have fun.” Before 8 PM the line was turned the corner and security started setting up barriers. It was obvious they were not very organized. The barriers were moved forward and back several times. Then barriers blocked off one lane of the road and another line started forming on the other side. As we sat on the sidewalk we talked and got to know each other pretty well. Brandy and her cousin Nena made a pack with Melissa and I that we would go to a NKOTB concert together. At about 7 PM Nena and Brandy went and got a pizza and we shared it (yes people…real NYC pizza!!). By 9 we were all exhausted so we took turns sleeping. I don’t think I really slept that much but it was nice to take a bit of a cat nap. I got up about 10 and went to use the bathroom (thankfully the security guard told me about the “clean” bathroom in the building). At 12 Melissa, Brandy, Nena and I curled up on the sidewalk on emergency blankets and towels and nodded off. There were waves of screaming and singing all night long. Everytime a garbage truck went by he thought it was fun to honk his horn.


Melissa, Brandy, Nena & I
new friends made on the streets of NYC!


Hello NYC Finest! Yummy.
The guy on the left was really nice!

At 1 am I was just about to drift asleep when the wave of screaming got closer and several people yelled, “There’s Jon.” Nena, Brandy, Melissa and I popped up from the ground just to see a taxi drive by. When the taxi got to the corner Jonathan Knight leaned out the window and waved at the crowd. The adrenalin hit and we were not able to nod off again until well after 3 AM. During the wait there was a guy name Shaymin walking around talking to all the people waiting in line. Shaymin is a rapper from Boston (actually Norwood, MA) who apparently know the New Kids and opened for Danny Wood at a show. It was so nice to hear the Boston accent again. To my surprise he had actually heard of the college I attended (some people that live less then a mile from the school have not even heard of my school). He made a smart remark about the school (it is an all women’s college) and then said, “Didn’t you guys use to go to Dad’s Diner all the time.” *LOL* Ummmm. yeah! We exchanged MySpace accounts and he promised to take me to a club when I was in Boston. I needed to stretch my legs at about 4 am. I walked around the corner to see where the end of the line was. As I walked I almost could not believe my eyes. The line was literally 4 blocks long! It went around the block on 3 sides and doubled back on one. Erin (gwugirl03 from Passporter Boards) texted me to ask were I was in line. I called her and we chatted for alittle bit. Earlier I had spoke to Erin and she said that someone was posting on the NKOTB.com board about everything that was happening. She was even able to see a photo of Jonathan in the taxi (which trilled Erin because Jonathan is her favorite).


Me and Shaymin...really nice guy from Boston


Right after Jon Drove by...everyone was so excited!!

Finally it was time for them to start moving the line forward and giving out wrist bands. We figured since we were going to be behind the VIP area and closer to the front. Security handed out wrist bands at about 6 am and we waited and waited and waited. About 6:30 the sound check started and the guys were on the stage. The fans were still waiting and being let in a few at a time. Just before 7 we were still waiting. Everyone was getting impatient. Erin called and asked which color wrist band I had…mine was orange and some of the other girls that were in my group had blue wrist bands. We had no idea what the colors meant. When we were let into the plaza it was pure chaos. Everything had just gone too slowly…in fact it got to the point where we could hear the guys…not see them and everyone was chanting “Let us in!!” It was torture! Girls on the sidewalk that weren’t even in line had a view of the sound check. So unfair! At this point it started to rain…and never stopped.

[Wendyismyname]

Oh man! Then what happened?? It's like I was there with you Robin!!! More! More! more!!

[lauren-roxy]

Great report Robin!!!!

[RobDVC]

How cool that there were a bunch of NKOTB fans on the same flight as you.
Sounds like you had a fun night in NYC.

[chezp]

Oh come on Robin - you can't stop there! : More please!

[Colexis Mom]

More great updates Robin! Don't leave us in suspense

[bsblady01]

I am so glad that you got to see nkotb again. I have the same feelings for the backstreet boys as you have for nkotb my room was covered with their posters and I saw them in concert six time and I went and saw them on trl.

[B.M.]

Rain, line not moving, you can hear them..............don't leave us hanging too long.!

[RobinKay6573]

May 16, 2008: Disorganization Lead to NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE!! Stupid NBC!

Once we got in the plaza there was no rhyme not reason on where they were going to put us. Everyone was herded into a small area behind a raised platform. We were at least 80 feet from the stage and because the stage was SO LOW we knew it would be almost impossible to see the performance. I was trying not to get bummed but it was hard. The sound check went on and all I could really see was the guys heads bobbing around. I could SEE THEM and I was THERE! The rain was coming down in sheets. Thankfully I had my Mickey Mouse poncho on and my camera was in a plastic ziplock bag (I came prepared). After the sound check and the actually Today Show started Matt, Meredith and Al came up on the stage in front of us and talked (I could barely hear them over the screaming). I tell you Matt looks much older in person they he does on TV! They talked to the fans a bit after they were on the air and they were all very nice.


Matt, Meredith & Al had NO idea what they were getting
themselves into (by the way Al called New Kids *NSync
BIG MISTAKE BUDDY! )

There was a lull between the beginning of the show and the actual concert, although the cameras kept flying over us and cameramen were placed all over the plaza to catch fan reactions. One guy even came up on the platform and taped where I was standing. Here is the only place you can clearly see me on the Today Show.



Finally after an hour and a half wait the Matt, Meredith and Al got on the concert stage. I didn’t hear much of anything over the screaming. Also I could not see what was going on because there were no monitors to show us what was going on live. Apparently the first two ladies in line were pulled up on stage and given tickets to the show in Toronto. I know both girls from the boards and they did arrive in NYC on Wednesday but they took turns sleeping in the hotel and waiting in line…so they really weren’t there for 48 straight!

FINALLY it was time for the actual concert to start. I had butterflies on my stomach this was the moment I had waited for since I heard of the reunion in January. At that point I was okay with no being able to see real well. I was THERE that is really all that mattered. When I got home I could see the whole show. My reason for being there was deeper then selfish needs to see them live. I was there to support them in their reunion and that is exactly what I was doing! Here are some photos of the performance. The first photo is one I look from where I was standing. The last photos were taken from the “press pool” of the actual performance.




Gotta love the suites...HOT very hot!


They obviously were having a blast even in the
pouring rain!!


Oh it is so nice to see my Boston Boys together!


Hello Mr. Wahlberg...welcome back to being a
ROCK STAR!!! Donnie is my FAVORITE!

If you look at the overhead shot it doesn’t look like I was that far away but since the stage was so low anyone who was any distance away could not see. Even Donnie commented that the stage was too low and the fans didn’t get as good a view as he had hoped. They sang a medley of their hit songs from “the day”, their new single, “Summertime” and ended with a tribute to the fans their song “Tonight” which was a single from their “Step By Step” album in from 1991. It was beautiful and I was in tears by the end. WOW!

Don't go away folks...there is MORE and it gets better...trust me!

[RobinKay6573]

May 16, 2008: Not a Hug But Close!!

When the concert was over screams started coming from my right and before I knew it Jonathan Knight was standing on the platform in front of me. Then Joey McIntyre came over and while I was snapping photos of Joey the rest of the group joined Jonathan and Joey along with Matt, Meredith and Al. I just kept snapping photos. And between photos I reached out to all 5 members of the group and was able to touch all of them I held myself together from the pure shock of the moment. As I reached for Donnie I caught his eye and smiled at him and said, “I married a man from Dorchester.”
He looked at me and said, “Really? Who”
I said my (now) ex-husband’s name and he laughed, nodded and winked. I don’t have any idea why I said that but I guess it was all I could think of at the moment…but it is true my ex-husband grew up in Dorchester but moved to Southern, MA when he was in high school. *LOL* After 20 years of waiting and after only seeing them in concert live in 1990 I finally got to have a “moment” with Donnie Wahlberg. I finally got to see them close-up…touch their hands...in a way let them know I was a true, dedicated fan. Oh and one more thing that is kind of important that I left out. As Donnie was standing there I reached out and touched his calf. I mean…it was there…how could I resist? That man has some nice calf muscles. The guys were then pulled off the stage. They all waved good-bye. Joey was so sweet. As the fans begged him not to leave he rubbed under his eyes as if he was crying then he yelled, “See you in September!” At that point I was a total basketcase…in tears, yet so happy. Everyone on there was having a major OMG moment, so I was not alone. Most of the people there had never seen NKOTB that close before.


Jonathan Knight


Jordan Knight


Danny Wood


Joey McIntyre


*SIGH* The MAN himself...Donnie Wahlberg!

[RobinKay6573]

MORE PHOTOS:

I was behind them when this was taken!


This is the photo I got


My friend Nena took this on of Joey!! WOW!


Yeah like everyone wasn't screaming enough Jordan!


One Happy man!!!


My new Desktop photo!! Donnie love his fans!

[Lemap760]

Wow. What a great experience. You're a true fan for standing out in the pouring rain and sleeping on the streets in NYC.

[statelady01]

Just caught up with this- and hope you would post your adventure! I thought of you during the show! I was sitting in the hospital holding my new little one trying to remember the hospital was not the place to scream like I was 15 again! I restrained myself. When I heard the piano chords begin Tonight, I just cried. That song means more now than it ever did- and it's always been my favorite. You did get some great up close pics despite not being able to see much. I wondered where you might have been in that HUGE crowd!!

Great report!