NKOTB - Trip to KC - Part 4 - The SHOW!

(FYI, there are links, photos and embedded videos throughout this blog. Please make sure to interact as much as possible for the FULL NKOTB experience!)

Are you ready? Are you kidding me?!

HELL YES! We've been ready for 14 years - what kind of crazy ass question is THAT?!

Within seconds, the stage lifted and our five boys (yes, we counted..RiceChex and I have ridden THAT sad little rodeo before!) appeared. Tears!! Screams! Tears! Shrieks! Tears! Gasps for breath! Tears! Pounding on Silly's shoulder! Tears! Tears! Tears!

There they were!!!!! Flesh and blood and sounding like angels!

They began the show with a montage of Single, My Favorite Girl and You Got It (The Right Stuff). I don't know what I expected, but whatever I had in my mind was blown away. I remember watching videos of Elvis...the Beatles...hell, even these guys in the Old School days and thinking "My God, look at those idiots screaming and crying. What the hell??"

I get it now. I totally get it.

Didn't I Blow Your Mind and Valentine Girl sent us all into hysterics as we realized that our BOYS had indeed become men with their grabbing and thrusty. Sweet Jesus, Joseph and Mary, they were like orgasms on a stick!

Age has been kind to our boys, that's for sure. Deeper voices, sexier moves and the fact that *THEY are in control of the show now is apparent in every single step. Every single note. Every single breath they take. They OWN the stage. There's no question about it.

Please, Don't Go Girl brought me to tears again - Joe's voice as a pre-pubescent teenager was crystal....as an adult, he's diamond. Every note. Every time. Pure heaven. If there was ever a song I wish Joe would re-record, it's this one. He oozes sexy from every pore when he croons this little numbah. *sigh*

Next came Grown Man and No More Games which led to Danny breakdancing and If You Go Away. At the end of "If You Go Away" there was a tribute to people who've passed away - people who influenced them and their music, celebrities they were close to and finally those who were part of the NKOTB family. This video has the full clip of the tribute. RiceChex and I were literally sobbing by the time this song finished. Thank God I packed Kleenex in my purse.

Kimmi made the comment later about how amazed she was at the audience participation. She'd never been to a concert where EVERY single person was involved in the show to the extent the NK's fans were. This gives a quick glimpse into what she meant:

The guys then surprised us with a second stage at the back of the venue. Dirty Dancing started out the show on Stage B, followed by 2 in the Morning and Tonight, which finished on the main stage after they drove the crowd wild by skimming up the side aisle.

Twisted came next, which happens to be my favorite and what I consider to be my theme song. What can I say...there were X-rated thoughts flying through my head as I watched Joe perform that little sucker!!

Jordan teased us into oblivion with Baby, I Believe in You - good lord! It's astonishing to me that his body is STILL in that good a shape after all these years. And let's just say the man can still do "THRUST" like nobody's business! He followed it up with his solo, Give it to You.

Joe sweetened the pot with Stay the Same and even brought in a choir. Silly said she closed her eyes throughout the whole song and just listened. It really was an amazing performance. I always did love the song, but the choir just added that much more to it. *swoon*

Not to be left out, Donnie wooed the ladies with Cover Girl, sending women over the edge with a striptease-esque booty shake to end all booty shakes. I admit, I was writhing in ecstasy agony.

The one song that absolutely brought me to a sobbing mess, though, was I'll Be Loving You (Forever). Twenty years and it still gets to me. It was the song that got my attention in 1988 and it still brings me to my knees today.

Click, Click, Click definitely brought some excitement. The song itself didn't really impress me the first few times I heard it, but as a photographer and as I got over the whole "sex" thing they were going for on "the Block", I quickly swung the other way and as it turns out, I LOVE THIS SONG! The guys end the song with a "Pose Off" and it brought laughter and confusion from the crowd. It wasn't until we got back to the hotel and went through the pictures that we truly realized where Jordan had gone during the Pose Off. Sneaky little shit.

Silly, RiceChex and myself were TOTALLY enthralled!!

Next came Summertime! This was the song that really caught my attention when it was first released. It was the first video they made when they came back and it really struck a familiar chord in all of us. I don't think there was a single girl there who didn't sing along. LOVED it! Donnie took the mic for a bit and made sure to address the hubbies, too. Can't leave them out!

The first encore was Step by Step - I'd almost forgotten that they hadn't done it yet. I knew Hangin' Tough was still to come, but Step by Step had slipped my mind. How the hell did THAT happen?!!

And, no NKOTB concert would be complete without a little HANGIN' TOUGH!!! They topped off the show with some old Queen. Gotta love Jordan's little "Mud on yo face, a big disgrace, blah da mah dah bah...place."

I know this blog sounds more like a recap than an experience, but it is only because I truly lack words to accurately describe the emotions I was feeling without coming off like a crazed lunatic. What words come to mind?

Euphoric.
Nostalgic.
Reminiscing.
Amazing.
Unbelievable.
Astounding.
Paralyzing.
Heart-wrenching.
Overwhelming.
Orgasmic.

The-single-most-awesome-experience-of-my-whole-fucking-life.

Yeah. That's it. That sums it up right there.


(All the photos and video clips embedded on this blog were ones I shot. The linked video clips were found on YouTube and took place at our show in KC with the exceptions of Single, Favorite Girl & You Got It (the Right Stuff) which came from their VH-1 Boxed set, Twisted, which was from the Montreal show and the second clip of "If You Go Away" which came from their Boston show.)