Curiocity: NKOTBSB Tour? I'm So There
Prepare to judge me.
I may or may not still possess a shoebox full of boy band memorabilia from my days as a super fan for all things Backstreet and New Kids. Enclosed in this alleged shoebox is everything from Teen Bop magazine covers, jean jacket buttons, themed slap bracelets and oh yes, even autographed CDs. No worries, though, you won't find tufts of boy band hair or letters inked in blood professing my undying devotion -- even in middle school, I drew the line somewhere.
Point being, there was definitely a time in my life when I had been more than bitten by the boy band bug. I loved them all and everything about it -- the ridiculous facial hair, the over-the-top wardrobes and even the token "ugly one."
But above all the boy bands that came and went (whatever happened to LFO?), there was none other for me than the powers of BSB. Simply stated, my friends and I were obsessed. If you haven't already, go ahead and begin that judgment.
Honestly, I'd imagine we weren't much worse than any other teeny bopper growing up in the boy band era. Sure, we had the posters in our rooms, dumped probably way too much money on T-shirts and concert tickets and OK, I may have been nicknamed "Backstreet Boyd" in high school, but it wasn't like we joined fans clubs or practiced signing our names with a Backstreet Boy's last name ... at least not all the time.
Plus, we totally had a valid reason for our obsession. In the summer of 1999, my friends and I actually met the Backstreet Boys. Like, OMG, right? And let me tell you, four teenage girls have never acted quite so foolish. One friend began weeping, another, upon meeting Kevin Richardson, said, "Your music means so much to me," and me? I told Brian Littrell that I was honored to meet him. Yes, honored. Like I was meeting the president.
No doubt, it was a proud moment for all of us.
All these memories and more came flooding back when I heard the Backstreet Boys AND the New Kids On The Block were teaming up for a summer tour. Looks like that birthday wish from 1993 finally cashed in.
While you might be asking yourself, really? A summer tour? Aren't they all married with children of their own and far too old to be deemed "boys" or "kids," especially in public? And the answer is a resounding yes, but clearly, that's not the point. The tour is more like a reunion for children of the late 70s and early 80s. A time to dust off those acid-wash denim jeans and jam out to the songs that no doubt have an eternal place in your heart.
Personally, that's one trip down memory lane I'm more than willing to take.
The tour begins June 2 and has received such an overwhelming demand that they've added 16 shows. They'll make a stop at the Target Center on Friday, July 15 before the tour ends on July 30. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 15 at the Target Center box office, ticketmaster locations and online at livenation.com. For more information, click here.
Sara Boyd is a web producer and columnist at WCCO.COM.
