Sometimes, it is the little things in life that make one incredibly happy. Today, I spent most of my day reading Charlie St. Cloud (yes, the whole book) and have been online very little. When I did get on, I had several e-mails in my inbox from Twitter as well as from a few Backstreet friends. I wondered what exciting new Backstreet information I was going to find out this evening when I went to go in and check them out. Here is what it basically came down to:
When you click on his link in Twitter, it takes you to this video...
That's right, my video of "Free Falling" from my Chicago I'm Taking Off show last weekend was linked to by Nick Carter himself. While, I am not mentioned specifically that is still MY video! When I found this out, I literally ran into the living room to show my husband. He just kind of shook his head and laughed at me.
Later, I was scanning Facebook and came across this....
He had posted the link on his Facebook account as well! I ran into the living room again to show my husband. He asked me if it was the happiest day of my life. Not quite but this day definitely ended on a super high note after a very depressing week.
**Note: My lyric title is obviously not the lyrics of a Backstreet Boys (or solo) song. However, they were lyrics sung by Nick Carter during his cover of "Free Falling" so they are totally fair game!**
**2/11/2012 - I'm Taking Off - Nick Carter - House of Blues - Chicago, IL**
This weekend was another first for me...my first solo Nick Carter concert. And what a show it was! If you recall, when Nick first released news of this tour, I had hoped that he would come closer to where I live or add more weekend shows so that I would be able to go. During the Pre-Cruise event in December, I asked him if he would be coming to Chicago. He replied that he probably would. Not only did he add a Chicago show, but it was on a Saturday. I was happy I was not going to have to miss any work to see him.
I decided right away that this would be the show that I wanted to see and I wanted VIP. I saw how quickly the VIP sold out for the other shows so I knew I was going to have to join his fan club in order to even have a slight chance of getting VIP, let alone four of them for the group of girls I was going with. So, I paid the small fee to join the online only fan club and waited patiently for my tickets and VIPs to go on sale.
The tickets went on sale one hour earlier than they were supposed to and luckily I happened to be waiting and ready for those VIP sales. The concert was going to be General Admission so getting the tickets right away was not a huge deal. My fingers moved like lightening as soon as those VIPs went on sale though. Within a minute, I had four VIPs in my cart and paid for. By the time I finished, VIPs were sold out. I found out this weekend that two more rounds of VIPs were released between then and the concert.
When news was released the week before our show of the death of Nick's sister, Leslie Carter, we were not sure if the rest of the tour was going to be cancelled or not. We had been making plans on renting a limo so that we would not have to drive into downtown Chicago and Susan was supposed to book it on the day that the news was released. Luckily for us at that time, the company's credit card machine was down and she was not able to book it. This was a good thing since the deposit could not have been refunded of the tour was, indeed, cancelled. I personally thought he should have at least postponed the first few shows after the death of his sister but he chose to go on with the tour as planned because performing was going to help him. I know he had some trouble at his NY show, which was the first after Leslie's death but after that I believe he stayed pretty strong. I do know one show was cancelled but there were several rumors as to why...he was either sick or the show did not sell well. Anyway, we never did end up booking the limo after we found out the tour was going to continue because the limo place never did return any of Susan's calls and all the other places were more expensive.
On Friday and Saturday, Northwest Indiana had a Winter Storm Warning and the temperature was significantly lower (Teens) than what it had been the rest of the winter (40s). Chicago itself was not under the Winter Storm Warning but it was going to be cold. We knew that with our VIPs we would not have to wait in line forever to get a good spot. We just hoped that we would not have to line back up outside after the VIP for the show. Because of the weather and the notorious Chicago traffic, we made sure to leave with plenty of time to spare. Once we got into Chicago and parked, we had several hours to kill. We had decided that we would get a late lunch in order to kill this time we knew we were proabobly going to have.
We decided to stop in at Bar Louie's which was right next to the House of Blues. When we walked in we were told that they had $1 martinis as their special. We knew this was our place! We then found out that they also had $1 appetizers....could we get any luckier??? We each ordered our first round of drinks, an appetizer, and an actual meal. We could have gone without the meal because sharing the appetizers would have been plenty for us. We took our time eating, drinking, and just socializing before it was time to head to the venue. None of us had been to the House of Blues before so it took us awhile to find out where to go. There were so many VIP girls! I later heard that there were about 120 of us. We were given one very simple set of instructions...do not bring up anything regarding Nick's personal life from the last weeks...AKA the death of his sister, Leslie.
For the soundcheck, we were about 8 rows back. Nick came out and sang two songs, "Fly Away" and "Free Falling." I liked the fact he did other songs that we would not be hearing during the concert...or so I thought.
"Fly Away"
"Free Falling"
After two songs, it was question and answer time. Here are the questions that were asked that I remember. They are not word for word but get the idea across...
Q: She liked the fan club t-shirts (my guess is the ones that come with the non-digital only membership) and asked if there would be anymore like it.
A: He said that he liked designing shirts that have more than just his face plastered on it so that there would probably be some more in the future.
Q: Could he teach us the Burning Up dance?
A:
Teaching the "Burning Up" dance
Q: Is there anything special planned for the Backstreet Boys 20 year anniversary next year?
A: Yes there are plans being made but he could not elaborate on it.
Nick got a kick out of the ice cream question
Q: A fan showed him a photo of "Shweaty Balls" ice cream and then asked him what kind of ice cream he would be.
A: He'd throw in a bunch of things that don't mix. Popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, Warheads. He hates chocolate ice cream, although he "likes other things that are chocolate." This got a laugh from the audience.
Q: The fans then tells him what she thinks he would be. Peanut butter so you can take it out of the jar and lick it. White chocolate. Nuts because he's crazy. And mint chocolate chip (which he says is actually one of his favorite ice creams).
So I found out that one thing Nick and I have in common....we both hate chocolate ice cream!
Me, Amanda, Susan, and Samantha (bottom going clockwise)
waiting for our photo op with Nick
Next, it was time for our VIP photos! I had been thinking about what I wanted my pose to be since I bought the VIP. This was going to be my first solo photo with Nick. I kind of wanted to do something fun but then I decided to go with the standard "Huggie Pose." I figured that maybe eventually I can get one of these poses with every single Backstreet Boy. I already have several with Brian so why not get one with Nick? I walked up to him and he said, "Hey Kentucky." I just happened to be wearing my Kentucky Anthony Davis jersey. UK was playing that night and Davis is from Chicago. I thought that I wanted to dress warm and comfortable since I didn't know if we would be standing outside and I knew we would be standing for several hours during the show. I gave Nick a hug and he gave a nice tight hug back. I asked him for a hug in my photo and he said "of course." After the photo he kind of held onto my hand for awhile and then thanked me for coming. I have to say that is the nicest that I think I have ever seen Nick. When I would see him on the cruises he would just seem to be a bit rude and not interact with the fans much. And I think when I have met him at the group VIPs, I am always so focused on getting to Brian that I don't notice him. But he was amazingly sincere during this meet and greet and I have a whole new respect for him after this show.
Me and Nick Carter - VIP
After all the photos were done, we got ushered back down to the lobby while they set up the stage for the actual show. Luckily, we did not have to go outside and VIPs were put ahead of everyone else. After waiting for some time, they let us back upstairs into the venue, where I was able to get about 5th/6th row back. Susan, Amanda, and Samantha decided that they were going to try to get a table to sit at so that they did not have to stand. This made it perfect so that I did not have to hold my sweatshirt and coat while the concert was going on. I stood next to a few nice girls, one of which happened to have sung with the Boys (10,000 Promises) during karaoke in 2010 on the cruise. She had flown in from Las Vegas to visit some of her friends and see Nick.
The concert started with an opening act named Gwenevere. She wasn't horrible but her songs were a bit angry and I could have done without all of the flipping off she did. I've seen worse but sometimes I don't get the idea behind some of the opening acts that the Boys have had.
It was finally time for Nick to come on! I had done a good job of not looking at the set list before the show, because I like to be surprised. It made recording videos a little harder but I managed. Nick slowly walked out in his space suit and opened with "I'm Taking Off," which happens to be my second favorite song on his new album.
"I'm Taking Off"
He then went right into "Blow Your Mind," from his debut solo album. One of the things that I very much liked about Nick's show was that he did several medley's with other artists songs. The third song he performed was a medley of "Not The Other Guy" and The Killers "Somebody Told Me." These medleys made the show interesting and showed how music influences other's music. Another of Nick's songs from his first album, "I Got You" followed the medley. Next, Nick pulled up a lucky fan to sing the beginning of "Special." She seemed so nervous at first and had the same reactions I probably would have had. She did seem to loosen up as the song went on though. As always, I was super jealous it wasn't me but happy for her.
"Special"
"Nothing Left To Lose" was next on the setlist....and then it got really good. Even though this was just Nick touring as himself, you can't have a Backstreet Boy give a concert without singing Backstreet Boys! "Incomplete" was Nick's first Backstreet song of choice in his setlist. This song was amazing as always, but I do prefer it with the voices of the other Boys.
"Incomplete"
The first song that Nick wrote for I'm Taking Off was a song called "The Great Divide." This song was next in line and put into a medley with "With Or Without You" by U2. Again, it was great combination. Not only did Nick sing his own songs put with songs from other artists, but he also rearranged some of his own songs. His ballad "Do I Have To Cry For You" was given a new twist.
"Do I Have To Cry For You"
"So Far Away" was next, followed by another Backstreet Boys classic, "Larger Than Life." This got the audience pumped and the entire floor was shaking, hence the not so great camera work. This song was also mixed with another song and done as a medley. Nick's mix choice: "Fresh" by Kool and the Gang.
"Larger Than Life"
"Just One Kiss," Nick's first single from his second album was performed next. However, it was the song that followed this that I was looking forward to seeing performed. During his NY show, it was "Falling Down" in which he broke down and had to leave the stage. I knew that by our show he would be stronger and be able to perform the song, but I knew it would still be emotional. Nick came out with just his guitar, dedicated the song to "all the loved ones we've lost," and sang a beautiful acoustic version of "Falling Down." Fans had discussed bringing glow sticks to hold up during the song in honor of Leslie and many of them did have one. I knew I was going to be too busy recording to also hold something up in the air.
"Falling Down"
Nick revealed after this song that he was supposed to go off the stage but forgot. So he just stayed out and continued playing and said he was going to add a song. I'm not sure if this was the case or if the song has always been in the set list and he was just saying that. All of the set lists that I have looked at online do not include this song. And while this was one of his soundcheck songs, "Free Falling" is a great song and I loved hearing it again.
"Free Falling"
And what is a concert with a Backstreet Boy without "I Want It That Way?" Not a very good one in my opinion since the song is so well known. Yes, I know people get sick of it...I don't!
"I Want It That Way"
It was finally time to end the night with Nick's best song. The high energy that "Burning Up" feeds into the room is amazing. The entire floor was shaking as girls jumped up and down and danced. Nick showed us some of his moves, which many fans compare to a muppet. At one point, Nick pours water over his head and shakes it, spraying water all over the place, including right on me. It was such a perfect ending to a great show.
"Burning Up"
On my way back to Michigan City, I seriously contemplated just making the five hour trip to Columbus, OH for the next and final stop of his tour. However, I didn't know if tickets were available and knew that the show just would not be the same without a VIP. So I got off on my Michigan City exit instead of continuing. I blasted my I'm Taking Off CD and sang at the top of my lungs the whole way home.
The road trip itself was pretty uneventful compared to some of the road trips I have had to see the Boys but the concert was amazing. If he does another leg of the tour, you can count me in on going to at least one of those shows.
One of the many things that I love about the Backstreet Boys is their willingness to help those in need. While I love to support the Backstreet Boys in their charity endeavors, there are no events currently on the calendar for their charitable organizations. However, when you have a philanthropic nature, it is hard to just sit back and watch those around who may be in need.
As I was driving the other day, I heard a commercial for the Chicago Susan G. Komen 3-Day event. My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor and I have done many Race for the Cure and Relay for Life events in the past. As I was listening to the radio I could not even fathom completing an event like the 3-Day....walking 60 miles in 3 days. I had actually looked into doing last year's event but when I did my research, there was one thing that kept me from doing it....fundraising.
As a 3-Day participant, you are required to raise $2,300. It's a nice chunk of change. If you do not raise the minimum amount, you don't walk. It would be a shame to work so hard at reaching out for support and not be able to celebrate the hard work. I decided that I would take the chance this year.
I knew from the NKOTBSB tour this summer that New Kid, Danny Wood, also has his own organization called Remembering Betty, in honor of his mother who's life was taken by breast cancer. I knew that even though I would be walking in honor of my grandmother, Shirley Rich, it might be beneficial to look at joining a Team Betty for the support and resources that they would be able to provide through Remembering Betty. After doing some research, I discovered that a Team Betty had not been formed yet for the Chicago 3-Day....until now. I would like to introduce you to the team captain of Team Betty for the Chicago 3-Day. I've had amazing support from other Team Betty members across the nation as far as giving me the confidence I need to make this commitment. The Chicago Team Betty is comprised of one member so far...me. I do have one other member that will join me in February and two potential members trying to make a decision. If you would like to join, please contact me.
So, now I have made the decision to devote the next 6 months to training and fundraising for, what I can only imagine, an amazing event. However, I NEED help! Would you please consider making a $5, $10, $20 donation today? I know that the economy is not ideal, but even a small donation of $5, when made by enough people can make a difference. Click on the "donate" button below to be my first donor!
Backstreet Boys fans (and New Kids fans) always try so hard to try to impress their guys. Why don't you try to show them what an amazing heart you have.
There are approximately 20,000 BSB Fan Club members. One can assume that at least 90% of them are female. This means that there are 18,000 female fan club members. 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. I know that there are fans from all over the world on this site, but for the purpose of my point we are just going to go with this statistic. That means that 2,000 of these fan club women could develop breast cancer. Are you friends with at least 7 other fan club members? YOU could be the one that develops this disease, as much as we all want to believe that we are invincible.
From 1995 to 2005, breast cancer incidence rates in the United States decreased by about 2% each year, mostly seen in women aged 50 and older. One theory is that this was due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy after the results of a study were published in 2002 that suggests a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk. However, notice that those younger than 50...AKA 99% of Backstreet fans, have the same chance of developing breast cancer as we did 7 years ago.
Research and education is what helps to give a chance of survival to more women. In order to accomplish this research, money is needed. That is why organizations such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Remembering Betty do events such as Race for the Cure and the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.
We all have so much more in common than just our love for the Backstreet Boys. We are strong, powerful women...who all have a chance of developing breast cancer. Let's join together and try to win this battle by finding a cure. It's worth the fight....
Once again, you can donate by clicking on the donate button below. Thank you in advance for your support.
Day 2 of BSB Cruise 2011 was definitely the best day for Group B as far as the amount and quality of events went. We had the Beach Party, our Cruise Concert, and then it was time for The Perfect Fan Prom Night Deck Party. We had already discovered that the Prom Queens had been chosen at random, signified by a crown in their goody bags. Needless to say, neither me nor my friends received one. One day one of us will get our special moment with them like that.
My prom dress was actually my wedding dress. Back when we thought that one of the theme nights was going to be a white night I had decided that I was going to wear it for that. I thought the Prom Night would be appropriate for it, as well. This was actually my third time wearing it...once for my wedding, once for my sorority formal my senior year of college, and now for the Backstreet Boys. I believe I have now gotten my use out of it. I also noticed that there were some other girls wearing theirs, which I knew going into it through the fan club and Facebook pages.
Kevin leading the group to the deck party
Because I have worn this dress three times, a clasp had broken off of the halter part. Before going out onto the deck, I had pinned it but the pin kept on popping out. I decided to run back to the cabin to grab more safety pins so that I could fix it better. The Boys had not shown up yet so I figured I had time to do this. As I was heading back up to the Lido Deck, the elevator stopped on the 6th floor, which is the floor that the Boys happened to be on. A Rose Tours staff member was waiting to get on and signaled for me to get off. I thought that he thought I was getting off on that floor and was just being polite. I told him that I was going up. He then said to me that he needed me to get off of the elevator. Recognition dawned on my face...the Backstreet Boys were coming and I relunctently stepped off of the elevator. Kevin was the first to walk by, looking especially handsome in his classic tux. Next came Howie, Nick, AJ, and Brian. I can't remember then if I bolted up the stairs or waited for the next elevator. Whatever I did, I arrived to the deck before the Boys did and exclaimed to the girls that I had just been kicked off the elevator because of BSB. I gave them a rundown of what each Boy was wearing and we quickly fixed the problem I was having with my dress. We all looked so gorgeous all dressed up. The Boys finally came out and also looked very nice. As I mentioned previously, Kevin was dressed in a classic black tux. Nick and AJ were dressed as Lloyd and Larry from the movie Dumb and Dumber. Howie was dressed in a snazzy, white, very Miami appropriate suit. Brian and Leighanne matched in turquoise.
The Boys decided that since Group B had gotten to hear Kevin sing during our concert, that they should do a song for everyone. For the third time on the cruise, Group B was going to get to hear and see Kevin perform with the group! Watching him through all of these songs makes it seem as if he never left...The video is really dark because the lighting at the deck parties was just not good. However, you can still hear their gorgeous voices...
"I Still"
The Perfect Fan Prom Night
After this performance, the Prom Queen winners were announced. The Prom Queens had received a tiara in their goody bags, and even Kevin had a Prom Queen. The Boys met their Queens over on the center stage and they danced to "The Perfect Fan." Kevin's trained ball room skills were displayed and the rest of the guys decided that they wanted to be a little goofy with it.
Prom King and Queen Dance
This deck party seemed highly focused on those Prom Queens, with very little interaction after that with the rest of the fans. The guys did the electric slide and the YMCA on the stage with the Prom Queens. Once the rest of the guys left the deck party, Howie started partying it up in the VIP section. Kevin must have been up there too because he came out to wave to the group of girls who still happened to be out on the deck partying. My friends and I decided that maybe we should go down to the 3rd deck, where he would have to debark and see if we couldn't get a chance to snatch a photo. We rushed down the stairs, floor by floor. When we got down to the 3rd deck, there were maybe five other girls who must have been just as smart as us. Kevin came out of the elevator and greeted us all. Many of us got our photos, autographs, or whatever it was that we were wanting. My photo turned out a little blurry (I was the last one to get my photo as we was literally getting off the ship) but is still recognizable. The fact that I am in my wedding dress and he is in a tux makes this photo very unique. I'm not sure very many other girls can claim they have a picture like that.
Kevin in his tux and me in my wedding dress
After seeing Kevin off, we saw that Howie was still partying hard out on the deck. It was late....again...and we did not know when he planned on leaving. We noticed two or three girls waiting for Howie to leave the deck and decided to join them. We were all exhausted and our feet hurt, even though many of us were just wearing flip flops. We talked to the Rose Tours guy that was watching the entrance and he was very nice. Soon we saw Howie heading our way and were ready with our cameras. He told us that we should join him in a game of Limbo down on the Lido deck....we followed him. The "game of Limbo" was him going under a stick once and then quickly turned into him taking photos with fans. None of us received a photo and when he left the deck we went back up to the deck above and perched ourselves there. We then saw security come back....with no Howie. We then knew that the night was over and we could go to bed. The next day was going to be a Day At Sea with our group photo session, Karaoke, and the Pajama Jam Deck Party. I knew that it would be my last day of seeing the Backstreet Boys, but I didn't know how great of a day it would actually be!
Coming Soon: **BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 3 - Day At Sea**
I left the Beach Party somewhat unwillingly. I knew the Boys were no longer on the beach but I loved being there. I loved the warmth and the scenery and the fact that I was in the Bahamas. However, I also knew that we still had the BSB Concert and Prom Night Deck Party to go to. We were totally being spoiled on this trip. While we were waiting in line for the shuttle, I discovered that all but two people in my group caught beads from the Backstreet Boys (more specifically Brian and AJ). There were those of us who were even nice enough to share when multiple beads were caught by the same person. We're all just so nice and friendly...
As we were getting back onto the ship, we took a look at some more door decorations. We found a rather neat one that had some giveaways and a life size cutout of the group. I had to have my photo op next to it of course and planted myself right next to Brian. Laura has joked now that I always have to be next to Brian....even fake cardboard cutouts of him. What can I say?...I can't help it. Something about him just makes me gravitate toward him...and this was an exceptionally good photo of him. I just love me some Brian Littrell.
After having spent the day on the beach, showers were much needed before we went to dinner. Cory and I had actually made appointments to get our hair done for Prom Night but decided at the last minute that it wasn't really worth it. I DO NOT recommend doing this, as we were still charged half of the fee because we had not given 24 hours notice. Oh well, lesson learned. Many of us debated whether or not we were going to get into our Prom dresses for dinner and the concert. Some of us did and others did not....I did not. We had a pretty uneventful dinner and then decided to go to the Lounge when the doors opened. We weren't sure if Rose Tours was going to need volunteers for anything for the concert but we thought we would try to see. They did not.
The concert was beyond amazing. A few months before the cruise, a fan poll was released for the songs that we would like to hear during their Cruise Concert. There were several songs already given to us on the poll but there was also a write in option. I know within our group, unreleased songs were quickly decided on and we made sure to include each others votes on a daily basis. I was interested to see what the set list for this concert was going to be like. Although there were no unreleased songs as part of the set list, the unplugged nature of the show was amazing. This was not a "rehearsed" concert, as many times the Boys forgot words, decided at the last minute to do some old routines, had some wardrobe malfunctions, showed some pretty unrehearsed emotions, and had special guest appearances. I think the group needs to do a whole tour like this, changing the set list for all of the shows. That would be the tour that I would have to go to every show.
I've debated for some time now how I was going to review this concert. I didn't know whether or not I should just hit the highlights or review every song with video, much like I did for my NKOTBSB Tour Review? I realized that my NKOTBSB Tour Review is my most read post. This show was also completely new. But it was recommended to me that I do the overview first and then do a more specific review later, like i did for NKOTBSB. Then I would be afraid that I would just repeat myself because there were so many "memorable" and "favorite" moments in the concert. So, I'm going for the full review right here baby...
"Incomplete" was the first song up...but it wasn't the song as we normally hear it. The Backstreet Boys performed a remixed version of their first single (April 1,2005) after their three year hiatus (notice I did not say break-up for all of you non-Backstreet fans that ask me "When did they get back together?"). The song became one of their most successful singles when it peaked at #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted within the top 10 in 13 countries. However, it could also be considered their last successful single of the 2000s.
"Incomplete" Remix
Next, we were in store for another great remixed classic. "Larger Than Life" mixed with a little "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO. This song served as a tribute to BSB's fans and was originally written and composed by non other than Brian Littrell (alterations and additions were late made by Max Martin and Kristian Lundin which then earned Brian the title of co-writer).
"Larger Than Life" Remix
Soon after the poll appeared to vote for the Cruise Concert set list, fans started to campaign to get the Boys to sing "If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself a Bad Boy)" (Nick is right, the name is way too long). It was revealed to us during the Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo that this would be one of the songs on the concert set list but they just couldn't understand why it was so voted for. What can we say, we like Bad Boys! "Bad Boy" was put into a medley with "Get Down" and our first surprise of the night was about to occur. First, the Backstreet Boys did NOT know all the correct words to this song. You would think that if they knew they were going to be singing it, they would have maybe practiced their parts a few times. Second, Nick began to tease us at the end of "Bad Boy." Finally, Laura, Cory, and I got a surprise visitor in the row in front of us during "Get Down." Nick was right there within touching distance and it made us all very happy.
"Bad Boy/Get Down" Medley
"Inconsolable," the first single from Unbreakable was next on the set list. The Backstreet Boys had begun their NKOTBSB tour with this song in that set list, but it was taken out within the first three shows. Therefore, this was the first time some girls have heard this song live since the Unbreakable tour. I was one of the lucky ones to get the song during my first NKOTBSB show but I like this song and it was nice to hear it live again.
"Inconsolable"
Much like their Unbreakable tour, the Backstreet Boys treated us with some solo performances. First up was AJ with the fan favorite, "London," which was never released as a single from his first solo album Have It All. After the song was performed, the rest of the Backstreet Boys came on stage and discussed how they begged AJ to let them as a group have the song, as it appears to be a Backstreet Boys favorite as well. I think it would be amazing if the Backstreet Boys as a group re-recorded this song.
"London"
Our next treat was a short acoustic set of two songs. To our surprise the Backstreet Boys headed out into the audience to pick some girls to sing with. When we had arrived early to the concert and asked Rose Tours if they would be needing volunteers, they had told us no but that the Backstreet Boys themselves would be doing something. This was it. AJ and Nick picked girls that were already in their prom dresses. Howie picked the wife of "Billy from Philly" (I'm guessing Hal Roseman's mom since Bill From Philly was his dad) and Brian picked a fan in a wheelchair (also in her prom wear). Maybe I should have gotten into my prom wear before the concert? The group then began singing "Helpless When She Smiles," the second single from Unbreakable. And while this song was a single, it was not part of the North or South American setlists for the Unbreakable tour. Therefore, this was the first chance for many of the fans in that lounge to see this song live.
"Helpless When She Smiles"
"Siberia" is not only a fan favorite, but a favorite of many of the Backstreet Boys, as well. It is often requested during soundchecks and the Boys have said over and over again that they wished it would have been a single from Never Gone. I never get tired of hearing this song and seeing it live is even better. Getting an acoustic version is the best. Unfortunetely, their placement on the stage isn't the best and it took me awhile to find AJ in the view of my camera.
"Siberia"
Do you want to know the best thing about non-rehearsed concerts? The fact that sometimes things don't always go as planned, as demonstrated by Nick's "wardrobe malfuntion." No girls, it's not what you think but it was a little funny part of the concert.
Nick's "wardrobe malfunction"
I don't think that many people can dispute that Brian's solo performance was absolutely riveting and one of the best solos of the evening....and I'm not just saying that because I am a Brian fan. Brian's version of "Mary Did You Know," was recently released by Brian as part of a Christmas collection called Christmas With the Littrell's on iTunes. Laura, who is Jewish and does not celebrate Christmas, has even commented about what a great performance it was. The entire audience was quiet throughout the performance and Brian got so emotional during the song. I'm not going to lie...even though this is a Christmas song, I will be listening to it all year round. I also believe that if Brian would not have influenced me to become a Christian at the fateful Naperville Christmas Concert, it would have happened at this point. After you have seen the video, you will no doubt wonder why I put it into my Top 10 Moments on Laura's blog....it still gives me chills every time I watch it.
"Mary Did You Know"
It was going to be hard to beat what I thought was the absolutely best moment of that concert. But, once again, the Boys far exceeded my expectations as the concert continued. It was back to the hits for the Boys, as they continued their set list with "Bigger," their second single from This Is Us. After Brian's very serious, very emotional performance, the Boys lightened things about by acting a little goofy during this song.
"Bigger"
I don't think there can be a Backstreet Boys concert without "As Long As You Love Me" or "All I Have to Give." We will always remember these hits that helped BSB achieve the success they have today. What better way to celebrate them than by putting them in a medley together? During "As Long As You Love Me" Nick decides he wants to do the dance but quickly aborts this idea.
"As Long As You Love Me"
The Boys go out into the audience and then decide they want to go to the top for "All I Have to Give." Unfortunetely, none of my friends have a good video for this, nor can I find a decent one from Group B on YouTube. If anyone reading this has a decent version, please e-mail me if I have permission to use the video. This does make me somewhat sad because as Brian was coming back from the balcony area he went right into the row in front of us, and like Nick had been earlier, was within touching distance. I very much enjoyed where our seats were! Even though I didn't get video or this, or a decent photo, I was able to snag a video of the most awesome part of the song....AJ and Brian doing the infamous hat dance! Anyone else think that this should always be in every live show that they do? I do. They obviously hadn't done the choreography to this in a while because both Boys forgot towards the end what they were supposed to do.
Hat Dance from "All I Have to Give"
Now, I know several fans always make a comment about how "I Want It That Way" can be one of their least favorite songs in a live show and in soundchecks because it is so overplayed. I agree that it is played a lot but I always love to hear it! To me it represents the biggest time in their career. I find that even if someone is not a Backstreet fan, they know this song....and most of the time like it. It is the song that holds records, that appears on lists of top songs and videos, etc. The thing that I totally disagree with....the fact that they did not win a Grammy with this song and album. Millennium is still my all time favorite BSB album and I think they will have to do something spectacular to beat it. Unlike the hat dance, the Boys did some older choreography from the Unbreakable tour that they actually remembered.
"I Want It That Way"
It was then time for Howie's time to shine in the spotlight. I wasn't sure which song he was going to sing from his new album Back to Me since he has only released two singles from it. "Lie to Me," Howie's current single was his song of choice. Howie was finally the last Backstreet Boy (excluding Kevin) to release a solo project. While he has toured in Japan, opened for Britney Spears in South America, and done some Canadian performances, he has yet to do anything in the United States for his album. He better be doing that...eventually.
"Lie to Me"
I think all fans remember the events that transpired that eventually led to the release of "The One" as their fourth single from Millennium. In 2000, a fan poll was held to vote for the fourth single from the album. The song that had been leading on the poll at the very beginning was "Don't Want You Back," which was also wanted by four of the five guys. This all changed when Nick Carter called into Total Request Live and stated that he wanted "The One" to be the next single from Millennium. It did not take long for fans to follow suit and begin voting for "The One." However, during this concert, the group decided to sing the song that SHOULD have been their fourth single from Millennium. I don't know about you all, but I think they should have brought back those pole/ladder props from the Millennium tour for this part of the performance.
"Don't Want You Back"
Up to this point, only one song from This Is Us had been performed, but it was time for more. "If I Knew Then" is the fifth track on This Is Us but was never released as a single. We got a nice little surprise during this song on the cruise....Nick forgot his lyrics and he made it very clear to us. Then it was Brian to the rescue! Even though Nick forgot the lyrics to this song and messed up lyrics in other songs, this show was still amazing. Those mistakes made it unique...it made it more real because it was just them being them up there. It was spontaneous, which I always like from the Backstreet Boys. It also got me thinking that it may be why they only sang two songs from their most recent album. All others songs they have been singing for years so they know them incredibly well.
"If I Knew Then"
Nick then got a chance to redeem himself when it was time for his solo. "Burning Up," Nick's second single from his second solo album I'm Taking Off, got the crowd going and ready for much more to come. Nick came to visit us in the crowd once again, although this time he was two rows in front of us. Once again, I was so happy for our seating placement. Who needed to spend extra money for anything other than an interior cabin? Not us. Because of Nick's little dancing spurts, he is now being referred to as a Muppet among many fans, comparing him to how The Muppets dance. I totally see it, others do not. Anyway, after this song I was pumped and ready for more!
"Burning Up"
It would not be a Backstreet Boys concert if they did not include "Shape of My Heart," their first single from Black and Blue. And much like "I Want It That Way," it did not win the Grammy that it was nominated for. I learned something very interesting today. Many people believe that this song contains a non-existent word...tragical. Tragical is actually an adjective meaning "of, relating to, or characteristic of tragedy" (dictioary.com). Who knew? I did know, however, that the concert must be coming to a close because they usually put this song towards the end of their shows. I didn't want it to end.
"Shape of My Heart"
My favorite up tempo song to see live is "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." Me and four of my friends did a dance to the song during our freshman year in our high school Talent Show (see it here). I still do the dance to this day at weddings (my own included), Holiday Parties, friend get togethers, basically anywhere there is a DJ that has the song. I love seeing it live because I love to see how the choreography changes with each tour. Plus, I love hearing those words "Backstreet's back, ALRIGHT!" During this particular performance we got some old school choreography, Nick answering his own question as to if he is sexual, and a slight Backstreet dance off.
"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
The Boys then left the stage, which meant we only had one song left to hear. My friends and I had actually questioned whether or not we thought Kevin would be joining the Boys on stage for at least one song. We thought that wouldn't be fair to group A, who would have their concert while out at sea the next day so we figured it was not going to happen. As soon as the Boys came back out on stage with Kevin we were proven wrong! We were going to get to hear Kevin sing!!!!! I had never been a fan of Kevin's voice as a single person singing, although I appreciate it much more now than when I did when I was a teenager. I do have to say that the group as a whole sounds much better with Kevin in the mix. This was my second favorite time of the concert cruise (after "Mary Did You Know"). I was also now sold on the idea of Kevin coming back into the group if it does, indeed, happen. I felt bad that my friend Tammy was not able to go on this year's cruise because Kevin and the song "Drowning" are her favorites. I know she would have loved to have seen this...so I had to make sure I got it on video for her.
"Drowning"
The set list compliments of the Door Decoration
winners.
Do you know what part I hate the most about any Backstreet Boys concert I've ever been too? The part where the Boys take their final bow. If I could have it my way, the Boys would have a marathon of a concert where they just sing every song they have ever recorded. This concert was just so special because we had all had a say in what we wanted to hear. I believe that the only songs that made it that me or one of my friends voted for was "Siberia" and "Bad Boy." I am not surprised considering almost all of our choices were unreleased songs, which they did not do. Maybe that is an idea for next cruise. A concert of just unreleased material, voted on by the fans of course.
After the Boys took their final bow, each one hugged Kevin. I know they miss him and I hope that Kevin now realizes how much he means to the group and to the fans. I think most of us would want nothing more than to see him return to the Backstreet Boys after what we experienced on this cruise.
We knew that we still had one more Kevin opportunity after the concert during the Prom Night deck party. I'll have to review that in a separate post because I believe that this post is long enough right now. Stay tuned!
Special thanks to Anne Marie and Laura for sharing your videos.
It is New Year's Eve and 2011 is about to end. Overall, it was a great year filled with concerts, new friends, my favorite University, and a cruise to top it all off. It's going to be hard to count down my Top 11 Backstreet/University of Kentucky moments of 2011 but I'm going to try.
11. My Very Kentucky Birthday - I am clearly a University of Kentucky fan. For my birthday this year, I received an authentic UK basketball jersey and a pair of UK shoes. I like to wear them proudly around Northwest Indiana where people give me questionable looks and often don't understand than UK stands for the University of Kentucky and NOT the United Kingdom. I will ALWAYS be a Wildcat fan and wish more than anything that my husband and I would move to Lexington.
Me and Tammy - Wildcat Fans Forever
10. My First Kentucky Win - Going along with my University of Kentucky gifts was my chance to see my first UK win ever when I went to a UK football game with Tammy in November. Up to this point, we had been 0-4 when we had gone to see either UK football or basketball games. During this game against Ole Miss, the curse was broken!
All the Girls Minus Tammy and Susan - We missed you!
9. New Backstreet Friends - This year would not have been the same without meeting some new Backstreet friends. The daily e-mails were always enough to start my day out on the right foot and after one of us had just gotten done with a concert, the e-mails got even better with photos and videos. The daily communication was a way to help one another deal with our Backstreet withdrawals...or to make it worse in some cases. In some cases we were enablers to one another but we were always there for one another. So, to Laura, Cory, Tammy, Susan, Ashley, and Anne Marie....thanks for filling up my e-mail. To Cortney and Jen...may we have more time to become even better friends.
8. The Great Ab Debate of 2011 - One of the many e-mail threads that were exchanged among me and some of my new BSB friends regarded a very important topic...who had better abs...Donnie Wahlburg or AJ McLean? Yes, here was group of 20-30 something year olds arguing over which Boy Band Bad Boy had the best midsection. Who needs to debate about politics or religion or education? Not us, I guess. This e-mail thread was composed of 51 e-mails between the group, with photos and videos attached to try to prove one's point. There never was a clear winner but we all agreed that both men were just too sexy for their own good anyway.
7. The Summer of NKOTBSB - So this isn't really one event per-say. 2011 was the year where NKOTBSB dominated the thoughts of many, many, many girls across the United States. I was a New Kids fan as a first grader, but I have now been a Backstreet fan for almost half of my life. What started as hesitation for this tour at first, turned into never wanting it to end. So, by the end of the summer of 2011, I had attended 6 NKOTBSB concerts (Grand Rapids, 2 Chicago, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis) and had wanted to go to so many more. I went with a different "group" to each concert and realized that the Backstreet Boys do truly bring people together. I traveled a total of approximately 2,331 miles to see those nine men perform and who knows how much money was spent on concert tickets, VIPs, merchandise, gas, and food. But every mile, every dollar, every minute of my time was worth the happiness that filled me when I went to those concerts. The withdrawals afterwards were not so much fun. Maybe if I ever do go back to grad school for psychology I can do an experiment on how the Backstreet Boys affect their fans similarly to how drugs affect drug addicts.
Wildcat until the day I die....
6. My Louisville Acknowledgements - During my Louisville NKOTBSB show, Brian ackowledged me, not once, but twice from the stage. I had to wear my University of Kentucky gear to represent my Wildcats while we were in the nest of the enemy (University of Louisville Cardinals). Being second row, I also knew it would catch Brian's eye. He acknowledged me first at the very beginning of the show and then again when the Boys were choosing people for "I'll Never Break Your Heart." The people next to me said he would have picked me for sure if it wouldn't have been Leighanne's birthday. I was happy he had laughed at my sign and do believe deep down in my heart that I might have had the chance to be picked. One day I hope to have that moment.
5. Crazy for Wylee - I had been to two of Leighanne's Wylee parties during the NKOTBSB concerts, both of which Brian had made very brief appearances. My third finally paid off when I was able to have a pretty long conversation with Brian and get a photo. I also talked to his dad and bodyguard that day. It made me feel like I was a part of something special and I must have been nuts to leave the party before Brian left but I had been on a mission to find him a UK jersey to wear for the final number of the concert. I returned to the soundcheck with no luck but Brian happily remembered me and thanked me for trying.
Well worth every penny of the upgrade...
4. My First Platinum VIP - Obviously the Louisville NKOTBSB show was by far my favorite. Not only had I interacted with Brian during the Wylee party and been acknowledged by him onstage, but this was my first concert with a Platinum VIP. I had originally won a silver but had upgraded when I thought that Brian might switch with AJ for the backstage tour because he was in his home state. That was a bust but I had some interaction with Nick and AJ, they sang "Siberia" (one of my faves), I got my first ever solo photo with the group (in front of the barriers), and I got a backstage tour and photo with AJ. This particular VIP had been well worth it (not everyone has great VIP reviews).
This is what dreams are made of...
3. BSB Cruise 2011 - I have absolutely no regrets about this year's BSB Cruise. I set out to do everything that I wanted to do...stay up late, be brave, spend time with friends, relax on a beach in the Bahamas, and have a good time. I did all of those and had a great time doing it. After having last year's cruise to compare to, I wasn't sure how this one was going to stack up so I decided that I needed to go in there with low expectations again. Once again, this cruise blew the little expectations I had out of the water. I had fun, my friends had fun, the Backstreet Boys had fun...what more could you ask for? For the girl who told me that she didn't think the cruise was worth the money....I'd say she needs to get over the "I deserve more" complex that some fans (NOT ALL!), I am sorry to say, have.
2. Say Cheese! - I have been lucky enough this year to get 9 photos with the Backstreet Boys, either as a group or individually. These include: NKOTBSB Grand Rapids Silver VIP with group, Louisville Wylee Party with Brian, NKOTBSB Louisville Platinum VIP with group and AJ, Miami Wylee Party with Brian, Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo with group, 80s Night Deck Party with Howie, Prom Night Deck Party with Kevin, and BSB Cruise Group Photo. Every single one of these moments was special and I am so glad that I have these photos to remember these times when I was in the presence of the men that have meant so much to me in the past 13 years.
Laura wonders if I love UK or BSB more...
1. Brian's "Kentucky Girl" - So what can be better than getting 9 photos with the Backstreet Boys in one year? How about getting a nickname from your idol? Brian first called me "Kentucky Girl" after a brief talk about UK basketball during the Miami Wylee party. Yes, I know I do not live in Kentucky, nor have I ever (although I was really close). However, two of my top ten moments revolve around the University of Kentucky, three of my nine BSB photos (this year) include me in a UK shirt, and my dream city of residence is Lexington, KY....so tell me that I am not a Kentucky Girl at heart and don't deserve that nickname. I figured that I would just take the name and enjoy it for the night because there was no way I was ever going to be called that again....until he did it again at the Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo later that night. So he remembered me just hours after seeing me? It didn't matter....he still remembered me...I had made some kind of impression in the minute or so we had talked at that table at the Wylee Party! I spent the next two days watching him and the rest of the group entertain us with a Sail Away Party, a game show, a Beach Party, a concert, and two deck parties. There was no way when I went to go take that group photo on the third day that he was going to remember me after two days of busy work and seeing hundreds of fans. When the words "Kentucky Girl" came out of his mouth again during that photo and I wasn't wearing anything UK to have triggered that memory, I could have fainted. He actually remembered me...the girl who people seem to forget about in their lives, the girl who actually only had her first picture taken with him just last October, the girl who doesn't have the money to buy multiple VIPs (one Silver was won this year and the other was an upgrade from a won Silver). To this day, I am not sure if the Louisville show had anything to do with his memory of me since we had talked UK there as well and I was faithfully wearing my blue and white. Nor am I sure if my attendance at his 2010 HHC VIP Weekend influenced his memory since we had also talked UK there and I was wearing a UK shirt. All of those events could have triggered his memory this time, but this Cruise vacation was the first time he had called me "Kentucky Girl." Will he ever call me that again? Only he knows. I would think that if I wearing Kentucky or we started talking UK, then he would. Would I do that just so he would remember me? You bet I would. Until it happens again, I am going to keep it locked tight in my heart that for a brief few days I was Brian's "Kentucky Girl."
I hope that 2012 brings all of this same happiness for me and other Backstreet friends!
