NKOTBSB Con report June 3, 2011
New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys!!
I've been wanting to go to this concert since NEW YEARS. I was BEYOND happy that I got tickets to go!!! I went with kendoyuki. This report will be long because I don't know how to shut up.
If you don't know, NKOTBSB is New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. I've been a Backstreet Boys fan FOREVER and the last time I got to see them was in 2001 on their Black and Blue tour. I know pretty much nothing about NKOTB. I've only heard a few songs, so I was pretty much there for BSB. This report is going to be heavily BSB biased.
Getting there was easy. Kendoyuki was running late so we didn't have the leisure time we wanted before the concert but we made it in plenty of time. We took the metro into DC. I kept spotting people who were obviously going to the concert also. Older women with NKOTB tshirts and stuff. Once we got the venue we got some McDonald's, ate it on the sidewalk cause it was crowded.
The two of use, since apparently we're the whitest Japanese girls ever, decided to make uchiwa for our favorite BSB guys. Kendoyuki made one for Brian and I made one for Nick (I love Brian and Nick equally ><). Those turned out to be the BEST decisions ever! But more on that later.
Our seats were AWESOME (and ended up being even more awesome but more on that later too~). The stage had a main stage at one end of the arena and a long path that connected to a circular stage in the middle. We were in the first set of stands about halfway down, right in front of the circular stage. We could see everything!! Here is a pic of the stage. The pic is from my phone and actually looks farther away than we really were.
Opening acts were some girl named Ashlee Huff who was okay. Jordan Sparks also opened! She was SO GOOD. Super talented. I really enjoyed her performance!!
After Jordan performed the main event started!! There was a really long intro with picture of the guys with their names etc. A huge white sheet was covering the main stage and more pictures and lights and effects were projected on it. Cue explosions and tons of lights and the boys finally came out! They were on a raised platform on the main stage and descended with lights and smoke and crazyness.
I don't remember the order of things, but I found the setlist online so I'll be using that. Not that I really remember exactly when things happened.
First song was a Mash up of BSB's "The One" and NKOTB's "Single." The screams and the energy in the arena were so loud! BSB sang "The Call" and "Bye Bye Love." Bye Bye Love is one of my new favorite songs. I was really excited they sang it!!
The concert was good about alternating between NKOTB and BSB songs. One group would do a few songs and then the other would do some. They did a good mix of old and new songs. I'd have to say they pretty much did all of their "hits"
Between "The Right Stuff" and "Larger Than Life" They do this cool kind of mash up thing. Like in Larger Than Life the lines are normally "All you people can't you see can't you see/How your love's affecting our reality" but at some points of in the song you don't sing the 2nd line instead you chant "NKOTBSB" It's pretty awesome and epic. The first time I heard that was on TV on New Year's Eve and I've been wanting to do it at the concert. WISH GRANTED.
When BSB was going to sing "I'll never break your heart" they went to go pick people from the audience to serenade. The lady next to me (who was awesome and an obvious super fan) pulled on my arm to raise my Nick uchiwa in the air, but there was no way he'd pick me. He picked some little girl. Brian also picked a little girl. Howie (I think) picked an older woman and AJ (or maybe it was Howie..) picked a girl around my age. They got to go on stage and get sung to. It was cute.
At some point, I don't remember which song, BSB was on the middle stage and the platform raised so they were kind of on our level. Brain was facing us and he pointed and waved in our general direction, and Kendoyuki and I with our uchiwas were going crazy trying to get his attention. We pretended that he was waving at us. But THEN, a few moments later he ACTUALLY DID SEE US. Like no doubt he pointed and waved at us. Everyone around us turned to look at us to see who he was pointing at. Uchiwas really do work (esp if you're the only ones who have them ^___^)
Nick on the other hand, was barely facing us and when he WAS on our side he was looking down at the people on the floor, or being like super involved in signing.
And further proof that our seats were AMAZING happened after NKOTB did a big chunk of their songs. We noticed that while they were singing security came and brought ropes down the stair case so we couldn't get out OF COURSE this means that SOMEONE was either going up or down our staircase. NKOTB went out into the audience during one of their songs after the ropes were set up so we thought it was going to be them. NOPE.
BSB comes out singing Shape of My Heart (I think) anddddd NICK AND BRIAN COME DOWN OUR STAIR CASE!!! We were seats 5 and 6 so we were really close the the edge. They were FEET away from me!! I couldn't get close enough to touch either of them. I don't think Nick saw my uchiwa he was too busy being freaked out by the chaos. Brian came down after him and he saw Kendoyuki's uchiwa but couldn't figure out exactly where she was :/
BSB sang "I want it that way" at the end and omg. I swear every single person in that arena new every single word. It was an amazing feeling singing along with thousands of people like that.
Then they all sang their new single that they made together, "Don't Turn out the lights" SO GOOD. The dance and the song and they were all so cool! That performance was just really really awesome. It was a giant epic boyband. ad;flkajd
Here is the song:
Click to view
For the Encore BSB sang Everybody. I was going to be really disappointed if they didn't sing that song. it's like THE Backstreet boys song (well to me at least). But they did sing it and it was epic. NKOTB came out and sang Hangin Tough and did a Mash up with We Will Rock You and then they went and mixed Everybody in there at the end too. It was such an awesome finale! I was dancing and singing and having SO MUCH fun. I didn't want it to end at all!!!
Here is the full set list:
Single / The One (Mash-up) - NKOTBSB
Summertime - NKOTB
The Call - BSB
Dirty Dancing - NKOTB
Bye Bye Love - BSB
The Right Stuff - NKOTB
Larger Than Life - NKOTBSB
Blow Your Mind - NKOTB
Valentine Girl - NKOTB
If You Go Away - NKOTB
Please Don’t Go Girl - NKOTB
Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely - BSB
10,000 Promises - BSB
I’ll Never Break Your Heart - BSB
Inconsolable - BSB
Drowning - BSB
Incomplete - BSB
Step By Step - NKOTB
Cover Girl - NKOTB
My Favorite Girl - NKOTB
Games - NKOTB
Click Click Click - NKOTB
Tonight - NKOTB
Shape of My Heart - BSB
As Long As You Love Me - BSB
All I Have To Give - BSB
If You Stay - BSB
Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) -BSB
I’ll Be Loving You Forever - NKOTB
I Want It That Way - BSB
Don’t Turn Out the Lights - NKOTBSB
Encore
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) - BSB
Hangin’ Tough / We Will Rock You (Mash-up) - NKOTB
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) / Hangin’ Tough (Mash-up) - NKOTBSB
As for general thoughts?
Just an AMAZING concert. I had so much fun. I was so glad I got to go. BSB was AMAZING. Just...ughh I don't even know how to express how amazing they were. NKOTB were awesome too. As someone who only really recognizes some of their songs I was really entertained. They put on an extremely good show.
BSB were really cute. Brian and Nick were fooling around a lot too, mostly Brian though. Even during slow "serious" songs he was goofing off. Nick is so good looking. ahhhhh I was so close to him!! He's got some mustache thing going on right now but still super handsome.
Of course I couldn't help but think that this was TOTALLY like a Johnny's concert. There were epic lights and fireworks and CONFETTI and streamers shot out of cannons and rising stages. They didn't have the fabulous costumes though. They were obviously wearing costumes, they sparkled and were matching. Probably most comparable to V6 or something, the way they were dressed. I was thinking that it was like if SMAP and Arashi had a concert together....but with MUCH better dancing and singing. It totally made me and Kendoyuki want to go to a Johnny's concert together. So next year, when we're both in Japan, we're going to go to the first JE concert we can together.
I've never screamed such much in my life. My throat STILL hurts. It's THE best concert I have ever been to (and yes even better than you Mr. Akanishi). I REALLY want to go again. They're playing in Baltimore on Sunday and I'd totally go and and get cheap seats but I have a midterm monday and Baltimore is like 2.5 hours from me >< I'm definitely going next time they're in town, either as NKOTBSB or just Backstreet Boys.
This concert totally made up for all of the concerts I missed in Japan this summer. I feel kind of okay that I didn't get to see Yamapi or Kanjuu this year. I think I needed this BEYOND awesome concert. No words can really describe how amazing it was!!
I bought the NKOTBSB album already too. $10 on amazon. It's got a bunch of their hits (probably rerecorded) and Don't turn off the lights. Can't wait til it gets here (on Tuesday lol).
I think that's the end of this really long report! Congrats if you actually got through it!!!
Here is a fancam I found (I couldn't take any of my own ><) that is pretty good~