Concert Stories #48: NKOTB, Boyz II Men, and 98º

New Kids On the Block (2^nd time) 

Openers: Boyz II Men & 98º

The Package Tour

Summerfest

Marcus Amphitheater

June 2, 2013

Age: 30

This was such an amazingly fun concert!!! NKOTB was my first concert back in 1990 and it was time to see them again!  Even better? They were touring with Boyz II Men and 98º!

The concert was during Summerfest so before the show a number of us met up across from one of the free stages.  One of us scored free passes to a deck where we could get drinks so we chilled out up there and did some people watching.  We waited a little too long thinking 98º was the opener but by the time we made it over to the amphitheater we found out that Boyz II Men were first on stage and we had missed a few of their songs!! I was admittedly a little heartbroken.  I was more there for them then NKOTB.

Now I also have to back up a minute and explain my seats.  Shannon had asked me to go along with her, Sue, Karey, and another girl and I held off unsure but then finally agreed to go.  After that I ended up winning two tickets to the show and found out that the tickets were second row!  I was in a pickle.  I already committed going with the girls but second row???  I asked Shannon if she wanted to sit second row with me and we could hang with the girls before hand, but she didn't think this was appropriate to do to the other girls and she was right.  It just so happened that my sister's birthday was around the same time, so I gifted my sister and her best friend the second row seats.

Back to the concert - Boyz II Men went out into the crowd with roses during one of their songs and gave my sister one of their roses!  I managed to catch them on the big screen (multiple times), internally dying of jealousy.  I'm happy that at least if I wasn't in those seats, someone I knew was using them and appreciating them!  Boyz II Men were performing so good and the crowd was awesome, they knew every word to each song and were dancing and singing like crazy. Myself included.  Like I totally fangirled.  IT. WAS. AMAZING.

Next up was 98, honestly, nothing memorable to report here - just that clearly in my opinion the order should have been switched between them and Boys II Men!

Next was NKOTB.  Man, I thought the crowd was nuts with Boys II Men but they went next level for NKOTB. Every word to every song.  It was almost hard to hear the guys over the crowd.  At one point the guys ran into the crowd and my sister got to high-five one of them.  My memory of seeming them the first time 23 years earlier is non-existent since I slept through the concert, so I was surprised to notice that Donnie Wahlberg really was the ring leader of the group.  I had not realized that before and he did such a great job essentially emceeing the night.

Overall the night was so much fun making me feel 10 and not 30.  Although I'm pretty sure I felt like 60 the day afterwards.

Boys II Men

Boys II Men

NKOTB

NKOTB

The gang - I especially appreciate the dude posing with us from behind.