NKOTB=LOVE

One June 30 I had another chance to see the greatest boyband* of all time...New Kids on the Block.  In preparation I did several things: made an NKOTB playlist for iPod and had my kids listen to it (they now sing along with (You Got It) The Right Stuff); read their OFFICIAL biography by Nikki Von Noy (sort of enlightening but really just a fun read); brushed off my dance moves and got my screaming voice in tune. 

Here are a few things I've pondered about the 5 Bad Brothers from the Beantown Land over the past couple of months.

1.  I am 33, and I think a small part of me is still in love with Jordan Knight.  Sad but true.

And, he also proves that men get better with age.  (SHEESH.  I really thought that top picture was H-O-T-T.)

2.  Have you ever REALLY studied and looked at the cover of Hangin' Tough?  I mean...it's kinda epic...for a boyband that is.  They ain't no cheesy posing.  No peace signs (those would come later, especially for Donnie D).  No arms wrapped around theyselves in a self-hug (you know what I mean).  Just five young guys on an NYC subway looking forward to their futures...that would be super bright.

3.  1988-1991 felt like an ETERNITY to my young self, but those 2 1/2 years of fame must have gone WAY too quickly for those five guys.  From nothing to everything to a joke.  It's sad how the entertainment industry savors someone for a second and then spits them out like they were the most disgusting thing they EVER ate.  I am not a fan of the likes of Justin Bieber, but I still feel badly for him and those like him when they are discarded so easily from the walls and hearts of teenagers and fan magazines.

4.  I have been trying to figure out why I still cheer for NKOTB so hard.  I think it comes down to this: I am a kid at heart.  My mother instilled this in me.  I still gleefully wait for Santa to come to my house, and I will always remember the first NKOTB biography I bought at Pages for All Ages bookstore.  (It was with a birthday gift card, and my cousin and NKOTB sister, Kendra, was by my side, helping me pick juuuuuuust the right one.)  They are a part of my childhood, a part of some of my happiest memories, so I am always going to love them.

5.  My biggest question I've been thinking about: When, OH WHEN, will they be in residence in VEGAS!?!  CAN YOU IMAGINE???  I mean, seriously...the Manilow, Donny & Marie, Celine...it is just a matter of time.  I would MAKE my husband take me on his yearly pilgrimage to Sin City if the boys had a theater and nightly show.  I wouldn't even try to get in on his male bonding fun.  You'd know where to find me: at the pool, at the show, or sleeping off last night's fun with the Beantown Boys.

I will probably never meet these guys that have played such a pivotal role in my life.  And, I guess that's OK.  I mean, they couldn't be as great, kind, giving, and selfless as their biography made them out to be...
or could they?

*NOTE: I do NOT count the Beatles as a boyband.  I simply count them as the greatest BAND of all time.  In fact, if you think about it, NKOTB really did set the standard for what a boyband is today.