“In the Realm of the Basses”, Episode 2.14 (aired January 5, 2009)

“Gone With the Will”, Episode 2.15 (aired January 12, 2009)

LoLo

Recap for Gossip Girl Episode 2.10, “Bonfire of the Vanity”:

http://www.tvgasm.com/shows/gossip-girl/gossip-girl-a-t-8274.php

Recap for Gossip Girl Episode 2.11, “The Magnificent Archibalds”:

http://www.tvgasm.com/shows/gossip-girl/gossip-girl-the-2-8346.php

My recap for last week’s Gossip Girl episode, #9,  “There Will Be Blood”, is now posted at TVgasm.com.

My (extremely late) recap of the latest Gossip Girl episode, Episode 8: Pret-a-poor J, is now posted at TVgasm.com!

So last night I went to the New Kids on the Block concert here in Chicago, and it was incredible.  It wasn’t a sad or nostalgic reunion show, reminding you what they once were.  Nope.  They looked and sounded better than they ever did the first time around!  They performed a perfect blend of old hits — with an encore of “Step By Step” and “Hangin’ Tough”!!! — as well as songs off their new album, The Block.  And their new stuff is actually really, really good.  I particularly like “Dirty Dancing”, “Big Girl Now”, and “Full Service”, although the entire album is solid.

My girlfriends and I fell squarely within NKOTB’s core demographic these days — 25-35 year old women. Rocking trashtastic 80s outfits, we met kindred spirits everywhere.  And our seats were incredible — thanks to my mother who pounced on Ticketmaster the second they went on sale while I was at work.  We were in the first row of the first section off the floor, and when the guys moved from the main stage to a small platform on the floor, we were so close to them I thought the girls around us were going to faint.  Myself included.  The best moment was when my friends and I let out a group “WE LOVE YOU!” shriek — and Donnie looked right at us and pointed. Swoon.

What made the show leap from great to incredible was the humility of the guys.  They seemed to be truly enjoying themselves, working the crowd without being cocky, and seeming appreciative without coming off fake.  I’ve been to a lot of concerts, and when the artist is done with her last encore, she’ll usually shout something like “Thank you Chi-town! I love you!” or whatnot and then peace out.  But when the guys finished “Hangin’ Tough” last night, they stayed out on the stage for another 10 minutes or so, thanking us and laughing, and even indulging in a group hug at the end.  To me at least, it felt very genuine and that they happily soaking it up and not taking it for granted like many artists do.  NKOTB’s already been down that road, and they know that you never know which show will be your last.  And you could tell.

On top of that, Natasha Beddingfield was an amazing opening act.  I had no idea she was opening until I asked a guy in the ATM line of purgatory who the opening act was.  Then I thought he was lying to me.  Sorry, dude.  I liked Natasha going in, and now having seen her live, I’m a converted full-fledged fan.  She looked and sounded great, and really is talented.  And how fun is it to indulge your Hills obsession with belting out “Unwritten” with Natasha herself?

Other random thoughts — Danny cannot break dance and shouldn’t try.  Their tribute to those who have died since their last concert (which is what I think the In Memorium was) was a good idea in theory, but a bit of a mood killer.  Joey still looks likes like a baby and Danny still looks like a monkey.  That being said, like a fine wine, they have all aged well and are actually much more attractive than 14 years ago.  Especially Jordan.  Swoon. Was his solo song with an unbuttoned shirt and a goddamn wind machine the cheesiest thing I’ve seen in months, if not years?  Yes.  Did my friends still have to talk me out of rushing the stage and doing things to him that would get me arrested?  Yes.

I had such a great time and was so impressed, I can’t even properly put it in words.  It was an amazing show.  If NKOTB’s going to be in your city, I highly recommend finding a way to go to that concert, even if it involves inflated prices on eBay or stubhub.com.  It’s worth every penny.

Set list:

“Single”
“My Favorite Girl”
“(You Got It) The Right Stuff”
“Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”
“Valentine Girl”
“Please Don’t Go Girl”
“Grown Man” (With Nicole Scherzinger)
“Games”
“If You Go Away”
“2 In the Morning”
“Dirty Dancing”
“Tonight”
“Twisted”
“Baby I Believe in You”
“Give It To You” (Jordan solo)
“Stay the Same” (Joey solo)
“Cover Girl”
“I’ll Be Lovin’ You (Forever)”
“Click, Click, Click”
“Summertime”
Encore
“Step By Step”
“Hangin’ Tough”