Categories

Tweet Us

Blog Stats

  • 340,652 hits + 903,491 previously

My Life in this Boy Band Fandom – Part Two

by | Nov 11, 2014 | Personal | 2 comments

Hopefully you are enjoying my stroll down memory lane.  Part two of this story is an even more defining period in this fandom for me, here is where I started to give in to the young blonde one known as Nick…

2004-2005

Then I guess it was early 2004 in random checking of my BSB things online the rumor of a new album and I was so excited, as many others were.  It sparked more internet travel for me looking for song leaks and any new pictures you could find of them.  We were all so happy to see AJ doing better and I was so excited to see more Kevin again and that young blonde one.

Hearing this news made me want to reach out to some of my old friends from the Yahoo Lists.  I was able to locate a couple of them.  I had stayed in touch with a few of them through MySpace..lol  I also discovered that BSB had updated their fan club site.  They were calling it Weird World.  This was a name of one of the songs on the album.  I of course purchased my membership because it stated you could get pre-sale tickets and other things.

I then started reading forums to see what other people were saying about the new music and see if I could find some old friends.  I participated in several of the guys forums but I found myself having more fun in the Nick forum.  What I found was a new set of friends that all shared my appreciation of the young blonde one.  It originally started as just a Nick only forum, but we all decided to change it and the forum name and Original Nick Chicks was born.  We would have to create new forums pages sometimes multiple in one night with all the chatting we would do.  We shared pictures of and discussed Nick and the new music.  More times than not the conversation was more R rated than G rated.  We had people come and go through the forum but there was a group of us that kept it going. It was an awesome time. I was the oldest member and all the girls referred to me as Mama Ju.  I loved my girls so I loved being referred as Mama LOL.

In April 2005 my local radio station started talking about a Backstreet Show.  I wanted to go but I don’t know for some reason the day tickets went on sale I missed it and they sold out.  Well the day before the show I was listening to that radio station and they asked for a specific caller to win tickets and a meet and greet with the boys.  Well even though I was at work I called and guess what I WON!!!  The people in my office laughed at me but I was so excited. Actually I was dying and was like I don’t have anyone to go with me and the husband would not be thrilled but I was going.  So I took my youngest son, that helped buffer the grief.

When we got there with the other winners at the radio station I was so freaking nervous.  Once it was time, they took us into this conference room, they had food and drinks.  We picked our seats and I was lucky enough to get to sit right next to AJ.  They did the interview with questions we had submitted and then we ate and I was able to get individual pictures with AJ, Howie and Nick.  I wanted one with Kevin but was too nervous and just asked if he would take one with my son.  Brian never came down my way and I didn’t go after because i wanted to stay close to Kevin and this dude Nick who has really caught my eye. LOL  Then it was time for our picture, we had to go in groups so we went with another Guy and his daughter.  We got hugs from all and by far Kevin and Nick gave the best hugs.  Nick had on the “Incomplete’ t-shirt from the video.  I remember it being so soft.  I got to be with Nick and Kevin was knelt down in front of me to be by the little girl.

UCP_2005

After the meet and greet was over we headed over to the venue, Center Stage Theater.  It was a general admission venue and since I had my son I figured there would be no since trying to go on the floor so we made our way up into the seats.  I used the rationale I just met them, so I can sacrifice being close.  Today this is not acceptable. LOL  I had my camera, and digital cameras were just becoming all the rage, but mine was a point and shoot with no zoom so my pictures are not great but it was still an awesome time. I loved hearing the new music and while I was so glad to see Kevin again, this young blonde one was creeping around in my mind even more now.

Never Gone was finally released and they released tour dates.  I was stoked.  With my fan club memebership I would be able to get seats before they went on sale.  This was so cool.  When the day came, I did and was supper stoked to have 8th row.  The fan club also was offering this new idea of a Sound Check Party.  You would submit your name and they picked random people at each show to attend.  It was not a meet and greet but it allowed you to ask questions and such. Of course I signed up and I was lucky enough to win.  I about died.  Twice in one year I was going to get to see them that close!  I still didn’t have a girl to go with me to the show, so again I took my son.

On July 24, 2005 our show was the third one on the tour.  I had heard some about the show on the Nick forum and other BSB forums but was still very excited about this experience. We get to the venue and actually got to see AJ on his bus but none of the other guys.  We got to the line up for the Sound Check Party but there was some delays.  They were having technical difficulties and they were running late.  We were not going to get the Sound Check Party so they decided to just do a meet and greet to make up for it.  Well I have NO problem with that.  We lined up and waited for the radio winners to go through and then we got to meet them.  My son and I get up there, he had brought the picture from the last meet in April to show them, sadly there were no autographs.  After hugging them we got to do the picture.  They used your own camera.  Ahh I was able to finally get one next to Kevin and Nick.  I loved my sandwich.

100_0861

After we got to the seats I was excited to try and find some old friends from the Yahoo List that was going to be there. One was from Michigan and the other lived in Augusta.  It was so awesome to finally meet Kel and Marlena.

100_0868

The show was awesome, while I was closer the lighting was hard to get good pictures and I still wasn’t good with this new digital camera stuff.

NG_2005

The show was not enough I wanted more but there was no other shows close that I could go to until one of the Nick Chicks mentioned she was going to the Bristow, Virginia show and had an extra ticket.  This was outside Washington, DC.  My devious mind thought I wonder if I could convince my husband to take a quick trip.  As crazy as it sounds I did ask and say I just wanted to do this and that we could make it a quick weekend vacation.  Reluctantly he agreed, so we packed up the kids, plus a friend of one of my sons on a Friday evening and headed up the road.  The show was Saturday night so we had to drive most of the way on Friday night.  The next day after a mini trip to some of historical stuff they dropped me off at the venue.  My husband was still not too sure about me meeting up with someone I only knew on the internet even though I have done this before back in 2001.  I knew my girl!

I met up with Mel and her sweet mama.  They had gotten closer tickets, 2nd row and the ones I was in was back further but I didn’t are I was there and I got to meet HoBiscuit.  All the ONC’s know about this and it is too much to explain. 🙂

mel

I may have gotten little better pictures or the lighting was better, still not great but it did give me some memories of this trip. One of the highlights was Nick in a black shirt and tie. He looked yummy.  But once the show was over it was back to the hub and kids in the parking lot.  We made a little mini vacay touring some of Washington before heading home.  I figured it would be a long time til I saw these guys again.

NGW_2005

After the concerts I still continued hanging out to the wee hours of the night some nights with my girls in the Nick Chicks forum.  We always had a blast.  One day I don’t remember how exactly it went down a new person started posting in the forum.  It appeared to be a male and he went by “Bob”.  He joined right in and started talking with us.  It didn’t take long for us to get suspicious of him.  He wouldn’t reveal much about himself but it was always funny he seemed to be always near where the boys were performing.  He then started teasing us with banana pictures and they would always be at landmarks where the shows were happening.  We often asked if he was Nick and he said he wasn’t but we were still suspicious. It had to be him or someone associated with him.  We analyzed the pics and many of the pics it looks like his hand holding the bananas because he has those funky thumbs.  Bananas became like a mini mascot of the forum…it was such a good time.

Here are some of the pics he would send us.

El Collagero 10-10-2014 16_22_16

The summer turned colder and as the Never Gone Tour wrapped up in the US and Europe we all wondered what would be next. We knew they had to finish in Asia and Australia but we wondered when the next album would come out.  Well I was all excited when another one of the local radio stations announced their Christmas show.  The line up was going to include the Backstreet Boys!  I about freaked out.  They were not the headliner, Will Smith was but I didn’t care.  I got to see them one more time this year.  I could not believe it.  Tickets went on sale and I ended up on the side front row of the section.  I now had someone else I could bring.  My new niece in law was a fan and she had never been to a show so I was taking her.  The day before the concert I got a call from a friend I met at the radio station when I met the guys the very first time.  She had a friend who was DJ at the station putting on the show and they were going to be releasing some seats at 2pm.  I got on Ticketmaster and HOLY CRAP I pulled front row.  I was dying.  I was going to see them even closer.  My niece was going to freak, I mean her first concert in front row.

This show also allowed me to meet up with another Nick Chick.  Kari came up from Florida. I was so happy to meet another one of my girls! DSCN3772The show included the PussyCat Dolls and Will Smith.  It was a great show, wish BSB could have been on longer but they were awesome in their set.  Nick hair had grown out a good bit but he still looked hot.  Kevin looked great too in black leather coat and jeans. Nick wasn’t on our side that much and when he did I was unable to get a good picture.  But I did get some good ones, I seem to be getting better each show.  Of course being closer helps too…LOL

FSM_2005

What a great end to a jam packed year and its a good thing because this would have to last me for a while….End of Part Two. 🙂