This is a long, meandering entry about the Backstreet Boys, my concerts and soundcheck. In fact, it's probably the first in a mini series. So if you do not wish to read that, it is my sincerist suggestion that you look for your entertainment elsewhere today. Don't say you were never warned.

Oh, and Patty, I only WISH that Thor was the thing keeping me from updating. Really, I do

OK, so on Friday I head out of my house at about 1:15pm, after having woken up extremely early (10:30, early for me), like a fucking kid on Christmas, because it was, as I kept calling it, Backstreet Day! I went and picked up my rental car, and I was ready to start my day. I met up with Shan, Tracey and Rosie at the Hard Rock for lunch, where I proceeded to browbeat everyone there into moving fast enough for my schedule, because god help the person that made me late for my soundcheck. We were also joined by Kaitlyn and Rebecca (a fellow fan club member and her best friend) who were also going to the show. Kaitlyn had flown all the way from Oregon to see it. Now that's commitment. Anyway, that's all trivial, we had a lovely lunch, blah blah blah, on to my SOUNDCHECK!

We get there and stand in line outside. In the heat. For a solid half an hour. But at 4:30 right on cue they let us all in (because the backstreet boys are nothing if not punctual. Unlike a certain OTHER boyband I could mention). Security was doing what they could to keep control (cause you know, bsb fans are soooo dangerous), leading us around in this sad little single file (kinda) line. They led us into the theater, where the boys were already on stage just kinda goofing around (squee!), and made us sit like, 10 rows from the stage!! WTF!?!? But, before I cold even get mad, one of the guys was all "No, you guys come down to the front row". That would be when the chaos set in. The was a mad freaking dash for the front row, in the scurry, Shana and I managed to get seperated. I had run for the center thinking she was right behind me, but when I got there she wasn't and people were stealing seats practically right from up under you. Bitches. By the time we found each other, almost the whole front row was full. I was so pissed. I REFUSED to sit in the second row, so we found a few open seats at the far left end of the front row. I was heartbroken at being so far off to the side, seriously. Verge of tears ya'll... for about all of 7 seconds. That's about the ammount of time it took for my very own, super sexy boyfriend, Mr Nick Carter, to come and plant his mic stand directly in from of me. I kid you not. 5, 6 feet away, max. I. Could. Have. DIED. And to be honest with you, I had to make a concentrated effort not to make that horrible squeeky noise I made last year when Joey Fatone touched me. I'm talking Nick Carter, right in front of my face! Brian was next to him, so we were pretty close to him too. In fact, the whole bloody group was right there. I could not believe my freaking luck. It was like I was 12 again. I was so glad I had worn my great new booby shirt. You can't tell me NIck didn't see me. Tits this big right in front of his face? ONLY negro in the room (that wasn't a bodyguard)? Yeah, he saw me.

So the guys go through "Drowning", "Weird World" and some other song that I just can't seem to remember right now, and all is good. Thay also had a Q and A session. The ass that was running it came over to our side and Shana kept saying she had a question (I, on the other hand, could not think of one intellegent question to ask, and trust me, I was trying), so the guy keeps telling her he'll get to her, but keeps talking to other people. He finally looks at Shana and says "sorry, there's no more time for Q and A". Oh, we were pissed. But Shana, little Latina spitfire that she is (she's gonna kick my ass for saying that, btw), waits until it gets quiet in the room and just yells out: "HEY! Is there going to be a DVD?". I love this girl. (Oh! They also sang "Incomplete". It just came to me). So The entire group just turns around and looks at her, you can tell the Q and A nazi is pissed, and Shana's kinda looking like she doesn't know what's going to happen next (she thought she had pissed them off, lol). Then they all just kinda look at each other and make oh-hmmm-we-don't-know-but-great-idea noises, and Brian grabs the mic, is CLEARLY about to answer her when the Q and A Nazi snaps "there's no more time for Q and A!". So we never got an answer, but at least we know they're thinking about it.

So after the Boys walk around to let everyone take a group picture, the soundcheck ends and security starts trying to usher us out, and most people are pretty much going. The Boys are walking off the stage and Brian comes to our side on his way to the wings. My best friend, all balls to the walls, just walks straight up to the stage (security doesn't even PRETEND to do anything about it), sticks out her hand for a hand shake and says to him "Hi, I'm Shana". I, for one, pretty much expected her to get the brush off, but no. Brian squats down on the stage and is all "Hi Shana". I'm floored. She starts telling him about how "Back To Your Heart" is our favorite song and why (which would be the only time I piped into the conversation), and asking him why they wern't doing "Poster Girl". He was totally open, and calm and just so nice. Seriously. He ties with Marc Blucus as the nicest celebrity I've ever met. He's in the middle of explaining to her why some songs got cut when (mid-sentence) he looks at her Rolling Stone that she brought (1999, Boys On Top pants down cover), and was all "hey, do you want me to sign that for you?" And he does. This is funny to me because Kevin is about 10 feet away explaining how they can't really start siging autographs cause if they sign one, they have to sign them all, and here Brian was, offering one up, lol. So I'm standing there after he stops talking to Shana, and I'm all "hey, you think I could get a picture?" And he's all "Of course! Get over here!". It was so awesome. He's my second favorite BSB member. You know, cause Nicks hot, but Shana and I have long aggreed that Brian is the most vocally talented and consistent. So it was just a really awesome experience. I will NEVER forget this.

Alrighty, that covers the soundcheck. But my wrist hurts, and I'm hungry, so I gotta roll. I'll get some pics and concert stories up soon. Later days!
past / present