I've been on a bit of a hiatus during a busy summer, but I am back and will have new and more consistent content this fall.
This post is about my first ever concert - one of the most important days of my life.
Today is the 25th anniversary of that day. It was Thursday, September 14th, 1989. I was 12, a couple of months from 13, and in 7th grade. The concert was New Kids on the Block at the York Fair, in my hometown of York, PA.
I was the perfect age to be a fan of this boy band that had
taken over the world. In the days
before the Internet, I learned about them through the radio, MTV, and teen
magazines like Bop. I fell
hard. They were cute, they could
sing and dance, and they sang love songs that my 12-year-old brain and heart
couldn’t get enough of. They were
magical.
When I found out they were playing at the Fair, I asked my
mom if I could go. She would let
me go but she had to go with me. I
think she didn’t want me to go with my friends because she thought we might get
kidnapped or worse. And because
she was a single mom and didn’t want to get a sitter, we had to bring my
younger brother Jake. He sat the
entire time, and I’m certain he is still scarred from the experience. (Sorry Jake!)
We didn’t get tickets the day they went on sale, but we did
go to the Fair box office to buy them.
There was no Ticketmaster or Live Nation. I think tickets were maybe $15, and we got great seats in
the front of what would be the first row off of the floor, stage left. My mom was the best.
I actually don’t remember a lot from the concert itself,
except that it was like fireworks were being set off inside of me. As far as I know, there isn’t a bootleg
copy of the show available, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a setlist that I
can look up. But I do remember
singing along to every song. I
remember that the opening act was an acrobat of some sort, because I don’t
think they had an opener and that’s what you get at a county fair.
I remember that they performed “My Favorite Girl,” because I
turned to my mom and sang the chorus to her, and we were both standing and
dancing. She liked them because
they were safe and didn’t do drugs and were nice young men. They still are.
I remember that Donnie introduced the group members, and he
said that we’d have to yell Jon’s name extra loud for him to come out on stage
because he was shy. He still is.
I remember buying a t-shirt after the show, which I wore to
school the next day, along with half of the people in my class because they
were there too. I no longer have
the shirt, or most of the stuff I had back in the day, but I’m sure I could
find one on eBay.
I didn’t see them again in concert before they split up in
1994, but I was a fan until the end.
I bought their last album the day it went on sale when I was junior in
high school, long after they stopped being cool. People made fun of me for still liking them. I didn’t care.
After they broke up, I was okay. I moved on and became a fan of lots of other music,
including my “grown up boy band,” U2.
And then – AND THEN – in 2008, out of nowhere, they got back together
and recorded an album and went on tour.
Not to get too heavy, but as a girl whose father died when I was little,
this was hugely important for me.
They don’t just leave and create an unfillable void in your heart. They come back. The fans came back too. They were so grateful that we still
supported them. We were so
grateful that they were here again.
It has been a true love fest.
I have seen them about 10 times since they reunited and went on their
cruise in 2011.
Their live shows are totally incredible and they outdo
themselves every time I see them.
In 1989, I’m sure they put on a great show, but they didn’t have to do
much to impress us.
Now, I think they work harder to entertain us because they know how hard
we work to be able to afford tickets to the shows. They always thank us for our dedication. And they are still pretty magical.
Most importantly, this concert sparked my love of
experiencing live music – a privilege that I cannot imagine my life
without. There is no better
feeling than when the lights go down and the music starts, and you get that
rush of I AM ALIVE AND THIS IS HAPPENING. I have been to over 100 concerts,
which pales in comparison to many people I know, but I hope to have many years
of shows ahead of me. I have made
dozens of incredible friends through my love of New Kids on the Block and U2,
and Springsteen, and other bands.
I am so grateful to NKOTB and for this first concert for inspiring me
and filling that void that I didn’t know was there.
