Well Lit & Amplified Tour 2012 - Act I ft. Justin Moore

I may not have been raised in the south - heck, I wasn't even raised in the USA! - but I should have been. The music, the lifestyle, the men. I am country girl, through and through. That's why it should come as no surprise that I travelled over 2,230km to see Blake Shelton's Well Lit & Amplified tour. Not only was the king of my country world the headlining act, Justin Moore - who I've seen once before - was opening. Those two men made it a must-see!

It started with concert tickets to the concert in Spokane, WA on March 8th, 2012. From Revelstoke, BC I drove to Calgary, AB to pick up my sister. On the 7th, we drove - for our first time - to Spokane, WA. We entered the US through Idaho. In one day we had covered two provinces and two states.

All the travelling had earned us a peaceful night in our hotel. The next morning we did some shopping, and then returned to our hotel to make our t-shirts for that night. My sister went with a Blake Shelton classic, "It's All About Tonight" with camouflage letter. While I opted for a twist on my all-time favorite country song, Austin by Blake Shelton. 

With our shirts complete it was time to head to the venue. I had booked a hotel that had described itself as being across the street from the Spokane Arena - it lied. Before leaving the hotel room, I double checked with Google Maps - it lied. My sister and I proceeded to wander around the streets, wasting time. Nothing flusters me more than being later - or what I perceive as late - for any sort of event. In a huff, we hurried back to the hotel and called a cab. After waiting twenty minutes for a cab that never came, we decided to risk it and jumped in our car. My sister used her best map reading skills to get us to the arena. We picked the nearest parking spot, jumped out of the car and ran into the venue. We made it onto the floor as the lights were dimming. 

Since we were so late getting to Spokane Arena, I wasn't able to do my preferred method of purchasing my merchandise before the concert. The first opening act was Dia Frmapton. Blake had coached Dia on the first season of The Voice. She has a unique sound, and is as cute as button! After snapping a few photos to get the settings right on my camera, we decided to get a snack and our merchandise during Dia's set so that we wouldn't risk missing Justin Moore.

Justin Moore is as redneck as they come, but that boy can sing! He opened his set with a song off of his new album called Guns. Yes, it is about guns. It's not my favorite song of his, but with his performance it's hard to care what he is singing - as long as he is singing.

He sang How I Got To Be This Way next. That is the song that made me fall in love with Mr. Moore. Back in 2010, my sister and I saw him open for Brad Paisley. We knew then and there that he would be one of our favorites moving forward. After How I Got To Be This Way, he sang My Kind of Woman. 

Next up, just prove how country he is, he sang If You Don't Like My Twang. He is one of the twangiest fellas I listen to, and I love every minute of his southern drawl. He then sang his new single, Like There's No Tomorrow, and then showed off just how powerful his voice is with a cover of With A Little Help From My Friends.

If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away was next. Justin dedicated the song to Miranda and Blake who had been going through a tough time dealing with the loss of loved ones. This song is so beautiful, and meaning is so powerful. It's easily a favorite of mine.

Bait A Hook and Hank It were next. My sister and I love to belt these two songs out while were driving, so we were more than ready to sing'em along with Mr. Moore. Afterwards, Justin Moore sang Small Town USA which is always a crowd favorite.

 One of the greatest moments of the concert happened next - Justin Moore sang I Could Kick Your Ass. This is one of the most badass country songs. I absolutely love the way he struts around stage during this performance. Afterwards, he closed the set with Backwoods.

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Day 3 Cont'd - PDA Pajama Jam

PDA Pajama Jam may have been my favorite theme night. Due to the weather conditions on the Lido Deck, the event had been moved indoors. It was a bit hectic as everyone scrambled to get their preferred spot. I had gone down to investigate, gone back to the cabin to grab my room mates and by the time we made it back all of the "good" spots had been taken. We each had a different idea where to stand - some went to the VIP section, some stayed on one of the balconies - but I headed to the floor. I stood near the back, but it was still easier to look up at the boys than to try and look over the heads infront of me on one of the balconies.

The Backstreet Boys arrived in their best PJ attire. Howie went for a Hugh Hefner look with a red, silk robe. Brian stayed silly with a cute Elmo outfit, while AJ stayed odd with a soft onesie ensemble. Nick Carter - my favorite look of the evening - wore Ninja Turtle pajamas, shell and all! Each boy thanked us for joining them on the cruise. AJ stated it was better than the first, while Howie pointed out that it was far from over. Brian gave his crown to the young lady who had her head shaven earlier that afternoon by the boys. And Nick gave us one of the best quotes of the trip, "Does anyone else got this shit going on with their voice? No, it's not just us, right? You ever of people getting sick on a cruise ship? You can be like, 'Yeah, I got sick from a fuckin' Backstreet Boy!'"

After the boys paraded and danced around, AJ introduced the last activity - a game of Truth or Dare. AJ was a fan of the idea of the boys answering really "gritty" questions, but Nick enforced a rule of each Backstreet Boy could only do a dare.

After the introduction, a random chant broke out. Someone had decided Brian should body surf, and the crowd seemed to agree! (The video is from where I was standing. It's probably not the best view of Brian, but it's what I experienced.) When it was all over, I think AJ put words to what everyone was thinking - "First of all, how fuckin' cool was that? Brian crowd surfing. Never in the last 19 years did I ever think that I would see that."

Next, marshmallows were introduced. As the boys tossed them into the crowd of screaming ladies, Nick decided to take it one step further - as he always does! From down on the bar, Nick would place a marshmallow in his mouth and then place it in the mouth of a frantic young lady. 

As the night progressed, it swirled into a giant blur of Backstreet incredibleness. Lucky fans got to partake in the game of Truth or Dare. Each boy did a dare that was so hilarious words could not do it justice. And as every good pajama party does, a pillow fight took place. The four boys had signed pillows and tossed them out into the sea of screaming girls. It was an amazing night, full of once in a lifetime sights, sounds and experiences.

Brian's dare - The Worm

Naughty time with Howie D! (Howie's dare)

AJ's dare - Tickle Time!

Massage by Fans! (Nick's dare)

This is one of my favorite pictures. After Nick's dare, he turned to his trusted bodyguard and a friend for comfort.. Please note how hilarious Q and Justin thought the butt grabbing was!

After the madness, Brian and AJ disappeared. A few pictures later, and my memory cards were full. Once my camera was rendered useless, reluctantly I decided to call it a night. One of, if not the, most amazing experiences of my life had come to end.

I only wish I could wake up tomorrow to summer 2013 and be boarding the next SS Backstreet...


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Day 3 on the SS Backstreet 2011

We were scheduled to set sail at 6 o'clock in the morning, so I set my alarm for 5:30am. As soon as my alarm went off, I popped in one of the magical pills I bought the day before. I call them magical, and will continue to do so because for the next 24 hours I was not the least bit seasick. I drastic change from the first day at sea.

The morning of day three was a bit more relaxed. We had the option of sleeping in since our photo session wasn't scheduled to begin until 1 o'clock that afternoon. It also gave us plenty of time to shower and make ourselves presentable. I am not one for dressing up, but I still had to decide what I should wear. All morning the t-shirt that I had made for 80's Spynkter Night was staring me in the face. I finally decided - since I wasn't able to wear my Sphynkter shirt to the deck party, I would wear it for the group photo. I wasn't going to let my hard work and creativity go to waste!

As a group of five, we needed to find three more girls to complete our group of eight. Cortney had tracked down Sarah and her mother before the photo. That made seven, so we only needed one more. While we were lined up outside the lounge, Char and Brandy went on the hunt hoping to find one person who needed a group. As luck would have it, they found someone. All eight of us were ready for our photo!

This may sound silly, after all it was just a photo with seven other girls, but the photo session that morning was one of my personal highlights. Prior to the cruise, I had met the boys twice. Once at the Vancouver, BC NKOTBSB show and for a second time three days later in Calgary, AB. I ended up at the front of our line, so I would be greeting the boys first. During previous encounters I had been pretty flabbergasted, and relatively unable to produce a thought nevermind actually speak. This time I had made a concious effort to say each of their names when I said hello. Seems silly, but it made the moment so much more real for me. After saying hello to Howie.. Brian.. and Nick, I took my spot beside AJ - we had decided well in advance who we would be standing beside. While the other girls said their hellos, one of the greatest moments of my life happened - AJ noticed my Sphynkter shirt! He simply pointed and said, "I love your shirt!" I said thank you, and explained what it's original purpose had been but I had been too seasick to wear it. AJ seemed empathic, and told me he had been quite sick himself. We talked about how nice it would be to have the whole thing at a resort next time. Then it was time for the photo! The conversation couldn't have been more than a handful of seconds, but the memory will stick. It was my first real conversation with AJ McLean. I was a happy, happy girl.

Next up was karaoke! Prior to the cruise, a sign up form had been e-mailed out. I had chosen NOT to sign up because nothing terrifies me more than the thought of singing in front of thousands of girls plus my four favorite men. However, my lovely room mate had signed up and lucky for us -yes, us - she had been chosen as a possible contestant. Charlene dragged me kickin' and screamin' to the karaoke meeting spot where we waited, not sure of what was going to happen. We were lead up top, and seated beside where the boys would be doing karaoke. We eventually figured out that the boys would chose a song from a list and if that was your song then you would sing. I noticed there was a fair amount of girls around, so our chances were slim - thank goodness! As it turns out, our song was not chosen but we did get enjoy the performances from up top which I enjoyed.

When the boys showed up (on Backstreet time), Howie announced that as a group the boys would be shaving a young lady's head. Michelle was a young girl who had just begun chemotherapy, and before her hair began to fall out she had the Backstreet Boys shave it. It was an incredibly touching moment, and I am sure there were not too many dry eyes at that moment. 

The boys then began choosing songs. Every time one of the boys pulled a folded peice of paper from their pocket I prayed it wasn't our song. "It's a once in a lifetime experience!" I heard that A LOT. That's probably what got me up top in the first place, but I wasn't keen on actually participating. I will highlight a few of my personal favorite moments..

"Who wants to get wet with Backstreet?!"

In my opinion, overall it was an enjoyable afternoon. The weather wasn't being kind, so I was glad that the section we were in was covered. That night was group A's concert, so the boys would be occupied which left our evening fairly open until the PDA Pajama Jam. Charlene and I decided to do some exploring and then head to the hot tub. The entire time we'd been on the trip my camera had always been with me. Since the boys were at the concert, and we were going to the hot tub I figured my camera was safer in the room. What a mistake! On our way to the hot tub, we spotted Lauren - Nick's girlfriend - at the Customer Service desk. We wanted to get our picture with her, but we had left our cameras behind. Luckily we ran into Cortney in the elevator, and she saved the day! So thank you to Cortney for the photo.

After our dip in the hot tub and some exploring, we had dinner and put our pajamas on. It was time for our last deck party of the 2011 Backstreet Boys Cruise.

Day 2 Cont'd - Prom Night

We had our prom dresses on, so from the concert we headed straight up to the deck party. The girls who hadn't been at the concert had already secured their spots as close as possible to where they believed the boys would be spending the evening. It was clear I wasn't going to get close enough to be amidst the action, so I perched myself up top where I could get some good pictures. I had been freezing all night and had been carrying around my recently purchased cruise hoodie. Boy, am I glad I had it at the deck party! The wind was brutal. I used my hoodie to anchor my short dress down. A long dress may have been the way to go..

Like any good prom night, ours had a theme. The theme was A Night to Remember, and it certainly was! What made it so memorable for me was Kevin's presence.

Looking dapper, all five boys arrived. Kevin in a classic black tux, while the other four opted for a more unique look. Howie channeled Tony Montana from Scarface, while Brian chose a turquoise tux. AJ and Nick channeled their inner Dumb & Dumber with AJ in a blue tux and Nick in an orange.

The boys took a moment to explain their wardrobe choices, shirts were tossed out, AJ and Nick pointed out that they never attended a prom and Howie shook his hips - A LOT. There was a small landing on the other side of the railing which acted perfectly as a stage. This prompted a lot of railing hopping which made me nervous. Once all five boys were settled on the small stage, they explained that Kevin had performed at that night's concert and since he wouldn't be on the boat the next night he would sing with the boys then and there. Lucky me, two Kevin performances in one night. Definitely the highlight of the night!

After the performance, the crowning of prom king and queen took place. The queens had been predetermined by plastic crowns placed in five goodie bags we received in our cabins. Those five lucky ladies would act as the boys, who happened to be prom king, dates for the evening. 

On the way to and from the lower stage, the boys and their dates walked right past me. Apparently, I had picked my spot up top just fine. I recorded the moment to prove to my dad that on the cruise the Backstreet Boys weren't caged up like animals held away from the fans.

Personally, I found a large part of Prom Night uneventful. Not complaining! It was incredible to have Kevin back, and it was entertaining to watch Nick line dance and YMCA. Wasn't much to it, so I'll just share some videos and photos of the night!

Day 2 Cont'd - SS Backstreet Concert

Once back on board, Charlene and I got our hands on some of the seasick pills Carnival had to offer. For $3 there were 4 tablets. We were suppose to take one a half hour before the ship set sail, and each tablet was suppose to last 12 hours. Since we only had one more day at sea, we saved our 2 tablets each for the next morning.

After dinner, we threw on our prom dresses on. We decided since half the ship would be seeing the concert while the other half had extra time to get ready for the deck party that we should head to concert prepared. That way we could go from the concert straight to the deck party. The lounge in which the concert was held was an interesting choice. There were giant silver poles in front of the stage. Because we had booked a suite we had been guaranteed seats in the first six rows. We ended up in the third row in seats one, two and three. We had to compete with the silver pole and pile of amps to see the stage, but it could have been worse. We booked in mid-July, so without a suite our seats would have been much, much worse. During the concert everyone stood up and shuffled over, so it was easier to dodge the silver pole and amps.

I am always thrilled by the thought of a Backstreet Boys concert. Going into this concert, however, we had no idea what to expect. It certainly wouldn't be your typical Backstreet concert. There were no extravagant props, lighting or giant screens. There was just their band and a few Christmas lights. We knew that each of us had voted on our favorite songs or the songs we wanted to see the boys perform, but how had everyone else voted? Would it be a slew of regulars? Or would we see a few songs we don't hear at every concert? Would the boys perform tracks from their solo projects? Only time would tell..

Promptly on time, the Backstreet Boys took to the stage. The introduction was a combination of Kayne West's Power and a remix of Incomplete.  I am torn on this specific performance. Personally, I am a HUGE fan of Incomplete when it is performed live. It gives me chills, and this version didn't do that for me. Still a fantastic way to open the show though!

 

Next up - another remix. The boys did a very high energy version of Larger Than Life. This remix included a dash of LMFAO's Party Rock. It was an interesting take on a classic, but it is refreshing.

During the This Is Us tour, we heard the intro to the next song. My sister and I nearly lost our minds! But alas, it was only a teaser. This song was the most requested song, and like Howie said we like ourselves a bad, bad boy. Hearing the boys' perform If You Want It To Be Good Girl was a monumental moment for me. It was a first, and it was probably the last time I'd ever hear this song live. The boys only sang the first minute or so, and then went down into the crowd for Get Down.

Inconsolable was next. It's such a beautiful song, so I was glad it was left as is. Afterwards, Howie asked AJ when they were going to hear some of his solo stuff. That lead into a discussion about how we were going to get some alone time with each of the boys. I think there was one giant shriek as we realized each boy would be singing a solo song. First up, AJ. AJ's solo album is my favorite. My three favorite songs would be I Hate It When You're Gone, Sincerely Yours and London. I believe I voted for all three, but when I heard London I melted.

AJ's voice is by far my favorite. That boy makes me weak in the knees! When the magic was over, the rest of the boys joined AJ on stage. Nick, the ranter that he is, went on one of his rants about the song. Turns out he is quite the fan! When the boys first heard London, they had begged AJ for it. Clearly AJ won, but it would have been interesting to hear London as a Backstreet track.

AJ suggested each boy bring up one lucky lady to serenade during the next song. While making their selection, the boys sang a bit of Everything I Do by Bryan Adams. Just like the boys made their selection during INBYH on the NKOTBSB tour, every soul in the room was praying to which ever God they currently believed in that they would be chosen - myself included! I wasn't one of the lucky ones, however the song was one of my favorites. The boys sang Helpless When She Smiles and it was extraordinary.

Nick, of course, had to take a minute to check the setlist that they had taped to the floor. Next up was Brian's personal favorite. The boys took a seat on the steps, and without screens it was a tad bit difficult to see each of them. Siberia is such a beautiful song that all I needed was to hear those four angelic voices.

Nick had a censored wardrobe malfunction that evening. Turns out that jacket he was wearing wasn't part of his personal wardrobe. A tag was pointed out to him during Siberia, and AJ pointed out that since the tag been removed it was now part of Nick's personal wardrobe.

 

After Nick's embarrassing moment, the boys gave Brian his alone time. Brian had done his solo project a few years ago, so he opted for a different approach. His family had been working on a Christmas album, so he wanted to sing Mary, Did You Know? for us. Before he sang, he had some fun with his guitar player. The video above makes me giggle every time! 

After a little fun, Brian got down to business. His version of Mary, Did You Know? was beautiful in every sense of the word. He was passionate about what he was singing, and the whole room could feel that. In the middle of the song, Brian got choked up and wiped a few tears away. The room was silent. It felt like every girl was holding her breathe, I know I was! It was very emotional, and incredibly beautiful.

All four boys were back on stage, and began talking about the next cruise. I was clearly in no financial position to be thinking about the next cruise, but it was still exciting! Brian mentioned a summer cruise, which excited most of us. Brian also poked fun at a fan while mentioning how empty our pockets were. After the chitchat, the boys sang Bigger. Another one of my favorites, so no complaints here!

The next songs were a few of their classics. Classics with a twist of Nick's humor. This concert wasn't as rehearsed as their normal concerts seem to be. During As Long As You Love Me there was a bit of confusion and laughter followed by an "I'm sorry!" by Nick. Leave it to Nikolas to drop the ball on whatever the boys had planned. For All I Have to Give the boys ventured out into the crowd and up to the top level. Awful sweet of them, if you ask me! Once back on stage, another mess up. The boys realize that they are singing the wrong version which prompted more laughter. When the boys laugh, we laugh - so it's all enjoyable!

The next classic was perhaps my favorite classic. The boys were all over the map! AJ helplessly trying to introduce the song, Brian wanting to do the "boy band thing" and all the while Nick had no idea what was going on. So many moments I could quote, but the video speaks for itself!

 

Nick: "But which version? We've got like three versions."

Howie: "And we probably don't remember any of them!"

After the chaos of the classics, it was Howie's turn. The man can sing. I would label him the underrated superstar of the Backstreet Boys. His voice is flawless! And I love the song Lie to Me off of his solo record. What a treat!

 

The next song, for me, was up there with IYWITBGG. Another one of AJ's favorites - he and I have the same preferences when it comes to their music. Nick and AJ joked about TRL and Carson Daley before I heard the wonderful beat of Don't Want You Back. The only thing more exciting than the actual song was how delighted AJ was performing it.

Another one of my favorites was next. This concert was perfect for me! I would guess that an artist forgetting the lyrics to their own song might bother some people, but not me. It was the best part of the song - Nick forgot his lyrics, Brian rescued him, and then Nick proceeded like it had all come back to him only to forget once again. It was cute! In only a way Nick Carter could make it cute.

AJ, the comedian, introduced Nick's solo performance. "Ladies, ladies. I don't know about you ladies, but I am burning up! I'm on fire.." That was enough for Nick, a cheese-ball himself, who just started the song. The performance was great! I had been anticipating this performance since it was clear each boy would be doing a solo song. Nick is always a ball of energy, and it really showed in his solo performance. The room was electric! And Nick's moves were.. entertaining, to say the least.

And ladies, Nick Carter doused himself in water at the end.

After Nick's burnin' performance came another classic in the form of Shape of My Heart. Always a crowd pleaser, and like always the boys did it justice. It just wouldn't be a Backstreet Boys concert without a few hearts in the air.

Yet another classic followed. Regardless of the number of times I've heard or seen this song performed, I still adore it. Nothing gets a Backstreet fan riled up like Everybody. The boys had fun with this song, doing a bit of old choreography.

After Everybody, the boys took their bows and exited the stage. I know what I was thinking - which was probably similar to what every other girl was thinking - Kevin Richardson was on the boat. He knew that we knew he was on the boat. It would severely hurt our feelings if he was on the boat and didn't give us at least one song.. The chants began, and eventually all FIVE Backstreet Boys were back on stage for a long overdue version of Drowning.

As far as memories go, the concert on the cruise was one of my top three. It was unlike any Backstreet Boys concert I had seen before. All of my favorites were done, and they done in an unplugged fashion that I liked. The boys were themselves, and they were having fun. Overall, it was an outstanding performance.

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