Boyband Bonanza Pt. 2 - Summer Mixtape Festival, Day Two

Another day, another early wake-up call. We reluctantly dragged ourselves out of bed, piled into the vehicles and headed over to Hersheypark Stadium. We took our spots in yet another line.

There were a few important events that overlapped on the schedule, so we weren't sure how the day was going to play out. The BSBBQ, NKOTB M&G, and the only North American NKOTBSB performance of 2012.

As long as we found a way to accomplish it all, I would be a happy-happy girl!

THE BSBBQ

Wearing our bad-ass BSBBQ '12 All I Have to Grill t-shirts, we found ourselves our picnic table and has some lunch. We were all anticipating the arrival of the Backstreet Boys. Those four men sure know how to keep us waiting!

Nick, AJ, Brian and Howie arrived wearing their cute aprons. Nick also had a megaphone in hand - I don't know who decided to give Mr. Carter a megaphone, but I'm sure they began to regret their decision immediately! 

The boys served some food, took their own plates and joined different tables. It was unlike any Backstreet event I had been to prior. The boys weren't being corralled by their security team, and were able to spend a substantial amount of time with the fans. The boys took photos, and played games with a few lucky fans. To wrap up the afternoon we each took a group photo with all four boys. The highlight of the whole afternoon was.. I finally got to hug Mr. AJ McLean!! I can't recall much after that moment. 

NKOTB M&G

Once our afternoon with the Backstreet Boys was over, we got to cut into the line for our group photo with the New Kids on the Block. I had never met the New Kids. (Heck, I hadn't seen their concert until the night before!) I was genuinely thrilled. We had our group of ten organized, and there had been some sacrifices made. I was going to stand next to Jordan, which isn't all that bad! But a group ahead of us had messed up the order, and groups were being split up. Being a group of smartiepants, we figured it out so that even in different groups we each got to stand next to who we wanted. I upgraded from Jordan to Donnie, and I was thrilled with the idea of being that close to the man's abs.

When we reached the New Kids, they had been taking pictures for hours! The boys were slouched on their chairs, and each one looked exhausted. Nonetheless, they stood and hugged each fan. Jonathan was first. He gives the best hugs! Donnie was next, so I stopped - hugged (tightly!) - and we took the photo. Jordan was next. Even after the photo was taken, we were able to hug each of the boys. Jordan noticed my BSBBQ shirt. (No, I didn't change.) He asked how the food was, and if they would share with him. Joey and his beautiful eyes were next, and finally Danny. The whole experience was worth all of the scheduling conflicts, and it has me seriously considering not only doing a New kids concert but also their VIPs. 

CONCERT TIME

Once all of the meet & greet fun was over, it was time for some music. Unlike the previous day, the VIP section had been separated into two sections - A VIPs had the first half closest to the stage, while B VIPs had the remaining portion. Initially, this was irritating. Once we realized how strangely high the stage was we decided we actually benefited from being pushed back from the stage. We took our spots, and prepared to spend the hot afternoon waiting for NKOTBSB. 

Like the day before, holding spots for a specific artist at one stage meant missing other artists on the opposite stage. We missed The Ready Set, Carly Rae Jepsen and 98 Degrees. I was only crushed about missing 98 Degrees. We could hear their set, and there was a sad attempt at a screen set up - it was never on the boys though. 

First up on our stage was The Dan Band. I had no previous experience with these gentlemen, but they were very entertaining! From what I have read online, the band is well known for doing covers of pop songs. Female pop songs. So you can imagine the hilarity... Did I mention he was in The Hangover? Okay, enough said.

Next up - The Wanted. A bit of a bad boy boyband, if you ask me. Before seeing them perform I wouldn't have called myself a fan, but now I'm hooked! The songs are catchy, and the boys are painfully charismatic.

 Call me crazy, but the next act was one of my favorites of the whole weekend.. LL Cool J. Who would have thought?! It was a blast. He is so good. I was a fan of him as an actor, and now I'm a fan of him as an artist. I'll be honest, I knew none of his material - except this one...

And finally, the moment I had travelled over 4,000km for... N-K-O-T-B-S-B, baby! This might be hard for someone to understand (unless they are an avid concert goer - like myself), but I have always wanted to be at the last show of a tour. Technically, NKOTBSB have had last shows before.. The last show of their North American tour.. The last show of their European tour.. All which included pranks. Since this was the only performance in North America in 2012, there was sure to be pranks.. And I was not disappointed!!

Here we have the charming Donnie Wahlberg joining the Backstreet Boys on stage for Get Down. There was something quite comical about watching Donnie try to do the choreography before darting off stage.

Then we had what I like to call AJ's LMFAO moment. It involved AJ McLean in leopard print spandex shorts dancing like a fool. Need I say more?

In my opinion, the ending of Please Don't Go Girl was the best moment of the night. Not only was it hysterical, but AJ's voice -as always- made me weak in the knees (0:45)!

These next videos weren't pranks, but they are must-see moments. First, there is Donnie ripping off his shirt. I had my camera ready! He does it every concert, and it's phenomenal every time! 

Typically, the New Kids will walk from one end of the stage to the other to a different song. On this night, Glad You Came started playing - and bam! There was The Wanted!!

I am so glad that I got this moment on video. I love AJ.. I love the Backstreet Boys, and have for 15 (and counting) years.. I love the New Kids on the Block.. And I'm sure 98 Degrees had their moment in my heart, as well. You could say I love all boybands! This was enough to bring a tear to any boyband supporter's eye.

A spectacular five seconds.

Like I said, seeing the last show of a tour is not something everyone will fully understand. The impact of seeing what could possibly be the last NKOTBSB show was not lost on me! It was a bittersweet night. Once the adrenaline wore off and the emotions set in, the memories these nine men have left me with in the past year is something I will never forget.

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Boyband Bonanza Pt. 1 - Summer Mixtape Festival, Day One

The 2012 Summer Mixtape Festival consisted of two of my favorite things - boy bands and good friends! At this point, is there anything I will not do for the Backstreet Boys? After travelling roughly 4647km, I think the answer is clear. On Friday, August 17th we arrived in Hershey, PA in our appropriately decorated wheels. 

When there are that many fans in one location, lines are to be expected. At the same time, when there are that many individuals checking in for the same event there should be more then one or two people doing the check-in. Regardless, we got checked in and our snazzy VIP laminates. Once we made it into the venue, the rain started. The flashy ponchos and (confiscated) umbrellas were a result. Once we were thoroughly wet, and there was no hope of remaining dry we decided to embrace the rain that stayed with us all night. If you ask me, it only added to the experience!

There were two stages at the festival, and the artists alternated stages. If you wanted a great spot, you had to pick a stage and stick with it. That's what myself and a few other girls decided to do since the New Kids on the Block would be performing on that stage at the end of the night. 

First up on the stage we were at was Aaron Carter. Yes, Nick Carter's younger brother. I will be honest, I had lost touch with the younger Carter after I turned ten. It had been raining hard which caused a slight delay, but when Aaron Carter took that rain soaked stage I turned back into that ten year old screaming girl! I loved every minute of it.

While standing at the stage that the New Kids would be performing on we did miss a few acts on the other stage. We missed DJ Fly, DJ Cheapshot, Carolina Liar and The Fray. I will say that The Fray sounded great! We did get the treat of the witnessing a band called Steel Panther. There are no words, but they certainly made us laugh. I was excited for DJ Pauly D. I don't understand the DJ phenomenon, but my dirty little secret is how cute I find Pauly D! 

I had never seen NKOTB perform without the Backstreet Boys. The NKOTBSB madness had made me into a New Kids fan, and I was excited! Even the rain couldn't stop the infectious excitement caused by a legendary boy band. 

There were fireworks, Jon singing step five, a shirtless Donnie, Joey stealing Jordan's microphone after dropping his own, hip thrusts, the crowd singing Donnie happy birthday and at the end of the show 98 Degrees joined the boys on stage. The New Kids did not disappoint!

Afterwards, we made our way over to the other stage where Kelly Clarkson would perform. She is incredibly talented! Her voice is flawless, and her concert is worth seeing. At one point, she invited Joey McIntyre to the stage to sing Don't You Want to Stay. I wasn't expecting to, but I knew every word of every song. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

The last event of the evening was Donnie Wahlberg's birthday celebration in the VIP tent. It was difficult to hear, and even more difficult to see so we did not stay long. The next day would be a big one, so we headed back to the hotel for a teeny-tiny bit of rest.

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