Backstreet Boy's are Never Gone

Where to start... where to start...

So. I left Dasma before 5, got home, unpacked a bit, showered, and left before 6. Still I arrived at Araneta at 7. Trish was there at, uh, well, 5-ish. I had thought she'd be arriving at about 630 so I knew I had enough time to stay until my last class and then fly home, but then she got off early from work so she was there early. In fact, when she called, I was still in my classroom, saving the last lecture in my USB drive.

As I said, I managed to leave the house before 6, took skyway, went down Edsa, and then had my dad drop me off at the Magallenes MRT station because we both thought it would have less people than the Ayala Station. I knew taking the MRT would be way faster than driving to Araneta, but I forgot about the loooong lines for tickets. Anyway, I got my ticket faster than I thought (about 5-10 mins, I guess) , considering that the line snaked around. I was so excited and so tense coz Trish had been waiting for quite a long time already that for some weird, unknowable reason, my mind equated Ortigas with Cubao. Araneta was situated in Cubao, the malls were situated in Ortigas. Go figure, eh? I was down the train and looking at the station and thinking, "This doesn't look like Araneta" and I realized, duh, I was in Ortigas and not Cubao. Ugh. Anyway, I waited for the next train and got on that and got off at Araneta-Cubao. Finally. I called/texted Trish and we met up at Starbucks. And then she gave me the best Christmas present ever! UPGRADED TICKETS!!!

See, the tickets were 5000 (ringside/courtside/whatever you call it), 4000 (lower box), 3000 (upper box a), 1000 (upper box b), 500 (bleachers. The last two were first come first serve seats while upper box a and forwards were fixed seats. I thought she got us the 3k tickets and I had my money all set aside to pay her back. But she shouldered the extra 1k as a gift to me and we got lower box tickets!!! Yay!!!! YAY!!!! But when we got to our seats, that's when I gave Trish a spotaneous hug, with matching shriek of "I love you so much!"

We were 12 feeet away from the stage, front row of our area and near stage left. Imagine that. I could almost reach out to touch them (if I had a 12-foot arm range). I could see them! We could see them and they could see us (since the area in front of us was lower than the stage, we were more eye-level with the stage)! WOW. Best. Seats. Ever! And we could totally see part of the backstage that I asked Trish, "Think we'll see them naked and changing?" ("Won't it be dark when they change? Oh, wait, that light there, they'll leave that on, won't they? God, I wish they'd change there! We can totally see!")

So there we were, hanging out and just having fun waiting. I bought some dinner because I was afraid I might run out of energy for their concert. Or I might faint and they might think it was because of them. Either way, I ate a burger, fries, and a pizza - the most I've ever eaten ever since I started my diet.

Trish and I just had fun, we were playing "what if" and she remined me of a time in my crazy youth when I (and a friend, forgot if it was Jam or Lee) pulled a prank that apparently, still irritates Trish LOL See, for April Fools during our first year high school, this friend and I told Trish (and also another friend) that when we called the BSB's phone hotline, they answered and it was this big April Fools thing for them. And we told the story so convincingly and with such vivid believable detail that Trish was probably already writhing with envy and frothing at the mouth LMAO but in the end, we both laughed hysterically and were like, "April Fools!" Trish told me last night and I quote, "I didn't even know the concept of April Fool's before that!" hahaha I only remembered the story when Trish told me about it yesterday, and it was then that I realized that I pulled some pretty silly pranks in my youth LMAO Although I can't remember then all now.

Anyway, we were also all talking about who we'd be willing to have sex with, and our favorite question would be to compare how we'd feel 10 years ago as to now. Like, Trish would be all, "10 years ago, would you have sex with any one of them? (yes) How about now? (no)". I mean, for heaven's sake, Brian and Kevin were married, AJ had too much wild facial hair for our taste, Howie has never been one of our favorite (nor has he ever really inspired such, uh, hormonal reactions in us), and Nick got all, um, big. But then during the concert, I turned to Trish and said, "I changed my mind; I wouldn't mind having sex with any of them!" "Er... even Howie?" "Anybody" Trish was silent for, like, a second, then she said, "You do know I'm recording right now, right? And I probably got everything you said." "What! Delete it!" and she was just laughing hysterically and putting the recorder near her mouth, going, "Kaye was the one who said that! Not me!"

So... anyway... 8 came and went (the concert was supposed to start at 8) and by quarter to 9, Trish was saying, "see, we could've gone to National and made a poster for Nick." Our plan was glow-in-the-dark words on a black background - that way, it'll still be seen even if the lights were off. But we didn't really have time nor the real inclination to make one. And we noticed that compared to the videos of their concerts that we've seen, not many in the crowd had posters. At most, there were about 8-10, maybe.

Whenever some sound technician came on stage or the big screen thing would show the BSB, some people would be screaming and I turned to Trish all, "see, I'm not that crazy! We're still cool" We were both telling each other that we'd probably be all fan-crazy and look stupid, losing our dignity in the most, uh, undignified way. I mean, hello? It was a given. It was the Backstreet Boys. We had 10 years of unrequited fan-love building. Of course we'll loose our poise, our dignity, and whatever reputation we had. We both laughingly promised not to tell anyone just how undignified we were. But I'm telling mine here (Trish might tell hers in her blog) coz this is my blog. And those who read it love me enough to just laugh at what I did and not hide behind a rock and pretend to not know me LMAO

So there we were, midly making fun of the other fans who were screaming for no real reason (sobra siguro sa excitement). We saw Mark Bautista (some local singer) about... hm... 20-30 feet away and I said I didn't like the way he looked, which I unfortunately said in a sort of loud voice, so Trish was shushing me and I immediately also said in the same volume that he looks kind of cute in real life. Which was completely true. I don't like the way he looks on TV, but he had some appeal in person.

Anyway, Trish and I were both contemplating jumping over the fence to the 5k seats when the concert starts so we'd be closer. But... I dunno... hindi rin natuloy. I told Trish, "we're supposed to be responsible adults" and she's all, "who says?" LOL whatever the case, we never did. Besides, I was way happy with where we were. So we didn't get to touch them or anything... but, hey, we were at eye-level. Basta, I was hugely, profoundly and ecstatically happy and satisfied with our seats already. So...

9 came... and the lights dimmed... and Trish and I were gripping each other's arms and staring, transfixed, at the backstage and the black curtains near the mouth of the, uh, locker area, I guess. Then we saw a blond head... "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Yeah, dignity went out the window, just like that. Trish thought it was Nick. I said, no, it was Brian. Nick hasn't gone out. All my talents and skills and all the knowledge and recognition skills that I had 10 years ago came rushing out. Only a fan like me would be able to tell the boys apart when I was only able to see the topmost of the head for 1 second, in the dark, where there were other heads present. We were screaming, we were excited, we were standing, we were telling each other we might start crying. A few black-haired guys came out. Nick came out. The music started. Trish and I screamed louder. They showed up on stage. I was jumping up and down and screaming for all I was worth.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Backstreet Boys have arrived.

Somewhere near the start, when the boys started moving around the stage and Nick came near our side of the stage and I, overcome with so much emotion, screamed "Niiiiiiick!!!". Fortunately or unfortunately, the crowd sort of went a little less scream-y at this point and Nick heard my shriek, instinctively turning toward our side to check who the heck was the crazy overwrought fan who screamed (I'm just assuming he thought all that). I kind of froze, thinking, "Oh, God, that wasn't me. Please tell me I didn't scream his name so loud he actually heard my voice, even above everyone else's screams!" Man. I didn't think my lung capacity was that much!! LMAO

Every time some Boy came by our side, Trish and I would scream his name loudly. Then Trish dared me to blow a kiss at Nick if he was at our side and looking at us, and I told her, "Trish, I'll blow a kiss at Nick and any other BSB who looks our way!" And so I did. And even Trish said, "Kaye, did you just blow a kiss at Howie?"

Our very highlight of the evening came when they were singing Just Want You To Know, which is our favorite song and favorite video. And thanks to Brian, it is now our most memorable song too.

See, the intro to the song was Nick making kwento that AJ's this rocker person and could we all do the hand symbol for rockers (hands fisted but with index and pinkie raised up), so we all did that, and then Trish and I were going crazy, I was pumping my arm like doing our Alma Mater song when DLSU won the UAAP championships for the umpteenth time in a row. Then Brian ambled over to our side... and we totally mugged for his attention... and got it. And that is all I am saying on the matter. Use your imagination. Bwahahaha

There were times when one or two of the boys would look our wave, and I'd wave my hand crazily. Sometimes, they'd wave back and I'd scream louder.

And then there was a time when Kevin was on our side of the stage and shaking his booty and then when his gaze sort of went to mine and I was dancing for what I was worth. I think he continued staring. I dunno. It was hard to see since he had a cap on.

The songs are a blur, I can't tell you the chronological order, but I'd be able to tell you, when I hear the song, that yeah, they sang that. Trish was slightly disappointed that they didn't sing Get Down (You're The One For Me) and I was disappointed at myself that I didn't research and memorize all their new songs. From what I remember, these are the songs they sang (Trish, correct me if I'm wrong or if I missed some):
1. Incomplete
2. Just Want You To Know
3. Crawling Back To You
4. Weird World
5. I Still...
6. Lose It All
7. Safest Place To Hide
8. Siberia
9. The Call
10. Shape Of My Heart
11. The Answer To Our Life
12. More Than That
13. Larger Than Life
14. I Want It That Way
15. Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely
16. The One
17. Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
18. As Long As You Love Me
19. All I Have To Give
20. I'll Never Break Your Heart
21. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
22. We've Got It Going On - played while they were backstage
23. Climbing The Walls

It was over in 2 hours. Ah, well, all good things must come to an end :(

Compared to the other concerts that I've seen (hey, you're talking to someone who collected all their VHS), I suppose I was hoping and semi-expecting something like that. But there were no pyrotechnics, no special effects (except for smoke, especially when they sang Siberia, one of my fave songs, and I loved the effects), no girl dancers (which is a good thing, really, as Trish and I would be screaming "no touching! no touching!" every time one of the Boys' would reach out and touch the fans). Then Nick stood at the barrier and every single female fan who was near reached our and grabbed his back, his butt, and Trish turned to me and went, "How much would you be willing to pay for that?" "20,000 bucks!!!!" then Nick 'blessed' the fans in front with his mineral water bottle and Trish was like, "He's blessing them! Wetting them with his water bottl! That he drank from! How much for that?" "Anything!" I shrieked.

It was loads fun. In case you missed the fact that I enjoyed myself immensely. 10 years from now, when they return, Trish and I will pay for the frontrow tickets and I'm definitely bringing in my camera.

Pictures to come once Trish sends me the pictures she was able to take using her phone.

Some final thoughts on the matter...
NICK LOVES ME!! BRIAN SAYS HI!!! KEVIN DANCES GOOD!!! AJ SHOULD SHAVE!! SOME FAN ACTUALLY LOVES HOWIE (had a poster)!! KEEP THE BACKSTREET PRIDE ALIVE!!!

I was afraid to fall asleep last night because then the concert might seem like just a dream and I might forget some of the stuff that happened. I swear. This whole cloud I'm on? I think I'm going to be on it for a week. At least.