New Kids At The Bowl

NKOTB: Total Package Tour

Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood, CA

Friday, June 2, 2017

I worked on Friday, so I drove up to Hollywood and Highland and parked my car, then walked over to the Bowl.  Karla took the shuttle near her house and met me there.  We checked out the merchandise, and I didn't want a shirt, but I bought a duffel bag because I needed a new one.  I did like a Boyz II Men shirt, and a Paula Abdul one, but didn't want to buy them.  We bought something to eat at the marketplace and walked up to our seats.  They were high up, but I was just happy to be there.  

Boyz II Men started off the evening.

• I know I say this whenever I see them, but they need a bass.
• One lady near us that arrived late said, "Where is it that Boyz II Men goes on FIRST?!"  Well, I guess that would be right here.  I get why she said that, but Paula hasn't been on tour for a lot longer than them, and maybe they wanted to bookend the guy acts around her.
• All of the guys still have amazing voices, but Shawn blew me away tonight.

After an intermission, Paula Abdul took the stage.  Some women tried to get to their seats and accused us of sitting in them.  I told them my seat number, and they went to the seats more toward the middle of the row. THEN they looked at their numbers and realized they were wrong later on, and moved back to where they were supposed to be sitting after the act was over.  Do not mess with me and seating.  I was an usher!

• Paula did a great job, and you would never know that it had been a couple of decades since she last toured.  She's in great shape and still dances great, and she still sounds the same.
• She told her story of auditioning to be a Laker Girl, and changed her clothes and hairstyle about four times before basically forcing them to watch her dance.
• Scat Cat!  Wish Arsenio had been there to do his rap, though.
• "Cold Hearted Snake" is still my favorite song of hers.
• Woman in back of me as the performance continued: "How many hits did she HAVE?!" 

On the big board during intermission

Another intermission followed, then came New Kids On The Block!  We saw big NKOTB balloons on a terrace backstage and figured maybe the people who bought special ticket packages would be there later with the guys.

• Sometimes I forget how much I love these guys.  Then they get on stage and I remember all over again.
• Joey had his son, Griffin, sing a little bit of "Tonight".

Joey and Griffin

• Poor John.  The day after this show, he posted that he felt he had the worst concert ever because he was totally out of his element.  I didn't notice: he seemed fine when he was singing "Happy Birthday" to the lucky Birthday Girl of the day.
• Danny is still the B-Boy.
• One of these days, Donnie will go out into the audience far enough to be in my section.  This was not the day.

  

  The piano is ON FIRE

• They had a Quick Change Cam and showed the guys changing their shirts and mugging for the camera.  They sure know how to keep us happy.

  

  Popsicle



Alas, This One's For The Children instead of for Sherry:
No Funky Funky Christmas

• I liked that they sang the old stuff in a historic progression.  It was cool to hear the REALLY old stuff:  "My name's Donnie.  Lovable Leo!"

  

  My name's Jordan.  I'm a Taurus.

• Joey sang "Please Don't Go Girl" with the accompaniment of a cellist from the LA Philharmonic.  He got emotional.

  

  Please Don't Go, Cello Player

• They sang 2Pac's "California Love" for the Block Party segment.
• Joey found the girls from "Full House" in their box seats and sang with them.  I didn't realize it was them until I saw his Instagram post the next day. 
• JORDAN!  Let's get hard!   I missed "Baby, I Believe in You", though.  But you know, I was still good and probably ovulated when he lifted up his shirt.  Then when he was...ummm...on the floor...OK, I need to stop thinking about that.

  

  I mean...

• When they sang "Thankful", they posted pictures of people whom had tagged them #ThankfulForLA during the day, and it ended with a collage of all of them.  I didn't see us, though.

  

  #ThankfulForLA

It took me forever to get to my car after the show because of the amount of other people walking that way, trying to get around all of the hot dog carts and people looking for their Uber drivers.  Karla had already gotten home by the time I was going to leave the parking structure.  It didn't help that I couldn't find my parking stub so I could pay to get out, either.

Once I got home, I let KP know, and sent her emojis of cucumber, banana and eggplant to remind her that I lost my mind during Jordan's new song.  She laughed so much that she woke up her cat.

That was fun.  Thanks for joining me, KP! I wonder who will be their guests on the next tour.  I'm hoping for New Edition.  Make it happen, Boy Band Universe!

I'll Be Loving You Forever, Jordan!