Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 12:23 PM EST [
General]
Working at KISS 108 has allowed me to do some pretty cool things! Just to name a few, I have attended the Grammy's, MTV Video Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and the Premiere of Tropic Thunder.
Recently, we did a promotion being the New Kid Insider and basically people won tickets to their sold out concert and qualified to get a backstage tour, attend the sound check, eat dinner backstage, meet the New Kids On The Block AND oh yeah...win $10,000 that NKOTB would hand deliver.
Heading into the rainy weekend, I honestly had ZERO interest in attending this promotion (first shameless web plug...review the photo album of me before the event started www.kiss108.com/pages/nkotb/). I have done a million sound checks, done hundreds of artist giving listeners prizes and worked enough back stage concerts that I can recognize and name all the back stage security guards at every venue. Needless to say, I was and am somewhat jaded having to do another event after a long week of work and was looking for any excuse to bail. Maybe one of my kids would get sick and I could leave before we had to go down? But all the wishing and nothing...it was time and I had to go.
However at the risk of being ridiculed and poked fun at by my life long male friends and laughed at by my cool music work friends, I was swept up into New Kid-mania 2008. And talking to others that went to the show and the response they received, the performance they gave and the hour and half special on VH-1's Behind the Music, I started to think maybe I am not alone.
So we are taken on our backstage tour and as I mentioned I have done thousands of these but there was a change in the air that something different was about to happen. First we saw where the 18 wheeler trucks are backed into the backstage area (up that long ramp that you can see from outside the Garden and they are backed in so it's easier for them to leave...I know it all makes sense right?), we are then lead to the concert floor stage right and while we were filming our wireless mic was interfering with the stage mics and the union stage hands were surprising and extremely helpful with helping us picking a new frequency as not to interfere with the show. Now I am guessing most of you have never had to deal with union stage hands but let just say as a whole unless they are getting paid or getting overtime they really don't go out of their way to help. Something was different this night for sure. Then we checked out the sound board at the back of the house and went towards the backstage area. Our Garden security guard took us down the Celtics and Bruins locker room tunnel, past catering giving us a brief description about the whose, what's and so on about backstage. We head to our seats to watch the New Kids and the Band run through the sound check. There are about 20-30 of us mostly winners and Dawn, Adam and Justin from the office and we take our seats. Then Donnie comes out, mind you we are in the front rows, and he says, "You guys are way too far away. Come on over here." And he invites us up on the stage! This never happens with artists at a sound check. NEVER! As we head to the stage, Joey MacIntyre is at the end of the isle and greeting EVERYONE and welcomed us on to the stage. And he is introducing himself, and I thought "He is Joey Mac, we KNOW who he is." So we are all up on stage and the band is playing, Donnie hugging and taking photos with everyone there. This is Extremely cool since he really should be focused on his sound check. Now everyone has had their hugs and pictures taken and it's time for him to sing his sound check song "Cover Girl" and he pulls a couple winners to join him center stage as the rest of us are still on the stage getting pictures and meeting Danny Woods and Jordan Knight. Both the same as Donny and Joey talking and taking pictures with everyone. Sure, they are playing their hometown reunion concert and it's been 14 years since they last toured, but it appeared to me these guys after going through it all that they are truly appreciative of what they have recaptured. After the song was over, it was time to take our $10k winner and her guests plus our video dance winner and guest backstage to award the grand prize. Again, all the guys are there...they happily sign the Celtics shirt (that we are giving away to someone that sends us a picture from the show...another cheap free plug...see the contest page www.kiss108.com/pages/nkotb/) and head over for the photo op with the winner and the brief case full of cash (still another shameless plug to watch the video on the New Kids page). Once again the guys were totally amazing and excited to give the winner her cash, Donnie even joked about needing money to pay for all the comp tickets he gave away and Joey teased that Matty would happily pay the taxes winning such at large prize (another shameless plug to watch the video www.kiss108.com/pages/nkotb/ ). Truly excited and happy to participate in the radio contest, may or may not have mentioned this but most artists HATE doing this stuff but Donnie and the guys were totally mad cool. Is my New Kid love showing here? All I can think about is the movie 40 Year Old Virgin that scene with Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen, "Know how I know you're gay...you like the New Kids." But I don't care, bring it on. Card carrying member in New Kid Nation! I know KISS is the radio station that they grew up listening to and was one of the first to play their music, but all that aside...it was sooo long ago...does it even still matter to these guys? Maybe or maybe as I think the New Kids just love the New Kid Magic that is being recaptured and they really do appreciate it all. Yeah sure, history does play a small part I guess because as you can see in the video Danny asks a couple of times "Where is Matty?" until Donnie puts him at easy, "I spoke with Matty this morning." And he did and it was a really cool interview (sorry more New Kid love flowing and my last shameless plug... listen to podcast and hear it for yourself http://www.kiss108.com/cc-common/podcast.html ) where Donny talks about how he wanted to write the final New Kids Chapter on their terms and with New Kid Fever infecting me and this town I can tell you...THEY ARE!
Back to the tour, we are off to eat backstage with Rodney our Record Label Rep and the dinner is great and all the New Kids family and friends are there...along with the stage hands, lighting crew and sound people. All enjoying their meal before the show starts. Will this happen every night or is it just Boston? Honestly, I think it will.
Thank you Donnie, Jordan, Joey, Danny and Jonathan! It was an amazing backstage experience. You guys are the best! Enjoy this time you are writing the next chapter and you are doing yourself justice!
