The One With the New Kids on the Block Concert

 

 

Every two years, or so, the New Kids on the Block go on tour. And, one thing is almost always clear - when they are on tour, Emmie is going to see them.

 And, of course, when it was announced that they were touring this year, I knew we were going to be going. I also knew, somehow, I'd be the one getting the tickets - which I was.

This year, we were seeing the Summer Magic Tour, which was a reboot of a tour that they did back in the early 1990s. We had prime seating at the Xfinity Center (where we had seen them in the past) and also a VIP pack, which included some free goodies, which were always fun. Fans were also encouraged to dress in their 90s best, which I did, rocking a dashing shirt that actually got compliments from several people. Booyeah!

The concert itself was great. One of the people that I had always wanted to see in concert - and we almost had the chance years ago - was Paula Abdul. So, knowing she was going to be in it was a highlight for me. And, she was still amazing!!! Her songs - and her dance moves - were as crisp as ever.

Then, DJ Jazzy Jeff had a turn on stage. He's always been a favorite, so it was great to see him in person.

Then, it was time for the New Kids to take the stage. And they put on quite a show, complete with their standard homage to their hometown of Boston. They did an amazing job working through the crowd as well, which was fun to see. The concert was awesome. We even had some highly expensive "Liquid Death" water, too. But, it was another phenomenal take at an NKOTB concert.!

The One with the Darlene Love Concert

 

Tonight, we went to the Darlene Love concert at the Cabot Theater in Beverly. Although I am a Darlene Love fan, I wasn't too sure what to expect. Kiff's all time favorite song is her "Christmas Baby Please Come Home." So, he was definitely excited to see her.

We actually got to Beverly early - Emmie was big on making sure we had parking.  Well, we did and were able to eat at AB Burger, which came highly recommended by Bri. It was scrumptious. Great burgers, nice fries, and some super pretzel bites.

We realized we were done so early that it was nearly an hour before doors opened, so we went shopping at a book store on Cabot Street. It was delightful!!! Got some good gifts there.

Then, it was time to go to the concert. And, it was fantastic. She had an 11 person band with her there, helping her perform a bunch of songs, including some gospel, Motown cover combos, and some Christmas standards. Her musicians were amazing and her saxophonist was one of the best I've ever heard. She did have a backup singer sing an phenomenal rendition of Oh Holy Night - one of three standing ovations for the night. One of her gospel songs was amazing. That got another standing ovation. And "Christmas Baby Please Come Home" began - and ended - with a standing ovation as well.

It was a phenomenal night of music and a great way to kick off the holiday season. It was Darlene Love's first concert of the season as well.

The One With the Christmas Concert

 

 

Yesterday, Bri and Kiff performed their annual Christmas Concert for us. It was pretty good - though as they said, they did not practice too much. Bri performed on flute and Kiff did trumpet.

 

The songs they played were:

• Christmas is Coming (from Charlie Brown)

• Linus and Lucy

• Perfect (Ed Sheeran) 

• Greensleaves

• Carol of the Bells

It was cool.

The One with Post Malone

 

 

A few weeks ago, Kiff and I were slated to see a Post Malone concert. As you can see if a previous post, that didn't quite happened because Posty got a little under the weather.

 

Well, we made up for it by attending the concert on Columbus Day (October 10). And, it was fascinating!

 

Kiff and I started off like we did before, eating at Tasty Burger.  Although I have been avoiding bread, I did actually get a burger on this night. And it was good. I also tried their tater tots, which were almost as good as Wahlburgers, which are my favorite.

After eating, we went into huge line going into the TD Garden. Unlike previous years, where I've gone in the side doors, everyone goes through the new, and ritzy, front door. Escalators take you up to a keen entrance on the side. Once there, we waited in line to get some "merch" (scary word that makes me cringe). Then, we went into the concert.

 

This concert was definitely one of the wildest I've ever seen. There were people moving all over the place during the concert. Leaving, coming, and going. Many fans were sending "flashlight" signals to each other using their cell phones. The smell of all sorts of things hung heavy in the air. The guy behind us was angry that they did not allow vaping in the Garden, while the people next to us pilfered Bri and Emmie's seats (they didn't come with us). We had some new family members - or so it seemed.  All sorts of people, young and old were there. An older gentlemen with a white sleeveless shirt was dancing during the concert and turned out to be near two of my students who were also there.

 

The DJ before the concert was good and got the crowd going (and singing). Post Malone himself did a great job. He performed lots of songs, borrowed props from the crowd, and even had a fan perform guitar for them. He also said that he had free t-shirts printed for everyone there, as a thank you for coming back after the canceled event. We left around 10:50, to beat the crowd. And, we were lucky. We were able to get a shirt. I found out from my students that because the shirts were being given out at the bottom of the stairs they got moved or pulled to prevent mass chaos while leaving. So, we were lucky.

 

Overall, it was one of the best concerts I've been to.

 

The One With Post Poned Malone

 

 

Yesterday seemed like it was going to be an ideal day. It was a Saturday. The sun was shining. A fall wind was in the air.

And we had tickets to Post Malone. Now, I know what you're thinking. Post Malone is not necessarily my ideal concert, but Bri and Kiff are fans. And so, we got tickets to see him months ago.

I should have known something was up when I realized Emmie wouldn't be able to go because of the cold she had. She felt miserable. Bri had made other plans because she forgot, although she was planning to go once we reminded her. However, with Emmie's change of plans, we decided to let her stay home, too.

 So now, it was just Kiff and I. But, we were going to have fun. We left at 5:00 for an 8:00 concert with plans to make it to the TD Boston Garden and have something to eat before the concert. We parked in the North Station garage and walked up through the garden. Then, we noticed Tasty Burger outside the garden and decided to give it a try.

 We picked a good place. There was definitely no line - which would prove ironic later - and was not too crowded when we went in. Kiff had a milkshake, fries, and burger while I had nuggets and fries. The food was good, and as time went on, more and more concert goers came in. However, like most places, they were short staffed, so we waited a while for them to take our credit card (people around us took notice and had their's out when the wait staff brought the bill).

 As we paid, we noticed a funny line being formed outside the garden. Now, having gone to many events at the garden, I found it unusual. I've never waited outside, But, some concerts give away those glowing watches, so I began to wonder if that is what was going on. Kiff kept wondering if we were waiting to get in - but from the people in front of us and behind us, as well as the people who held signs for "Post Malone" in the line, it was clear we were in the right place.

 Around 7:20, it became clear why there was a line. Several people, either working for the TD Garden, or Post Malone, came out and said the concert was post poned. They gave no reason, other than that he "posted a note on social media." Honestly, they should have taken the time to tell us exactly what was happening because people in line could fine nothing posted on Instagram or Twitter.

 Eventually word did pop up on social media. We felt bad - Post Malone was actually in the hospital. Our evening out definitely turned into a memory for a different reason....but that's okay. We will catch Post Malone when he comes around again and hope he recovers quickly.

The One With Imagine Dragons and Macklemore

 

 

Last night, we went to a concert at Fenway Park to see Imagine Dragons with opener Macklemore. 

 

We started the night by going to the Cask and Flagon. We arrived at 4:30, but  found out, unlike eating their before the red sox game in july which was on a weekday, the restaurant fills up quick on a weekend. We were literally there 2 hours....but the food was good1 I love their buffalo chicken wraps.

 

after that, we went next door to the concert. of course, we had to make our obligatory visit to the souvernir shop to get IG gear...which was fun.

 

We went in and - to be honest - it was the hottest it has ever been when I've been to fenway. but, it is still a swell place to watch a concert. we got to our seats shortly before macklemore took stage. i was only familiar with a couple of macklemore songs, but i have to admit, he is a true showman. What a show! He got fans excited on multiple occasions, told stories (he had spent a lot of time in MA as a kid), and had many guest singers on stage with him. He even performed a song for a crowd called "ManiaC' or the first time since it had been released the day before. Amazing Show...he was like a younger, rapping donnie wahlburg.

 

The Imagine Dragons followed and they were simply spectacular. in fact, i would now add them to my to 15 groups list. their songs told a story, much like the weeknd did earlier this year. The music was crisp and robust, as well as diverse, and i recognized many songs. we learned that three of the current members - the two guitarists and the drummer, who is a red sox fan - went to Berklee around the corner. The lead singer had so many amazing messages - including ones about therapy and overcoming obstacles - was phenomenal and definitely connected with the audience. He admitted that he wanted to go to berklee, but his mother said that byu was a better option because he was a member of the church of latter day saints (the other member who was on backup instruments went there, too). There were a lot of kids there, and he dedicated a song to them. they also dedicated a song to ukraine, as well as one to teachers (including mr. white, who taught the three berklee grads). They dedicated "Demons" to anyone who lost someone in their lives through death, breakup, and drifting away...emphasizing our need to be connected. They were fantastic.

 

one thing we did learn - don't park in our usual lot when you are at a concert and plan to stay until the end - there was a road closed that really, really, really messed it up.

The One With The Weekend

 

 

Tonight, we went to see the Weeknd in concert at Gillette Stadium. Now, truth be told, I like the Weeknd  and all, but he would not necessarily be the guy I'd plan to go out and see in concert. But, my expectations were truly blow away by his performance that night.

So a few things. First, we learned from seeing Ed Sheeran that it was best to get tickets for parking ahead of time...which we did. We were able to park outside of the stadium (which was awesome at the beginning, but led to an hour wait to get out at the end). We also learned that it is a good idea to stay over, so we did book a room at a nearby hotel.

We got there and got our bearings. Fortunately, there was no rush for seats. Doja Cat was supposed to be the opener, but she got sick, so they had a couple of DJs opening up. One of the DJs we missed while getting water and souvenirs - Emmie always has to do that. The second one was good with some 80s music mixed in, but the graphics in the background were a little wacky.

Once the Weeknd went on, it was clear that this was no ordinary concert. The Weeknd was a story teller. He shared a magnificent story about a city that seems to be under attack by some unseen force (in actuality, it is probably not that at all). He had dancers that seemed to mimic the Imperial Guard from Star Wars...if the guard had rhythm. And, he had a giant moon opposite the stage. It was IMPRESSIVE.

He shared one song after another - blending them melliflously (I've always wanted to use a variation of that word in print). Spectacular light shows and pyrotechnics helped tell his story. And the ending, with Blinding Lights, sealed the deal. It was one of the best concerts I had ever been to. WOW!

The One With The First Annual Jazz Night

 

Danvers Public Schools hosted their first ever annual jazz night last night...almost two years after it was originally planned before Covid-19 shut everything down (ironically, two years to the day yesterday).

 

 What a great night!!! There were a whole host of performers last night from the 7th grade jazz band and 8th grade jazz band, to the DHS Sax quintet and DHS jazz band. Also, the Pharos Sax Quartet joined as guests artists.

 

There was an eclectic catalog of music performed last night. Kiff's band started it off - becoming the first band ever to perform at the DPS Jazz Night. There song final drive started the night on a solid tone. It kept on rolling from there. Songs like "In the Mood," "Take Five," "Cantina Band," beloved jazz standards, rocked the night. The Pharos Quartet played a special song just for parents and grandparents to sing along to - "Mah Na Mah Na" - from the Muppets.

 

Perhaps the most amazing sight was when all the jazz bands, including the guests bands, got up on stage to perform Night Train together. It was amazing to see what all of the eight trumpets from the jazz band (including Kiff) sounded like when they all played together. That was quite a way to wrap up the day!!!

 

It was quite a night...and a fun way to celebrate Tony's birthday (he came with us). I know my Dad, Mom 2, and Dad 2 would have loved it. 

 

Though the concert only last 90 minutes, the memories will linger on forever. Kudos to all of the bands.

The One With The NKOTB Mix Tape Tour

Last night, we went to the NKOTB Mix Tape Tour at the Boston Garden. As a closet New Kids fan growing up (yes, I have to admit I liked a few of their songs), it is always fun to listen to their music. Since marrying Emmie, however, I have become a card carrying member of their fan club.

 

I've had the pleasure of going to several concerts. And, last night was no exception. However, there was one thing that was new about this concert - we took Bri and Kiff with us.  That was an experience.



The concert included not only the New Kids, but Debbie Gibson (in a great costume), Tiffany, Naughty by Nature, and Salt and Pepper. What a concert.


And Donnie and Joey both got emotional at times. To top it off, we saw three different people we knew at different times during the concert.


What a memory!

The One With Ed Sheeran

Earlier this week, the four of us had the opportunity to see the Ed Sheeran concert. What a blast that was!

We went down to Gilette Stadium this past Saturday and took the epic journey into the parking lot, which was an adventure into itself. But, they were well organized and had cars parked quickly.

We then had an interesting turn of events in Gilette Stadium. They were so nitpicky about a bag coming in that we had to throw it away. I also heard people had to throw away their purses. A little too extreme if you ask me.

Zoinks.

Despite that setback, the concert was great. Ed was quite a performer and he engaged with the audience wonderfully. Perhaps may favorite engagement was when he particularly talked to two specific members of the audience and asked them to join in and have fun - the people who were dragged along by girlfriends and the Super Dads, like his own, who were making sure their kids were safe and having fun at the concert.

What a great night! If you have chance to see him, make it a date!