Our Atlanta Concert Experience Was Totally Bad... BAD TO THE BONE, THAT IS!!
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Okay, slight introduction. My name’s *Alex*, and I’m Ang, and we had an incredible,
awesome experience at the Backstreet Boys’ concert at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, February 19, 2000. Well, actually it begins before that. Let us explain.
by *Alex* and Ang
We can’t sleep. Our excitement is incredible. Better than Christmas morning by far. We’ve been surfing Backstreet.net all night, listening to sound clips on the computer. We’ve looked up addresses for tattoo parlors because we want to go find AJ as he’s getting this new tattoo that’s being rumored about. 2:15 a.m.
Okay. Time for bed. Not that we’re tired, by any means. We just want to have all energy for tomorrow. It’s really weird because we have a gift for AJ (tell you later) and we just KNOW that we’ll get to give it to him. We also know that we’ll get up close to them. Don’t ask us how we know, we just do. 7:30 a.m.
We can’t sleep. We know they’re in town, so why the heck are we in our hotel room? Time to get ready and go find them! 10:00 a.m.
Film? Check. Cameras? Check. Binoculars? Check. Bail money in case we get arrested? Check. Gift for AJ? Check. (Okay, we’ll explain now. We bought five inflatable bones that have "BAD TO THE BONE" printed on them. We figured we’d write messages to them on them and try to throw them on stage for the finales. How? We don’t know. We just know it’s gonna happen. But when it came down to it we just did one for AJ. We wrote a personal message to him [and the others] thanking them for the sacrifices they make and their beautiful music. We also wished them good luck on the tour.) Shoved all this in our purses and we were off. We went to Ticketmaster to see if they’d dropped any front row seats, but they hadn’t. We went to two possible hotels to see if they were there, but they weren’t. We really weren’t bummed though – we just kept on. We wandered towards the downtown and found the Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood. We were kinda hungry, but figured that first we’d go check out the scene at the Dome (located on Carter Drive, coincidentally). Checked out the Dome and it was MASSIVE. Huge. BSB sold over 70,000 seats for the show (the largest U.S. indoor pop concert crowd EVER!). We were trying to leave the Dome as hunger set in. We were really starving by this time, but we got stuck in a humongous traffic jam though and literally sat without moving for 15 minutes. That bummed us out. We couldn’t move. We were lost. We were hungry and we were beginning to get really frustrated. Hacked off, we just found the freeway entrance and I said, "to heck with it - we’re getting out of here!" We drove up a couple of exits and began looking for somewhere to eat. Here we’d had these great plans and so far nothing had come together. Finally we saw this little bagel place on the corner and decided that would have to do. (Einstein Bagels, our new favorite place!) We ate, almost in silence. We weren’t mad at each other, by any means, we were just disappointed and frustrated. Little did we know our luck was about to change. 2:30 p.m.
We left the bagel place to head toward Publix to check out Ticketmaster once again. We went literally three driveways and there was a black bus. Intake of breath, grabbing of arm: "Ang, do you see what I see?" When she looked up, we saw not one, not two but three buses. Black, unmarked tour buses. Glancing around we thought they were parked in the lot of the Marriott next door, but looked forward and just so happened to see a bus parked in front of the Four Seasons and a crowd of girls with cameras standing in a group. We’d found them! Parked the car, walked over and wiggled our way into the group. We saw Mindi, Dennis, Tommy, the drummer and that red headed dancer. Not five minutes later, AJ came out of the hotel and got on the bus. The guys were heading off to a promotional event to publicize the comic book and were running totally late, so no autographs. A few minutes later, Nick and Mandah came out and went on the bus. Waiting, waiting, waiting when suddenly Nick comes out with his bodyguard and signed autographs for five minutes. We were so close! And he looked SO good. We’re not really big Nick fans, but we were darn impressed. Meanwhile Howie and Brian came out and the bus pulled away. When Nick came out to sign autographs, he did look AMAZING but not happy, at all. I was kneeling on a concrete wall about three feet above anyone else. After being out there for about ten minutes, I had snapped about ten pictures but none with him smiling. Finally, I said, "Hey Nick, why don't you look up here and give me a smile?" Well, he did and I think that my heart stopped. I did take the picture but he had already began to look back down...that's okay...Nick Carter looked right at me and smiled! Could you just die? But where was our precious Kevin? A few minutes later he came out, gave a big wave, and got on a different bus. They pulled away immediately. One more thing to share: we started talking to this nice girl, Misti, who is on a 10 day Millennium Tour with the boys. She’s following them around and has become really good friends with a particular bus driver. She’s got the scoop on where they are and what’s going on, and was nice enough to share some of her knowledge. Anyway, while Nick was outside with us, Mandah was sitting inside the bus with a shade open half way, glaring at all of us. Misti looked up at her, smiled and gave a little wave. Mandah reached up and jerked the shade down in response. (Actually we were surprised that Nick, of all people, came out to greet us. Perhaps to get away from Mandah?? Just a guess... HA HA HA!) 4:00 p.m.
We ran screaming to the car to go to Planet Hollywood to meet up with Misti and a few of her online BSB buddies. No one had ever met before so we fit right in. We had a great time sharing stories, favorite moments, etc. Two of them had snuck into AJ’s room after he’d checked out and stolen his left-behind boxers. Very nice. Ang sniffed them. 6:45 p.m.
Traffic SUCKED. 70,000 people going to see the greatest group in the country. 10,000 going to the circus next door. Huge convention two doors away. Big accident. I hope the brainiac who planned the three events together has been fired. A grandma with a cane could have walked faster than we were moving. Thank heaven for small miracles. And a compact car. We wiggled into a spot on the side of the road and walked the last mile or so to the Dome. We finally made it inside. 7:40 p.m.
We’re here and we’re not sitting down until we own comic books. We waited in line forever and completely missed whatever sorry excuse they had for an opening act. (It was some weird stand up comedy thing that lasted about 10 minutes.) We got the front of the line and found they were sold out of comics. So off to another window. To make a long story short, there were only two left and a nice girl who looked a little bit familiar offered to give let us buy one of them. It turns out it was *JILL*, then a stranger, but now... our fellow webmistress! We’d talked about meeting up but hadn’t connected. How weird is that that I was able to pick her out of 70,000 people?? (Great to meet you *Jill*!! Sorry we missed you, *Sabrina*!! Catch you in Dallas!) That moment was it... what started it all!! *wipes tear* 8:45 p.m.
Mission completed! We’re the proud owners of comic books and programs and have incredible seats. We’re on the floor maybe 20 rows back and literally 10 seats away from the black box where the guys enter the stage. Incredible seats!! We’ve blown up AJ’s Bone and hope for an opportunity to give it to him, but the security in front of us were Hitler’s protégés. THE SHOW!
Okay. You know the stories, you’ve heard the tales. What’s weird is that it all is so good and totally runs together in your mind. Here’s what we noticed/what happened at our show: They wear different starting outfits than last time. Almost more futuristic and "comic book" like. Each guy was a little different, but they all went together well. AJ wears an eye scope thing over one eye. Pink suits are gone.In their place are AWESOME gray vests and black pants & jackets with white stripes. Almost tuxedo-ish and very handsome. The dragon jammies are gone but if you look closely you notice that there are dragons on a lot of their other outfits. AJ’s pants, Kevin’s shirt, Kevin’s tank top, etc. AJ has buzzed off all of his hair really short. It's still a very dark brown. Leather pants. Very nice. Side note: "each and every one of them" appeared "excited" to be wearing them, and it was really obvious. As we were leaving, the table selling CDs and photographs was playing music. What song, you ask? 'N Sync's "Tearin' Up My Heart!" What on EARTH is up with that?? In some song (can’t remember which) Nick was "spanking" one of the dancers and it was very provocative. Oh yeah, and AJ did a really nice pelvic thrust. *sigh* One of their bus drivers said that Nick dances a lot more "freaky" and "provocative" when Mandah's not around. Based on what we saw, we're guessing she was not there. :o) LOL! Kevin had the cutest little girl as his fan for the "Perfect Fan" and it was the sweetest thing to see him with her. The front of her shirt said "I like AJ, Brian, Howie and Kevin" and the back was one big "I LOVE NICK!" So cute! I can’t wait until Kevin has one of his own - and obviously, neither can he. By the way, his mom was apparently in the crowd. Every time Nick would come on the monitors, the teenys in the audience would shriek uncontrollably. Well during the slow set when they were sitting down, Nick would look up at the monitor at the end of the dome each time the screaming commenced. He got this smile on his face when he realized he was the one causing the screams. It was pretty funny. You MUST watch AJ while they’re introducing the dancers. He is hilarious. Chicken dancing, mime-ing, etc. Brian told us that Leighanne’s family (aka his "soon to be family members") were there. Leighanne walked five feet in front of me, but the photo I took was blurred. She walked five feet in front of me and looked like every picture you’ve ever seen of her: tight pants, tight shirt, etc. 10:30 p.m.
The guys leave the stage for their first encore. We move up three rows and avoid getting in trouble by SWEARING to the nice female security guard that we won’t rush the stage. But we were women with a mission: deliver a bone to the Bone. I made Ang go do it. I slid behind that nice security guard so she wouldn’t see me. I headed off to the left to go down another aisle and was immediately told to go back to my seat. *Alex* called me over and told me to head to the right, and try my luck that way. If all else failed, she said to throw it up into the front section in the hopes that someone would toss it the rest of the way. But I didn’t want to do that. The first guard I came to was really cute and I tried using charm to get past, but he didn’t buy it. He said "no way, it might hurt them." Give me a break! It’s an inflatable plastic bone! The next guard turned his back as I came up, so I slinked past. I walked forward and was standing three people deep from the stage. This was right as Howie began rapping. The guard approached me and asked me if I had my ticket. I said yes and patted myself down looking for the ticket I knew was back with *Alex*. I think I said "can I throw this on stage?" and he said no, but that he’d make sure they got it. As I started to return to my seat I realized I would never again be this close to them in my life and snapped a great picture of Nick and Howie D. as Howie rapped. As soon as the flash went off, the guard sternly told me "get back to your seat" and I said, "okay! I’m going!" and headed back, feeling proud of myself but not sure if the bone would actually make it to AJ.
Meanwhile, I was hoping that I would have enough bail for Ang if needed. All of a sudden, however, I look up and there is Bone, playing with the bone!!He held it triumphantly and even "played" it like a guitar.He seemed really excited to have it. Right then Ang walked back up, looking a little forlorn. I grabbed her arm and screamed at her: "HE HAS IT!!" but right then he tossed it down under the pyramid into the understage area. With her back turned, she hadn’t realized he’d both received it and had played with it as we’d hoped originally.
Believe it or not, the cool security girl actually came up and hugged us and told us how neat she thought it was that Bone had actually received the bone.
The boys came up for IWITW, and to our slight disappointment, there was no bone with Bone. But bless Nick’s precious heart, he walked up to AJ during Kevin’s solo and handed the bone to him. He was waving it around and was almost facing our section. So at this point we rushed to the stage and were standing on chairs in the fourth row. I was holding up another bone and if he had just looked past the brim of his hat, we KNOW he would have seen us. Now for the CLINCHER: While singing the very last line, he stops after "Cause I want it-" and said the following: "I’d like to thank the production crew, the staff (blah, blah, blah) and WHOEVER GAVE ME THIS BONE - all of you - thank you and goodnight!" AJ thanked us in front of 70,000 people! How cool is that!?!? The guys then walked to the top of the pyramid thing and AJ began attacking the other guys with it. SO COOL -- JUST LIKE WE’D IMAGINED!
Special thanks to HowieDLite for the photo! We owe you big time!
We had such an incredible day!! I know some people get to meet them and talk with them personally but for us this was just perfect. We met some great people, saw the boys up close and witnessed a fantastic concert. We just wanted to share our experience with you -- hope you enjoyed reading it!
THE SAGA CONTINUES... Sunday Morning!
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