*Alex* and Ang's Tacoma Experience

*Alex* and Ang's Tacoma Experience
by *Alex*

My Backstreet obsession only began in May. I did my best to hide it for awhile, and I wasn't really hip on the whole "going to the concert by myself" thing, so I figured I wouldn't go to any shows this time around. (Thinking about that now, just cracks me up! How could I be so DUMB?? LOL)

Of course, I changed my mind. I decided I wanted to go the concert the morning the tix went on sale, and naturally, I missed out. This may sound weird, but I didn't freak out, and I "knew" that somehow I would win tickets or something and would be able to go.

Well, bless my radio station! (KLSY 92.5 in Seattle.) They started giving away tickets about six weeks before the show. They'd play two BSB songs back to back and you had to be the 25th caller. Well, over the course of ten days, I managed to be caller number 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24 and 26 - sometimes more than once! But being caller 25 eluded me.

Everybody in my office knew I was trying to win the tickets and they rode me pretty bad about it. Our receptionist, Ang, was really the only one who "kinda" understood. Her sister was a fan and she liked a couple of their songs but could "take or leave them." Anyway, all around the office it was a big joke. They teased me for having the radio on so loud in my office! But I was determined! Scratch that - I was obsessed! (I even set my alarm clock and woke up at three one morning because they'd announced they were going to do overnight giveaways.) One day though, they just stopped the contest and said "no more tickets." I was heartbroken!

I tried to make peace with it, really I did. The concert kept getting closer and closer and I had no tickets. I tried to tell myself that it wouldn't have been that great, and I didn't have anyone to go with me anyway, and that it would probably be really loud, and.... well, you know. All the crap you tell yourself to feel better when you don't have tickets.

Well, on Monday morning before Tuesday's concert, I was driving to work and the midmorning DJ says, "Hey, we've got tickets to the sold out BSB show tomorrow night. Just fax or email me your name and phone number. I'll pick a name at 11 and if you call back within nine minutes, you get the tickets!" YES!!!!!! I was back in the game!!

But how to make myself stand out?? KLSY is more of an adult contemporary station than a Top 40 station, so all the people who had won tickets were like, "oh my eight year old daughter has just been dying to go! She'll love this!" Well, you know what? Let her win her own tickets on her own dang station and GIVE ME THE TICKETS!!! (Sorry, I digress...)

I knew that I had to get myself to the show, so I was going to have to stand out from the crowd. I guessed (correctly, I suppose) that the station would rather give them to an actual fan, not the mom or aunt or grandma of a fan. Suddenly it hit me: prove that I, an adult fan, actually cared about going to the show myself. Oh yeah. And suck up to the radion station. So I did!

I ran in the office and got to work... on my entry. Forget real work - Priorities, people! I went to the station's website, where I laughed at the thought of anxious moms emailing over and over and over again so their daughters could scream for Nick. I bypassed the email area and found Dave the DeeJay's picture. Then I flipped open my CD case and put all of the Backstreet CDs in front of me.

Using my ace design skills (LOL!) I created a document that had the DeeJay's picture on top and underneath it wrote,

"HI DAVE!!
My name is *Alex* and I listen to you every day! I also listen to the Backstreet Boys every day because they are "Larger Than Life"! I've been trying to win tickets for WEEKS and I have a good feeling today because "It's Gotta Be You!" "Hey Mr. DJ": I think you are "The One" who can help me win because I am the "Perfect Fan." I'm 27 years old and not afraid to tell the world that I think "No One Else Comes Close" to the Boys. I know that "Everybody" else wants tickets too, but Dave: "Quit Playin' Games With My Heart"! I would really like to see Brian, AJ, Howie, Nick and especially Kevin in concert tomorrow night - "I Want It That Way!"
Please, "Darlin'"! Help my dream of seeing them in concert come true and I'll do "Anything For You."
Love Your Show Dave! Signed, *Alex*"

Well, the only fax machine in the office was at Ang's desk, so I went up there and faxed if off, bubbling inside. I had a really good feeling about it. Ang, though, knew something was up. And I couldn't keep it in! I let her read my fax and she loved it! She told me to keep her posted if I won. (I'm sure she was thinking, "yeah, right! Good luck!") Anyway, went back to my desk and tried to get some work done but couldn't keep my eyes off the clock as the hands inched closer and closer to 11 a.m. I was even avoiding returning messages since I didn't want to tie up my line. But oh! The horror!! I got a call at 10:58 a.m. and I HAD to take it!

So there I was, "trying" to pay attention to the vendor on the phone but really trying to reach for the volume dial on the radio as the DeeJay was coming back to announce who he'd "randomly selected." I was so scared of missing my name being called - the radio was turned up so loud they could hear it down the hall! I kept hearing it in my mind, "*Alex*, you've got nine minutes to call. *Alex*, you've got nine minutes to call. *Alex*, you've got nine minutes to call." So when the DJ actually DID say it, it took me a second to grasp what was happening.

OH MY GOSH!! I'd won. Okay, *Alex*. Call and claim your prize. So that means "bye bye vendor." I think I just hung up on her. I really don't recall actually saying "I have to go" but I may have. (She was really nice about it when I called later to apologize. She said a girl in her office had been trying to win too.) I hit the button on my phone that I'd preprogrammed just for an occasion such as this and heard Dave say, "Good Morning, KLSY."

"Good Morning, Dave. This is *Alex*."

"It took you, what? Like nine seconds to call us back?" If that long. Whoo-hoo!! I was now the proud owner of two tickets! I fumbled my way through a quick phone interview that they played a few minutes later. (Knew my name, but couldn't remember where I worked or what I did there. LOL!) Hung up the phone. HAD to tell someone.

I ran out to Ang's desk and told her I'd just won tix, but I really don't know if she believed me until she saw that my hands were shaking. She was really happy for me. We chatted for a few minutes and caused a huge amount of noise. A few people popped out of their offices to see what was going on, and though they didn't understand why I wanted to go so badly, they seemed really happy for me.

I went back to my office and called my sister, who I figured was my best bet for a date. No can do - she had another commitment. Called another co-worker, but her daughter was ill and she didn't want to leave her. Who else to ask? The only person who was really enthusiastic: Ang. She seemed really jazzed when I asked her to go and we immediately started making plans for transport, dinner, and the crucial issue: what to wear.

Okay - enough of the pre-show activities. You're probably thinking, "get ON with it already!" (I know, I know. But everyone writes the same old stuff in their concert reviews. The show is incredible - don't get me wrong. But so incredible that very few individual moments of greatness stand out. It's all one big blur. So I like to focus on what makes our experiences unique. If you want specifics, you can read about a show we saw in Dallas if you click here.)

We had a heck of a time getting to the show - traffic was jammed up something awful. But it was really fun because we were blaring the Boys' CDs and laughing at the shoe polished cars that had BSB pictures decorating the windows. We finally got parked and had to hike all the way around the dome looking for KLSY's booth so we could pick up our tickets. I had asked the DJ if he knew where we sitting and he said, "I don't know. Not front row but I don't think they're sucky either." Well lo and behold, we were on the 100 level at the side of the stage, about 22 rows up but had an AWESOME view. Great view of the monitors and Nick flew right near us for QPG.

I think our hearts stopped when we saw Kevin's face hit the screen at the beginning of Larger Than Life. Talk about a good looking man. That was it. What do you mean, 'there are four other guys on stage?'

Okay, I promise. I'm winding this up. When the concert finished, we cranked up the CD player (and the heat, LOL) and joined the MILE LONG line of cars heading toward the freeway. Right as we were getting on the on-ramp, Ang screamed. "Oh My God. What is that?" Sure enough, coming up behind us on the shoulder was a tour bus with a police escort! We freaked and you can bet we were 10 inches behind their bumper. Of course, several other carloads of teenyboppers were doing their best to cut in on us and nearly sent us to the hospital, but we persevered.

For the first half hour, we were headed in the same direction, so no biggie. But when we got about *cough*cough* an hour out of way and were nearly out of gas, we bailed and went home. We didn't get to meet them, but we sure came close! :)

We had a great time! Thank you KLSY! And THANK YOU ANG! I had the best time concerting with you! *MWAH!*