article about Joe......Posted by Katie on January 10, 2010 at 8:59am in General NKOTB chat
Joey McIntyre, known to millions as a member of the recently reunited pop group New Kids On The Block, said the decision to make his newly released solo EP "Here We Go Again" wasn't endorsed by everyone he knew.
But he decided not to let that deter him from returning to a solo career that had stalled after he enjoyed million-selling success with his 1998 solo debut album, "Stay The Same."
"As I was on the road with the New Kids (last year), I was getting itchy. I wanted to start writing," McIntyre explained in a December phone interview. "I guess I get that itch every few years, and I get mad. I hear all the nos — 'No, don't do it because of this,' and 'Don't do it because of that' and 'The business is so crazy now. Why would you want to spend your time doing that when it's so tough to sell records?' and 'No, no, no, no.' So because of all that no, I had to kick back... I had to make music that had to drown out all of those nos. That's basically what I did."
In fact, McIntyre said the EP and its title song essentially serve as a response to those who doubt him or his abilities.
"I think the essence of the record, and the first single, 'Here We Go Again,' it's about keeping up the fight and staying in the game," he said. "There are ups and downs, and it's not always going to go your way. But show business is a funny game, and you've got to hang in there. For whatever reason, I'm still standing and I still want to make music, and that's what the song is all about is going for it."
McIntyre indeed is a veteran of the music business wars at this point. He of course started his career in New Kids On The Block. Joined by fellow vocalists Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, the group's bouncy pop sound established a blueprint for virtually every teen act that followed.
The New Kids hit paydirt with its second CD, the 1988 release, "Hangin' Tough." It featured the hit singles "Please Don't Go Girl" and "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" and eventually topped "Billboard" magazine's album chart. A third album, 1990s "Step By Step," took the New Kids over the top, as the group became arguably the most popular act on the planet.
But after that album, the group renamed itself NKOTB and released the commercially disappointing 1994 CD, "Face The Music." By the next year, the group — having sold some 80 million copies of its albums — split up.
The various members went on to tackle various projects. Wahlberg enjoyed the most visibility, launching a successful acting career that included roles in such high-profile movies as "Ransom" and "The Sixth Sense."
McIntyre also fared reasonably well. He started a solo music career with the "Stay The Same" album, whose title track became a hit single. He retained some of that popularity with the 2001 album "Meet Joe Mac," but his 2004 CD, "8:09" and 2006 collection of cover songs, "Talk To Me," failed to connect.
Then toward the end of 2007, the New Kids decided to reunite to make a new CD, "The Block" and then in fall 2008 return to the road for what turned into a highly successful, yearlong tour.
When the tour wrapped up last summer, McIntyre wasted little time getting started on "Here We Go Again."
The musical direction that emerged is notably different than the sweet pop of "Stay The Same" and other McIntyre solo albums. Songs such as the title track and "Forget About It," have a notably edgier dance-pop sound.
"It's raw, it's uptempo," McIntyre said. "There's a lot of four on the floor, guitar driven (songs), but pop, still pop."
McIntyre is introducing the "Here We Go Again" songs with a short five-city tour this month, including a stop at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on Thursday.
"I'm going to be playing some of my favorites and a couple of hits of my own," he said. "Then I'll mix in some New Kids stuff and maybe a cover or two. But I just want it to be big and in your face and kick some butt."
As for the New Kids, McIntyre said there are no firm plans except to perform on the group's second in what might become on ongoing series of annual cruises for fans. The cruise is set to launch from Miami on May 10.
"I would say to the New Kids fans to keep your eyes open maybe, but whatever it is, we want it to be special," he said. "What we were able to do this last year (with the tour and "The Block" CD) was really cool. So we just want to keep that all very special."
Joey McIntyre with DJ Costa
When: Thursday, Jan. 14, doors open at
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Cherry Tree Records
How I Met Donnie Wahlberg by Martin KierszenbaumPosted by Cherrytree on September 28, 2009
http://www.cherrytreerecords.com
I've always been a popular music fan as long as I can remember. The New Kids on the Block were inescapable on TV, radio, in record shops, grocery stores, and just about everywhere else in 1989. They had more than a few great, catchy, pop songs so, like any unabashed pop music lover at the time, I ended up with several tasty New Kids 12 inches and CD's in my collection.
Well, fast forward to 2008 and I'm at Chalice Studios in Hollywood meeting with songwriters E-man and Kasi Livingston. They play me the demo version of a new song they've just co-written with some friends. It turns out to be a remarkable tune with a very real-talk lyric entitled "2 in the Morning." I flip out upon hearing it and beg them for a copy. They kindly oblige and I proceed to play it 8 times straight on my drive back to the office.
By the end of the week, I'm playing it 10 times a day and trying to figure which of the artists on the label could cut it because I'm convinced it's very special. As an A&R rep, that's what you wanna do with special songs: nab 'em for your artists to record. I had no idea with whom E-man and Kasi had co-written the song or to what purpose. I just knew that the melody was great and the lyrics genuine. I mean, who hasn't had an argument with a significant other and wished it could blow over before going to sleep that same day.
So, as my obsession with the song grew and I started playing the song for everybody that came into my office, I'd say things like "this is my favorite song right now" and "you wanna hear what a great song sounds like?" Haha! I get passionate about songs that move me.
So, a few days later, I'm in my office at a meeting with some other songwriter friends of mine and - though I usually don't do this (since they're there to play me THEIR songs), I say to them "you wanna hear a great song that somebody else wrote?" They say "sure" and I put on the demo of "2 in the Morning."
I'm playing the track pretty loud when a cat with a baseball cap sticks his head through the door. I instantly recognize him from my 12" covers: it's Donnie Wahlberg from the New Kids on the Block!
I lower the volume and say "Hey! You're Donnie Wahlberg. Hello!" He points to my speakers and says "That's my song."
I say "Yeah, man, isn't it great? That's MY JOINT too right now!"
He says "No, man, that's really my song - I wrote it."
I say "What?! E-man and Kasi wrote that with some friends ... Aaaaaah." I figure it out in mid-sentence. "Wow, and the lyric?" I ask.
"That's about me and girl," he says."
"Woooooah," I say, "That's like my favorite song right now. I can't stop playing it."
He laughs. I ask "Hey, what are you doing here, anyway?"
Donnie then proceeds to explain that he'd been in the office next door about to meet with Jimmy Iovine (Interscope's Chairman and my boss) about a New Kids new album and reunion tour when he'd heard me blasting his song. So, he decided to pop in.
I'm like "Wow, a New Kids reunion?! That's crazy."
He's like "Yep, it's time."
So I say "Congratz on the fantastic song and good luck with the album. It's super nice to meet you."
He says "Thanks," and goes to his meeting with Jimmy.
I resume my meeting which of course includes tripping out about the serendipity of the moment when I get a phone call from Jimmy asking me to his office.
As I walk over and enter, I see Donnie and Jordan Knight sitting with Jimmy. They point to me and say "That's him. That's who we want to A&R our record!"
And that's how I met Donnie Wahlberg - and Jordan again (I'd met and worked with Jordan before on his solo album for Interscope). And, it's also how I got the privilege to work on The Block album with Donnie and the gang.
Most of all, it's how I got the opportunity to become friends with Donnie and learn that he is a very talented, generous and loyal person.
http://www.cherrytreerecords.com
I've always been a popular music fan as long as I can remember. The New Kids on the Block were inescapable on TV, radio, in record shops, grocery stores, and just about everywhere else in 1989. They had more than a few great, catchy, pop songs so, like any unabashed pop music lover at the time, I ended up with several tasty New Kids 12 inches and CD's in my collection.
Well, fast forward to 2008 and I'm at Chalice Studios in Hollywood meeting with songwriters E-man and Kasi Livingston. They play me the demo version of a new song they've just co-written with some friends. It turns out to be a remarkable tune with a very real-talk lyric entitled "2 in the Morning." I flip out upon hearing it and beg them for a copy. They kindly oblige and I proceed to play it 8 times straight on my drive back to the office.
By the end of the week, I'm playing it 10 times a day and trying to figure which of the artists on the label could cut it because I'm convinced it's very special. As an A&R rep, that's what you wanna do with special songs: nab 'em for your artists to record. I had no idea with whom E-man and Kasi had co-written the song or to what purpose. I just knew that the melody was great and the lyrics genuine. I mean, who hasn't had an argument with a significant other and wished it could blow over before going to sleep that same day.
So, as my obsession with the song grew and I started playing the song for everybody that came into my office, I'd say things like "this is my favorite song right now" and "you wanna hear what a great song sounds like?" Haha! I get passionate about songs that move me.
So, a few days later, I'm in my office at a meeting with some other songwriter friends of mine and - though I usually don't do this (since they're there to play me THEIR songs), I say to them "you wanna hear a great song that somebody else wrote?" They say "sure" and I put on the demo of "2 in the Morning."
I'm playing the track pretty loud when a cat with a baseball cap sticks his head through the door. I instantly recognize him from my 12" covers: it's Donnie Wahlberg from the New Kids on the Block!
I lower the volume and say "Hey! You're Donnie Wahlberg. Hello!" He points to my speakers and says "That's my song."
I say "Yeah, man, isn't it great? That's MY JOINT too right now!"
He says "No, man, that's really my song - I wrote it."
I say "What?! E-man and Kasi wrote that with some friends ... Aaaaaah." I figure it out in mid-sentence. "Wow, and the lyric?" I ask.
"That's about me and girl," he says."
"Woooooah," I say, "That's like my favorite song right now. I can't stop playing it."
He laughs. I ask "Hey, what are you doing here, anyway?"
Donnie then proceeds to explain that he'd been in the office next door about to meet with Jimmy Iovine (Interscope's Chairman and my boss) about a New Kids new album and reunion tour when he'd heard me blasting his song. So, he decided to pop in.
I'm like "Wow, a New Kids reunion?! That's crazy."
He's like "Yep, it's time."
So I say "Congratz on the fantastic song and good luck with the album. It's super nice to meet you."
He says "Thanks," and goes to his meeting with Jimmy.
I resume my meeting which of course includes tripping out about the serendipity of the moment when I get a phone call from Jimmy asking me to his office.
As I walk over and enter, I see Donnie and Jordan Knight sitting with Jimmy. They point to me and say "That's him. That's who we want to A&R our record!"
And that's how I met Donnie Wahlberg - and Jordan again (I'd met and worked with Jordan before on his solo album for Interscope). And, it's also how I got the privilege to work on The Block album with Donnie and the gang.
Most of all, it's how I got the opportunity to become friends with Donnie and learn that he is a very talented, generous and loyal person.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Life of a Blockhead (its long but its coool!!)
We wake up in the morning, and we see their faces. They’re looking so good, everything’s in place!
No, really, being a blockhead is a very special, very rewarding experience. Unless you’re a Blockhead…you just don’t get it. It’s not like being a fan of say, Metallica, or 50 Cent. It’s not even like being a Fanilow. Blockheads are in a class of their own.
Blockheads get certain perks, like long lasting friendships, meet-ups, and after/before parties. We get videos and blogs. We even get cruises! The concerts are off the hook, and don’t get me started on the tweeting.
The day I realized this truly was something special was the day Donnie Wahlberg said in an interview “You know, all the fans keep telling us thank you for coming back, but they are the ones that deserve the thanks.”
That just blew me away. Us? Thanks? For what? Showing up? Without THEM, none of this would be possible. Without their families giving up time with their men. Without THEM giving up parts of their lives. And he wants to thank US? I just don’t get that. I can’t understand why us? They give up SO much, we just show up! The sacrifices they have made…
When you’re a blockhead you learn certain terminology like ‘Macanatomy’ and ‘Jontourage’. If you don’t know what ‘Jordangate’ or ‘Onlinegate’ is, you’re not a blockhead. Ever hear of the GML Divas? Do you see an owl and chuckle? How about Toni Spelelli or Watson? Don’t even get me started on TINK!
Do you see a picture of Joe in his Joker pants circa 1990 and think…omg, I have to post that in fashion disasters! (I would have picked the leather pants/net shirt combo, but to each their own…).
NKTV, “Let’s Get This” ,Jared, The Infamous DANNYTOWN, Twisted, “That’s how we roll”, Brownies, manscaping, “Leave Jon alone!”, right click SAVE!, mystery men, green lights, chocolate covered New Kids, "twat my ballz", palm fronds, bus stalking, MacJeans, smores, the trinity church, HALLA!, facetime… all blockhead related. We get it. And that’s all that matters. We change words like Starbucks to Stahbucks. Supersoakers into supahsoakers, tractors into Tractahs. We rename body parts like ‘donnie’s onion’, the ‘macbooty’, we say ‘oh my Jord’ and ‘Oh Snap!’ Don’t understand? It’s ok. It’s a blockhead thing.
We're all still wondering what's in Donnie's pocket. We'll never know if Joe really does go commando, Was Jon REALLY talking about a dog (*snicker*)? Will we EVER get to hear Danny's laugh in person? What's the REAL story behind Jordan's cupcake saga? Sugar addiction? We may never know. But we're OK with that! It's not about the why's and the what happened...it's about what's NEXT with these guys!
Above all that fun, there’s something more. There’s something better. There’s love. Love is the key to being a blockhead. You love your sistahs, you love the guys. And guess what? They love us back. And they make sure we know it! THAT’S where other groups, other celebs, fail. They just assume, they pass us by without even a glance. The guys…they look at us and wink. They smile, they do the LIP BITE and make us melt into a puddle of goo. And they do it knowing what effect it has. The power they hold in their hands! They say HI, they wave, they sign autographs and pose for pics. They blog, they take videos, they tweet, they shout out to us making us feel special. It never ends with them. Always something new, always above and beyond. THAT’S why we do it. THAT’S why we show up. THAT is what keeps us coming back for more!
So you think you know what a blockhead is? I doubt it. But it’s ok. You don’t NEED to understand. It’s our thing. It’s special to us. It’s sacred. We know we’re in our 30’s. We know we’re acting giddy and childish. It’s all in fun! It’s not real. It’s all in fun. It’s our escape. It’s OUR thing.
Watching twisted over and over, tweeting Joe 3000 times to get him to number one, writing radio stations angry letters because they wont play our guys, flaming a certain a-hole who talks smack on Jon, staying up until midnight to see what our next mission is, waiting for 6 days out in front of the Today Show studio IN THE RAIN so we can be sure to get the best seats… we do what we have to do… THEY do, we should too! It’s the LEAST we could do.
This has been an amazing year. Dreams were fulfilled; there were hugs and tears, smiles and laughter, music and love. It doesn’t get better than that folks. It just doesn’t. We’re a family, and if you missed out on it because of some image you have from 20 years ago…then I feel sorry for you. Make the jump, just do it. Let yourself go. You wont regret it! And hopefully this isn’t the end. If it is, then we’ve had an amazing year regardless. If it’s not, then it can only get better!!
Embrace that which is NKOTB.
Let’s get this!
~~Cheri~~
twitter.com/_writersblock_
retweet this ;)
PS guys, if any of you are reading this, this isnt even HALF of what we feel for you guys. The gratitude we feel for everything you have given us and given UP for us is endless. For real. This is us. This is OUR thing...together. 5 brothers and a million sistahs. Everyone else doesnt matter.
Read the responses if you have time. it only adds to what I have said.
*kisses on the cheek*
**EDIT**
I know that some of you are younger and older...it was a general number LOL MOST of us are in our 30's. Also, WOOT to the BROTHERS out there that were not mentioned!
Just because you may not know some of the terms it wasnt meant to imply you're not a true blockhead, it was more geared towards the haters who just plain dont get it.
And the 'its not real' comment was meant to mean that us acting like 13 years olds all giddy and joking around isnt real. Blockheads...we're for real. The love we share...THAT'S real. But joking around and pretending to be giddy school girls...it's just fun. That's not who I really am in real life. Well... most of the time LOL
No, really, being a blockhead is a very special, very rewarding experience. Unless you’re a Blockhead…you just don’t get it. It’s not like being a fan of say, Metallica, or 50 Cent. It’s not even like being a Fanilow. Blockheads are in a class of their own.
Blockheads get certain perks, like long lasting friendships, meet-ups, and after/before parties. We get videos and blogs. We even get cruises! The concerts are off the hook, and don’t get me started on the tweeting.
The day I realized this truly was something special was the day Donnie Wahlberg said in an interview “You know, all the fans keep telling us thank you for coming back, but they are the ones that deserve the thanks.”
That just blew me away. Us? Thanks? For what? Showing up? Without THEM, none of this would be possible. Without their families giving up time with their men. Without THEM giving up parts of their lives. And he wants to thank US? I just don’t get that. I can’t understand why us? They give up SO much, we just show up! The sacrifices they have made…
When you’re a blockhead you learn certain terminology like ‘Macanatomy’ and ‘Jontourage’. If you don’t know what ‘Jordangate’ or ‘Onlinegate’ is, you’re not a blockhead. Ever hear of the GML Divas? Do you see an owl and chuckle? How about Toni Spelelli or Watson? Don’t even get me started on TINK!
Do you see a picture of Joe in his Joker pants circa 1990 and think…omg, I have to post that in fashion disasters! (I would have picked the leather pants/net shirt combo, but to each their own…).
NKTV, “Let’s Get This” ,Jared, The Infamous DANNYTOWN, Twisted, “That’s how we roll”, Brownies, manscaping, “Leave Jon alone!”, right click SAVE!, mystery men, green lights, chocolate covered New Kids, "twat my ballz", palm fronds, bus stalking, MacJeans, smores, the trinity church, HALLA!, facetime… all blockhead related. We get it. And that’s all that matters. We change words like Starbucks to Stahbucks. Supersoakers into supahsoakers, tractors into Tractahs. We rename body parts like ‘donnie’s onion’, the ‘macbooty’, we say ‘oh my Jord’ and ‘Oh Snap!’ Don’t understand? It’s ok. It’s a blockhead thing.
We're all still wondering what's in Donnie's pocket. We'll never know if Joe really does go commando, Was Jon REALLY talking about a dog (*snicker*)? Will we EVER get to hear Danny's laugh in person? What's the REAL story behind Jordan's cupcake saga? Sugar addiction? We may never know. But we're OK with that! It's not about the why's and the what happened...it's about what's NEXT with these guys!
Above all that fun, there’s something more. There’s something better. There’s love. Love is the key to being a blockhead. You love your sistahs, you love the guys. And guess what? They love us back. And they make sure we know it! THAT’S where other groups, other celebs, fail. They just assume, they pass us by without even a glance. The guys…they look at us and wink. They smile, they do the LIP BITE and make us melt into a puddle of goo. And they do it knowing what effect it has. The power they hold in their hands! They say HI, they wave, they sign autographs and pose for pics. They blog, they take videos, they tweet, they shout out to us making us feel special. It never ends with them. Always something new, always above and beyond. THAT’S why we do it. THAT’S why we show up. THAT is what keeps us coming back for more!
So you think you know what a blockhead is? I doubt it. But it’s ok. You don’t NEED to understand. It’s our thing. It’s special to us. It’s sacred. We know we’re in our 30’s. We know we’re acting giddy and childish. It’s all in fun! It’s not real. It’s all in fun. It’s our escape. It’s OUR thing.
Watching twisted over and over, tweeting Joe 3000 times to get him to number one, writing radio stations angry letters because they wont play our guys, flaming a certain a-hole who talks smack on Jon, staying up until midnight to see what our next mission is, waiting for 6 days out in front of the Today Show studio IN THE RAIN so we can be sure to get the best seats… we do what we have to do… THEY do, we should too! It’s the LEAST we could do.
This has been an amazing year. Dreams were fulfilled; there were hugs and tears, smiles and laughter, music and love. It doesn’t get better than that folks. It just doesn’t. We’re a family, and if you missed out on it because of some image you have from 20 years ago…then I feel sorry for you. Make the jump, just do it. Let yourself go. You wont regret it! And hopefully this isn’t the end. If it is, then we’ve had an amazing year regardless. If it’s not, then it can only get better!!
Embrace that which is NKOTB.
Let’s get this!
~~Cheri~~
twitter.com/_writersblock_
retweet this ;)
PS guys, if any of you are reading this, this isnt even HALF of what we feel for you guys. The gratitude we feel for everything you have given us and given UP for us is endless. For real. This is us. This is OUR thing...together. 5 brothers and a million sistahs. Everyone else doesnt matter.
Read the responses if you have time. it only adds to what I have said.
*kisses on the cheek*
**EDIT**
I know that some of you are younger and older...it was a general number LOL MOST of us are in our 30's. Also, WOOT to the BROTHERS out there that were not mentioned!
Just because you may not know some of the terms it wasnt meant to imply you're not a true blockhead, it was more geared towards the haters who just plain dont get it.
And the 'its not real' comment was meant to mean that us acting like 13 years olds all giddy and joking around isnt real. Blockheads...we're for real. The love we share...THAT'S real. But joking around and pretending to be giddy school girls...it's just fun. That's not who I really am in real life. Well... most of the time LOL
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Understanding the NKOTB Journey
Understanding the New Kids on the Block Journey
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 12:45pm
This is a blog from @luckee13 on Twitter.
http://beautifulpurpose.blogspot.com/2009/06/understanding-nkotb-journey.html
Understanding the NKOTB Journey
Let go of any preconceived notions because I am about to take you on a journey like no other. This is not some silly schoolgirl boy band loving mindless drone. If that is what you believe, you have to go deeper, look beyond the surface. The real purpose of our existence cannot be seen with the naked eye. You must feel it, but in order to do that, you must open your heart and your mind. This is our journey.
For the majority of us, it started in 1988. The stories range from a 4-year old listening to her mothers tapes to a teenager hearing "Please Don't Go, Girl" on the radio. The stories may vary but the feeling is the same. A deep love and devotion to 5 bad brothers from the Beantown land also known as New Kids on the Block.
Many outside the circle when they think NKOTB they remember their sister, friend, cousin, schoolmates screaming at the very mention of Donnie, Danny, Jordan, Jon, or Joe. Perhaps they remember groups of girls, each calling dibs on one of the guys, no two friends can have the same guy. If they did, one always won out and the other was silenced and had to love her man in secret and claim to not have a favorite ("I love them all the same" she may say.) Today, those who favor the same guy come together as friends. Those outside the circle may laugh at the idea of NKOTB, remembering all the old rumors and jokes. Some reveal themselves to have been closet fans all along. But what they won't remember is the joy they brought all us fans. They won't remember because they didn't experience it the way we did.
Today, that joy has returned. I hear from people that they just don't like that kind of music and I can respect that but it goes beyond the music. It goes beyond the screaming schoolgirls, the favorite guy, the paraphernalia. It's about the journey that started in 1988 and reconvened in 2008 but will continue for a lifetime. To be fair, many of us didn't even know we were entering into a journey when we became NKOTB fans. This did not become apparent until we matured and had the wisdom to understand.
For many of us, the feelings were always there, they never left. Some of us tried to resist it and lost as we opened ourselves up to the possibilities. It may almost sound like I am talking about a cult, but I assure you I am in my right mind as are the majority of my sisters (please ignore the anomalies, every group has them). It's hard to explain a feeling; you just have to experience it.
When they sing, we let ourselves go. There is a freedom and joy. It's not all about the music but the music is important because that’s when we allow our souls to soar. We connect through the music; connecting with our brothers and sisters.
So who are these fans anyway? We span the spectrum. One thing I know is they are a lot of amazing people. We keep in touch via social media channels. Many of us met on the NKOTB forum and continued our relationship via other means, most notably Twitter. Some I met on Twitter and still others at concerts and events.
One of my twitter friends, Erin (@ErinAKAPink) had this to say regarding how you can tell a lot about a fan by her favorite member.
** Donnie girls--- we are the loud ones, the tough ones, the outgoing ones, the funny ones... We tell it like it is and expect the same in return...
Jordan girls--- ya'll are the dreamers, the soulful ones, the sly ones...
Jon girls... ya'll are the quiet ones that sneak up on us and come out of your shells after you have evaluated the situation...
Joe girls... ya'll are the funny ones... want to be center stage-- loyal beyond any imagination-- once a Joe girl, you never waffle... LOL
Danny girls-- ya'll are the sexy ones... out for a good time... consequences be damned, ya'll gonna get it!!
We all pretty much agree she is spot on. We differ in personalities as well as in lifestyles and careers, but one thing we all have in common is our love and devotion. Wait, I said that already. Well, it's worth repeating, our love and devotion.
We are the hardcore fans. We are the ones who buy up all the concert tickets, VIP packages, and special events that our budget will allow. We crash servers with our demand. We follow our guys on Twitter through their many adventures. We travel the country, the world to see them perform. We are everywhere and you just don't know it yet. (Many more to be revealed as we uncover them and give them an orientation.) We stalk buses; we find them in Waffle houses, gyms, hotels, casinos all with the guys’ encouragement. We follow Twitter instructions before we know why; we just do because we trust. We are the hard to the core fans and we cannot be brought down. Not by a monsoon, snow storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, bad traffic, delayed flights. We will always prevail. You mess with one of us, you mess with us all. The NK Army is too strong. Believe many things but don't ever underestimate our power.
They are the hardcore performers as they party with us after a concert, impromptu performances whether on Lido deck on a cruise or atop a counter at a Waffle House. They give us so much free facetime, pay out their own pockets for fans to travel to see them perform. They talk to us on twitter, sending us personal messages or take a phone from a fan to speak to another fan that could not be present. They see their fans standing outside rehearsals and invite them to watch. They stop to chat on their personal time, taking pictures and giving hugs. Their energy never wavers as when it comes time to perform on stage they give it their all rivaling those half their age.
Still some say they don't understand us. Stop trying to figure it out with your mind and feel it with your heart. Feel our joy, see the smile on our face and you will see this is for real. For many of us, it has been a life changing and/or saving time facilitating major transitions in our lives. This reunion has made us better and the people in our lives as well as society will benefit. We are in a recession yet few of us are suffering. Some were sad, and now are inspiring others to celebrate life. Some were in unhealthy situations, and found the strength to get out. Some were in a slump, and found new energy to overcome obstacles. (Never mind some had savings and now have none. shhhhh! We're helping the recession.)
We learned to live life and our 5 fine guys reminded us of that fact. If it's not Donnie with his words of wisdom, its Danny with his inspiration to live healthy, or Jordan's games to keep us feeling light spirited, Jon's real talk to make us think or debate him, and of course, Joe's witty commentary. They all show us their love and appreciation by interacting with us, celebrating with us and acknowledging us. None of this would be possible without us, they say, but they brought us together. They don't even realize how much of an impact they have had. I'm not sure I can even fit it into a blog post; I may have to let my sisters talk for themselves. This is much larger than anyone would have imagined.
For those who want to understand, understand this: You must first be open to the changes that will occur. You must be ready to acknowledge not everything must make logical sense. You cannot put it under a microscope and analyze it. You just have to let your guard down and trust. Let yourself go. You have 5 brothers and a million sisters waiting to catch you.
For everyone else, positivity is not about being soft, it’s about being smart. You sucka!
Peace.
We out.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 12:45pm
This is a blog from @luckee13 on Twitter.
http://beautifulpurpose.blogspot.com/2009/06/understanding-nkotb-journey.html
Understanding the NKOTB Journey
Let go of any preconceived notions because I am about to take you on a journey like no other. This is not some silly schoolgirl boy band loving mindless drone. If that is what you believe, you have to go deeper, look beyond the surface. The real purpose of our existence cannot be seen with the naked eye. You must feel it, but in order to do that, you must open your heart and your mind. This is our journey.
For the majority of us, it started in 1988. The stories range from a 4-year old listening to her mothers tapes to a teenager hearing "Please Don't Go, Girl" on the radio. The stories may vary but the feeling is the same. A deep love and devotion to 5 bad brothers from the Beantown land also known as New Kids on the Block.
Many outside the circle when they think NKOTB they remember their sister, friend, cousin, schoolmates screaming at the very mention of Donnie, Danny, Jordan, Jon, or Joe. Perhaps they remember groups of girls, each calling dibs on one of the guys, no two friends can have the same guy. If they did, one always won out and the other was silenced and had to love her man in secret and claim to not have a favorite ("I love them all the same" she may say.) Today, those who favor the same guy come together as friends. Those outside the circle may laugh at the idea of NKOTB, remembering all the old rumors and jokes. Some reveal themselves to have been closet fans all along. But what they won't remember is the joy they brought all us fans. They won't remember because they didn't experience it the way we did.
Today, that joy has returned. I hear from people that they just don't like that kind of music and I can respect that but it goes beyond the music. It goes beyond the screaming schoolgirls, the favorite guy, the paraphernalia. It's about the journey that started in 1988 and reconvened in 2008 but will continue for a lifetime. To be fair, many of us didn't even know we were entering into a journey when we became NKOTB fans. This did not become apparent until we matured and had the wisdom to understand.
For many of us, the feelings were always there, they never left. Some of us tried to resist it and lost as we opened ourselves up to the possibilities. It may almost sound like I am talking about a cult, but I assure you I am in my right mind as are the majority of my sisters (please ignore the anomalies, every group has them). It's hard to explain a feeling; you just have to experience it.
When they sing, we let ourselves go. There is a freedom and joy. It's not all about the music but the music is important because that’s when we allow our souls to soar. We connect through the music; connecting with our brothers and sisters.
So who are these fans anyway? We span the spectrum. One thing I know is they are a lot of amazing people. We keep in touch via social media channels. Many of us met on the NKOTB forum and continued our relationship via other means, most notably Twitter. Some I met on Twitter and still others at concerts and events.
One of my twitter friends, Erin (@ErinAKAPink) had this to say regarding how you can tell a lot about a fan by her favorite member.
** Donnie girls--- we are the loud ones, the tough ones, the outgoing ones, the funny ones... We tell it like it is and expect the same in return...
Jordan girls--- ya'll are the dreamers, the soulful ones, the sly ones...
Jon girls... ya'll are the quiet ones that sneak up on us and come out of your shells after you have evaluated the situation...
Joe girls... ya'll are the funny ones... want to be center stage-- loyal beyond any imagination-- once a Joe girl, you never waffle... LOL
Danny girls-- ya'll are the sexy ones... out for a good time... consequences be damned, ya'll gonna get it!!
We all pretty much agree she is spot on. We differ in personalities as well as in lifestyles and careers, but one thing we all have in common is our love and devotion. Wait, I said that already. Well, it's worth repeating, our love and devotion.
We are the hardcore fans. We are the ones who buy up all the concert tickets, VIP packages, and special events that our budget will allow. We crash servers with our demand. We follow our guys on Twitter through their many adventures. We travel the country, the world to see them perform. We are everywhere and you just don't know it yet. (Many more to be revealed as we uncover them and give them an orientation.) We stalk buses; we find them in Waffle houses, gyms, hotels, casinos all with the guys’ encouragement. We follow Twitter instructions before we know why; we just do because we trust. We are the hard to the core fans and we cannot be brought down. Not by a monsoon, snow storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, bad traffic, delayed flights. We will always prevail. You mess with one of us, you mess with us all. The NK Army is too strong. Believe many things but don't ever underestimate our power.
They are the hardcore performers as they party with us after a concert, impromptu performances whether on Lido deck on a cruise or atop a counter at a Waffle House. They give us so much free facetime, pay out their own pockets for fans to travel to see them perform. They talk to us on twitter, sending us personal messages or take a phone from a fan to speak to another fan that could not be present. They see their fans standing outside rehearsals and invite them to watch. They stop to chat on their personal time, taking pictures and giving hugs. Their energy never wavers as when it comes time to perform on stage they give it their all rivaling those half their age.
Still some say they don't understand us. Stop trying to figure it out with your mind and feel it with your heart. Feel our joy, see the smile on our face and you will see this is for real. For many of us, it has been a life changing and/or saving time facilitating major transitions in our lives. This reunion has made us better and the people in our lives as well as society will benefit. We are in a recession yet few of us are suffering. Some were sad, and now are inspiring others to celebrate life. Some were in unhealthy situations, and found the strength to get out. Some were in a slump, and found new energy to overcome obstacles. (Never mind some had savings and now have none. shhhhh! We're helping the recession.)
We learned to live life and our 5 fine guys reminded us of that fact. If it's not Donnie with his words of wisdom, its Danny with his inspiration to live healthy, or Jordan's games to keep us feeling light spirited, Jon's real talk to make us think or debate him, and of course, Joe's witty commentary. They all show us their love and appreciation by interacting with us, celebrating with us and acknowledging us. None of this would be possible without us, they say, but they brought us together. They don't even realize how much of an impact they have had. I'm not sure I can even fit it into a blog post; I may have to let my sisters talk for themselves. This is much larger than anyone would have imagined.
For those who want to understand, understand this: You must first be open to the changes that will occur. You must be ready to acknowledge not everything must make logical sense. You cannot put it under a microscope and analyze it. You just have to let your guard down and trust. Let yourself go. You have 5 brothers and a million sisters waiting to catch you.
For everyone else, positivity is not about being soft, it’s about being smart. You sucka!
Peace.
We out.
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