in the maze of her imagination;

Excuse this post, because I’m about to become a huge fangirl.

I’m seeing the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block tomorrow (well technically today.)

As much as I love my classic rock and my 60s music and all that good quality stuff, I’m such a sucker for my 90s boybands.

Nobody seems to quite understand how excited I am for this.

No, it’s not just for kicks, it’s not because I scored a free ticket, it’s not because I kind of liked them when I was little I guess, so I might as well go.

That’s not it at all.

I love music so much. I listen to it every day, I play guitar and flute and try to sing a bit, I love music history, I read books about it, I watch music documentaries. For me, the first music that I was introduced to and really truly loved was the Backstreet Boys when I was four. There’s this quote by Taylor Hanson that says “the first music you fall in love with is more than just music. It’s a message or image that causes you to jump in and not let go.” For me, that’s the Backstreet Boys. That was what introduced me to music and made me fall in love, and my love for their music is something I’ve never let go of. I’ve never stopped listening to their music, even when it was no longer cool, I never cared. I used to sit in my room and listen to their CDs over and over. I had the action figures from Burger King (and still have them!) I still have my BSB t-shirt and books and DVDs and of course, Nick Carter was my first crush.

I’ve grown up with their music. Each album holds such distinct memories. The bus at camp, hanging out in my room with my cousins, playdates with my friend James, singing their songs with this boy in kindergarten, downloading their music videos from Napster…and even now, listening to their music to help me through breakups or on roadtrips, truly understanding the lyrics behind the songs that have become so second nature to me. As I’ve grown up, their music has affected me in different ways, but they’ve been a consistent fixture in my life, and I really, truly love these guys for everything they’ve given me over the years.

And that’s why now, fourteen years later, seeing them live for the first time is such a huge deal to me.

I can’t even wrap my head around the fact that I’m seeing them live, IN PERSON, in the flesh. They’re no longer just those figures that I’ve seen in the magazines and on TV, I’m going to see them, be in the same room as them.

Honestly, I know it’s lame, but the past two days when I’ve sat around and thought of the fact that I’m going to be seeing them live, my eyes have teared up. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen other of my favorite artists live before. John Mayer is my idol, I absolutely love him, but I’ve seen him three times now, and I never feel this way. You know why? Because he’s always been accessible to me. When I started liking him, he was around on tour, so I’ve always been able to see him. Seeing the Backstreet Boys, though? Well, this I’ve been waiting for for almost my entire life.

I just can’t believe that I’m going to see them live tomorrow. My childhood, my adolescence, everything, it’s just all going to come together tomorrow. Tomorrow, they’re going to be a REAL thing. Real people in front of my very own eyes.

I am so, so, so beyond excited.

This has been a fangirl post. Whatevz~