Big Fat Liar...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh here it is... we finally got confirmation that Trish and I have 5* tickets waiting for us in Milwaukee!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEck!


Dear New Kids On The Block 5 Star fan,

Bradley Center, MILWAUKEE, October 22nd, 2008

5 Star Package

Here is the itinerary for the attendee (and their party, if
applicable). This information is REALLY IMPORTANT, so please read
everything VERY CAREFULLY! You are in charge here so please let
everyone in your party know this information as well:

As you requested parking, complimentary parking is in the parking
structure at 6th and State. Your name will be on an I Love All Access
list with the attendants. There is ONE parking space per order.

Please meet your I Love All Access hosts at Gate C- Southwest Entry,
located by the Courtside Club, at 4:45pmsharp! Please bring PHOTO ID
matching the ATTENDEE NAME on the order. Please bring the order
confirmation as well (confirmation page from iloveallaccess.com, or
the confirmation email sent to you, or both!), just in case it’s
needed.

You will be required to sign a waiver, which is available below for
your review. (No need to print and bring the waiver with you).
Please remind anyone in your party who will be drinking, to carry
proof of legal drinking age as required by local law. Hang at your
exclusive pre-show party! There is complimentary beer, wine, soft
drinks, and snacks! You’ll receive your exclusive New Kids On The
Block gift bag! Enjoy crowd-free merchandise shopping! Meet and greet
and photo op with New Kids On The Block!

Then out to your great seat(s) in the first 10 rows for the reunion
tour of the year!

Doors open to the public at 7:00pm. Tammy Chin and Natasha
Bedingfield open the show at 8:00pm. New Kids On The Block are on at
9:15pm!!*

Just a reminder… These packages are not transferable.

Please don’t bring cameras, recording devices, or any other prohibited
items. Your I Love All Access hosts will shoot the photo op and you
can view and download. They will be posted within two weeks following
your show, and will be accessible for 60 days at: www.iloveallaccess.com/nkotb5star.

Contacts in case of emergency:

Your hosts’ cells: 310 925 2138 and 310 925 2294

Customer service: 888 I LUV AXS (888 458 8297)
Mon-Fri 9:30am – 6:30pm Pacific Time
Customer service is always available on show days from 30 minutes
before 5 Star meeting time until 30 minutes after show starts.

info@iloveallaccess.com

If you are running late or have any other questions or concerns,
please call your host, or us.
Your I Love All Access Team.

*Pre-show activities and times subject to change without notice.

Copy of waiver:

YOU AND YOUR GUEST(S) WILL NOT RECEIVE YOUR TICKETS UNTIL THE WAIVER
IS SIGNED ON THE EVENING OF THE SHOW. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND TAKE
ANY STEPS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE TERMS OF THIS WAIVER PRIOR TO
THE EVENING OF THE SHOW. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RETURN THIS WAIVER. THIS
IS FOR YOUR RECORDS ONLY. To participate in the Five Star Package,
each participant must read and accept the terms of this waiver prior
to participating in a Five Star Package. This Waiver shall reflect
your rights and obligations relating to your participation in the Five
Star Package. Please read and take any necessary steps to understand
this waiver prior to signing your acceptance of these terms at the
venue. As a purchaser of the Five Star Package, you will receive the
following:

- A concert ticket in a designated area of the venue - An exclusive
gift – A Five Star laminate - A pre-show party – A meet and greet and
photo op - A crowd-free merchandise shopping opportunity. I Love All
Access and/or New Kids On The Block does not guarantee any additional
products or services with your purchase of a Five Star Package, other
than these described above. Every effort has been made to provide you
with the exact package stated above. If circumstances beyond the
control of ILAA, Inc. prevent us from being able to provide the exact
package stated above, a substitute of equal value will be provided.
You agree to act in accordance with the rules articulated to you by I
Love All Access and New Kids On The Block prior to or during your
participation in any activity related to the Five Star Package. You
agree not to engage in any illegal or inappropriate activities,
including but not limited to the use of illegal drugs or contraband
(or alcohol if you are under the legal drinking age in the location of
this show), engaging in acts that are considered disturbing to the
operations of the Five Star Package, or the operations of New Kids On
The Block, ILAA, Inc., venues in which a Five Star Package activity is
taking place, New Kids On The Block or New Kids On The Block’s crew.
You agree not to wander off in any way, or seek out New Kids On The
Block, or their crew. ILAA, Inc. and New Kids On The Block reserve the
right to remove you from the Five Star Package at anytime for failure
to abide by the terms of this agreement or the rules set forth at any
time by New Kids On The Block. In the event you are removed from the
Five Star Package, ILAA, Inc. or New Kids On The Block shall not be
obligated to refund any amounts paid by you to participate in the Five
Star Package.

ILAA, Inc. cannot be responsible for the cancellation or postponement
of a show for reasons beyond our control. In the event that you are
participating in a Five Star Package and a show is cancelled, ILAA,
Inc. will provide you with a refund that represents the total amount
paid to ILAA, Inc. for the Five Star Package minus any non-refundable
costs incurred by ILAA, Inc. As a means of example, non-refundable
costs may include, but are not limited to, costs associated with
amounts paid to secure reservations that cannot be refunded, costs
associated with personnel, and costs of previously purchased
merchandise. In the event that a show is postponed, ILAA, Inc., in its
sole discretion, may either offer the Five Star Package during the
rescheduled tour date or provide a refund representing the total
amount of the Five Star Package minus any non-refundable costs, as
defined above, incurred by ILAA, Inc.

In consideration for participation in the New Kids On The Block Five
Star Package, you thereby agree to authorize I Love All Access to use
your name, voice, portrait and likeness, including, any statements,
interviews or performances of you in any video, recorded, filmed,
taped, and/or photographed material created by I Love All Access in
connection with I Love All Access photographing and producing video
material related to your Five Star Package during the New Kids On The
Block concert tour (the Work). I Love All Access owns the worldwide
copyrights in and to the Work and has the right to use the Work for
any purpose, including but not limited to any related advertisement,
promotion and publicity for I Love All Access and/or New Kids On The
Block, and to exhibit, produce, broadcast, distribute, and otherwise
exploit the Work in whole or in part, through any and all means and
all media, whether now known or hereafter developed, throughout the
world into perpetuity. I Love All Access shall have the right to edit,
modify, add to and/or delete any or all of the material contained in
the Work, including that material which contains your name, voice,
portrait and likeness, in whole or in part. Except as otherwise
expressly provided therein, you shall not receive any compensation
whatsoever in connection with your services and performances in
connection with or as part of the Work, the use and exploitation of
your Work or the exercise of the rights granted to you therein. In
consideration for participation in the New Kids On The Block Five Star
Package, you thereby release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless
ILAA, Inc., New Kids On The Block, NKOTB, Inc., and Frontline
Management Companies, Inc. and their respective parents, subsidiaries,
shareholders, employees, assigns and affiliates from any and all
claims, causes of action, liabilities, costs and expenses (including
reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of, or related to the breach
of your agreements, the Work, or resulting from your participation in
any New Kids On The Block sponsored event or activities associated
with the Five Star Package.

By signing below, I agree to the terms in this waiver. This indicates
that I have read this entire document, understand it completely and
agree to be bound by its terms. I also agree to sign my acceptance of
these terms prior to receiving my Five Star Package tickets the
evening of the show.

I agree to these terms:_____________________________________________

Printed name:____________________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________________________

Once a BLOCKHEAD always a BLOCKHEAD!!

Kim and I made the newspaper! LOL Gotta love it!!
Read The Post Crescent online and leave a comment on the story there.



Here is the full story:



Ed Berthiaume column: New Kids fans still chasing boys around the Block
There is one certainty when it comes to boy bands in the pop music world. They grow up.

Less certain is whether any of their once-swooning fans will continue to care as they, too, navigate the roller coaster known as adulthood.

We pondered that very question in this space a few weeks ago as the reunited New Kids on the Block released their first album in nearly two decades and set out on an arena tour that makes its way to Milwaukee's Bradley Center Wednesday. We asked readers who fell for the boys 20 years ago to tell us, do you still care?

Today we share the responses from three readers — then teens, now adults — whose answers are yes, yes and well, duh, of course.

Today's New Kids fans are in their early 30s, still refer to themselves as Blockheads and have learned to ignore the frequent pop culture ridicule that traditionally lands at the doorstep of boy bands that once dominated the pages of Tiger Beat magazine.

Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre and Donnie Wahlberg may not get the respect of pop culture critics — it should be noted, however, that the new album, "The Block," has been getting some surprisingly stellar reviews — but their fans still have their back.

Snicker if you will, but 32-year-old Angie Stevens of Waupaca says NKOTB was among her best memories from her early teen years.

"When I was 14 years old, the New Kids on the Block were my substitute boyfriends," she said. "I was the classic awkward teenager — braces, acne, glasses and a perm gone wrong. Worshipping the New Kids was my great escape from teenage angst."

Teri Peterson, also 32 and from Waupaca, said she already bought two versions of the new CD, downloaded all of the music from iTunes, bought five VIP tickets to the Milwaukee show and waited in line for 16 hours when the New Kids appeared recently at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

"We New Kids fans have taken a lot of criticism over the years — and, sadly, it continues still — for standing by our group," Peterson said. "When the group announced the reunion tour they made it clear that this reunion is for us, to show that we weren't crazy all those years ago."

Trisha Montalbano of Greenville is 30, married and the mother of four. But the mere mention of Donnie Wahlberg and company melts her as if she were 13 years old and jammin' to that "Hangin' Tough" album all over again.

She and best friend Kim Thompson road tripped to Minneapolis for the Mall of America appearance and spent much of the night eluding security in a successful attempt to be first in line. That got them a coveted spot in the meet-and-greet, and for Montalbano a hug from Wahlberg that she's been waiting for since her teen years.

"I was a mess of emotions the whole day — two days actually — just knowing I was going to be able to meet Donnie," she said. "Then I was forward enough to ask for a hug, and he stood up and welcomed me. Then I couldn't let go. My brain said 'let go' but my body said 'hold on, you have waited 15 years for this hug.' I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that the sight of them would completely make me lose myself."

The security guard, Montalbano notes, was very polite when he peeled her off of Wahlberg.

"You know, when people ask, 'What famous person would you like to meet someday?' Donnie was always it."

There's still a little teenager left in all of us, and those Blockheads are proud of it.

Ed Berthiaume: 920-993-1000, ext. 213, or eberthiaume@postcrescent.com

Super Stars!

Picture courtesy of twincities.com

Yep... we made it... the FRONT PAGE! Here's the article from the Pioneer Press. Trisha was even quoted!

The New Kids on the Block are back, but a group of smitten admirers never left them. Together, they're 15 again
There's clearly some happy news being shared in this corner of a suburban sports bar. Ten women shout and squeal with the intimate excitement of lifelong friends who've gathered to celebrate an engagement or pregnancy.

As it turns out, they're not eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new kid. They're waiting for five of them — the recently reunited boy band New Kids on the Block, who make their first Twin Cities appearance Friday at the Mall of America.

"This is like a New Kids on the Block Anonymous meeting," said Peggy Huot, a 32-year-old social worker from Woodbury. "We can all laugh and tell our stories, and people actually get it."

For several months, this group has gathered regularly to discuss and dissect a musical act that reached its peak during the first Bush presidency. And the kicker is that, back when there still was snow on the ground, these ladies were complete strangers. They met online, through an NKOTB message board.

Like Huot, most of the women are in their early 30s, the key age for the NKOTB demographic who spent their early teens memorizing the dance steps and lyrics to hits like "Hangin' Tough" and "Step by Step." Some in the group are single, some are married, some have kids. Some work in the corporate sector, some work from home. None would have met if not for the New Kids.

"That was part of what made it so special before, sharing it with your friends," said Tiffany Brand, of Golden Valley. "You really have to get
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together with people who enjoy it fully. Other people don't understand."

Huot added, with a laugh, "My other friends all think I'm nuts, but now I have these guys, so I don't care anymore."

During these meetings, these women — they call themselves the TC Blockheads — show off all their old NKOTB memorabilia, from carefully compiled, decades-old scrapbooks to posters and board games and buttons. They decipher every new rumor or sample of a new song that hits the Internet. They playfully argue over their favorite New Kid. (Joey McIntyre, the youngest New Kid, claims the most fans, and, yes, they still call themselves "Joey's Girls.")

Elizabeth Anselmo makes a three-hour round trip from New Ulm, Minn., to meet with the Blockheads. She's got the full support of her husband, who, like most of the significant others attached to these women, has absolutely no desire to see the New Kids himself.

"I have two small kids at home, and I work from home, so I have zero social interaction with people outside of my immediate family," Anselmo said. "For me, it's not only the chance to gush about how much I love Joey. It's also just being around other people and being social. I was fortunate enough to marry a Joe, but he's my at-home Joey. Now I get to have time talking about my New-Kids-on-the-Block Joey."

But Anselmo doesn't have the steepest fuel bill of this group. That honor goes to Trish Montalbano, who drove from Greenville, Wis., for her first Blockheads meeting. "It's worth traveling five hours to get somewhere where people get me," she said.

Katie Incantalupo, of St. Paul, has kept all of her NKOTB treasures safe in plastic tubs. "I get a kick out of reorganizing them," she said, "making sure nothing is wrinkled and looking through it all when my husband's not home. I live such a professional, corporate life during the week. This is definitely a release where I can just be silly and reminisce and be myself. Not that I'm not myself at work, but this is a different part of me."

Huot said that, for her, it's about being 15 all over again: "It's OK to be totally crazy and just hang out. I never had this before, not like this. When I was still in school, I was the only person who liked the New Kids."

Reliving their childhood is a common theme among the Blockheads, but with one important distinction. This time around, thanks to pricey VIP ticket packages, they actually have the opportunity to meet their heroes up close and personal. Plus, now that they're adults, they can afford to blow a little more dough on the experience. Most of the women are seeing multiple shows and plan to travel together to Milwaukee to see the New Kids the night after they play St. Paul.

But for all this blossoming sisterhood, the Blockheads don't want too many people to know about those VIP tickets or, for that matter, the group's Friday gig at the Mall of America. After all, the more NKOTB fans who come out of the woodwork, the less face time everyone gets with their heroes.

"New Kids fans are really sneaky," explained Incantalupo. "Like for this mall show, I don't think they're all fessing up to the fact they're coming. I think we're going to get a ton of people who come in from out of town to see them, but they haven't admitted it yet."

There's also the fact that few of the Blockheads expect this reunion to be permanent.

"I don't think they're going to be like Cher, where she keeps doing it and doing it," Huot said. "That's why I'm going to so many shows, living it up and enjoying the hell out of it. This is probably it. They're a boy band, they're not the Rolling Stones."

Even after the New Kids call it a day for the second time, the Blockheads said, their newfound friendship will remain. In addition to the group meetings, they've already started to splinter into smaller groups who catch the occasional lunch or happy hour together. And they're even starting to discuss matters that — gasp — don't directly involve Donnie, Danny, Joey, Jordan and Jonathan.

"A friend of mine asked whether or not we'll still see each other after the concerts are over," Brand said. "I know we will. For sure."

Pop Music Critic Ross Raihala can be reached at rraihala@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5553. Read more about the local music scene on his blog, "The Ross Who Knew Too Much," at blogs.twincities.com/ross.

IF YOU GO

Who: The New Kids on the Block

When: 5:30 p.m. Friday (performance and autograph signing)

Where: Mall of America, Bloomington

Also: The group will play the Xcel Energy Center Oct. 21. Seats are $77.50, $57.50 and $37.50 through Ticketmaster

Scanner pics of the article:

Milwaukee - October 22, 2008

So Oct 21st is the Minneapolis concert... the very next day is the Milwaukee concert. Of course, I'd love to jump on NKOTB's bus and travel to the show with them, but I didn't see that option on Ticketmaster! Instead... I and two girls that I met at the 1st Blockheads Anonymous meeting are getting onto the MegaBus to head to Milwaukee. They, Lisa and Peggy, will be just coming off their high of 5* in Minneapolis and will have general admission tickets in Milwaukee. I on the other hand with have 5* in Milwaukee... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

We leave for Milwaukee early on October 22 - 7am! We will arrive in Milwaukee around 1PM. Trisha's hopefully going to meet us at the bus station to scoop us up. Peggy has already booked our hotel there - I'm waiting on information from her about where we are actually staying!

Trisha and I will be doing all the 5* stuff...

• A ticket in the first 10 rows!*
• 5 Star souvenir laminate
• Meet and greet - photo op!
• Pre-show party!
• Exclusive New Kids on the Block gift bag!
• Parking**
• Crowd-free merchandise shopping!
• Discount coupon to the New Kids on the Block online store

Whew! We'll stay the night at the hotel and be on our way by 9am back to Minneapolis!

Now I truly don't know how MegaBus is making any money on these trips... I have round trip travel arrangements for a whopping $2.50! You can't even buy a gallon of milk for that price!

Change of Plans

So there's been a change of plans. My husband decided that I'm such a blockhead that he'd buy me my birthday present this weekend! He got me 5* tickets to the Milwaukee show! Trisha and I will be in attendance... meeting the guys in Milwaukee!

The two of us were suppose to be in the nosebleeds in Chicago together but it ends up that Trish can't do both.... and well... I've got people who are begging to go with me! So... I'll be at Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

We're going...

Well this morning was crazy. At 9:00 am I called Trisha finding out that she was out at some garage sales... I told her that we were an hour and counting for the tickets to go on sale for the Chicago show for those of us who don't have an American Express card. I was logged into NKOTB.com on the message boards, had Ticketmaster Loaded in two windows and was ready to purchase tickets for myself, Trisha, and Lisa.

At 9:30 I called Lisa and told her that it was a half hour and counting. She was at work... I had the same windows opened but also had the nkotb songs playing thru my laptop... Ughhh my stomach was in knots.

9:59... short of breath and hitting f5 way to many times for the page to refresh... 10:00 I'm in... checking... searching for tickets. Why on earth does Ticketmaster have a word verification on each and every freaking page and have it where it's totally not readable! Jerks.

10:05 I call Lisa in a panic. I can't get tickets... they're saying to try back later and I'm freaking out. I wanted to cry right there on the spot... who knew what the next leg of the tour would be... would they come to MN? Shit! Lisa found some... but they weren't good seats... try again.

At some point in the conversation Lisa told me to just look for two tickets... which... I did. And kept trying... I couldn't even get two tickets. For crying out loud. I got off the phone with Lisa and was on the search for tickets.

I called Trisha. I told her I didn't think it was going to happened... then I tried again... two tickets... BEHIND THE STAGE. I asked Trish if she wanted them... she hesitated... I did too. I won't put 100% of the blame on her... just 50% :) We decided at least we would be there. I hit submit and the stupid thing time out. We were pissed. Then I decided I was going to make this happened... I got off the phone and got to business. And. Then. It. Happened.

TWO TICKETS AGAIN... Behind the stage. I clicked submit and they were ours. WHEW. At lease we can say we were there. At least we will hear them. At least we will see some hiney action... hopefully.

Sorry Lisa but thank you for letting us get there!

October count down here we go!!!!