Hanging Tough in San Antonio

[m 'n c]

Can you guess what this trip report will be about ;) I wanted to do a mini-trip report since people are always asking about San Antonio as a vacation destination. Hopefully this will help.

Vacationers:
Cate a 27 year old who never outgrew her love for NKOTB and is always looking for a way to go on vacation
Mikki 27 year old sorority sister of Cate. We met on move in day my junior year as we were going to share a 4 bedroom "dorm" room. She is also an avid NKOTB lover.
Dates: Oct 17th & 18th 2008

This trip started back in June when NKOTB announced their reunion tour. I really really wanted to go and just happened to mention it to Mikki because she is a boyband fan. We bonded in our dorm room over NSYNC so I knew there was a chance she'd agree. Plus she loves concerts. So Mike was praying he would get spared and I was just praying someone would go with me. :D

As things would work out, Mikki was super excited and wanted to go so it was all set. We picked the San Antonio concert because it would be on a Friday night and we could both take the day off of work and make it a long weekend. Mikki had never been to San Antonio so we thought it would be great too.

And the planning begins.

[m 'n c]

You may or may not remember all of the hoopla from June when we started a few threads about NKOTB, tickets, and appearances on various morning shows. So I'll give a brief overview of how tickets went.

I was super excited and couldn't sleep for fear I'd oversleep the 10am Ticketmaster opening for business. So I was up by 7:30 am and logged into Ticketmaster. And I sat and refreshed for hours until 10 am hit and off I went to get tickets for the show. We ended up with Section 6 Row 6 Seats 7 & 8 which was the middle of the row. I was a tad disappointed in our tickets because I was on and ordering at 10am. I thought for sure we'd get floor but we got the level right off the floor and on the left side of the stage. Oh well. We were going even if it was going to cost a small fortune.

I made mention to my parents of the reunion and that Mikki and I would be attending the concert and when my family came to visit me in July, they brought me one of my old NKOTB shirts! I laughed a little and then started contemplating whether I would wear it or not to the concert. I wasn't sure how people would respond to that so I just kept it at the apartment and left it at that.

[m 'n c]

So after months of waiting our trip was finally here. About a week before the planned trip Mikki emailed to ask if I had thought about a hotel room. Umm not really but I can deal with that. We decided to use Priceline as Mikki had heard a few good things about it and one of my coworkers had used it and got a bargain of a room in Austin. Plus, after researching hotels in downtown SA I knew we would have to try it or risk staying in a crappy hotel because the prices were really really high.

So I pressed my luck and got the 4 star rated Westin on the Riverwalk for $140 a night (instead of the $300+ price tag they were asking)! Thanks Priceline and thanks to SR for the credits I received from Priceline.

Mikki arrived Thursday night which was the day of the concert and we took her to get "authentic" Mexican food at...

Taco Cabana. She arrived too late for us to do anything else and she has never eaten at a Taco C so she was super excited. It's funny how you hear about things that you don't have and get excited to try them. When Mike and I were at Disney we talked to a CM in line who heard we were from Houston and wanted to go visit her friend there so she could try Jack in the Box of all things :eek:

So at 11pm we were eating Taco C and very happy. We went to bed soon after so that we could wake up bright and early to get on the road.

[Hedy]

That's so cute your family brought you the t-shirt.

[m 'n c]

So I awoke the day of the concert bright and early thanks to Mike. Mike had to drive to Beaumont which is an hour and a half away and thus had to leave the apartment by 7am. So Cate was up at 7am and couldn't get back to bed. So I used this time to pack my overnight bag and get ready while Mikki slept peacefully in the living room.

I picked out an outfit to wear on the drive over, an outfit for the concert, and then one for the next day on the drive back. I wasn't too sure if I wanted the NKOTB shirt my parents brought but something in the back of my mind was saying bring it so at the last minute I threw it in.

I did a few more things around the apartment while Mikki got ready and off we went to Target to pick up some Starbucks for the road and a copy of The Block cd which neither one of us had and away we went!

I don't remember the drive being this long when I ride with Mike but boy was it a long drive. By the time we got there I was starving and ready to eat but we had to find the hotel first. And that took 30 minutes because we kept passing it up. The entrance was literally a hole in the wall and I kept blocking too early. 30 minutes later we figure out the issue and get checked in.

Boy was our hotel awesome. It was right on the River and we had a Riverview. It is the Westin Riverwalk Hotel if you ever need to stay downtown. I would recommend Priceline :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1422-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1425.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1421-1.jpg

Enough of the room! It is time to explore San Antonio. We were approximately "3 blocks" from the Alamo and Mikki wanted to see it. I have only seen it once before and that was 3 years ago when Mike and I evacuated for Hurricane Rita. It was a blazing 106 degrees so we didn't stay very long and we have yet to go back. Mikki had heard it was the most anti-climatic tourist attraction out there but something she needed to see at least once.

So off we went walking and I was starving. So what does Mikki think of the Alamo? Do I ever get to eat? Will we make it to the concert on time? Will we even find it? and most importantly, Does the shirt still fit after 17 years?

[Blessing and Miracle]

Sounds great! When did you guys go? We took the kids we we got back from Las Vegas. I believe it was July 25-29.

I agree, the hotels are extremely high!!!

Can't wait to hear more!:)

Love the new picture!

[m 'n c]

Sounds great! When did you guys go? We took the kids we we got back from Las Vegas. I believe it was July 25-29.

I agree, the hotels are extremely high!!!

Can't wait to hear more!:)

Love the new picture!

Oops should add that to the first post. We went this weekend the 17th and 18th. Just stayed one night before coming back to Houston.

[wilsonfamily4]

boy I thought Joey was so cute back then. :) So how is he today?!

[m 'n c]

It was a lovely spring day in San Antonio that day. A nice little breeze mixed in with a cool 85 degrees. Our walk wasn't too bad but I would beg to differ with the people on Trip Advisor that said our hotel was just 3 blocks to the Alamo. As we got closer I kept asking Mikki if she saw the Alamo yet. She was looking all around but hadn't spotted it yet.

We finally arrive to the spot that I know that "represents" the Alamo and it is confirmed that it is a tad anti-climatic once you see the Alamo. We had a good time walking around and reading some of the signs so that I could learn some Texas history while we were there. I have on my to-do list to purchase a 7th or 8th grade Texas history textbook but I have yet to do so.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1428.jpg

We made it to the gift shop and I found an iron cake pan in the shape of the State of Texas!! So I bought it and I am saving it till the day of the wedding to give to Mike. I think I'm going to make brownies in it for him and the groomsmen and then that takes care of the grooms cake issue. Since I can make the cake in the shape of TX anytime we want, I'm voting for the other cake that I could never make. :D

So after we finished shopping we decided to head back towards the food area. Mikki had coordinated with another sorority sister of ours who recently moved there to meet up with us after she got off of work. I didn't know so I was freaking out slightly because it was 3 pm and I was starving. Luckily Rachelle was off of work and knew of a place to take us.

We kept passing this landmark on the way to the Alamo and back. Had we known that the restaurant was nearby we would have eaten a little sooner.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1430-1.jpg

This is a sculpture that is representative of a torch and is an interpretation of how one artist views the friendship between San Antonio and Mexico or something like that. Anyway I am use to funky sculptures like this in the middle of downtown (we have some ugly ones here in Houston) but Mikki wasn't so a picture was taken.

We ended up at Casa Rio which is the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant on the river and the first restaurant to have river dining. The food was very good and we ended up with a water front table which meant we could feed the ducks with the random corn tortillas brought to your table and chips you didn't want to eat. Salsa was homemade, queso was very smooth, soft tacos were seasoned quite well, and the ritas were great. We all opted for the peach ritas which were just great.

Mikki and I with our peach ritas. I also had a raspberry rita. It was ok but tasted more like a mixed drink than a rita if that makes sense.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1432.jpg

Rachelle making use of the tortillas
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1435.jpg

I mention the food because the restaurant across the way - Casa Ole (same name as the chain but not the same people) - is not very good. Everything tastes like it came out of a can or a bag. Nothing is fresh or homemade over there except for the fruit ritas which have pureed fruit in them instead of syrup.

So after a few hours of visiting Rachelle ran home and Mikki and I ran to the Westin to get ready for the big night.

[m 'n c]

We got back to the room and the moment of truth had arrived. Do I wear what I had packed for the concert or do I go vintage with the NKOTB tshirt my dad found for me. Would it even fit? I mean I was 10 at the time and 17 years have since passed.

Well Mikki talks me into wearing it. She thought it was the coolest thing and deserved to be worn so I gave in to peer pressure and tried the thing on.

And it Fit!!!

front:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1439.jpg

back:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1440.jpg

Mikki didn't have a shirt so she just posed with the tickets and parking pass lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1443.jpg

We finished freshening up and hit the hotel lobby. We decided that after a few ritas and our experience earlier driving around downtown that it would not be wise to drive to the concert because we'd probably get lost. Our taxi ended up being $10 each way so it was well worth it and we arrived safely because the route between downtown and the concert wasn't exactly on the up and up. So definitely think about a taxi to get around if you head to SA for vacation and are not familiar with the area.

I was greeted with a few "oh cools" in the lobby with my shirt and at the concert waiting to get in. A few girls our age were waiting with us and went on ebay to get a few vintage mugs for the show - still not sure why - and liked the shirt. We started talking about how long it has been and then I started to think why in the world did I buy an adult medium tshirt when I was 10.

So we thought about it and then remember the greatest fashion trend of the 80s and 90s - the leggins with the oversized shirt bunched up to one side with a scrunchie or banana clip. So it made sense.

So can the NKOTB still sing and dance? Can they do the moves without breaking a hip? Can Jordan still hit those high notes or will they bring him down an octave? Is Joey still the love of my life?

All these questions will be answered when I return from dinner.

[Sunni]

I love this report Cate. Thanks for sharing the pics. It looks like you had fun. I can't wait to hear about he concert.

Are you done eating yer? :)

[m 'n c]

Thanks Marilyn. I just got back in so I'll try and type another installment.

[m 'n c]

This must have been the girl right in front of me who was illegally taping the concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVqWv2HyB74 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVqWv2HyB74)

[m 'n c]

Sorry I started YouTubing San Antonio + NKOTB and got caught up in vidoes from the concert. I'll continue in the morning :)

[LuvMyBoys]

Lovin' your report!! :sunshine:

I have that same shirt :blush: Yes, I still have it in my keepsake box, I just can't bear to throw it out, how pathetic is that? :blush:

At least I finally threw out all my posters a few years ago!! :rotfl:

I was strictly a Joey Joe girl so I can't wait to hear how he looks now! :love:

[m 'n c]

Ok so I left off with Mikki and I arriving at the AT&T Center in San Antonio - home of the Spurs!! - and waiting in line with other NKOTB fans. We waited for what seems like forever - ok more like 10 minutes before the doors opened and we were able to get into the arena. We passed a merchandise stand and decided to go have a look for old times sake. Lots of tshirts, posters, cds, and BUTTONS!!! Yes the 6 inch buttons we all had are back. They have new ones and then a vintage group one. I went with a new one since I had on a vintage shirt and my friend went with an old one since she didn't have anything vintage.

The vintage button
http://media.musictoday.com/store/bands/1771/product_medium/BGAMN103.JPG

The new button
http://media.musictoday.com/store/bands/1771/product_medium/BGAMN102.JPG

One note about the merchandise stand if you go to their concert - go there first. The line never died and it took forever. I swear I think they hired the people who sold the merchandise 17 years ago to work these booths. But the main problem was that they were allowing people to try shirts on there and it was holding up the line because the shirts are babydoll style (aka fitted) for the most part. Poor marketing thought there because most of their fans have had at least one kid and has developed boobs.

So after we got our buttons we decided to head back towards where we came from to grab margaritas. There was only one booth there that sold them. They were ok but very sweet. I should have gotten beer but we were going to go out afterwards so I wanted to stick with liquor.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_1445.jpg

So soon after we sat down the first opening act began (they only opened the stadium up one hour before). She is some new singer from Jamaica who has her first cd coming out next year. I think she goes by TC or something. They didn't introduce her. I think she was more of a treat for the men that got drug in there because her songs were so so but she was wearing a corset and very short skirt (you could see cheeks hanging out). So not too impressed with her. She only did about 4 songs before she left.

Next up was Natasha Bettingfield. I had no idea who she was but my friend was semi-excited. She knows music much more than I do and knew a few of her songs. I later realized that I knew the songs once she started singing. She put on a good show and was dressed appropriately. I will probably hit up Target and buy her cd. I wasn't able to get any really good photos of her because I hadn't turned on the digital zoom on Mike's camera yet. So she looks like an ant in all the photos I have of her.

After Natasha finished we had a 30 minute wait before our guys would show up. We were starting to get excited and were ready for some old school NKOTB songs. Hopefully they will sing some of them and not do a short melody to get them addressed and out the way.

[m 'n c]

Next thing we know the lights are out, the curtain falls, and we are met with a video. Please see opening video here-> Opening Video, Single, and Favorite Girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbne-RjNpY)

She missed the very beginning of it which flashed up "15 years ago" shot of NKOTB "they walked away" another shot and then the rest is on here.

We quickly see that they can still sing, can still dance, and boy Jordan can still hit those notes. Joey on the other hand has hit puberty and can't sing Please Don't Go Girl the same way but this version sounds so much better. Joey Joe has definitely aged well ;)

Please Don't Go Girl Video from Concert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVvdHrVWn3w)

Photos:
I still can't tell with these photos and videos if Joey's shirt was white or pink.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_0889.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_0877.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/lsubatgirl/NKOTB%20album/IMG_0861.jpg

They moved on to more classic NKOTB songs and threw in some new ones. They still had all the moves down which was awesome and the usage of the microphone stand which was classic NKOTB back in the day and allowed them to focus on singing with a few dance moves rather than lip syncing like the last wave of boy bands who performed first, sang second.

And now we have our first costume change.

The costume changes were pretty cool. Instead of making the band entertain the audience they took turns doing solos. Danny led the way with a break dancing routine. Then we had Jordan with "Give it To You" followed by Donnie and "Cover Girl" and then Joey with "Stay the Same". Jon copped out and didn't do anything. He also didn't talk to the crowd at all during the concert unlike the others who did. And then wore a political shirt (it was pretty unnecessary). So he was on my crap list and still is.

To be continued...

[Hedy]

I was never a NKOTB fan, but I saw Joey in a musical (Tick, tick Boom) a few years ago-the boy can sing.

[m 'n c]

I was never a NKOTB fan, but I saw Joey in a musical (Tick, tick Boom) a few years ago-the boy can sing.

oh yes. I have the fantasticks somewhere on vhs.

[Magical JenK]

Jon copped out and didn't do anything. He also didn't talk to the crowd at all during the concert unlike the others who did. And then wore a political shirt (it was pretty unnecessary). So he was on my crap list and still is.

To be continued...

:rotfl: Ok, we all thought "poor Jon...clearly didn't want to be there!" For our solos, Donnie, Jordan & Joey were all the same & Danny did breakdance, but then also he & Jon took a camera & video taped people in the crowd. We thought "well, THAT was Jon's solo."

I thought I had heard he has an anxiety issue & is super shy....I felt bad for him a lot because whenever he was on the screen, you could tell he didn't want to be there at all. I didn't notice any political t-shirts and I'm glad for that!:rolleyes:

Question for you though...ok, last time they came to concert, Jordan was THE one everyone screamed over. I thought Jordan was pretty much #3 man last night...hoow about you? Clearly Joe & Donnie were the ones most screamed over??? I don't know...just thought it was interesting....

[m 'n c]

You know I didn't notice a scream level variance for any of them. It was just all screaming all the time.

I think Jon does have some anxiety/stage fright issues which would explain the no solo part but c'mon can't you at least speak in the mike and say hey yall.

I was surprised to read on their website that Donnie was the holdout on a reunion for many years. Like he was the one that didn't want to do it and it wasn't until he heard that click song that he was even interested in doing it again. For some reason I thought Jon and his issues might have been the hold up.

[Magical JenK]

Well there used to be a show on VH1 that was called like "Bringing back the band" & the show would go to each of the band members & ask them to do a reunion...Danny was the hold out then. Everyone else was onboard. I didn't know that about Donnie...maybe he was thinking it would interfere w/his movies??