New Kids: Back on the block!!

OK, so this isn't a political post, but ...

The New Kids on the Block made good on a promised reunion this morning, giving their first performance in 15 years on the Today show. (I wrote this post when the reunion was announced last month.)

Rockefeller Center was awash with rain, but that didn't stop thousands of women in their late 20s and early- to mid-30s from packing the place -- some 48 hours in advance -- and rocking out with the Fab Five from Beantown.

(SIDEBAR: We can't call them a "boy band" anymore, since the New Kids are all pushing 40. Will the term "man band" catch on instead?)

Yes, I am 31 years old, and yes, I am a member of the New Kids generation. So yes, I was up at 10 minutes to 6, making sure the TV was on and I was watching!

But my sister, who is 29, was there.

She bought a plane ticket, took two days of vacation from her job and dragged her boyfriend to New York City for the event. She sent me this picture from Rockefeller Center yesterday afternoon when she arrived in the Big Apple:

Obviously, she wasn't alone. The place was crawling with people, and that was 15 hours before the show.

She was up at 3 a.m. and in the plaza by 4:30 a.m. Her boyfriend retreated to the hotel -- but what guy would blame him? The anticipatory screams impressed even the Today show hosts.

The New Kids, now men, took the stage at 8:30 a.m. and delivered a 25-minute show featuring a medley of old hits and their new song.

As Joey McIntyre told Meredith Viera, it was like those 15 years didn't happen.

The assembled masses -- 16,000 people, by one estimate -- waved their arms and danced and sang along like they were 12 and 13 again.

All in all, I thought they did great. They sounded pretty good and they looked as good as ever. I can't wait to talk with my friends and see what they thought. Two of those I'll be checking in with are pictured below. They are twin sisters, and we grew up together. Here we are with our New Kids stuff in 1990:

(Yes, I know a perm isn't the best look for me. Ah, the life lessons of adolescence!)

As for my sister, she had a great time -- even if she did get soaked. I know she wouldn't have missed it for the world. I wish I could have been there with her.

One of the benefits of age and maturity (OK, so the jury's still out on maturity) is that you don't care as much anymore what people think of you. You are secure in your individuality, and you don't feel like you have to hide or apologize for it. For me, that means a certain dorky wonkishness on political issues, an affinity for goofy movies and jokes and -- yes -- love for the New Kids on the Block.

I'm so glad they're back!!