Friday, April 20, 2012

BOYZ II MEN CONCERT

My very first memory of Boyz II Men is about 20 years old. I remember listening to Motownphilly over and over and over, repeatedly while being in line at the car wash. I remember singing the “doom doom doom da da, da doom doom doom da da” part as if I sounded like them. Fast forward to 1992, I was in the 6th grade and Boyz II Men ruled the airwaves. There wasn’t an hour that would pass by that you wouldn’t hear “End of the Road” on the radio. In 1993, when II came out, it was over. That was the year that solidified my love for them. I mean, I liked them during their earlier years, but after hearing hit after hit, “On Bended Knee”, “I’ll Make Love to You”, and “Water Runs Dry”, you couldn’t help but believe this group was an undeniable force. Years later, Evolution reintroduced me to BIIM with hits like “4 Seasons of Loneliness” and “Song for Mama”. After 5 long years, the trademarked Boyz II Men sound was back, and man, was it refreshing.

When I first seen that Boyz II Men was coming to Maui to perform, I instantly became excited. I couldn’t believe it. Could it be? Is my all time favorite music group really coming to my hometown to perform? I had to read the article twice to make sure there wasn’t another Boyz II Men out there parading around. I was so skeptical; I had to examine the words Boyz II Men to see that the spelling was correct. As the months turned to weeks and the weeks turned to days, the excitement went from overdrive to hyperspeed.

Anabelle and I got ready several hours in advance. We both tried our best to look absolutely perfect for this momentous occasion. As we took the right turn into the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, we were both hit with an overwhelming sensation. We were so excited to get in, we parked in the first stall we came across; and we were still about an hour early. In concerts past, we’ve always gotten to the venue with very little time to spare. This time, I wanted us to really capitalize on having a beautiful evening.

As we walked in, there was a table selling VIP passes. Anabelle asked about them. Basically, they were passes for a post concert meet and greet plus an autograph picture from the members. My main concern though was the price. When I found out it was $45/person, I was all over it. I thought what other time will there be in my life that I’ll be able to meet all 3 members of Boyz II Men at the same time and get them to pose for a picture with both Anabelle and myself. Without hesitation I dropped the money. Anabelle and I put on our new jewelry and continued on. As we were walking around, there were several concert goers asking us about the passes. In a way, it felt like we were the envy of many people. It was actually kind of weird.

Anabelle and I decided to grab something to eat. The dinners at the MACC are awesome. I ordered the chicken and Anabelle ordered the salmon. Man, they were delicious. We literally ate all our food within 5 minutes. I don’t know if we were just that hungry or if the food was just that good. I’m thinking the latter.

We started seeing a ton of people beginning to walk in so we finished our drinks and jumped in line. With the help of the many ushers the MACC has, we easily found our seats. We sat and quickly realized we were surrounded by fans that were as fanatically crazy for Boyz II Men as we were; we felt right at home. Our seats were on the 2nd mezzanine level on the last row. We had a panoramic view of our teen idols without an interruption in sight. The seats were damn near perfect.

The countdown began. The venue was going berserk. The house lights dimmed. The backdrop graphic illuminated. Out came 3 silhouettes walking towards center stage. We immediately knew who it was. Each silhouette took its place onstage. Seconds later the stage came to life and there they were, Boyz II (f’n) Men. The amphitheater was louder than I’ve ever heard it be. The crowd was so loud you could barely hear the song that was being sung. It was mass hysteria. The females were acting like guys and the guys were screaming like girls, not me though ;) At that moment, I literally felt like a part of me came full circle. Here in front of me, in flesh and bone is the band that I’ve followed and listened to for as long as I can remember. This is the group that through thick and thin, no matter who’s “trending”, this is the group that no one can top. And here they are, here!

Once the noise dropped about a decibel, and you could hear the vocals, Boyz II Men made the place erupt with “On Bended Knee”. In an instant, each audience member of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center was transported back to their youth. Whether it be elementary, intermediate, or high school, everyone seemed to have that 1 undeniable nostalgic moment come over them. It was incredible. We were only one song in and I could see the tears glistening off of Anabelle’s face. I was in awe. You could feel the positive energy being exuded and flowing throughout the concert.

Boyz II Men also paid homage to their Motown ancestors; Earth, Wind, and Fire, The Temptations, and The Jackson 5. They had each person in each row in each seat on each level doing the 1950 scat. I’ve been to many concerts, and to have every doing the same dance in unison was one of a kind. They also sang a few of their chart topping hits like Water Runs Dry, 4 Seasons of Loneliness, and A Song for Mama. They performed “More Than You’ll Ever Know” off of their new album XX. As they were singing that song, there’s a certain part towards the end where Wanya pelts this incredible note, it sent goose bumps through me. Seriously, look up that song on youtube, you’ll agree.

Within seconds, another wave of screams filled the air as the first 3 instrumental notes from “I’ll Make Love to You” were played. The girls were going crazy. As BIIM continued to sing, they started to pass out red roses to all the females. Needless to say, there hundreds of girls that bum rushed the stage to fight for a chance to get a fresh rose by someone from their all time favorite band. Being that Anabelle and I were sandwiched in between two groups, we decided to stay put and watch the madness from above. In the time that they sang the song, they literally passed out over 100 roses and made the nights to its recipients.

Every classic was being done. But you could hear the audience beginning to whisper. What happened to MotownPhilly? Could it really happen? Is it possible that Boyz II Men can do a concert without doing MotownPhilly? Then Shawn screams “Maui, ARE YOU READY!” Once again, the place erupted into a frenzy. It’s been 20 long years since this track has come out, and still, the audience knew every word. This was probably the absolute best end that Boyz II Men could have given.

As the guys Shawn, Nate, and Wanya said their farewells and thank yous, the house lights came on. The audience started making their way out. There wasn’t a single soul in the MACC amphitheater that left disappointed. The concert was so good; it was a harsh reality that the night was coming to an end. It was at that moment that Anabelle and I remembered that we still had the backstage passes. Yes sir! Anabelle darted to the meet and greet line while I headed back into the venue, but on the first floor. I wanted to see if I can get a little souvenir. I walked over to the stage and asked one of the crew members if there was any way that I’d be able to get a bottle of water that one of the guys drank from. I know, it’s weird, but why not? The guy thought I was joking. Luckily he realized I was a “crazie” and obliged. I was ecstatic.

I ran outside to get in line with Anabelle and gave her the water. Everyone around us somehow impressed. It’s like there are more “crazies” than there are normal fans. As I told Anabelle about how I got the bottle, people were like, “wow, I should go get something”. It put a smile on my face.

The time was finally here where Anabelle and I were going to meet our childhood idols, Boyz II Men. As we walked into the hall to meet them, Anabelle quickly turned into a groupie. She was trying to rub them down, it was so funny. Though I was jumping like a little girl on the inside, I tried to maintain and give them a daps and a hug. All 3 guys were real. Not just real in the physical sense but real as in they all seemed genuinely happy to meet their fans. We all turned around and got a picture taken. Directly after, both Anabelle and I were outside admiring our new Facebook default. We couldn’t wait to get it up.

The entire night went by like a serious blur. There are so many things that happened that I can’t remember. As much of a blur that it was, it’s a blur that both of us will never, ever forget. Thank you Boyz II Men for visiting our island Maui. Thank you for making my evening special but an even bigger thank you for creating millions of long lasting memories for Anabelle. This concert helped both of us come full circle. Hopefully you’ll be back one day. Hopefully it’s one day soon. Please don’t let it be when you release XXXX. Daps.



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