Nostalgia fills the air for this fangirl as top 90s boy band makes Hawaii comeback

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - You can bet Michelle Rai will be one of the many screaming fans at the Blaisdell this weekend!

The McCully woman went to the New Kids on The Block’s very first concert in Hawaii and that’s not all.

“So, we’re there at the hotel ballroom and everyone’s screaming like crazy and we’re kind of falling in love as it’s happening!” reminisced Rai.

In 1988, when aqua net hairspray, acid washed jeans and New Kids on the Block were cool, Rai was 13-years-old and infatuated with the boy band who was at the start of their popularity.

Rai was the lucky winner of a radio show’s giveaway of NKOTB tickets to their concert at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

She recalls watching in awe in a packed ballroom.

“Joey McIntyre is singing please don’t go girl and I’m like, wow, he is a cutie! So, I decided then at 13-years-old that we’re going to get married.”

Rai was determined to find the band members after the concert. Since security was light, she and other fans searched the hotel for them and got lucky.

“Then, Joey, he literally came out of his room, freshly showered,” recalled Rai. “I asked like a nerdy girl, can I take a picture with you? In the picture, we are like cheek to cheek and I am smelling the Dial soap or Irish Spring, whatever he had and I was hooked!”

The die-hard fan got pictures with Joey, Donnie, Jon, Danny and Jordan.

“Jordan Knight was in a Batman shirt!” squealed Rai. “I love them so much!”

Nearly 35 years later, Rai is married with two kids and now lives in California and yes, she is still fangirling. She’s gone to NKOTB concerts in Anaheim, Sacramento and now back in Hawaii where the magic first happened!

“So we’re going Friday night and Saturday night and we’re taking our kids to their very first concert. They are the same age we were when we went to the New Kids on the Block concert! We’re like, middle aged people on the block but they still have the right stuff!” exclaimed Rai.

As far as whether she plans to meet the group backstage to recreate the photos she took with them 34 years ago, Rai said, “I would literally die. I would pass out. You can see the tears in my eyes!”

We are crossing our fingers for her!

Tickets are still available for the New Kids on the Block concerts. They are available now for under $20.00 at the Ticketmaster website or at the Blaisdell box office.

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