My ♥ Belongs To New Edition

I'm only just now recovering from the awesomeness hangover I've had since Tuesday night.

For the last two days various New Edition and K-Ci & Jo Jo songs have been on hot rotation in my head. It's like a New Edition Pandora station in there, and it's as kick-ass as you'd imagine.

Everyone I know, including my poor, down trodden coworkers, have heard the story of my New Edition concert experience like, four times. With dance moves. Because, oh my god you guys, it was soooooo good.

We had a blast. Ninety minutes of dancing, singing, and hollering. And that was me. New Edition still has the moves, the sound and the slinky boy band R&B sex appeal they always had.

They came out on stage and I heard the beat to If Isn't Love and suddenly they were dancing just like they do in the video(!!!!) only on stage in matching suits(!!!!) and I'm not gonna lie, I went total 8th grade in there. Bouncing, screaming, singing. (It's singing when it's at the top of your lungs with everyone else, right?) I'd have probably let a few excited tears slip down my face if Ray hadn't been there.

I seriously almost needed to breathe into a paper bag I was so excited.

They threw it down on all the hits, Candy Girl, Cool It Now, Mr. Telephone Man ... and I picked it up and wiped it all over my face.

Bobby Brown wasn't there of course - We missed you Bobby B! - but NE made their boy proud without missing a beat or a dance step. Johnny Gil filled in for him saying he'd try to do Bobby justice but not to make fun him when he couldn't do Bobby's dance moves. But he sang My Prerogative and Roni like they were his own. They dedicated the show to Whitney and signed "I Heart Bobby Brown" posters for the crowd.

They each performed some of their solo stuff as well, which I loved. Ralph Tresvant had everyone at US Bank Arena singing his hit Sensitivity. Johnny Gill performed his panty-dropper My My My (what's up, Johnny, no Rub You the Right Way?)

But let me tell you, you don't know what living is until you hear the lyric, "Never trust a big butt and smile," live. BBD brought the house down with Poison. (Poison!) (Some how they chose When Will I See You Smile Again over Do Me, but whatever fellas.)

My favorite moment was the laid back, backwards-skate slow-jam, Can You Stand the Rain. I fell in love with strangers. I sang awkwardly to Ray. I stared with longing at the stage while I practically grew 80s mall hair and failed math class.

In my head I'm still singing in dancing in section 110, row O, seat 2.

My plan at the beginning of the night was to get Ray drunk so he'd have more fun. I was worried about him because over Nada tacos before the show I realized that Ray had absolutely clue who New Edition is other than the dudes who sang Candy Girl and Mr. Telephone Man.

"One of them is Bobby Brown, right? And another one is... Nick Lachey?"

Oh. My. God.

I crunched salsa and chips as loud as I could into my mouth to pretend I wasn't hearing what I was hearing. So I decided I'd get him drunk. Everyone has more fun when they're drunk!

But in the process I got kinda drunk too, making myself even more uninhibited and more boy band crazy. Oops.

Honestly, when it comes down to it... give me some R&B crooners, a cute boy to buy me a beer and a concert t-shirt (oh yes, and I'm wearing it to work tomorrow) and I'm pretty much the happiest girl on the planet.

It was the best Valentines ever. And I'm sure for Ray too.

I recorded Can You Stand the Rain with my phone. So if you're interested in hearing me ruin a perfectly awesome New Edition song with occasional screams and singing out of tune (and who wouldn't), you can watch it.