My sister-in-law, Jessica Guggenheimer (center, in below photo), woke up at 5 this morning to see the Backstreet Boys perform on Good Morning America. She grew up a huge fan of the group, and Backstreet at Nassau Coliseum was her first concert (in fourth grade). Here is her dispatch from the big event (as told to Jeff Pearlman) …
Today, I met the Backstreet Boys.
I got up at 5 am, walked my dog Buster, left my apartment at 5:45, hailed a taxi. When we pulled up to 72nd and 5th there was a line that went down Fifth Avenue to at least 68th Street. But I was fortunate enough to have VIP tickets (a friend of a friend works for the show).
We waited for all of two minutes and we were escorted into the front half of the VIP section. We were up along a fence, where we thought the broadcast would take place. Brian and A.J. passed out bagels for the crowd. They had four garbage bags filled with H&H Bagels. Brian began talking to me as he passed out the food. He said, “Do you want a bagel?” I, of course, said, “Yes. I was very hungry.” He said, “How bad do you want it.” [Jeff’s note: Ew.]. I said, “I am hungry.” Those are the words I said—”I’m hungry.” While I was getting pushed up against the fence by screaming fans, he then left to sign autographs. His bodyguard told him he it was time to go [Jeff’s note: Why the hell does this kid need a bodyguard? Wait—grown man. Who nobody in the world would recognize were he alone and not wearing a Backstreet Boy T-shirt]. So he stopped signing autographs, turned around. Everyone was screaming, and he turned to my friend Rachel and I, looked at me and said, “Do you want a picture?”
I didn’t care for one. Look, I loved the Backstreet Boys growing up. That was my generation of music (I’m 23), but, like, sure. I’ll take a picture. Why not? The person next to me was like, “Oh my God! Oh my God! I’ll take a picture!” She was probably 25. So Rachel got in the picture with me, and some random person took the picture with my phone.
He didn’t acknowledge anyone else after that.
And that was it.
JEFF’S QUICK Q&A WITH JESSICA, AND HER BOYFRIEND, CHRIS BERMAN
Q: Do you think Brian was hitting on you?
J: Yes.
C: Yeah, sure.
Q: Did you think Brian was a good looking guy?
J: Yes.
C: No comment.
Q: Were you single, would you have flirted with a Backstreet Boy?
J: No, because he’s married with a little boy.
Q: Jessica, are you excited that Kevin is back in the band?
J: I am excited that I got to see them reunited. But don’t think I will purchase their album—coming out next year.
C: Backstreet’s Back? Alright!
