Hey, hey...

Poor flatmate C. He's dutifully completing his nightly tasks when squeals burst through the apartment. They're coming from the living room.

"REWIND THAT!"

By the time he enters the room, B and I are crouched on the floor in front of the television. Our faces are about a foot from the screen, and we're replaying a three-second clip of the program we've been watching.

C. takes the sight in.

"Is that -"

"Yes!"

"How old is he now?"

"32. Born December 31, 1972 -"

"Sometimes it would be better if you don't open your mouth," B interrupts me with a laugh.

We turn back to the television. We know this move well. She saw it in Saratoga, during the "Donnie fell through the stage" show. I saw it in Richmond and Montreal, during the "Hangin' Tough" and "Magic Summer" tours.

The first time I took in the sight, my father had driven 12 hours so I could attend the concert with my equally-obsessed pre-teen cousins. I wore blue leggings and two layers of scrunched socks. My hair was pulled into a high side ponytail, the ends crimped and hairsprayed. My band shirt was on proud display - the shirt my grandfather had given me for Christmas several months before.

(At that young age, I had yet to learn The Rules of Concertdom. But let's face it - rules about concert t-shirts are suspended when boybands become involved.)

After the show, my father listened to Nikki, Nina and I prattle on about the show and the fact that Joe had waved to our corner of the arena - which naturally meant he had waved to us. "We got 12 times during 'Hey, hey, I feel alright.'" I was a nine year old girl swooning over a crowd-encouraged series of pelvic thrusts.

Huh.

15 years later and he's still got it. This move is slower, more pronounced and coupled with a canary-yellow-clad dancer. Just one, but he's perfected it with just the right lip curl and downturned eyes.

It's been a decade and a half and it still makes me giggle.

I never voted for "American Idol" or any of the other "call and vote" shows. But I picked up the phone and tried to cast a vote for Joey McIntyre on "Dancing with the Stars."

It felt as if the end of my hair was crimping as I dialed.