Meet the woman who caught a Backstreet Boy's underwear

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: Melissa Pelkofer drove about 15 hours total to and from Dickinson, North Dakota to see the Backstreet Boys perform in Sioux Falls. But she said it was worth it – especially because she brought home a very unique souvenir: Kevin Richardson's underwear.

Why it matters

  • Ok, let's just be real on this one. It doesn't. But, there's a lot of other news in this issue, so let's just let our hair down for a second, shall we?

Back to the Backstreet Boys

Pelkofer is a huge Backstreet Boys fan. In fact, the first CD she ever owned was the Backstreet Boys' first album (self-titled, released in 1997).

So, when her boyfriend surprised her last month with tickets to the Sioux Falls show, she was excited. It was her first time seeing a concert in Sioux Falls and her second time seeing the Backstreet Boys.

  • Plus, the tickets were for the "DNA circle" a small section of the audience between the main part of the stage and a little circle walkway where the late-90s boy band danced and sang throughout the show.

The couple almost didn't go to the concert because it was a Sunday night, and both had to work Monday morning.

  • Pelkofer said they drove overnight after the show to make it happen.
"We got back at 5:30 in the morning, and I had work at 8 (a.m.)," Pelkofer said.

Where do the undies factor in?

Pelkofer and her boyfriend were among the first people in line before gates opened Sunday, so they were front and center in the circle portion of the stage.

At one point about midway through the performance, band members Kevin Richardson and AJ McLean did a bit where they talked about quick outfit changes and brought out a little partition so they could change clothes without leaving the stage.

  • The 2/5 of the Backstreet Boys talked about how in the earlier days of touring, sometimes they'd get bras and panties thrown on stage.
  • Now, it was time to "return the favor."
"(Richardson) kind of pops the underwear over, and it just seemed like he threw them straight to me," Pelkofer said.

Can we get nitty-gritty for a second?

No, the underwear was not "damp," Pelkofer said. They felt new and unworn.

Yes, they were signed.

"It's just Hanes briefs with (Richardson's) signature on them and a peace sign," Pelkofer said.

Yes, Pelkofer plans to display them. She's trying to find a way to do it that's fun and not "creepy," she said.

  • The leading idea now is to create a shadowbox display with the concert tickets, t-shirt, poster and, of course, Kevin's undies.

What happens next?

Pelkofer finds a way to display her new Backstreet Boys memento – and maybe she'll swap ideas with whoever at the concert caught McClean's drawers.

Oh, and she's got a new favorite band member...

"Brian (Littrell) was my favorite Backstreet Boy growing up," Pelkofer said. "But it's changed to Kevin now."