Masterminded by producer Maurice Starr, New Kids on the Block became a multi-Platinum selling hit, with their R&B-tinged urban pop that found legions of young female fans. The band came together in 1985, after Starr conducted a talent search in the city of Boston, US. Donnie Whalberg, Jordan Knight, Jon Knight, Danny Wood and Joe McIntyre fit the bill, with these young teenagers soon gaining a contract with Columbia Records, before they were barely 16 years old. Their self-titled debut was release in 1986, which failed to capture the nation's attention.
Yet with their second album, "Hangin' Tough," in 1988, the youthful act found an endless stream of hits, with their bubblegum-pop that was perfectly suited to the radio. Five songs broke into the Top Ten, with their Christmas album released the following year going on to sell double-Platinum. New Kids on the Block became household names and sales of their debut rose to multi-Platinum also.
The craze continued into the new decade, with the single "Step by Step" becoming a massive hit, with the album of the same name going on to sell three million copies in America alone. The band were also an international success, shifting 16 million copies globally. Extensive touring followed, which saw them play over 100 dates, whilst also unleashing a whole collection of merchandise that even included dolls. Proving that shrewd marketing pays off, in 1991, the band became the highest-grossing performers, beating the likes of Michael Jackson and Madonna.
Popularity for the group began to wane, with their fan base, and themselves beginning to grow up, finding different desires. In 1994, they attempted to offer a more mature image, going by simply NKOTB and releasing "Face The Music," a more legitimate urban R&B record that displayed their own songwriting talents. Unable to make the desired impact, the group decided to bring it to an end by the end of the year.
Following various solo careers and acting roles, New Kids on the Block decided to return in 2008, releasing "The Block," which despite its negative criticism, still managed to debut at number two in the Billboard charts. New Kids on the Block continued to tour, co-headlining with Backstreet Boys in 2011. Still on the road, new material surfaced in 2013, titled "10."
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I was not NKOTB fan as a tween, but went with my friends for Salt-n-Pepa. I was blown away by NKOTB! They were great!! They all were having so much fun on stage - it was a blast! The whole show was a great time, I’m so glad I was talked into it!
Washington City, DC@Capital One ArenaI have NEVER in all my 45 years experienced something more MAGICAL then this concert. These guys are hands down the most incredible people. I feel like we know each other and that we’re truly family even though they don’t know me from Adam. The love they give to their fans is amazing! I can not wait until next tour ! 🤖❤️♾️💫
Washington City, DC@Capital One ArenaINCREDIBLE!!!!! I haven’t missed a tour since 1989 and this was my favorite one so far. NKOTB puts their hearts and souls into their performances and treat their fans like gold. I loved growing up with them and I’m so excited to grow old with them. My first M&G was a dream come true. Truly blessed 🙏❤️
Nothing says low-stakes rollout like launching a tour on a Tuesday night in Cincinnati, when and where the lights aren’t necessarily the brightest.
But, as it turns out, New Kids on the Block did not need a practice run in a smaller market. Save the inconsequential opening-night hiccup, the New Kids’ “Mixtape Tour 2022” looked and sounded ready for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which it will hit later this month, as well as the 50-plus other rooms where it is scheduled to stop this summer (get tickets here).
Along for the ride with the Boston boy band on the turn-back-the-clock-styled package tour are Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley and En Vogue. The run of the show was not in a typical hierarchical order, where the smallest act goes first and the headliner last. Instead, it was NKOTB who kicked it off, and the supporting cast weaved in and out of the New Kids’ set in what was a start-to-finish two-and-a-half-hour performance — so, about two mixtapes long.
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It came off like a variety show, with acts coming, going, and coming back again on the main stage and a smaller one at the opposite end of the floor of the arena.
Heritage Bank Center was not at capacity, though a blindfolded visitor would not have known. The crowd, which wholly fired up whenever it was the New Kids’ turn, started loud and stayed loud. Donnie Wahlberg was the most effective provocateur among the quintet.
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Singing lead on “Cover Girl,” one of the performances in the early part of the set, Wahlberg paused to address the crowd. “Cincinnati, we ain’t wasting no time tonight,” he began. “Don’t you know I love you, Cincinnati? I think I’d rather call you Cincinnasty.”
New Kids on the Block, photo by Marcello Ambriz
If his words didn’t work — and they didn’t not work — he then went to the abs, lifting his shirt to varying heights, sometimes revealing a bit of stomach, other times completely removing it. Like a musician playing an instrument (and, as far as that’s concerned, all of the backing music coming out of the PA was on pre-recorded tracks), Wahlberg played his shirt.