NKOTB 03-2009

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MTV

50 All American All Stars UK

50 Pop Tunes with attitude UK

USA

The Monitor FESTIVA

Jordan Knight of New Kids on The Block

Festiva's Amy Nichol Smith had a once‐in‐a‐lifetime opportunity to chat with one of her childhood idols, Jordan Knight of New Kids On The Block, who'll be performing this weekend at 8 p.m. Saturday at Dodge Arena during BorderFest this weekend.

In part one of the interview, Jordan talks about the reunion, lzife on the road and which bands he's listening to these days.

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Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jimmy is forced to give away his last rose

NKOTB perform a medley of "The Right Stuff" & "Step By Step"

NKOTB perform at “2 in the morning”

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NK TV

Mobile shows 37-39

JUST FINISHED KIMMEL…

Hey All‐ Just finished The Jimmy Kimmel Show…..

What can I say????

We got the GREATEST F@#*ING FANS EVER!!!!!!

I love you all.

Nuff said.

As Always Your Man‐ ~donnie w

USA

Meet the Famous

New Kids On The Block, Donnie Wahlberg Kisses Fans Through Fence

Today I caught the New Kids on the block at the Jimmy Kimmel show, you see them arriving at various times. Some fans had come to see the New Kids on the Block from Las Vegas and as far away as Seattle. After the free outdoor concert only Donnie Wahlberg was kind enough to come

over to his fans. Now although Donnie signed fast, he did manage to swap some spit with two lucky ladies through the security fence. If your a big fan of the New Kids on the Block would you have kissed Donnie Wahlberg through that security fence?

nkotbthing.com The Netherlands

DePers

USA The Monitor

New Kids' infamous 1989 concert still haunts fans

Nearly 20 years later, the New Kids on the Block will return to the Rio Grande Valley to play at BorderFest. Dodge Arena is offering a special discount today only ‐‐‐ click here for details. For your chance to win free tickets, click here. It should have stood for years as the biggest concert in Valley history.

A crowd of 11,000 rabid fans waited hours under the summer sun at Mission park. A whole New Kids On The Block, July 3, 1989, in Mission, Texas generation of young girls clamored to see New Kids on the Block ‐ the world's hottest band and, for most of the generation, a living dream.

Instead, the show became a nightmare.

History paints a terrifying picture. According to Monitor archives, a police account and the crushed memories of the now‐grown young women, a near‐riot exploded that day, July 3, 1989, at the annual Fajita Cook Off. More than 100 people suffered cuts, bruises and heat exhaustion. Police officers, the entire Mission Fire Department and scores of ambulances flooded the Catholic War Veteran's Park. Paramedics rushed 39 people to area hospitals, and emergency workers treated 79 others for injuries at the scene, The Monitor reported. Mission police Lt. Tony Garcia, who headed up the security detail that day, described it as the largest out‐of‐control crowd he has ever seen.

"We were trying to keep them back, we were trying to," Garcia said recently. "People just went nuts. Crushing people, pushing people. They just stopped it because they were getting out of hand."

After part of a song, New Kids on the Block fled the stage. The crowd broke the chain link fence protecting the stage. And the concert died.

It was a common scene across the country at the time, said Christopher Julian, who booked the event. The guys would visit a new city, and the fans would control.

"At every outdoor concert they'd done before, the same thing happened," he says looking back at the day that frightened him into a 10‐year hiatus from the cook‐off. "One of the boys wouldn't come out of the trailer because he said he didn't want to see kids get hurt anymore."

Fans remember the tears they shed. The United States' original boy band had left them, seemingly forever. On Saturday, they will return. And as the concert approaches, the fans remember the excitement, the adoration and the chaos.

The concert and the pushing started, and Mary Lou Garza's 14‐year‐old sister and 13‐year‐ old cousin disappeared. As throngs of fans surged toward the stage, the then 19‐year‐old Garza remembers searching frantically for her younger relatives. Amid the crushing July heat, she spent an hour scouring the grounds for the girls. Were they hurt? Had they been crushed?

No. Garza, now 39, found the girls safe at the front of the stage, suffering only from a pair of broken hearts. They headed home, crestfallen. The next day, the family heard an apology on the radio, a small consolation for shattered dreams. "It took all week to recover," she says now. "Even for me, who was 19 at the time. We were crying, ‘we wanted to see them!' We kept thinking they'd come back to do another concert, but no. They took 20 years."

Garza has already bought her tickets to Saturday's show.

Patty Garcia woke early that day 20 years ago. She spent the night at her best friend's house, struggling to contain her excitement. The girls arrived at the Fajita Cook‐Off at 3 p.m., and the then 13‐year‐old Garcia fought through the crowd to the front of the stage. As the vast swarm of people grew, Garcia tumbled toward the back. Pushed by larger fans, she settled near the sound board, barely able to see.

"When they came out, I couldn't see them at all," she says now. "All of a sudden, the music stopped. I heard someone say, ‘everybody move back.' But people kept pushing." Then they were gone. She broke down sobbing.

"I just couldn't even speak, I was crying so hard," Garcia says. With time, she felt a little better, and her love for the band remained strong. She has even traveled to see them a handful of times. The proud owner of all their cassettes, magazines, posters, buttons and an estimated 17 shirts (she has lost count), Garcia never forgot that day. And she will travel Saturday to Hidalgo, older, wiser and just as rabid for New Kids on the Block.

Stephanie Crabtree stood in the hot sun for hours with her mother and younger brother.

Crabtree was 10 at the time. Growing up in San Juan, she covered her wall with New Kids on the Block photos, magazine articles and paraphernalia. She sported large buttons and hats.

She watched the cartoon. Her favorite was Jordan. On that July day in Mission, she waited, waited, waited. Part of a song played. The crowd erupted. The boy band hustled away.

Then the tears started. Crabtree cried as her mother tried to comfort her. And over the years, she never got over the heart break. She grew up, started her own business selling things on E‐Bay, and raised a 13 year old daughter. But she never forgot her first love. "Every time a new boy band would come up, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, they never compared to New Kids on the Block," she says.

Then she heard they were coming back. Crabtree says she freaked out. Her childhood dream would come true. She would drop everything to see the band, admitting her love borders on obsessive.

"I don't know what it is. It's probably just the first crush," she says. "I just always hoped that I would have a chance to see them. I never got that chance when I was a kid, and it was just really exciting. It's my childhood dream."

nkotbthing.com GERMANY

1LIVE

Kassettendeck mit Donnie Wahlberg

Zusammen mit New Kids On The Block gehörte Donnie Wahlberg zu den absoluten Teeniestars Anfang der Neunziger und feierte letztes Jahr mit "The Block" sein Comeback. Im 1LIVE Kassettendeck stellt Donnie seine Lieblingshits der letzten Jahrzehnte vor.

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Donnie Wahlberg über "Beautiful Day" von U2.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Closer" von Ne‐Yo. Donnie Wahlberg über "Just Dance" von Lady Gaga.

Donnie Wahlberg über "I Hate This Part" von den Pussycat Dolls.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Dirty Dancin'" von den New Kids On The Block.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Love Lockdown" von Kanye West.

Das Kassettendeck mit Donnie Wahlberg in 1LIVE Plan B ‐ morgen, von 00:00 bis 01:00 Uhr 7.

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Donnie Wahlberg über "Right Now (Na‐Na‐Na)" von Akon.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Stairway To Heaven" von Led Zeppelin.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Rebel Without A Pause" von Public Enemy.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Bittersweet Symphony" von The Verve.

Donnie Wahlberg über "In The End" von Linkin Park.

Donnie Wahlberg über "Silent Night, Bodom Night" von Children Of Bodom.

USA KJ 103 Oklahoma

Danny Wood Janet blows a gasket talking to her favorite New Kid On The Block

USA Pollymore TV

Clowning w/ Donnie Wahlberg @ the Waffle House Donnie Wahlberg and Joe Politics at the Waffle House. Donnie gets the people rocking while waiting on his favorite place to go after a show.

nkotbthing.com GERMANY

N-K-O-T-B.DE

NKOTB ‐ Lieblingssongs

Joey McIntyre

Jonathan Knight

They are great songs that I grew up with.

Great personal memories.

1.“Rock the Casbah” – The Clash (Why? It rocks.)

2. “Tiny Dancer”‐ Elton John (Why? Cuz its 6 and half minutes long and it feels good.)

3. “Maybe Tomorrow” – Jackson 5 (Why? Jackson 5... nuf said.)

4. “I want to know what love is” – Foreigner (Why? Unabashed ballad rock.)

5. “Don’t Stop Believing” – Journey (Why? Right to the heart, baby! Right to the heart.)

6. “Betcha by golly wow!” ‐ Stylistics (Why? Cuz we've been singing it a lot backstage) 7. “Single” – New Kids on the Block & Ne‐Yo (Why? To me it’s a classic romantic song set over a modern hot thumping track.... oh, and we sing it.)

8. “All the Way” ‐ Frank Sinatra (Why? If there was one song to hear and one song I could sing, this would be it.)

9. “God Speed (sweet dreams)” Dixie Chicks (Why? Cuz I’m a softie.)

10. “We are the Champions” – Queen (Why? Cuz I wish Freddie Mercury could have lived forever)

1) “I feel for you” ‐ Chaka Khan‐ One of the all time great soul singers.

2) “Sexual healing” ‐ Marvin Gaye‐ Is there anyone sexier than Marvin Gaye? Always puts me in the mood.

3) “Genius of love” ‐ Tom Tom Club‐ A funky tune.

4) “Burn Rubber” ‐ Gap Band‐ Makes me want to dance!

5) “Let it whip” ‐ Dazz Band‐ Dazz band does it right.

6) “Give it to me baby” ‐ Rick James‐ It’s Rick James!

Enough said.

7) “Somebody's watching me” ‐ Rockwell‐ Thank god no one was watching me dance to this song while driving through Boston when I was younger.

8) “Between the sheets” ‐ Isley Brothers‐ The perfect place for listening to the Isley Brothers and coincidentally my favorite Isley Brothers song.

9) “Baby come to me” ‐ James Ingram‐ I could listen to James Ingram 24/7.

10) “Never too much” ‐ Luther Vandross‐ My brother and I loved us “the voice.”

Donnie

Wahlberg 1) “Rebel Without A Pause” ‐ Public Enemy (Relentless, it fires me up).

2) “Shook Ones PT 2” ‐ Mobb Deep‐ (Hypnotic, dark, and game changing).

3) “Beautiful Day” ‐ U2 (Reminds me to appreciate small stuff).

4) “I Wish” ‐ R. Kelly (That song is special) 5) “Stairway To Heaven” ‐ Led Zeppelin (Greatest song ever made) 6) “Rock Box” ‐ Run D.M.C. (The song that inspired me to be in music) 7) “Songbird” ‐ Fleetwood Mac (Breaks my heart every time I hear it) 8) “Made You Look” ‐ NAS (One of the all time best MC's at his all time best) 9) “Rock The Casbah” ‐ The Clash (Makes me move) 10) "Big Yellow Taxi" ‐ Joni Mitchell (Because "Joni Mitchell never lies")

Danny Wood

"Quiet Storm Mix"

Jordan Knight

1) “Whenever whatever wherever” – Maxwell (Maxwell got crazy skills) 2) “Only for one night” – Luther Vandross (They don't call him "The Voice" for nothing. Wooo!!!!!)

3) “You’re my lady” ‐ DeAngelo (This song is stank nasty and beautiful at the same time.)

4) “Stop look listen” – Stylistics (Old School, Stylistics kill me. The song writing and arrangements on these old records can’t be beat.)

5) “Do me baby” ‐ Prince (This song does half the work for you J) 6) “Lady in my life” ‐ Michael Jackson (The vamp at the end...Wow… you just want it to keep going and going and going.......)

7) “Night and day” ‐ al b sure (This song is a natural tranquilizer) 8) “Let's chill guy” (Teddy makes the synths sing on this one.)

9) “Secret garden” ‐ Quincy jones (This song has the best mix of singers. El Debarge.

James Ingram. Barry White.)

10) “Funny how time flies” ‐ Janet Jackson (I used to fall asleep listening to Janet speak French to me with this record.)

1) "Come Away with me" ‐ Norah Jones (It's one of the sexiest songs ever written.)

2) "Big Poppa" ‐ Notorious B.I.G (He is the greatest mc ever.)

3) "High and Dry" ‐ Radiohead (An amazing song from one of an incredible group.)

4) "Sometimes you can't make it on your own" ‐ U2 (I can relate to this song in so many ways, it hit me in my soul the first time I heard it.)

5) "No Ordinary Love" ‐ Sade (The groove and melodies in the song are irresistible.)

6) "Guerrilla Radio" ‐ Rage Against the Machine (Perfect workout song.)

7) "Microphone Fiend" ‐ Rakim (Classic hip hop at its finest, I grew up break dancing to this.)

8) "If it Isn't Love" ‐ New Edition (Growing up in Dorchester these guys were my idols.)

9) "You and I Both" ‐ Jason Mraz (This is the one artist me and my kids all listen to together and love. We will see him in December in concert.)

10) "My Angel" ‐ Danny Wood (I wrote this song in loving memory of my mother.

Help in the fight against Breast Cancer. Go to www.rememberbetty.org )

nkotbthing.com USA

The Monitor

Meet the ultimate New Kids On The Block fan Amy Nichol Smith

Ask any 30‐year‐old one‐time fan of New Kids on the Block why she loved the boy band, and she'll likely be at a loss for words. The New Kids on the Block mesmerized women across the world with their boyish charm, good looks, dance moves and pop music in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

The true fanatics know obscure facts about the band ‐ birthdates, shoe size, favorite drink (Donnie's favorite drink

was water!) and which day was declared New Kids on the Block Day in Massachusetts. They collected posters, magazine covers, NKOTB merchandise like dolls and lunchboxes, and follow any news about the former band they can find.

A few of the devoted entered Festiva's contest to find the ultimate New Kids on the Block fan ‐‐‐ here are their stories.

Melissa Glossup When Melissa Glossup first discovered New Kids on the Block, she didn't realize how much the quintet would inspire her later in life. At first it was just a crush, admiration of talent and a slight obsession with all things NKOTB. Her mother fed her obsession by buying her all the merchandise she could. Glossup still purchases memorabilia today, but does so in pairs. One to open and one to save in its original packaging.

Glossup's mother would take her daughter to Boston in the summer to visit the New Kids' old neighborhood. They met family members of Donnie's, friends of the boys and bought shoes at Donnie's uncle's shoe store. Glossup's love for the band grew, even after NKOTB crashed and burned.

A thyroid problem kept Glossup from enjoying the band to the fullest degree, when she allowed herself to reach 350 pounds. She refused to go to any concert because of her weight. At the announcement of the reunion, Glossup was giddy. She was inspired to get back into shape and see her favorite boy band in concert once again. After dropping 140 pounds, Glossup kept the promise to herself and has seen the band, in total, 11 times. She even traveled as far as London, England to see the band perform. Now she possesses front‐row tickets and VIP passes to the concert this weekend, and she's the winner of Festiva's Ultimate Fan Contest.

Monica Tamez She would've given anything to see New Kids on the Block in 1989 when they came to Mission, but her father forbade it. He said that it would be dangerous. When the news showed the fallout of the failed concert, he made sure his 13‐year‐old daughter realize it could've been her being treated for injuries had he let her attend. The next year, Tamez won tickets on the radio to see New Kids on the Block in Houston at the Astrodome and nothing was going to stop her from going. She even wrote an 11‐page blog of yesteryear (handwritten account in a notebook) of her experience. Since then, she's been a loyal fan, but as she grew up, her various memorabilia got lost or packed away. Still a fan of the boy band, she's made plans to see them in Hidalgo with her best friend.

Patty Garcia On that fateful day in July of 1989, Patty Garcia arrived early to see the New Kids on the Block at the Fajita Cook‐Off. She found a spot right up front and sat through six bands, as she waited for the ones she was really there to see. For Garcia, it seemed like a lifetime of gazing at the teen magazine covers wallpapered to her bedroom walls and ceiling before the day would come.

When the time finally came, Garcia found herself shoved to the back against the soundboard. The boys came out on stage, sang for 90 seconds and then left. She wasn't able to see them, they didn't come back and all she could do was cry. Today she still has books, posters, pins and a T‐ shirt with Jordan's face printed on it. Don't be surprised if Garcia is first in line at Dodge Arena.

Crystal Kelly Crystal Kelly didn't have enough money to see New Kids on the Block in concert when they were at their peak. Her family couldn't afford to get her the posters, CDs and dolls. Now that she's an adult, though, Kelly's love for the group hasn't waned. And she spends her hard‐earned cash on the collectibles she didn't get as a child. When she was able, she hit up eBay for the posters she always wanted before the guys reunited. The boys are taped and tacked to her walls today, much to the chagrin of her husband who only gets one spot for one of his posters. Kelly will be seeing New Kids on the Block tomorrow, come hell or high water.

nkotbthing.com USA

News OK

Concert

The boys are back in t‐town

A few years ago, Danny Wood never dreamed he would be preparing for the second leg of a U.S. tour with his former boy bandmates in New Kids on the Block.

"In fact, I had the opposite in my mind; that we would never get back together is what I thought,” Wood said in a recent phone interview from Miami, Fla., which he calls home.

"It’s just — 15 years. What boy band gets back together after 15 years, you know what I mean?” he asked with a laugh. "It just didn’t seem realistic most of the time. But when we started hearing music and really started focusing on making a good record first, then everything started to make sense.”

As unlikely as it may seem, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Wood successfully reformed their singing and dancing group last spring. In the late 1980s and early ’90s, the quintet notched huge pop hits with "Hangin’ Tough,” "You Got It (The Right Stuff)” and "Cover Girl,” selling more than 70 million albums along with huge numbers of T‐shirts, posters and lunchboxes. Before NKOTB broke up in 1994, they set the standards and stage for a boy band boom in the late ’90s.

"Back in the day, it was like a speeding train,” Wood said. "You know, it was moving so fast, so (there) was not much time to enjoy it. And this time, we’re all taking the time to enjoy it and really appreciating it.” The comeback tour will stop Monday night at Tulsa’s BOK Center. Based on the experience of the last year, Wood expects a huge and noisy contingent of the group’s core fans, who are now 25 to 35 years old, along with their adolescent children, nieces and nephews. "That was the kind of shocking thing ... they’re probably louder than they were before. The show opens up, and it’s just hysteria. But now it’s grown women jumping up and down and screaming instead of teenagers,” he said.

When NKOTB broke up, the boy band’s popularity was waning as its fans were growing up and musical tastes were shifting to rap and grunge. But the group’s 2008 album, "The Block,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts. "It’s been awesome. It’s been beyond anything I ever expected or anticipated or even had in my head that this reunion could be,” he said. After the New Kids broke up, Wood, who turns 40 in May, released a couple of solo albums and became part owner and vice president of Halcyon Jets, a private jet company. He also has been raising four children: two sons ages 16 and 17 and two daughters ages 9 and 10.

While he stayed in touch with Wahlberg, his pal since first grade, he only saw his other three bandmates a few times. When the quintet reunited to look at recording a new album, they all were still in shape and eager to make more music. Since the fans still have their favorite New Kid, the reunion only would have worked with all five guys coming back.

"There’s a reason why we were so successful, and part of the reason is the five different personalities, the five different guys. It wouldn’t have been the same if it would’ve been four of us, or four guys and add a new guy, or something crazy like that,” he said.

With "The Block,” they set out to make a contemporary album merging hip‐hop and pop, but their concerts also include some old familiar favorites. "We do all the old songs, and then we sprinkle in the news song. ... With people waiting 15 years, you had to give them what they want,” Wood said. "They’re the best fans in the world. They’ve been so amazing ... and we try to return the favor by putting on a great show.”

USA

Valleytown Crier

NKOTB's Jordan Knight

It feels like the good old days and a fresh new day

By ADRIANA ACOSTA

Jordan Knight, one of the front men from The New Kids on the Block, will be performing this Saturday, March 7, at Dodge Arena as part of the Borderfest celebration in Hidalgo. Jordan proved to be a suave and well‐spoken man, with a self‐deprecating sense of humor and an unexpected thoughtfulness. He was honest and candid and it was heard across the interview. While usually I'm a pretty cool when it comes to interviewing someone, I found him as charming as I did 20 years ago when I was a big fan.

How does it feel to be back performing as a group again?

It feels like it s the best of both worlds. It feels like the good old days and a fresh new day. It’s a lot of fun up on stage; we just get such a rush from the crowd. It just makes you feel validated like what you did in the past is really worth something, just makes you feel really good.

How is life on the road? Is it as it was when you all first started 20 years ago?

I think life on the road is pretty much the same. I am married and have two kids, so it’s kind of hard to be away from them. They do visit me on the road. My son is in school, so it is hard to pull him out from his schedule. But we are soaking it all in a little more. We are not as frantic as we were before. We take it in and we don’t take it for granted.

How do you keep yourself busy when you are on the road? Do you read, listen to music?

I do all that yeah, I like to read. Currently I am reading “The Reader” and then I watched the movie.

Was the movie the same as the book?

I visualized it first as I read the book, then it was good to see the movie because it brought it to life. It was a great movie.

What about music? Is there a particular artist you listen to?

Not really, I keep playing Ne‐Yo and Kanye West. Does are the two that are caught on my playlist right now.

What is your favorite song to perform while on stage?

All the songs are fun. Every song and every performance add something cool about it. I do like performing “Dirty Dancing,” “Baby I believe in you,” and “Give it to you,” those are very, very fun. I also love performing, “I’ll be loving you forever,” and “If you go away.” We have a new song we will perform at the beginning of the show this weekend.

What has been the coolest thing a fan has told you during this tour?

We get a lot of compliments, but a lot of people say that our music has gotten them through the tough times. That they would lean on our music and us as entertainers when things were going bad then can kind of forget about things and listen to our music. That is why we really do it, to provide happiness to people and help people.

What can fans expect to see this weekend when you perform?

We are going to do all of our old hits for sure. There will be a lot of songs that everyone grew up with “that were New Kids fans” they are going to hear those songs. We are going to do all the choreography with new twists and its going to be action packed. We are going to get the crowd involved, we want to make sure people live there happy and we want to make sure everyone is loud, excited, dancing, having fun and maybe shed a few tears.

After the tour ends, do you all plan to go back in the studio and record another album or will you go your separate ways?

We don’t know. We might to another album; we just may do another album. Like we have all said before, the door is always open to do anything together.

nkotbthing.com USA

Tennessean T com

The New Kids are back On The Block (and at Sommet)

From Metromix columnist Heather Byrd

If you were a teenage girl in the late ’80s, chances are good that you worshipped the ground that Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood walked on. (Especially Donnie — he was the bad boy!)

Now, like a vision from one of our very sweetest dreams, they’re back.

All five original members of New Kids On The Block have reunited for an American tour, and they’re coming to Music City. But why, after all this time, did the guys finally decide to regroup?

“It was kind of always left open as something that we would probably do, but it was just a matter of us getting around to it and waiting for the right timing,” says Jordan. And there were definitely growing pains once they were all back in the same place. “It was surreal at first, definitely surreal,” Jordan recalls, “but after a few days we kinda just fell into the same group that we had before.

“I didn’t know, going into the studio, if anyone’s tastes had changed or if they wanted to go on some weird tangent musically,” he adds. “I didn’t know, if I went into the studio with Joe, if he wanted to do Indian meditation music, or if Donnie wanted to do, you know, hardcore rap or something like that. But we got in there and everyone was right on the same page, so it was just like old times.”

And while the Kids are aware that the bulk of their mainly female fan base has grown up just a bit since the band’s heyday, Jordan says the ladies are still just as frenzied as they ever were.

“The fans are just as wild,” he says, laughing. “I think we made an impression on our fans when they were really young, and when we do a show those feelings come out, even when you’re older. It’s like hearing a song. We all do it — I know I do it when I hear old songs — it brings me right back to that moment and I get the same feelings.

“Our show is like an escape from reality. It’s an escape from the mundane, day‐to‐day life that we all live, so you come and you have a free pass to go wild or dance or cry or laugh and sing. We give that to the audience, and hopefully the audience really catches on and it’s a great time.”

New Kids On The Block perform at Sommet Center on March

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USA News-Press Ft. Myers

‘BLOCKHEADS’ SHARE THEIR DAYDREAMS

By Charles Runnells

The New Kids on the Block come to Southwest Florida Thursday — and some of their fiercest fans aren’t far behind.

Molly Phennicie of Lehigh Acres — who once daydreamed of marrying New Kid Joey McIntyre — plans to be there or the Germain Arena show. So does Cape Coral resident Katrina Sammelian, who says she’s amassed a huge (and slightly disturbing) collection of New Kids memorabilia. Including Danny Wood’s dirty sock.

Some New Kids fans love the Boston boys as much now as they did in the late ’80s. Maybe even more.

The News‐Press recently asked the mostly female concert‐goers to e‐ mail some of their best New Kids stories and confessions. Here’s what these self‐described “Block‐heads” had to say:

• “I have been a fan since the ’80s,” writes Melody Anderson, 32, of Tampa. “My entire bedroom was filled top to bottom with NKOTB pictures.”

Anderson is such a hard‐core fan, she recently baked a cake for Jonathan Knight’s 40th birthday. “My kids think I’m crazy,” she says. “Hell, everyone thinks I’m crazy!“They were my first crush, and now I’m suppose to be an adult.

“But when I hear their music or see them on TV, I scream like I’m 13.”

• Angela Garcia, 30, of Miami says she’s been a “Blockhead” since 1988, and she still loves the quintet’s smooth dance moves, fantastic voices and dreamy good looks.

“My favorite then and now is Joe McIntyre,” Garcia writes. “He has always remained my favorite with his suave Frank Sinatra demeanor and perfect smile.” Garcia says she never got to meet an actual New Kid — but she did meet their parents.

“The craziest thing I ever did for the band — other than spending endless amounts of my mother’s money for memorabilia — is when my cousins and I slipped out in order to meet the parents of the band members at a local mall here in Miami,” she writes. “Even though we did not get to meet the guys, meeting their parents was just as exciting.”

• Sabrina Mills, 29, of Leesburg says she and her friend Erin once dreamed of marrying one of the New Kids.

nkotbthing.com USA

Shreveport Times

'The fans dictated this'

By Donecia Pea

Before *NSync, Backstreet Boys and 98 degrees were sending female fans in a frenzy, New Kids on the Block dominated the boy band scene. Following the model of R&B acts like New Edition, New Kids on the Block burst onto the music scene in the late 1980s with the debut single "Please Don't Go Girl."

The heartthrob group went on to score a number of hit singles including "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "I'll be Loving You (Forever)," "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" and sold at least 80 million records worldwide before splitting up in 1994. They also shattered concert box office records, playing an estimated 200 concerts a year, in sold‐out stadiums throughout the world, while beating out Michael Jackson and Madonna as Forbes highest paid entertainers of 1990.

New Kids on the Block reunited last year with a new album "The Block" which is already making waves and they continue to sell out concerts. They'll bring their show to the CenturyTel Center on Tuesday. The Times recently had a chance to chat with Joe McIntyre via phone from his Los Angeles home where he resides with his wife, Barrett, and their 15‐month‐old son.

Q. Does it feel like déjà vu being on stage together again?

Joe: It's sort of like you have a job to do every night, but it's fun. It's a blessing and you don't see it, but sometimes it just hits you and I think the fans really get a kick out of seeing us together again.

Q. Are you surprised at the fan reaction out there? I mean, I have several grown co‐workers who were immediately jealous just knowing I was talking to you. Does that surprise you to still get that level of reaction from your fans even though they're all grown up now?

Joe: (Laughs) Yes, absolutely, we don't take it for granted. This whole journey could have stopped a long time ago. It could have just been an album or a couple of songs. The fans are the ones who dictated this. They really stepped up and made the world notice and it came from there. Timing is everything and the cool thing is our fans, like the folks in your office, are grown now. You look back at that time with great fondness and we're so busy with our lives that this is like a great break, a chance to get away. And that all has to do with timing and it's great. The fact that we can have a normal conversation with our fans instead of running away from them down the street is pretty cool.

Q. Why did you all decide to reunite?

Whose idea was it?

Joe: We were all thinking of it, obviously.

Jordan and I have been performing over the years and I've done a couple of movies and a bunch of stuff, but being on stage, Jordan and I were used to it. It's what we do. Donnie was doing his act, but he was talking about it and getting into the studio is what made him excited.

Jon's totally out of the business and thought it would be something new and

different. Danny is on board, living in Miami with a life of his own.

But I think what brought us together was the challenge, the challenge to write a new chapter. A lot of things. The reason we left in the first place is we wanted to do some stuff individually. When you grow up half your life in a band you want to be independent at some point and call your own shots and I think we did that and lived a lot of life and the idea of coming back together to rewrite another chapter and have the last word in our history is challenging. We like each other and respect each other, so the idea of working together was pretty fun.

Q. What's the biggest difference performing together this time, compared to before? Was there anything that you all had to relearn?

Joe: Yeah, 90 percent of the choreography is new. So, yeah we were in rehearsals for quite awhile, for months putting it together, piecing it together. Of course, we have a bunch of songs we do from the new album. So it's a brand new show, basically. I think it's just cleaner, more professional this time. We're not kids anymore jumping around like crazy. I mean, there's still some of that, which is fun and it feels like you're a kid again and there's nothing wrong with feeling young and we use that. But right now, I think we strive for that showmanship, that kind of show that we grew up admiring from New Edition and we'd look at Jackson Five and the Temptations and how they really delivered a show to the people and included them, making it about hem as well. I don't think there's a lot of that going on right now. I think we've brought that back to a certain extent. You gotta know what your gift is, your talent is and do your best to make that happen and I think we've done that on the road and with this tour.

Q. What's the strangest or funniest fan reaction you've had so far on this reunion tour?

Joe: I mean it's not crazy. What may be crazy for someone who's not around it, we've seen before. We haven't seen it all, but I'm sure we've seen pretty close to it. I think the fans get really enthused. We meet a lot of them before the show at these all access events and they sing, some of them change the lyrics or try to get backstage after the show. They'll have costumes on. You gotta love their enthusiasm.

Q. You have the new album "The Block," right? How would you describe it compared to what you did in the past?

Joe: (Jokingly) You mean you don't have it?

(He laughs) Yeah, it's been out for awhile.

We had our first single, "Single," which is a top 20 hit and the album debuted at number one (on the Billboard Top Pop Album chart). "Single" was a Top 40 hit and a big video for us and the next one is called "Two in the Morning" and a video to be released this week. It's done really well.

We could always do better, but as far as the record industry and exposure, we're always trying to push it to the next level.

Q. Anything else you want to say to your fans?

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NKOTB.COM

Joe: I love you all and God bless you.

Joe checks in from the road!

If you saw the groups emails back and forth about last nights show and the rest of this tour you would see how much we care about our shows.

And it’s all cuz you care like you do. We have a lot of fun figuring it all out and finding new ways to surprise and entertain you.

We kicked it off in Hildago and the crowd was up!!! They were the first to see some new changes… a little early to make comments, but for now I can say that it’s good to feel engaged and open to the living breathing thing called the stage. I had a lot of laughs as usual and I am pumped to be back in the States and Canada again. It’s gonna be an exciting spring.

Seems like we‐us 5 and you guys‐ wont know what’s coming next and I like that… for the most part ☺ xoxo ‐jm

P.S. I gotta be honest and tell you I got really pissed before my medley last night cuz my hat wasn’t back stage and I didn’t wear it. So I was doing phantom hat moves‐ don’t laugh. But once again, you get out there and you throw your heart out and you guys are right there with me. I look forward to sharing that music with you. Hat or no hat, it was exciting shit… did I just swear?

USA

The Monitor

New Kids on the Block give Valley the right stuff Amy Nichol Smith

A sea of cell phones appeared when the lights went down at Dodge Arena Saturday night. Each tiny lighted screen seemed to belong to a thirtysomething woman who was bouncing with excitement as the words "15 years ago ... they walked away ... tonight ... they ... are ... back ... Are you ready?" flashed across the giant screen in front of the crowd.

The mostly‐female audience responded they were, indeed, ready, by letting loose ear‐splitting screams. From the center of the stage, the five boys of the ‘80s, now men of the ‘00s, appeared together, singing, "Call It What You Want". The screams from

the audience that began before the New Kids on the Block showed their faces continued through the entire song, with the enthusiastic crowd pausing only to take a breath before launching into another "woo".

Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joe McIntyre, Danny Wood and Jonathan Knight gave their songs and dance moves all they had, though it has been 15 years and they seemed less spry, but what they lacked in impressive moves, made up for in endurance. They barely skipped a beat before jumping into the next song.

"My Favorite Girl" got the girls, er, women, screaming again, but this time they were shouting the lyrics, pumping their fists and for tonight, they were pre‐teens again, abandoning inhibitions and seemingly unconcerned with how they may be judged by others. After all, they were surrounded by NKOTB fans who understood the obsession.

After a display of their old choreography for "(You Got It) The Right Stuff", Wahlberg grabbed a mike and challenged the audience. "Now I want to hear you sing it!" he shouted. The fans obliged, taking the lead and singing, "Uh oh ohohoh, uh oh ohoh!"

The Kids put on a good show of their classic hits, new tracks from The Block, some slick dance moves with a few wardrobe changes and lots of audience interaction. If anything, the guys, like cheese, have improved with age.

New Kids on the Block flirted, danced and sang with their fans last night with lots of appreciation for them. It's clear NKOTB fans, they'll be loving you forever.

nkotbthing.com USA

NKOTB.COM

Tulsa was fire!

Hey all‐ I’m telling you right now…….

Tulsa was on fire tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn!!!! Who knew it could be sooooo hot!!!!!

And on a Monday night??????????

Tulsa was not only one of the best crowds of this tour ‐they were one of the best crowds ever!!!!

I didn’t want to leave the stage. (well…. I never do….. But for tonight was crazy).

It was that incredible….. They had me like the energizer bunny and sh*t!!!!

To all other cities and all other fans……

Tulsa layed down the gauntlet tonight.

Bring it like tulsa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For real…. Let’s keep this party going!!!!!!!!!

This crowd made me realize more than ever….

As bad as sh*t is in the world right now….

We were not all brought here again, all these years later, by accident.

This is our time!!!!!!

We gotta take advantage of it….

We have to!!!!!!!

Tulsa set the tone….

Now….. The party continues.

As always….. Your man, ~donnie w

nkotbthing.com USA

Tulsa World

New Kids back on block, all grown up

By KIM BROWN World Scene Writer

They've been around the block several times since the late 1980s and early 1990s.

But fans of New Kids on the Block still remember their favorite T‐shirts, posters, jean‐jacket buttons and crushes they had on the beantown boy band, which is making a stop in Tulsa tonight on its reunion tour.

More than 20 years after the release of their largest‐selling album "Hangin' Tough," the five members are all grown up — they're in their mid‐ to late 30s — and most have their own kids.

But the frenzy continues, and the underwear is still flying onto the stage. The group released its first studio album in 14 years last fall, called "The Block," and has been touring since September performing all of its old hits, including "(You Got It) the Right Stuff," "Please Don't Go Girl," and "Step by Step."

Danny Wood, 39, is a divorced father of four who calls Miami home. In recent years, he's written and produced several solo albums, including his most recent, called "Coming Home." He said in a phone interview that the tour has been "amazing" and the fans are just as enthusiastic as they were in the New Kids heyday.

Kim Brown: How did the reunion tour come about?

Danny Wood: This really didn't start out about being about going on tour. It was really about making a record. The first thing was to make a great record and see what happened out of that. It was great being creative with the guys and (having) the camaraderie. We're like brothers.

What do you I think has made the New Kids stand out in terms of boy bands?

You guys formed as friends, not as an audition or anything contrived, like some bands are today, right?

I think its two things: We come from a city that builds character, Boston. And we also come from big families and have that upbringing. We definitely weren’t like the overnight success or manufactured or put together.

Do you think you were the model for subsequent boy band successes, such as *NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys, or even the Jonas Brothers?

I don't really give that a lot of thought. I really like what *NSYNC did, they always gave us a lot of credit. We looked up to New Edition growing up, so we certainly didn't invent the concept.

How did you avoid all the so‐called trappings of fame that other pop stars have fallen victim to?

I think most of it has to do with our parents and the way we were raised and also growing up in Boston, you've got to have some streets smarts to come out of there, especially to the level of success we had, and be able to handle it. We stayed away from drugs and we didn't party a lot. We did have a lot of fun, though; nobody was perfect.

When putting this tour together, what were your expectations, and have they been met?

The experience has been amazing. From making the record and from going on tour, it's exceeded any of my expectations.

Has anything surprised you about the fans' reactions?

Yes, they're probably even louder.

USA

US 101 Country

Saint Patrick’s Fun! Irish NKOTB singer Joey McIntyre was excited to perform in Ireland for the first time last year. "Who knows, I might meet some Irish cousins," he said.

"That would be pretty cool."

Another NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg, was born into an Irish family and is the eighth of nine children.

Mark Wahlberg is the ninth.

nkotbthing.com USA

News OK

CONCERT REVIEW

New Kids on the Block still have the right stuff

TULSA ‐ When Donnie Wahlberg pulled a grinning preteen girl dressed in an “I Love New Kids on the Block” T‐shirt onto the BOK Center stage to serenade her with the peppy love song “Cover Girl,” it was like 1989 all over again.

Former boy band New Kids on the Block brought countless musical memories along with their successful reunion tour Monday night to the Tulsa arena.

Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood showed they still have the synchronized dance moves, smoothly harmonized vocals and seemingly boundless energy they did back in their heyday of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And their still‐fervent fans illustrated they could actually scream even louder than they did back when they were frenzied adolescents cheering on their teen idols.

The din inside the BOK Center often swelled to almost painful levels as the more than 6,000 fans (near capacity for the 6,500‐person seating configuration) shrieked for their favorite pop hits from back in the day. The audience included adolescents, children and a surprising number of men. But as expected, the crowd consisted mostly of NKOTB’s core fans – the now‐25‐ to 35‐year‐old women who as teens and tweens snapped up more than 70 million albums along with myriad T‐shirts, posters and pillowcases.

Numerous fans again donned New Kids shirts and oversize buttons, and more than a few of those wardrobe choices looked to be ‘90s vintage or homemade. Several even dug out their old 1990 Magic Summer Tour concert Ts from NKOTB’s previous Tulsa show at Skelly Stadium. (That was the first concert I ever attended, so those shirts brought back fond memories for me.)

The former boy band didn’t disappoint fans looking for a powerful nostalgia fix. By the third song, the confident quintet was chanting the catchy chorus and doing the signature dance to one of their biggest hits, “(You Got It) The Right Stuff,” prompting deafening squeals of joy and the echoing refrain of “oh, oh, oh, oh” from the crowd.

They pulled out most of their infectious old dance‐pop favorites and sweet bubblegummy ballads ‐ “My Favorite Girl,” “Step by Step,” “If You Go Away,” “I’ll Be Loving You Forever” – and the fans gleefully danced, waved their arms or swayed to each song. If the choreography and vocals weren’t always quite as honed as they used to be, the vast majority of the audience didn’t seem to notice or care.

Jordan Knight proved he could still hit the falsetto notes on “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) and showed off his still toned physique as he crooned “Baby I Believe in You” in the same fashion he did back in ’90, with his white button‐down shirt open and blowing in the breeze from a wind machine.

Still baby‐faced McIntyre, now 36 and often called Joe instead of Joey, also established that he still has a strong, clear voice and plenty of charisma, whipping the audience into a furor when he dropped to his knees to plead “Please Don’t Go Girl.” With the help of a sexy female dancer, he illustrated some sharp moves from his time on Broadway and the reality show “Dancing with the Stars” on the provocative “Twisted.”

Wahlberg again provided the Boston bravado, leading the way on the hip‐ hop throwback “Games.” Fit and athletic, Wood, who turns 40 in May, performed an impressive break‐dancing routine. Jonathan Knight was still the quiet one, staying firmly out of the spotlight, hitting his dance steps

just so and doing the camera work when the group enticed the audience into a little dance‐off.

But the show wasn’t just like the old days. The New Kids performed several songs from their 2008 album “The Block,” including “Click Click Click,” “Dirty Dancing” “Grown Man” and “Summertime.”

The former boy band’s new hip‐hop‐infused pop songs feature more suggestive music and lyrics than their old hits, giving the show a more adult tone that was a bit inappropriate for the youngsters in the crowd .. The singers gyrated with their quartet of skimpily clad backup dancers, while fans tossed bras onstage and waved innuendo‐laden signs. McIntyre at one point asked the wildly enthusiastic crowd “Is it me or do people drink more beer in Tulsa?”

One of the highlights of the show came when the quintet appeared out in the floor‐level crowd, perched on a moving platform that also held a piano.

The quintet crooned a pair of their new ballads, the heartfelt “2 in the Morning” and “Single,” dancing around the piano while McIntyre plunked the keys. They then burst into the relentlessly bouncy throwback “Tonight,” which Wahlberg guaranteed would weed out any remaining non‐NKOTB fans.

“We’re having a great time out here,” McIntyre told the crowd. “We can’t say enough about what you’ve done for us in the past year.”

Though many have dubbed the reunited group the not‐so‐New Kids, NKOTB provided two hours of nearly nonstop entertainment, complete with several wardrobe changes as well as old and new coordinated dance routines. By the time they ended the energetic show with a rousing rendition of “Hangin’ Tough,” with a bit of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” thrown in, the singers were grinning like schoolboys, and their fans were beaming right back at them.

The show started out with an electric performance by opening act JabbaWockeeZ. The masked dance troupe, which has appeared on the TV shows “America’s Got Talent” and “America’s Best Dance Crew,” wowed the crowd with athletic, synchronized and often funny hip‐hop routines.

Extended Q&A

Danny Wood of New Kids on the Block Posted by brandy

I’m at Tulsa’s BOK Center, where dance group JabbaWockeeZ just finished their well‐received 25‐minute dance routine.

Now, the hyped‐up crowd is awaiting the main event, the reunited New Kids on the Block. The last time I saw these guys was also in Tulsa, 19 years ago at Skelly Stadium.

I told Danny Wood of NKOTB in our recent phone interview that my first concert experience was that 1990 New Kids show in Tulsa. Here’s the expanded version of my Q&A with Wood; I interviewed him on the phone from his home in Miami:

Q: I must tell you I’m pretty excited about the show in Tulsa, since the first concert I ever went to was a NKOTB show in Tulsa.

A: Oh, that’s awesome.

Q: So I’m pretty pumped up about it because there’s some nice symmetry for me. So how has the touring been going?

A: It’s been awesome. It’s been beyond anything I ever expected or anticipated or even had in my head that this reunion could be. And for it to be now going on the second leg of the U.S. tour and then we’re gonna do a summer leg of the tour, too, it’s just amazing. You know, it’s an incredible experience.

Q: It sounds like you guys have gotten some amazing support from your old fans from back in the day?

A: Yeah, I mean, the core of the fans is probably from 25 to 35 and you know, they’re the ones who grew up listening to us. But also they’re appreciating the new record, “The Block,” and you know they’re also bringing maybe their nieces and nephews and they’re reuniting with old friends. So it’s definitely like a girls’ night out, you know, everyone getting together like a party.

Q: So what are the crowds like at the shows then?

A: You know, It’s the core of the fans, 25 to 35, but then there’s a younger generation of fans. I mean, my daughters are 9 and 10 and they went from being Jonas Brothers fans to New Kids fans. So there’s some younger kids there, there’s parents bringing their kids to the show, you know, to show them what they grew up listening to. So it’s pretty diverse.

Q: Are they pretty enthusiastic? Lot of feedback from the crowd?

A: Ah, yeah. I mean, that was the kind of shocking thing where they’re probably louder than they were before. The show opens up and it’s just hysteria. But now it’s grown women jumping up and down and screaming instead of teenagers.

Q: You guys are obviously grown men performing: What is like touring now, playing the arenas now and touring now? How is it different than it was back in the day?

A: Well, back in the day it was like a speeding train. You know, it was moving so fast, so (there) was not much time to enjoy it. And this time, we’re all taking the time to enjoy it and really appreciating it. But it’s a lot easier this time because all of us, we’ve learned from all of our mistakes, and now we’re surrounded by all great people working for us. And we’re in control of everything that goes on.

4:35

Q: Is it harder touring now when you have family and other obligations?

A: That’s the only difficult part is being away from my kids. I rely a lot on iChat on the computer. And you know, being in the U.S., they’re able to come out and they’re gonna visit a couple times on the tour.

Q: How many kids do you have?

A: I have 9‐ and 10‐year‐old girls and 16‐ and 17‐year‐old boys.

nkotbthing.com

Q: So that’s four total?

A: Yes.

Q: That’s a great crowd right there. Little bit of space between the two sets?

A: Yeah, yeah, no, they’re awesome. They’re awesome. That’s the best part is being able to share this with them. I never thought they’d be able to see me back onstage doing it.

Q: What did you do in those intervening years besides have four kids?

A: Well, you know, that took up a lot of my time. I was raising them, and I’m also part owner and vice president of a private jet company called Halcyon Jets. So I went into the business side of things, and I also recorded a couple of solo albums.

Q: Did you ever imagine in those intervening years that this would reunion would happen? Did you have in the back of your mind that it would be possible?

A: No. In fact, I had the opposite in my mind, that we would never get back together is what I thought.

Q: Was there some reason you were so sure it wouldn’t happen?

A: It’s just ‐ 15 years. What boy band gets back together after 15 years, you know what I mean? (with a laugh) It just didn’t seem realistic most of the time. But when we started hearing music and really started focusing on making a good record first, then everything started to make sense.

And when we all got back together the first time and everyone looked good: No one was fat, you know, no one let themselves go, that was good, too. Everyone was in shape and looking good and ready to do it.

Q: How has your music changed? Obviously, you released your new album last year, “The Block,” and how has your music changed? And how has your approach to your music changed?

A: On the record, the approach was pretty much the same as before except we were kind of dictating what songs we did, we were dictating who we wanted to work with. But the approach is still the same: You get in the studio, you do the work, you sing your part and you leave.

Q: How do you feel the music has changed? Do you feel like it’s more mature?

Do you feel like it’s more modernized?

A: Well, yeah, we definitely set out to make a contemporary record. We weren’t gonna make a retro ‘80s record or something. We wanted to make a contemporary record that would appeal to our fans because they’re listening to current stuff, you know. So we wanted to make a record that, you know, was contemporary.

Q: Was it important when you’re working on a new record to not come across as some sort of novelty but to make music that would sort of fit in with what the Top 40 stations are playing at the time?

A: We never have plans like that in our heads. We listen to music. We would listen to songs being submitted to us, and if we liked them, we did them and if

nkotbthing.com we didn’t, we didn’t. You know what I’m saying? We never thought, ‘Who’s gonna play it? What audience are we gonna target?’ You first want to make record that you’d listen to, that as a collective unit we would all listen to. So, that’s goal No. 1.

Q: It definitely came across as something that was more mature and definitely it seemed to have more of a kind of hip‐hop sound on some of the tracks than some of your older songs. So that wasn’t something that was deliberate, that’s just what you guys liked?

A: Yeah, well, we grew up on hip‐hop, and you know, hip‐hop now is pop music.

So, it’s kind of hard to go into a middle zone for pop music and you know, we just started hearing songs, and that’s the stuff we all wanted to do.

Q: I thought it was interesting and good that you guys had updated that way, because hip‐hop has become pop. They have merged a lot more since you guys weren’t making records?

A: Yeah.

Q: Did you guys keep in touch during those intervening years?

A: I’ve always kept in touch with Donnie; me and him have been friends since first grade. But the rest of the guys: I saw Jordan a couple of times over the years.

I saw Joe I think once or twice in that whole 15 years, and I think I saw Jon once.

Q: So is it great for you guys to be back together because obviously you were a big part of each other’s lives?

A: Yeah, it’s great. Yeah, it’s like being brothers, you know what I mean? It’s like rekindling old friendships, you know. It’s been easier to work together this time around because we’re all mature. We all got families, it’s all real lives we have that are a lot more important than being up on stage. So it’s been a lot easier this time around.

Q: It sounds like you’re just more grounded than you were when you were kids?

A: Nah, we were grounded then. We had good families, and you know, it’s pretty obvious we were pretty grounded back in the day because none of us got into any crazy trouble like you see some of these teenage stars get into. That didn’t happen to us. But we were pretty grounded then, it’s just we were on a ride that was going really, really fast.

Q: Yeah, it always did kind of amaze me that you guys never did anything to make people embarrassed that they’d been your fans. You never did anything crazy like that. As crazy as your ride was, it always kind of amazed me that none of you ever went wacky like a lot of young stars do. So I always thought that was good.

A: Yeah, that was our upbringing with our parents and also growing up in Boston.

It’s the kind of city that builds character.

Q: Was it essential to you guys that all five members come back together to have a reunion?

A: Yeah, yeah. We wouldn’t have done it any other way. The fans, you know to this day, they all still have their ‘favorite favorites.’ There’s a reason why we were so successful and part of the reason is the five different personalities, the five different guys. It wouldn’t have been the same if it would’ve been four of us or four guys and add a new guy or something crazy like that. It just wouldn’t have worked for us.

Q: And musically, did you think it wouldn’t be good either, because you sang together so well?

A: Yeah, I mean, it translated into all sides of it, the stage, the studio, even some of the business things. You know, we needed all five guys.

Q: Are you happy that you guys are back together? It sounds like it’s working out better than you even imagined. Are you looking to continuing to tour and make music for the foreseeable future?

A: I am beyond happy. This has gone beyond anything I ever imagined would happen. And we’re getting ready to start this next part of the tour, and I’m planning for my kids to come out, you know, a week into the tour and to visit for four or five days. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that. And, you know, our hope is that we finish out touring into the fall and then take some time off and then get back together in 2010 and maybe make another record or do another tour or do something ‐ but definitely to keep this going.

Q: At the show, can people expect to hear new and old music?

A: Oh, of course. We do all the old hits. It’s not the kind of show where you go see some self‐absorbed artist and they do their whole new album and do a couple old songs. We do all the old songs and then we sprinkle in the news songs.

Q: So it sounds like you’ve got the balance there with the new and old songs?

A: Well, we had to with people waiting 15 years. You had to give them what they want.

Q: So it sounds like your kids are gonna spend their spring break visiting you on the tour?

A: Absolutely. And the summer too. You know, when we’re on tour in the summer, they’re gonna be along for the ride.

Q: I imagine that’s an awesome family experience for you guys?

A: It doesn’t get any better.

Q: Is there anything you want to say to your core fan base that has come back some strong in support of you?

A: The same thing we’ve been saying all along is thank you. They’re the best fans in the world. They’ve been so amazing. They’re so loyal, they’re so supportive, and we try to return the favor by putting on a great show. So I want everyone to come down and enjoy the show.

nkotbthing.com USA

Sun Herald Brush up on your ‘New Kids’ dance

The New Kids on the Block are back from almost a 15 year hiatus and stepping on the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday in Studio A at the IP Casino in Biloxi.

The band of five hunky males, Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg are back on top with their new album The Block, which was released in September and debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. top pop Album Chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

New Kids promise fans a few surprises at their show, but Wood wasn’t letting any secrets escape his sealed lips.

“We spent like a week and a half tweeking the show, changing some things, and we let fans know as we go into the next part of the tour, it’s going to be completely different shows, and we want them to come back. So, I can’t give anything away.

You just have to see it,” Wood said.

The New Kids toured the country in late 1980s and early 1990s as young mostly teenage kids and sold more than 80 million albums world wide with international No. 1 songs like “Hangin’ Tough” in 1988 and “Step by Step” in 1990. In the mid90s the band broke up and members went their separate ways.

“It was more of people wanted to do their own things,” Wood said. “It was like we had been on that roller coaster ride, and it had been going so fast for so long. I think everyone needed a break and needed to explore things on their own that they wanted to do.”

Getting back together was about the music at first, Wood said, “We didn’t plan to tour. We just said let’s make a good record and let’s go on from there.”

And Wood described their relationship as bonds that could never be broken. At this stage of the tour, things are really getting back on track.

“It feels great now. We are about 80 something shows into the tour,” Wood said.”The hardest part was at the beginning, dance rehearsal and everyone getting back into the swing of things.”

Wahlberg is credited with getting the group back together after being impressed with a demo tape of some songs written by singer/songwriter Nasri Atweh.

USA

NKOTB.COM

Jordan’s

NYC

adventure

Wahlberg played “Click, Click, Click” from the demo tape for Jordan and McIntyre and it seized their interest. “Click, Click, Click” is the first song on the new album.

“The songs (by Nasri) were mature, but they still kind of had the New Kids kind of flavor,” Wood said. “His songs were very easy for us to hear us doing them. And we just clicked.” The biggest difference in touring these days Wood explained is that most of the members have families and have separate buses, but Wahlberg and Wood are single again.

Fans have been very receptive, Wood said, “From day one it has been incredible, every turn has surprised me. Last night we were in Tulsa and the crowd was insane, they were crazy. It is awesome every night”

And fans don’t have to worry about them going anywhere any time soon. The band will be touring this summer and their single “2 in The Morning” just hit the radio and the video is on VH1, Wood said.

nkotbthing.com USA

Orlando Sentinel

New Kids on the Block turn back the clock at Amway

by JimAbbott

New Kids on the Block aren’t kids anymore, and neither are the fans, but the used‐ to‐be‐boy‐band turns the clock back with ease on its reunion tour. When the group launched into vintage material on Friday at Amway Arena, the screaming sounded like it was 1990. It was almost enough to forget that there weren’t enough fans to require opening the upper bowl and that there were empty seats downstairs, too.

That didn’t bother the fans in the house, and it didn’t affect the exuberant approach of the guys on stage. Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Jonathan Knight sang and danced their hearts out for a solid two hours.

And you know what? A lot of the old songs are surprisingly sweet pop confections after all these years. Wisely, the New Kids realize that. There’s a new album to promote, but the group didn’t make the faithful wait for what they wanted. The first 30 minutes were packed with favorites: "Call It What You Want," "My Favorite

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Jordan interview

Girl," "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," "Please Don’t Go, Girl."

That opening salvo showcased the vocals of McIntyre and Jordan Knight, the latter showing that his falsetto hasn’t deteriorated with age. Wearing dark shades and a suit, he dominated the spotlight in the early going. Yet the spotlight was shared fairly equally, with each of the members having solo interludes that also served as time‐chewing breaks for costume changes — or maybe an oxygen break backstage.

Just kidding!

Most of the choreography was a nice compromise between back‐in‐ the‐day and stuff that would make a 30‐something guy look silly. Even so, Wood did look a little winded after whirling around on his head in that break‐dance routine. What was genuinely impressive was that the singers didn’t lean on special effects to keep people amused. The two‐ tier stage, with one big metal staircase in the middle, was utilitarian. There were no explosions or moving walkways, just a big video screen to provide close‐ups of faces and the occasional booty.

At one point, the guys did go to the far end of the arena floor to do a short set on an elevated circular stage. A nice gesture for the cheap seats. With the exception of the redundant "Twisted," the new material blended well with the oldies. "Grown Man," with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger singing along on the video screen, was a beat‐driven highlight. Wahlberg did most of the talking, even when he was busy collecting all the lingerie being tossed on stage. "Eighteen years ago, it was teddy bears," he said. "Now it’s this?" Well, everyone’s older.

"It’s nice to see you’ve grown up so nicely," McIntyre told the screaming fans at one point. By the time the group had finished the closing "Hangin’ Tough," it was evident that the New Kids have matured gracefully, too.

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Nashville

Hey All‐ Okay, I gotta be real right now…… Tulsa…. Orlando….

Biloxi…. And all you upcoming cities on this tour….

Last night‐ NASHVILLE BROUGHT SOME FIRE!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!

I don’t know how the rest of these cities are gonna compete with crowds like Tulsa and Nashville…… For real.

All I can say is‐ if anybody can match them… That will be one ELECTRIC‐ASS BUILDING!!!!!!

Oh yeah‐ did I mention that we got the most incredible fans anywhere? Nothing can stop them. They are an army!!!!!!

USA Tennessean

Shit man….. We are going on a cruise with 2,000 of them!!!

Can you imagine the insanity?!?!?! Let some of them pirates try to take over our cruise ship‐ we won’t even have to put up a fight!!! Why? Because our fans will beat the s@#t out of them for us!!!!! We got an army behind us. This is crazy!

What a crazy ride this last year has been. And you know what…. It aint over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The party continues! We will not let you all down!!! Too much to be down about now….

Screw that. We going all the way til we can’t go another inch. Get ya mind….. Nevermind…. Y’all got your minds right!

Hell‐ I gotta keep mine right! Yeszir!

As Always Your Man‐ Donnie W

T

New Kids back on The Block

It’s been 15 years since New Kids On The Block split up and 17 years since they last played Nashville. But you'd never know it, judging by the massive crowd that packed Sommet Center for their concert Monday night.

The fans were mostly female and just a teeny bit older, but they acted like they were preteens again when NKOTB took the stage.

“The fans are just as wild,” says Jordan Knight. “I think we made an impression on our fans when they were really young, and

when we do a show those feelings come out, even when you’re older. Its like hearing a song. We all do it. I know I do it when I hear old songs ‐‐ it brings me right back to that moment and I get the same feelings. Like I said, our show is like an escape from reality. It's an escape from the mundane, day‐to‐day life that we all live, so you come and you have a free pass to go wild, or dance or cry or laugh and sing. It’s a great time.”

Indeed, it was as if no time had passed at all. The guys, who are still gorgeous, performed for nearly three hours, dancing and singing the whole way through without ever seeming out of breath.

Looking across the sea of screaming fans rocking side ponytails and crimped hair and decked out in neon T‐shirts emblazoned with the boy’s faces, I couldn’t help but feel like I was 12 years old again at Starwood Amphitheatre. The whole scene made me weak in the knees and I found myself squealing with glee from start to finish.

David Kells, Sommet Center marketing director, summed it up best when he said, “You know, there’s going to be a lot of moms who won’t be able to scream at their kids tomorrow.”

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NKOTB.COM JOE SAYS… These crowds are sick.

These shows are sick.

This tour is sick.

Viva The Block!

USA Greenville Online

Review: New Kids' block is down memory lane

The five members of New Kids on the Block took the stage Tuesday night, but it was hard to see them through the cloud of nostalgia that surrounded their almost two‐hour show.

Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg and Joey McIntyre knew why they were there: to put on a good show and to laugh a little at what a difference 15 years can make. The dancing was classic New Kids a la 1991 with some updated hip‐

hop moves, and the five played to the crowd with ease and a bit of humbleness.

Juliet Wright, Emilia Autenzio and Candi Cox remembered when the New Kids were actually kids, and Cox had the vintage silver logo necklace to prove it. The three bought "Meet and Greet" tickets at $375 apiece that guaranteed a meeting with the band and a seat in the first 10 rows.

"Totally worth it," exclaimed Wright, a 26‐year‐old high school teacher who saw the band in Charlotte in the fall and had plans to see them again over the summer. "It is like a time machine in terms of the excitement level."

NKOTB mixed it up with a little old, a little new, and surprisingly it was the latter, notably the song "Single" off their newest album, "The Block," that may have garnered the most teen‐style screams. Most in the audience were not teens but adults. The concert was but a brief moment to once again be that 9‐, 12‐ or 14‐year‐old who saw New Kids in concert 18 years ago.

"It's fantasy," Autenzio said. "You're not buying those three minutes, you're going back to you wanted to see them when you were 10 years old and your parents said 'You're too young.' Now we have our own checkbooks."

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Hollywood Reporter

VH1 resuscitates 'Behind the Music'

VH1 is reviving its former signature series "Behind the Music." The cable network is ordering about 10 new episodes of "Music," bringing back the iconic documentary program that ran for several years on VH1 starting in 1997.

Lil Wayne and Scott Weiland have signed on to participate, with the network near agreements with several other artists. "It felt like the time is right," said Jeff Olde, VH1 executive vp original programming. "There's all sorts of new artists on the

scene who have emerged and have these great stories. And there's other artists that we always wanted to do the first time around."

VH1 had a reminder of the show's popularity last fall when it aired a well‐received 90‐minute live New Kids on the Block "Behind the Music" special. The event showed the group's first public performance in more than a decade along with a "BTM" retrospective. "We always hear about the show, even now," Olde said. "It's amazing how much affection viewers have for it."

VH1 stopped airing regular episodes of "BTM" in 2002, then aired only a few a year until 2006. In focus groups, VH1 found "BTM" is so deeply associated with the channel, some viewers assumed the series never left the air. The show's storytelling model of the meteoric rise, tragic fall and sober rebirth of an artist was so distinctive that "The Simpsons" devoted a 2000 episode to parodying the show. There was also a short‐lived spinoff titled "Behind the Music 2" that looked at the careers of younger favorites.

VH1 will update the show's format for 2009, but not too much. Jim Forbes is back as the show's narrator, though the new episodes will add more current footage to anchor the story in the present day – like the way the New Kids special intercut with a live event. "I'm leery about changing certain elements," Olde said. "I think the audience will be mad if we mess with it too much."

USA Baltimore Sun

New Kids on the Block still have the right stuff Fans embrace reunited group, which plays at 1st Mariner tonight

Such worldwide hysteria among teen girls hadn't been seen since the Beatles. In the late 1980s and early '90s, some 25 years after the Fab Four sparked mania, New Kids on the Block became a sweeping sensation. The Boston quintet of Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood dominated the Top 10 with sprightly pop hits that streamlined elements of classic Philly soul and lite hip‐hop. Surely you remember them: "Please Don't Go Girl," "Step By Step," "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" and others. Guided by shrewd producer Maurice Starr, NKOTB was the white counterpart to New Edition, the all‐ black Boston quintet Starr launched in the early '80s.

New Kids on the Block were far bigger, though, packing arenas around the world.

When the dust settled, the camera‐friendly quintet had become one of the most successful groups of all time."I was 14 when New Kids hit the charts, and I was the epitome of every stereotypical teenage girl who worshiped the band," says Shannon Heath, 33, a corporate communications specialist in North Carolina.

"NKOTB doesn't have fair‐weather fans who drop them when the hottest thing comes along. They held on to the music and memories as a reflection of their youth."

In their five years of pop ubiquity, the guys of NKOTB sold more than 80 million albums worldwide. Merchandise ‐ everything from New Kids T‐shirts and bedsheets to lunch boxes and school supplies ‐ moved as swiftly as the cassettes and CDs. Sales exceeded $400 million. For better or worse, NKOTB set the template for the boy bands ('N Sync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees) that followed in the '90s.Now, more than a decade after the mania fizzled, the New Kids have reunited for a world tour, which stops at 1st Mariner Arena tonight. The reunion is an event that longtime fans like Heath won't miss. She had long made plans to attend the Tuesday show in Greenville, S.C.

"Here I am, practically on the eve of my 34th birthday, leaving my husband and 4‐ month‐old baby for two days, not to mention paying what some would consider a ridiculous amount of money, for seats by the stage, backstage passes and a chance to be 14 again," she says.

To build anticipation for the tour, NKOTB released an album in September called The Block, its first CD since 1994's Face the Music. But most fans don't care about the new stuff. The tour is, for the most part, a trip down memory lane for women of the MTV generation."I remember seeing them for the first time at Merriweather in 1989. They were on the show with Tiffany," another '80s pop sensation, says Sarah Hess, 32, a Pikesville native and senior director of special events for the American Cancer Society in Westchester County, N.Y. "I was with my cousin." She and that cousin are going to the Baltimore show. Because the New Kids are now men, the reunion performances benefit from a certain level of maturity, Hess says.

"They had the fame, they lost it and they're working hard to get it back," she says.

"They're more invested, and they can appreciate the fans more than when they were teenagers. They work harder, and you can see that." The current tour is the first successful NKOTB reunion. In 1994, after the ambitious Face the Music flopped, the guys officially disbanded. They started families and launched limited solo careers. In 1999, MTV attempted to bring the guys together for a performance on that year's Video Music Awards, but Jonathan Knight dismissed the idea. In 2004, VH1's Bands Reunited tried to persuade NKOTB to perform on the show. This time, Knight was on board, but McIntyre, Wahlberg and Wood were no‐shows.

Finally, last April, all members, now well into their 30s, decided to hit the studio and the stage. Announcements for the tour were accompanied by new promo shots of the guys looking serious in sharp suits. That image seems a little odd as the group revisits its greatest hits: sticky‐sweet songs of puppy‐love devotion. With New Kids on the Block, "I can't say it was ever really about the music," says Ian Drew, senior music editor for US Weekly. "The music, in a sense, was another marketing tool to push the overall product."The rise of grunge rock and gangsta rap in the mid‐'90s helped deflate NKOTB's popularity. But the guys' attempts at evolving haven't gelled. On the new album, NKOTB is trying to push a grimier image. The sunniness of the earlier hits is all but gone as the guys sing unimaginatively about sex. The bubbly arrangements of such past favorites as "Cover Girl" and "Tonight" have been supplanted by skittering, mechanical beats and Auto‐Tuned vocals.

It's a mostly blah effort, but it was a smart idea to tour. A month before Interscope released The Block, Columbia, the group's old label, put out a sleekly packaged greatest hits collection."It hasn't held up that well, but it was never just about that," Drew says of the band's catalog. "It's a different time right now. ... They might not be as agile in their dance moves, but the fans are connected to the memories so can overlook it."

For fans, seeing New Kids on the Block is still a transporting experience. Hess acted like a giggly teenager when she met her favorite New Kid, McIntyre, at a recent Washington performance.

"I mean, I've worked at Columbia Records in their product marketing department.

And I've met tons of people, famous musicians, whatever," Hess says. "When we were waiting to meet him, I was like, 'OK, he's just a person. I'm all grown‐up. It's not a big deal. It's been 20 years.' I was two feet away from him, and I totally started shaking. ... I talked to him like I was 12. I was like, 'Oh, my God.' That's really lame."

if you go See New Kids on the Block at 7:30 tonight at 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Tickets are $45‐$65 and are available through Ticketmaster

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Utica Observer- Dispatch

In with the New Kids Yeah, they’ve been around the block, but we still love ‘em and ‐‐ admit it ‐‐ so do you

By CASSAUNDRA BABER

Most of us thought we’d be lovin’ the New Kids on the Block forever. We wrote of our love on spiral notebooks, our bedsheets proclaimed our devotion and we announced it in the form of buttons the size of a small planet on our stonewashed jean jackets.

When they changed their names to NKOTB in 1993, we barely knew what to do with our bedsheets and buttons, but we chugged along, trying to roll with the new “Dirty Dawg” image. But no matter how hard we tried to take the changes “Step by Step,” it just wasn’t “The Right Stuff.”

So we finally let our moms turn down the bedsheets and pack away our buttons. But really, they’ve always been “Hangin’ Tough” inside our hearts, and that couldn’t be more apparent than with their reunion tour and stop at the War Memorial Arena at Oncenter March 26.

From the nostalgia of adult fans that still can’t decide who’s cuter — Joey or Jordan — to a guide to preparing your adult self for the Syracuse concert, we’ve created our own tribute to the New Kids — then and now.

Read on, “Cover Girl” (or Guy).

Local fans still have the 'Right Stuff' Whether they’re going to the concert or not, some former fans have been thrust head first (minus the Rave‐hair‐sprayed bangs) back into the late ’80s.

These are their stories:

‘I would drive my mom crazy’ Local musician Lisa Romano admits she had an “obsession” with the five boys — Joey, Danny, Donnie, Jordan and Jonathan.

“It was like I became a complete spaz,” Romano said with a laugh, remembering how at 12 years old she plastered her bedroom walls with New Kids on the Block posters.

“They would come on TV, and I would drive my mom crazy to buy the VHS tapes. Every cassette single, I had to buy. Any thought process was taken over by them.”

Pre‐teen Romano loved Jordan. She thought he had the best voice and most resembled her — a blooming singer with dark hair. But then there was bad boy Donnie. Sometimes, she liked him better. She thought Joey was really cute, too, but her cousin Sue liked him, so it was hands off — “She had blue eyes and he had blue eyes,” Romano said, laughing some more.

‘They were dreamy’ Mary Angela Scalzo remembers a similar affection for Joey, but then again, she had a thing for all the Kids, too: “They were dreamy.”

And they still are, she said. She should know — she and four of her friends made the trip to New York City for the beginning of the New Kids comeback tour on the “Today Show” April 18 last year. “People who loved them that

much then still love them,” said Scalzo, now 29. “There were women screaming just as if they were screaming for them back then. It was like a time warp.”

That time warp has some comfort in it, as strange as it may seem, Scalzo said.

The group represented the first boy band and was relatable to young girls.

That connection still holds strong, and Scalzo isn’t afraid to admit it.

Even in her late 20s, she and her friends were convinced the New Kids would spot them out of the New York City crowd in April. “We were on the lower‐age range, and we thought we could totally take out the soccer moms,” Scalzo said, laughing as she described the masses of women vying for the attentions of the five men at the “Today Show” concert. “We were convinced they could see us and they would come over to us.”

Concert day must‐haves If you’re tough enough to go to the concert, we want to make sure you have all the stuff you need. So, here’s our list of must‐haves for the big day.

Download the right stuff You may be surprised that you still know many (or most) of the verses to just about every New Kids song, but don’t be embarrassed if you want to know every word. Start by downloading “New Kids on the Block: Super Hits” from iTunes for $5.99. You’ll have all the boys’ biggest hits, such as “Hangin’ Tough” and “I’ll be Lovin’ You Forever” ready for memorizing. Just don’t forget about the new stuff.

Yup, the New Kids have new tunes. And you know what? They’ve got just the right stuff to make us wanna download a few. We’re partial to “Summertime” and “2 In the Morning.”

Move with the right stuff You absolutely cannot go to the concert without having an arsenal of New Kids dance moves at your disposal. YouTube every New Kids video, create a dance routine and bust it out at the concert. You know you want to. We just gave you permission.

Wear the right stuff Dig out your crimper, bleach out an old pair of jeans and Rave your bangs.

Don’t forget to lace your Keds with neon shoelaces, but most importantly, scour the Internet for authentic NKOTB memorabilia. You’ll find eBay has dozens of vintage T‐shirts ready for your bid.

Party with the right stuff … ‘cause you’re old enough now If you wanna keep it vintage, party like it's 1989. Steal your parents’ liquor, mix it up with some orange juice, pour it into a sports bottle and put it in your fanny pack. Or keep it really old‐school and keep it home ‘cause you’re afraid you’ll get grounded.

Who: The New Kids on the Block. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26. Where: War Memorial at Oncenter, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. Admission: $45 to $55. Information: Call 435‐2121 or 472‐0700.

Did You Know •

Nynuk was the first name the New Kids had. They changed it to New Kids on the Block before releasing

•

• •

their first album. In 1993, they changed it to the more mature NKOTB. Mark Wahlberg was an original member of the New Kids, but left the band because he didn’t like its squeaky clean image. He later became known as Marky Mark — a hip‐hop/pop artist with a much harder edge than his New Kids counterparts.

Jordan Knight played the violin in the “Step‐by‐Step” video.

The New Kids on the Block opened for Tiffany in 1988.

They auditioned for her in her dressing room. She later dated Jonathan Knight

• •

•

•

Jonathan Knight left the band in 1994, citing a horse‐ riding accident. Fans later learned he was dealing with an anxiety disorder.

Jordan Knight released a self‐titled solo album after New Kids, which went gold, peaking at number 29 on the charts, while the single “Give It To You” went platinum.

Donnie Wahlberg pursued a successful acting career after New Kids. He has played several notable roles, including a drug addict in “Sixth Sense,” a detective in “Boomtown” and a soldier in “Band of Brothers.”

Danny Wood released “Room Full of Smoke” under the name “D‐Fuse.” The album fused R&B, hip hop and jazz.

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Go Erie

Their smash concert tour gives New Kids on the Block a chance to rewrite history.

By Dave Richards

Joey McIntyre says New Kids on the Block regrouped partly to prove they've still got it ‐‐the right stuff. So 14 years after they split, they recorded and released a new CD, "The Block," and launched a comeback tour that's surprised the music world by selling out arenas.

"We got back together because it was a challenge. I don't think it was because we needed to prove people wrong," McIntyre said, phoning from a tour stop in Nashville. "It's just that maybe the history of the group was looked at in a way we didn't agree with, and we felt maybe we could write the final chapter." McIntyre said it was equally important to tour with new music. "We wanted to feel fresh, like we had some new guns. We didn't want to do a complete nostalgia tour," he said. "That's what's so great about doing a new album you're excited about, one that's gotten a lot of play and hits.

timing for them to get away and have some fun." Expect a hit‐filled show ("I'll Be Loving You Forever," "The Right Stuff," "Step by Step") with lots of dancing, especially by McIntyre, who placed third with Ashly DelGross a few years ago on "Dancing with the Stars."

That means he flashes more moves than band mates Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and Jordan and Jonathan Knight, right?

"I got a little bias," McIntyre stammered. "I think we all have our own styles."

That goes for fashion, as well. Expect costume changes. "Not as many as Cher, but there are a few," McIntyre said. "But it's not over the top. It's mostly urban cool. We add some bling here and there. We just want to feel cool and fresh. But, at the end of the day, you've got to deliver."

"This way, when we go out there, we can embrace the past wholeheartedly and still do some new stuff and feel excited about it."

Audiences still scream, loudly as ever, but this time he can hear himself think ‐‐ and sing.

"Ear monitors!" McIntyre exclaimed. "We have ear monitors now. I look at some old tapes and go, 'Man, I did OK considering I couldn't hear myself.'"

In their heyday, New Kids on the Block sold more than 70 million records, sold out stadiums, and launched a merchandising frenzy. Their fans were mostly young teens, girls especially, with unlimited throat power.

Today, they're old enough to embrace a little nostalgia, just as Monkees fans turned out en masse for their heroes' 20‐year anniversary tour in 1986. "They always say teenybopper fans and teen idols move on," McIntyre said. "That's true they move on, but they never forget. There has to be enough time where they want to get away again.

"Our fans now are mostly in their late 20s [and 30s]. They have careers, and they're mothers and wives with responsibilities. This is just perfect

After New Kids split up in 1994, McIntyre hung tough in showbiz. He delivered a few solo CDs, including a standard set and appeared on Broadway in "Wicked." He also married and had a son, Griffin, born in late 2007. The McIntyre family goes on tour together. Joey said his wife, Barrett, not only takes the screaming in stride but hangs out with fans before shows. "She's the best," McIntyre said. "She's got a little dog, and takes him to the venue and goes for walks. Thank God, she's got a great sense of it." She doesn't mind him thrusting on stage, playing to the women.

"That's the really nice part, the maturity of this whole thing. You can experience it, and it's a balance. You want to go out there and be sexy and turn the crowd on. There's been a million pop stars doing it who are happily married. I'm one of those guys." The Block" produced mild hits with "Summertime" and "Single" while the world tour has been a smash.

That means, for now, the reunion will continue. New Kids will also launch a summer amphitheater tour. "The whole tour has been amazing," McIntyre said. "We're just trying to keep giving back."

nkotbthing.com USA

South Town Star

Southland fans hosting New Kids party

BY DONNA VICKROY

You might call them New Friends on the Web Site. Last fall, Lockport resident Susan Carlson started a Chicago‐area fan club on the New Kids on the Block Web site. The band had just reunited and she wondered if there were other elated devotees. She found herself with some 200 instant friends. About 30 of those friends ‐ all women ‐ will gather Saturday night at Durbin's Pizza in Palos Hills for an NKOTB Block party. They'll gush about their favorite singers, plan road trips to concerts and, well, sing along as a disc jockey spins must‐plays such as "Please Don't Go Girl" and "Hangin' Tough," as well as new releases "Full Service" and "Dirty Dancing." "We are all die‐hard fans, and we want everyone to know, including the guys themselves, how much we love them and appreciate them," Carlson, 31, said.

Although most of the women never have met in person, they have chatted online and on the phone about the Boston‐based band that got its start in the late 1980s. New Kids on the Block will perform in concert April 2 in Moline and April 5 in Champaign. Carlson organized the fan club, named the Chicago Block, soon after the band's reunion was announced. Some of the

USA

Star 102.5

fans have followed the group around the country.

Carlson is planning a road trip to Niagara Falls, N.Y., for an upcoming show.

Carlson, who graduated from Shepard High School in Palos Heights, first fell in the love with the group when she was 11 years old. "I've kind of grown up with them," she said. "Me and some close friends have followed them all through their careers, their going solo and now back together, which is totally awesome."

Her fandom remained constant through her teens and 20s. Today she works in information systems.

"We're all adults now. Some of us have kids," she said. "We take a lot of flak for being fans, but oh well. We have this connection, this bond." Though most of the members of the Chicago Block are women, Carlson said there are some male fans out there. But come Saturday night, it'll be all women, going fangirl over pizza, drinks and their dapper‐looking rockers.

STAR 102.5/KSTZ Big Ken and Colleen NKOTB VIP (03/20/09) Which celebrity called in to win the New Kids on the Block VIP package?

Governor Culver and Channel 13's John Bachman! Thank you!

USA Baltimore Sun

New Kids on the Block offer evening of nostalgia

By Rashod D. Ollison Most of the women filling the floor and a good percentage of the seats surrounding it were probably there to be 14 again. The New Kids on the Block reunion tour drew a full house last night at 1st Mariner Arena. One of the most ubiquitous and lucrative boy bands in the late '80s and early '90s, New Kids spent a great deal of the show spotlighting material from their new album, The Block, an awkward set of oversexed, trendy pop songs. But, of course, the strongest response (deafening cheers and plenty of hip‐wiggling) came when NKOTB revisited the puppy‐love hits of yesterday. Those songs — "If You Go Away," "Cover Girl," "Valentine Girl," and especially the nauseatingly cheesy "Tonight" — haven't aged very well.

But the guys have, for the most part. The New Kids are close to 40 these days, so the dance moves certainly aren't as crisp as they were 20 years ago. Though trim and toned, the guys (especially Donnie Wahlberg, whose "bad‐boy" role seems even lamer today than it was more than a decade ago) were visibly winded at some points. The harmonies, never all that tight to begin with, were also a little shaky at times.

It's completely unreasonable to expect the New Kids, now grown men with families, to perform with the same heart and gusto they possessed as teen boys. But age has brought nothing to the interpretation of the material. Granted, the songs of New Kids were always neon‐colored, sugar‐encrusted pieces of pop candy. But a winking

sense of humor would have perhaps eliminated the whiffs of desperation. The group now performs with a stone‐eyed sense of professionalism, as if to say, "Fine.

Give 'em what they want, blah, blah, blah. And we're out."

Even the staging was unimaginative: the requisite industrial look with steel bars and a big overhead screen. A faceless, four‐piece band played faithful versions of all the tunes. At one point, during the second half of the show, New Kids performed on a small platform opposite the main stage. Rotating around a piano, which none of the guys played, they sang "Single," the sweetly melodic Ne‐Yo‐penned cut and only highlight on The Block.

Later, Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre got a chance to revisit their brief solo careers. Knight, whose rangy voice is still the star of New Kids, seemed relieved to break out into "Give It To You," his clever platinum single from 10 summers ago, sans the rest of the guys. Given that he presaged the approach that would catapult Justin Timberlake to solo superstardom a few years later, it's strange that his solo career never really took off. Afterward, McIntyre made his solo turn in a fedora, dress slacks, gleaming shoes and loosened ti e. His act, Broadway‐inspired moves and all, was one of the corniest moments of the show.

The New Kids ended with their biggest hits, the peppy "Step By Step" and the belabored "Hangin' Tough."At one point toward the end of the show, Knight told the house, "Twenty years later, you haven't forgotten us. Thank you." It was the most sincere‐sounding moment of the night.

USA NKOTB COM

NKOTB to play V‐FEST JUNE 20, MONTREAL, CA!

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Pollymore TV

Donnie Twitter‐proof

USA

Collegians Penn State

'Kids' harken back to '90s

Penn State students and local residents will get the chance tonight to experience a show that will undoubtedly deliver '90s nostalgia. Pop boy band New Kids on the Block will hit the Bryce Jordan Center stage in support of its reunion tour ‐‐ with MTV stars The JabbaWockeeZ also scheduled to provide a supporting performance.

Bernie Punt, director of sales and marketing for the BJC, wrote in an e‐mail that many concertgoers will relive their adolescent years at tonight's show. "We are expecting thousands of 'very vocal' women," he wrote in the e‐mail. "Many of these 'women' were young girls the last time they saw their teen crushes live."

Sisters Steph and Stacey Sottung said they plan to be two of those screaming fans. Steph Sottung (junior‐journalism) said she's loved New Kids on the Block as long as she can remember, or at least since her older sister got into them. When I was little I wanted to be just like her," she said. "Since I was 4, I've been running around singing 'The Right Stuff.' " Stacey Sottung, a 27‐year‐old who is the assistant director of campus programs at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, said she is excited to see her favorite childhood band live again, as she has not gotten the chance since fourth grade. Both sisters attested to still owning such New Kids on the Block paraphernalia as bed sheets, sleeping bags, T‐shirts and cassette tapes.

"I might have come decked out for the concert in a T‐shirt and a side ponytail back in the day," Stacey Sottung said. "Not this time, though."

Stef Sottung said she hopes the concert features mostly throwback hits from the "good old days," because she only wants to hear the songs she listened to when she was little.

She added she can't wait to see if the band will perform as it did in its prime. "I just want to hear Joey McIntyre's voice because it used to be so high," she said. "I want to see if he can still sing like he did when he was young."

Stacey Sottung said she knows "tons of people" who have already seen the reunion tour, including several of her college sorority members who "are still obsessed with that era." The concert should be a good bonding experience for her and her sister, she added ‐‐ and a chance for her to take a trip down memory lane. "It's funny that all those people my age will go and drool over Jordan Knight," she said.

"I'll feel like I'm 11 years old again."

nkotbthing.com USA

Centre Daily

New Kids break out old and new tunes to rock BJC crowd

By Jonathan F. McVerry

Those walking into the Bryce Jordan Center fearing the worst or expecting a clinic on corniness forgot something about the New Kids on the Block. They forgot that the boys are now seasoned performers and know very well how to entertain a crowd.

It has been nearly 20 years since the five energetic and youthful teenagers from Boston were filling up some of the world’s largest stadiums with die‐ hard, passionate and screaming teenaged girls.

Today, the names and faces are the same, but the atmospheres are a little different. The screams aren’t quite as loud. The dances are a little slower and the stadiums are now arenas. But along with a live band of grungy guitars and thumping drums, these guys still rock it out.

The men of New Kids on the Block, the quintessential boy band of the late 80s and early 90s, strutted their aged Converse All‐Stars onto the stage in front of nearly 3,000 screaming female fans.

The dreamy smiles that once sold every piece of merchandise imaginable to teen girls two decades ago, from curtains to marbles, are flashing once more on a monster comeback tour that is trucking from coast to coast.

Even though over the past two decades the fandom has died down, the show, the lights, the music and the voices are as big as ever. The screaming fans that once filled stadiums are now holding jobs, maintaining families and living a drastically different life than their former teenage selves. But for one night, these women were able to rekindle their lost teenager, dust off their cassette tapes, and sing the hits one more time along with Jonathan, Joe, Jordan, Danny and Donnie.

Aside from a few concert clichés that dated the quintet, including crotch grabbing and telling the fans to put “their hands in the air,” the boys put on a fresh, upbeat, and loud performance.

Most of the guys still have their pipes and the same energy as their twenty‐something selves.

Jordan Knight and Joe McIntire don’t miss a step with their clean and powerful vocals, and shiny, picture‐perfect smiles.

The guys mixed old and new tunes together to create a bumping club atmosphere. Lights, dancers and effects created a truly compelling event—an experience that only true, passionate performers could pull off 20 years after their debut.

During their 14‐year hiatus, the group’s members did not exactly stay in hiding. Some pursued solo careers, acting careers and some showed up on reality TV. However, beginning last year they aimed to garner the energy and excitement of old and bring their sound back to the ears of America.

With several months and many stops to go on the tour, the group seems to be enjoying themselves. Chronicling their escapades in a blog on the group’s Web site, McIntire and Donnie Wahlberg write about each show with uninhibited enthusiasm.

“Tulsa was on fire,” Wahlberg writes. McIntire chimes in with “These crowds are sick. These shows are sick. This tour is sick. Viva The Block.”

Wahlberg said the noise Tuesday night in the BJC was comparable to the Baltimore show, which had previously been tabbed as the best crowd on the tour.

Stopping into a college town might seem like an unusual step for a group who was popular when most of today’s college students were toddlers, but the crowd’s energy still stayed strong and the boys from the block fed off that liveliness.

Twenty years after conquering the world, the kids come back as men and the crowds, although smaller, still go nuts and sing loud. They are conquering something different today. They are coming full circle and winning over each crowd they step in front of once again.

nkotbthing.com USA

Syracuse.com

New Kids on the Block back in Syracuse for reunion concert

Post‐Standard: Jordan Knight says audiences appear pleased to be reacquainted with New Kids on the Block and their hits, which included three that made it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart "I'll Be Loving You Forever" and "Hanging Tough" from 1989 and "Step By Step" from 1990.

The details What: New Kids on the Block in concert, Jabbawockeez open.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday Where: Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse Tickets: $30 tickets remain, available at the Oncenter box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone charge at 800‐745‐3000.

Back on the Block

By Mark Bialczak

It didn't take long for Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Donny Wood and Jon Knight to feel back home in front of screaming New Kids on the Block fans.

"Our first show back was money," the Jordan portion of the Knight brothers says during a recent phone interview in Greenville, S.C., where NKOTB will go onstage later that night.

That's because they took this reunion seriously from the start.

Their last CD before 2008's "Block" was the 1994 release "Face the Music." In the interim, McIntyre and Jordan Knight released solo material, and Wahlberg expanded his acting horizons.

The studio work went well, Knight says, with the five singers embracing current pop and hip‐hop stars Ne‐Yo, Lady Gaga, Akon, Teddy Riley and Pussycat Dolls for vocal contributions.

He says they added to the NKOTB's pop vibe without changing it.

"We would have done the same sound without the actual artists being featured on our record," Knight says. "(But) I think it does lend some credibility in young people's minds. 'They're mixing it up with the best that today has to offer.' It adds more in people's heads that we're on top of our game."

After the studio work, they began putting in time rehearsing for the live show. "A couple of months," Knight says. "We had time to come up with the show, find our rhythm, come up with who will take lead where in the songs."

He says audiences appear pleased to be reacquainted with the men and their hits, which included three that made it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart "I'll Be Loving You Forever" and "Hanging Tough" from 1989 and "Step By Step" from 1990.

"I think our group is successful for a reason, and it's because we have a natural rhythm with each other," Knight says. "We all have different roles that weren't preconceived or made up. It's a natural flow to what our group is. We all fell back to our old roles. What made it work for us then works now, too."

Then, New Kids on the Block filled the Carrier Dome for a show in November 1990.

Knight apologetically reports that he doesn't recall that night specifically.

But he does remember that he'd rather perform in a 6,500‐seat arena such as the Onondaga County War Memorial on Thursday night than in a huge stadium, sold‐ out or not.

"I wasn't really fond of playing huge places like that," he says. "You felt a disconnect with the crowd, and the sound was horrible, and I don't think people got what they paid for, and I don't think we were getting what we should have for putting out everything up onstage for two hours. I would rather be in an arena or theater than a stadium."

The theaters have been filled by fans who were there 20 years ago, and a new generation, Knight says.

"I am surprised that the younger generation has kind of latched on, and they think we're cool, like their mothers and aunts did," Knight says. "Then I think: 'When I was young, I loved the older groups.' It's not far‐fetched, as long as a group keeps its sound fresh or young. A couple of days ago, I was playing 'Four Minutes to Save the World,' Justin (Timberlake) and Madonna and Timbaland. To me, it doesn't matter how old Madonna is."

And in the arena, they will have no shame about being five guys approaching 40 who call themselves New Kids on the Block.

"None whatsoever," Knight says. "We got asked that same question when we were all turning 20 years old. 'What are you going to call yourself now that you can buy a drink at the bar?' It's a sound. New Kids on the Block. It's who we are.

The Beach Boys never changed their name."

Mark Bialczak can be reached at mbialczak@syracuse.com or 470‐2175. His blog "Listen Up" is at blog.syracuse.com/listenup.

Reader Lindsey Benca remembers when, expects big times at New Kids on the Block show

It's nice to hear when a story strikes a chord.

This note was in my inbox this morning: Wrote Lindsey Benca:

"I wanted to just drop a quick line and say thank you for the article on the New Kids concert. My best friend and I were at the concert in 1990 @ the dome. Now 18 years later we will be there tonight at the War Memorial, she

flew in from Phoenix, AZ and I drove yesterday 6 months pregnant and with my two puppies from Jacksonville, NC. We were always confident there would be a reunion and when the news came out that finally it would be happening, we could not be happier. Of course we knew we would not go to see them unless it could be together and well here we are, many miles traveled and so excited about tonight that we have been up since early this morning. Thank you for giving some attention to the group, they deserve it and their loyal fans appreciate it!!!"

My reply: I'll give a 360‐degree wave from my seat tonight, because you two deserve the salute for your loyalty to New Kids. Enjoy the show.

nkotbthing.com USA

Penn State Live JabbaWockeeZ, New Kids perform for enthusiastic crowd

University Park, Pa. ‐‐ The Bryce Jordan Center was dancing and rocking out on Tuesday, March 24, as dance group JabbaWockeeZ and 1980s‐1990s pop group New Kids on the Block, also known as NKOTB, took to the stage. The performance was part of NKOTB's North American 2008‐2009 reunion tour "New Kids on the Block: Live."

The entertainment varied as much as the audience, due to the very recent fame of JabbaWockeeZ and the comeback of NKOTB, popular in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. In addition to performing on stage, members of JabbaWockeeZ made a surprise appearance at a Penn State Lionettes dance team practice, as well as a hip hop dance course on campus.

The energetic mix of choreography and freestyle hip hop dance of the JabbaWockeeZ opened the concert. Featuring breakdancing and dance crew routines, the group of eight dancers performed to mainstream pop, rap and hip hop music, providing the audience with musical and visual entertainment leading up to the headline New Kids. The recently‐reunited music group opened their set with their hit 1991 single "Call IT What You Want," closing with 1989 hit single "Hangin' Tough," with nearly two dozen other songs and medleys in between

USA

Syracuse.com

Best Bet NKOTB at War Memorial

WHAT: New Kids on the Block in concert.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today.

WHERE: Onondaga County War Memorial, 800 S. State St., Syracuse.

TICKETS: $45 to $55.

INFORMATION: Call 435‐2121 or visit http://www.oncenter.org.

New Kids on the Block are bringing a little early'90s pop to the Onondaga County War Memorial tonight.

The band split up in 1994 after releasing such hit albums as "New Kids on the Block," "Hangin' Tough" and "Step by Step."

They reunited last year and released a new CD called "The Block."

Tonight's show starts at 7:30 p.m.

nkotbthing.com USA

Syracuse.com

Screaming fans greet New Kids on the Block at concert in Syracuse Do they still love the New Kids on the Block in Syracuse? You bet

All these years later, New Kids on the Block still held a magical spell over the women of Syracuse.

Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood caused much screaming Thursday night in the Onondaga County War Memorial.

They danced, and the women of many ages squealed.

They sang. More adulation.

Whether they were performing the hit songs from their first bout of pop celebrity or material from the album that's accompanied this comeback 15 years later, the guys from Boston caused quite a stir.

The fans added their voices to the songs that were so high on the charts when they were teenagers, including No. 1 hits "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" and "Step by Step," as well as still cherished "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "Didn't I Blow Your Mind" and "Cover Girl."

Obviously, they loved sharing the moment that brought back memories of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five stars knew it, too. "Just like us, a lot of you guys are getting back together on your own," Jordan Knight said during the segment of the show when the singers moved to a second stage set up toward the back end of the arena floor. (Unfortunately, for those songs, fans near the big stage upfront had a hard time seeing the lower, second stage, and the huge screen behind the main stage was shut off, too.)

Many of those longtime fans brought another generation of NKOTB lovers with them, and they knew all the words to the concert contributions from the 2008 CD "Block," especially the No. 1 song this time around, "Summertime," as well as "Dirty Dancing" and "Click Click Click."

Wahlberg knew now to endear himself even further, making a play on the phrase "sweet sixteen." Yes, that must might have been the age many of

these women were when they first fell in love with the singers. And yes, that's the round of the NCAA Tournament the Syracuse Orange will play in tomorrow, he said. That earned a lusty "yeah." Furthermore, he said, that's just about how many years it's been since the last time New Kids on the Block played in Syracuse.

Actually, that was in November 1990, but nobody was holding Wahlberg accountable for faulty math.

The opening act, Jabbawockeez, earned big cheers. The eight dancers expressed themselves freely mime‐style, much like a techno‐pop version of The Blue Man Group. But at the end of their fast‐moving set, the eight dancers pulled off their white masks to reveal their faces, and the fans loved it.

From Dublin to Syracuse for NKOTB Catherine Lennon and Sinead Harney are likely winners of the came‐the‐ longest‐distance award at the New Kids on the Block show Thursday night at the Onondaga County War Memorial.

Their journey for the show started in their hometown of Dublin, Ireland.

"We saw them in Dublin and we felt 12 again," Lennon explained in the lobby before the show. "We said, 'Hey, let's go be 12 years old in New York."

Said Harney: "Why not? We've never been to Syracuse before."

They flew into JFK Airport in New York City on Tuesday and took a train to Syracuse, she said. They'll fly home to Ireland on Sunday.

What was their impression of Syracuse?

Lennon paused and gathered her thoughts. "It's interesting. It's hard to judge a city when it's slashing rain. The people are friendly," she said.

nkotbthing.com USA

Syracuse.com

New Kids on the Block Autographed Jersey Auction http://komenmaine.com/ NBA Maine and the New Kids on the Block are working together to help raise money for the Maine Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure by auctioning off autographed jerseys worn during the concert at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Wednesday, March 25 to help raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

“I have known members of the New Kids on the Block for many years, and they are a great group of guys. We are very excited for this opportunity for us to work together to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of Danny Wood's mother mother and the millions of other people who have been affected by this terrible disease.” said Jon Jennings, Team President and GM of NBA Maine.

“This is a great illustration that breast cancer knows no boundaries ‐ be it age, gender, socio‐economic status or geographic location. The New Kids on the Block and NBA Maine have been touched by this disease, just as many others have been, and they are taking steps to help us reach our vision of a world without breast cancer,” said Sally Bilancia, Executive Director of the Maine Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, and generous contributions from their partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, they have become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information on the Maine Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure: www.komenmaine.com

USA

Our Sports Central

Auction of Jerseys to Benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Maine and the New Kids on the Block are auctioning off autographed jerseys worn during Wednesday night's concert at the Cumberland County Civic Center to help raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The Auction will begin on Friday, March 27, 2009 and last for seven days. To bid on the jerseys visit www.nbamaine.com or www.ebay.com.

"I have known members of the New Kids on the Block for many years, and they are a great group of guys. We are very excited for this opportunity for us to work together to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of Danny Wood's mother and the millions of other people who have been affected by this terrible disease." said Jon Jennings, Team President and GM of NBA Maine.

"This is a great illustration that breast cancer knows no boundaries ‐ be it age, gender, socio‐economic status or geographic location. The New Kids on the Block and NBA Maine have been touched by this disease, just as many others have been, and they are taking steps to help us reach our vision of a world without breast cancer," said Sally Bilancia, Executive Director of the Maine Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

NBA Maine will begin play this November at the Portland Expo Building. Fans can purchase season ticket packages for games now by calling (207) 210‐6655 or visit www.nbamaine.com for more information.

The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA's official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams. The league has produced 15 percent of the players on 2007‐ 08 end‐of‐season NBA rosters and continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league's connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D‐League Cares programs. The NBA D‐League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D‐ League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web‐streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since inception in 1982. As the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we're working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, and generous contributions from their partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, they have become the largest source

nkotbthing.com USA

PEOPLE

of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information on the Maine

Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure: www.komenmaine.com

New Kids on the Block Announce Summer Tour Dates

By Cara Lynn Shultz

If you missed them the first time around, now's your chance to catch the New Kids on the Block live on stage. The group is launching the Full Service Tour, which kicks off May 28 in Atlanta. Starting April 3, tickets and VIP packages – which will include backstage BBQs with the guys – will be available. (Special $10 lawn seats will also be available for a limited time.)

Joining the tour are America's Best Dance Crew winners JabbawockeeZ, as well as other surprise guests. "Full service! You want it, you're gonna get it," member Donnie Walhberg says in the band's vlog.

Dates for the Full Service Tour are below. There are also still a limited number of cabins available for their cruise, which sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas on May 15.

For more information, check out nkotb.com

Dates for NKOTB's Full Service Tour May 28: Atlanta (Lakewood Amphitheatre) May 29: Birmingham, Ala. (Verizon Wireless Music Center) May 30: Tampa, Fla. (Ford Amphitheater) May 31: West Palm Beach, Fla. (Cruzan Amphitheater) June 2: Charlotte, N.C. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater) June 3: Raleigh, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion ) June 5: Virginia Beach, Va. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater) June 6: Camden, N.J. (Susquehanna Bank Center) June 7: Washington, D.C. (Nissan Pavilion) June 10: Scranton, Pa. (Toyota Pavilion) June 11: Pittsburgh (Post‐Gazette Pavilion) June 12: Wantagh, N.Y. (Nikon at Jones Beach Theater)

June 13: Holmdel, N.J. (PNC Bank Arts Center) June 14: Buffalo, N.Y. (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center) June 16: Saratoga, N.Y. (Saratoga Performing Arts Center) June 18: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun) June 19: Boston (Comcast Center) June 21: Toronto (Molson Amphitheatre) June 23: Cleveland (Blossom Music Center) June 25: Detroit (DTE Energy Music Center) June 26: Chicago (First Midwest Bank Amphitheater) June 27: Cincinnati ( Riverbend Music Center) June 28: Seattle (Verizon Amphitheater) July 1: St. Louis (Verizon Wireless)

July 2: Memphis, Tenn. (Mud Island Ampitheater) July 3: Wichita, Kans. (Hartman Arena) July 7: Seattle (White River Amphitheatre) July 9: San Francisco (Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord) July 10: Irvine, Calif. (Verizon Wireless Ampitheater) July 11: Las Vegas (The Pearl) July 12: Phoenix (Cricket Wireless Pavilion) July 15: Denver (Fiddler's Green) July 17: Dallas (Superpages.com Center) July 18: Houston (Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion)

nkotbthing.com USA

NKOTB .COM

Donnie says Hey All‐ What can I say?!?!?!

This tour is crazy.

The fans are crazy.

The crowds are crazy.

What can we do to make the summer tour bigger and better???????

GET CRAZIER!!!!!!

You want more?

You get more!

You want Full Service?

You get Full Service!!

We are going to take it higher!!!!

Ladies let your hair down….

Fella’s get yo sh*t straight….

Baby momma’s get a sitter….

(Oh yeah‐ hit ya man on the Twitter!!!!!)

2009 is our time!!!!

Summer of 2009 is our time to give back to you.

The GREATEST FANS IN THE WORLD!!!!!

We will not be stopped!

I’ll sleep next lifetime!

Get at me!!! Face Time is real.

As Always Your Man‐ ~Donnie W PS‐ Top to Bottom‐ the Full Service Festival is gonna be all new and you best prepare to get your mind blown!!!!!

USA

Sun Sentinel New Kids on the Block coming back to South Florida

Grown‐up boy band New Kids on the Block will play Cruzan Amphitheatre west of West Palm Beach on Sunday, May 31, as part of a spring‐summer tour dubbed "Full Service." The trek includes a Tampa date, May 30 at Ford Amphitheatre, the band's PR firm announced in an e‐mailed press release.

Some will remember last fall that the reunited quintet played one of the most demographically lopsided concerts ever staged.

Tickets for the "Full Service" tour go on sale April 3 in "select markets," the release said. More details to follow. After the jump, the text of the press release.

NKOTB TO GIVE THEIR FANS “FULL SERVICE” THIS SUMMER JOIN THE GUYS FOR THE PARTY OF THE SEASON WHEN THE GROUP HITS SUMMER STAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Tickets go on sale beginning April 3rd in select markets

NEW YORK – Over the past year they’ve brought fans the reunion that no one thought would happen, they’ve sparked a frenzy that no one expected, they’ve brought their classic moves that no one thought they’d still have, and now, they’re bringing a Summer BLOCK party like no other! After selling out arenas, New Kids on the Block are hitting summer stages across the country with their “Full Service” summer 2009 tour kicking off, May 28, 2009 in Atlanta. Tickets go on sale in select markets starting Friday, April 3rd, for additional on‐sale and ticket information go to www.livenation.com.

“We have put everything we have into the making of this Summer Tour. We have strategized and we are on a mission to THANK OUR FANS IN A BIG WAY!”

says Donnie Wahlberg. “This tour is going to be a party like no other! Wet, hot, wild, fun! We owe it to all of our fans.”

The guys promise lots of surprises! Fans will even get the chance to participate in the show, and sign up for prizes to get onstage. It’s a brand new show with brand new stunts. If you thought 2008 was hot, wait until NKOTB takes the stage for their “Full Service” tour, never a group to disappoint, the guys are bringing fans the hottest show of summer 2009.

The shows have featured a varied set list including classics such as, “Hangin Tough,” “Step by Step,” and “Right Stuff,” mixed with the newer tunes like, “Single” and “Summertime” from their brand new album, THE BLOCK. As the New York Post described, “the encore of 1990's ‘Step By Step’ and the 1989 tune ‘Hangin' Tough’ were gasoline on the concert fire.” and the OC Register exclaimed, “they put on a stellar show that kept the crowd on its feet for two hours.” “Not only do the New Kids sound better than they ever did, they also look like they're having even more fun than they did 20 years ago,” lauded Newsday.

The band has also teamed with I Love All Access to provide a variety of fan ticket packages for the tour, including premium seats, meet and greets, photo ops, parties and more. The first shows include stops in Georgia, Florida, New Jersey and D.C. A full listing of show dates and venues are below. Further details of this tour to be announced.

The tour is being produced by Live Nation.For more information visit www.nkotb.com.

CURRENT LIST OF U.S. TOUR DATES (AS OF MARCH 27, 2009)

Thu 5/28/09 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre

FRI 5/29/09 Birmingham, AL Verizon Wireless Music Center

SAT 5/30/09 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre

SUN 5/31/09 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan re [sic]

TUE 6/2/09 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

WED 6/3/09 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek

FRI 6/5/09 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater

SAT 6/6/09 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

SUN 6/7/09 Washington, D.C. Nissan Pavilion

WED 6/10/09 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion

THU 6/11/09 Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion

FRI 6/12/09 Wantaugh, NY Nikon at Theater

SAT 6/13/09 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

SUN 6/14/09 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake erforming rts enter

TUE 6/16/09 Saratoga, NY Saratoga erforming rts enter

THU 6/18/09 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

FRI 6/19/09 Boston, MA Comcast Center SUN 6/21/09 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre

TUE 6/23/09 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center

THU 6/25/09 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

FRI 6/26/09 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

SAT 6/27/09 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center

SUN 6/28/09 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

WED 7/1/09 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

THU 7/2/09 Memphis, TN Mud Island

FRI 7/3/09 Wichita, KS Hartman Arena TUE 7/7/09 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre

THU 7/9/09 San Francisco, CA Concord Sleep Train Pavilion

FRI 7/10/09 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

SAT 7/11/09 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl

SUN 7/12/09 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion

WED 7/15/09 Denver, CO Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre

FRI 7/17/09 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center

SAT 7/18/09 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

BACKGROUND NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK sold more than 80 million albums worldwide ‐‐ including back‐to‐ back international #1 songs, 1988’s Hangin’ Tough and 1990’s Step By Step ‐‐ and a series of crossover smash R&B, pop hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Cover Girl,” “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” “Hangin’ Tough,” “I’ll Be Loving You,” “Step By Step” and “Tonight.”

The group shattered concert box office records playing an estimated 200 concerts a year, in sold out stadiums throughout the world. They still hold many of these records to date. They were Forbes highest paid entertainers of 1990, beating out Michael Jackson and Madonna.

The band boasted an extensive and highly profitable merchandise line which included everything from lunch boxes and sleeping bags to comic books, marbles and dolls.

About Live Nation: Live Nation’s mission is to maximize the live concert experience. Our core business is producing, marketing and selling live concerts for artists via our global concert pipe. Live Nation is the largest producer of live concerts in the world, annually producing over 22,000 concerts for 1,600 artists in 33 countries. During 2008, the company sold over 50 million concert tickets and drove over 70 million unique visitors to LiveNation.com. Live Nation is transforming the concert business by expanding its concert platform into ticketing and building the industry’s first artist‐to‐fan vertically integrated concert platform. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol LYV. For additional information about the company, please visit www.livenation.com/investors.

UK

OK Magazine NKOTB Announces Summer Tour Is it just us, or does it feel like the early '90s again? New Kids on the Block have announced that they're hitting the road again this summer, after their successful reunion tour last year made their ecstatic, faithful fans feel like they were kicking it in their bedrooms from 7th grade.

The "Full Service" tour will kick off on May 28 in Atlanta, with tickets going on sale for certain shows on April 3 on LiveNation.

“We have put everything we have into the making of this Summer Tour. We have strategized and we are on a mission to THANK OUR FANS IN A BIG WAY!” says

Donnie Wahlberg. “This tour is going to be a party like no other!

Wet, hot, wild, fun! We owe it to all of our fans.”

"Step by Step," these guys are continuing their comeback.

USA

Theater Mania Deborah Gibson, Lorenzo Lamas, John Lloyd Young, et al. Set for Electric Youth Benefit By: Dan Bacalzo

Deborah Gibson, Lorenzo Lamas, Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys), and

Jonathan Knight (of New Kids on the Block) are among the headliners for An Evening of Electric Youth, to be held at La Boheme in West Hollywood, April 28, beginning at 7 pm.

nkotbthing.com

This benefit event for the Gibson Girl Foundation will provide scholarships for talented kids that can't afford the tuition to attend Gibson's Electric Youth Summer Camp in LA as well as songwriting intensives, recording boot camps, and the NYC Winter Camp. The evening will also feature a silent auction.

Additional performers will include Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret and students from Gibson's Electric Youth, including Casey Lee

nkotbthing.com CANADA

Ottawa citizen

Smith and American Idol Finalist Mishavonna Henson.

The grown‐up New Kids on the Block are back and the gals let loose

By Lynn Saxberg,

OTTAWA — Nineteen years ago, New Kids on the Block attracted more than 20,000 screaming teenage girls to an outdoor concert at Lansdowne Park. That rainy summer night was one of the biggest concerts ever held in the nation’s capital.

Back then, the Boys were fresh‐ faced and hard‐bodied, sold millions of CDs and cassettes and charged a mere $23 for their T‐shirts. How times have changed. At a half‐filled Scotiabank Place Monday night, the reunited Kids returned to town as grown men, the crowd was made up of several thousand adult females and T‐ shirts started at $40.

However, during the concert, the shrieking may have reached the same fever pitch of excitement, especially when Donnie Wahlberg described Ottawa as the “second loudest” city of the tour and fans had to rise to the challenge of increasing the volume.

No problem. As the Kids realized last year when they launched their comeback effort, there is a lot of pent‐up affection for NKOTB among the members of a certain demographic. Those girls are in their 30s now, can afford their own concert tickets and they’re still completely smitten with the Boston boy band.

The Kids could do no wrong in front of such a devoted audience. Looking fit, though probably starting to worry about hairline issues, the grown‐up Kids knocked off a slick concert that put a fresh spin on their old hits, blending them in with several tracks from their recent disc, Block.

While it was a little creepy to witness the high‐pitched voices and peppy choreography coming from men who aren’t far from 40, for the gals in the audience, it was a perfect excuse to get together and act like teenagers again.

Out in the lobby, they managed to keep their cool, proudly showing off homemade posters declaring their love for Jordan, Joey, Donnie, Jonathan or Danny, but the moment the lights went down they turned into shrieking demons, cellphones held high throughout the show.

Performing on a basic multi‐level stage, the Kids ran through Single, My Favorite Girl and Right Stuff, showing their nimble footwork and unremarkable group singing. Every time one of them raised an arm, dozens in the audience would scream.

New songs like Grown Man and Dirty Dancing were delivered with a heavy bottom end, while the lightweight original hits were doled out like candy, sending the audience flashing back to simpler times in their lives.

In the end, it looked like a new twist on the boy‐band phenomenon. While girls have been falling in love with boys who play in a group ever since the dawn of the music industry, New Kids on the Block may be the first to get a second chance at riding the wave.

What’s more, the comeback shows no signs of slowing down. A summer tour was also announced yesterday, starting on May 28 in Atlanta. As Wahlberg said on the band’s blog, “We will not be stopped!” © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

nkotbthing.com

Monday, 16

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I'm in the building 03.17 Yo- Donnie D is online!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NKOTB's first show Nashville in 18 years!!! We are about to get crazy in here.

Just finished a show in Nashville, hope everyone enjoyed the show.

Just woke up the tour bus- heading to Greensville, South Carolina- all them diet cokes got me tweaked. Or was it the crowd in NASHVILLE? ;) Just pulled into Cracker Barrel in South Carolina... Nothing like waking up to that crazy ass puzzle-peg game and some gtits!

Holla.

Damn I'm tired- GRITS!!!!!! Not g-tits! Oops.

Business is done- about to get off the bus in Greensville and have some Face Time w my peoples! The best part of my day! Real talk.

In the dressing room with Danny, Jordan & Charlie (Jordans assistant). Discussing the economy, Krispy Kremes and that the Yankees suck ass.

Yo- I know these fake a**holes use my name on Facebook and Myspace but this is the real d-dub on Twitter. So get ya mind right!!!

Holla.

Wednesday, 18th 6:30 am

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this is the real d-dub. i can tell you that i will prove it by saying only one thing- Sorry i called Greenville "GreenSville" tonight. :) Today is the tomorow you were worried about yesterday! Guess what? It aint so bad is it? Life is real. FEAR NO MAN!!!!! ~d-dub Just woke up- I don't know where I am. VA? Damn. I need some Cracker Barrel or Waffle House or some sh**.

Thursday, 19th 4:31 am

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just smashed richmond. headed to baltimore. i hate leaving the south- gonna miss the hospitality and waffle house. damn. oh well. sometimes updates go through slow- depends on signal in the arena. i will do a video blog asap on nkotb.com to prove its me on twitter.

-d ny, grand rapids, canada.... its on.

To my girl Mindy.... WHAZZZUP???? Holla at me.

I'm about to CRUSH this Waffle at the WAFFLE HOUSE right now!!!!!! Real talk!!!!!!

Ya man is in heaven. but...... I will do it all with SWAGGER!!! ;)

Friday, 20th 54:52 am

Dw

Baltimore!!!!! Damn Baltimore was on Fire tonight. The BLOCK is moving north- get ya head straight!!!

Saturday, 21rst 4:17 am

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Yo- we are strategizing like scientists for this Summer Tour.... In the lab NOW!!! We are on a mission to THANK OUR FANS BIG!!!

I'm telling you all- FULL SERVICE for real.

This is gonna be a party like no other!! Wet, hot, wild, fun!!! We owe it to all you fans.

No rest for the weary. Up and running. Much to do. If somebody sleeps less than me.... It

10:59 am

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must be Diddy! Other than that- I doubt it. ~d @jimmymarsh617 yesZIR!!!!!! Jimmy Marsh is COMING in 09!!!!!! Real shit!!!

FACE TIME is real- I meet fans daily- tons of them. Outside the arena- in the streets EVERYWHERE! You don't need $$$ Get out the house!

Sunday, 22ond 10:12 om

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But tonight in Erie- won't be no mistake by the Lake!!! Its gonna be hotter near the water!

(Ok I'm a bit corny today but whatever!)

Today- I will relax... I will let my mind, body and soul rest.... SCRATCH THAT!!! Today I will continue to bring it to the FULLEST!!!

GREENsVILLE..... You know I was in the south and I was thinking about Collard Greens so I had some kind of Freudian Slip!!!! ;) I love collard GREENS!!!! I do not like mustard greens!!!!

Monday, 23rd 4:13 am 2:02 pm

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ERIE WAS HOT!!!! I'm going to bed... NOT!!!!

Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #music #actor #entrepreneur 09 is getting fun. The Block, The Tour, Bunker Hill, Jimmy Marsh, Breakfast Club Urban Wear- all coming soon!!! Damn!!! Fire!

That's how we do it- you gotta know $$$$ is always second to me!!!! I love to create, I love to build and I live to make people smile!!!

Tuesday, 24th 2:02 am

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Dw

Sometimes I feel obligated to come up with some profound "Confusious" type sh@t each day when I Twitter..... Not today. Balls.

Having someone to hold you- Great. Having someone to hold you back- Sucks! If you don't NEED the 1st- you won't get stuck with the 2nd! ;) Damn that was deep..... I'm gonna write a book. Wahlbergs Words of Wisdom and Other Random Thoughts. Coming Soon!!! Holla at me. ~dw I only know one thing- Joe Pa is the king of State College- tomorow The Block are the Princes!!!!!! Get ya mind right! Ya Boy.

Wednesday, 25th 12:05 am

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HAPPY VALLEY!!!!! Its a wrap tonight!!!! I don't care if the whole Nittany Lions football team shows up to stop it- WE RUN THIS 2NITE! Happy Valley is Happy. On to New Englandclose to Boston. Its gonna be wild!!! Damn.

And this is just my part time job!!!!!!! ;) My soul is restless today... Its like some primal sh*t. I feel an energy in my blood. Must be cause I'm so close to Boston.... HOME!

Thursday, 26th 5:17 am

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Portland Maine was off the hook!!!!!!

Damn!!!!! This sh*t won't stop. Can't stop. We carry on to Syracuse!!! BIG EAST baby!!!!!!!

Today- I will take on all challenges with determination and patience. Today, as with everyday, I choose greatness. As well- I choose love!

GREATNESS- meaning I will strive to be my greatest! LOVE- You wanna feel some of that

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10:10 pm

Dw

ove? GET AT ME! I got enough for all of you all.

Ya know- today I am going to enjoy a sandwhich and I am gonna mind my own f***ing business and I am gonna give hatredNOTHING! Love Life!

Sunday, 29th 12:04 am

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In meet n greet n London Ontario- CANADA is on FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!

Worst flight of my life back to the tour....

Somewhere over Kansas it got shady! They thought they could stop ya man but NOPE! Still here!

A lot of you are saying "phew" cuz I had a scare today and "life is precious". DON'T TRIP!!! I always go FULL OUT! Life is FUN! Yahooo!

Yo- we in the casino in Niagra- acting up!!!!!

Holla!!!!

Monday, 30th

11:10 pm

Dw

Real sh*t!!!!!!! Pose like that gotta make you say damn!!!! That's FIRE!!!

Shoutout to Seth on Twitter I'm here at the meet n greet with Rebecca and her mom Brenda!!

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Friday, 27th 4:52 am

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Jimmy Marsh is about to slay the world!!

Boston aint never been repped in the streets til NOW!!! Hit up my Facebook and Myspace for info!!

Syracuse was off the f***ing chain!!!! Wow!!!! I can't even call it!!!! Sweet Sixteen fever got a hold of em or some sh*t!! Wow! Jimmy Marsh is about to slay the world!!

Boston aint never been repped in the streets til NOW!!! Hit up my Facebook and Myspace for info!!

All members are doing their part to prep for the Summer Tour! I'm flying off to LA to work on the secret ingredients- get ya mind right!

This summer tour is gonna hold nothing backwe got the best fans ever!!! We must treat them as such. We gon give em give em Full Service!

Friday- Do or die day! Gotta try day! Don't ask why day! Don't comply day! Don't deny day!

Won't be shy day! Will be my day! Got it?

Saturday, 28th 2:15 am

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LA for 18 hours then back to Niagra- we are gonna make this summer tour BURN!!! I'm so amped up about this. Its gonna be a PARRRRTY!!!!

Back to the tour with the secret plans!!!! This is gonna be so sick!!! This sumeer is gonna top it all! I gotta get my mind right!!! Wow! I'm gonna be on stage tonight with about 2 hours sleep in the last 48 hours- SEE IF YOU CAN TELL!?! I doubt it! I live for this stuff!

SUMMER (sp). Maybe an extra thirty of sleep would be good? I'll nap in the shower before showtime! No time for sleep man! Next life! ;)

Canada got me all fired up man!!! Packed house. Mad love! As always the Canadian fans are unbelievable!!! SH*T IS REAL!!!!!! Holla Its mid show- Joe Mac is singing and I'm just saying what's up!!! Canada is on fire!!!!

Damn- LONDON, T-DOT, and mad CANADIAN heads from all over came REAL tonight!!!! Wow!!! Amazing Fans!!! Ottowa HERE WE COME!!!! Holla Today- I'm giving all that I can. And right when I reach that point where I got no more to give.... I'll give more!!! Try it yourself.

I need a glass of water. I mean I NEED it. Gotta have it. Try drinking one today- everyone. We are all dehydrated.

Do not fear! Live. Don't not want! Give. Do not quit! Try. Do not sleep! Fly. Stay in the moment and make each moment HOT! ddub!

Tuesday, 31rst 12:29 am 2:20 am

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Ottowa is heating up- oh snap!!!!

Hitting the stage y'all!!! Hit ya after. My blackberry crashed from your replies!!! My responses are slow but keep em coming!!! ~ddub All my peoples writing me back TEXT messages to my phone- STOP!!! That's why I'm on the twitter so we can chat! Write me here!!!!

In the dressing room with the homies nowpost show!!! Ottowa was ON FIRE!!!!!!!! New Hampshire get ready!!!! Get ready!!!

On the tour bus riding to New Hampshire. I gotta tell you some real shit- WE ARE SMASHING EVERY TOUR ON THE ROAD! Nobody's close!! Fact!

I love the smell of New England in the morning!!!!!

OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Hell yeah!!!!!!! Time to warm up the east coast baby!!!