Sunday, July 31, 2011

NKOTBSB: The super boy group of all time

SOUNDS FAMILIAR By Baby A. Gil (The Philippine Star) Updated August 01, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments


Who would have thought that this would happen? The greatest boy band of the ’80s and the greatest boy band of the ’90s together have released an album and are touring together. Even non-fans will not be able to resist the thrill of hearing the old songs again coming one after the other in an album featuring the combined forces of the New Kids On The Block and the Backstreet Boys (NKOTBSB).

Remember the New Kids On The Block? They were Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood. For a while it also included Donnie’s brother, Mark Wahlberg, who later on became Marky Mark, rapper and Calvin Klein underwear model and then became Mark Wahlberg again, box-office star and Academy Award nominated actor.

The Kids all went their own way after they disbanded in 1994. Jonathan came out of the closet and went into the real estate business. His brother Jordan went solo. Danny is now a record producer. Joey continues to record and perform solo. He acts on stage, Wicked, Fonzie; television, Boston Public, Dancing With The Stars; and in the movies, Fantasticks, Tony and Tina’s Wedding. Then there is Donnie, a sensitive, riveting actor. I hope you saw him with Tom Selleck in the series Blue Bloods and before that in The Kill Point, Band Of Brothers, Boomtown and others.

Formed by Maurice Starr in 1986, the NKOTB had a successful career of No. 1 sellers, sold-out concerts and the fanatic adulation of girls from over the world for nearly 10 years. Their songs are now considered boy-band standards. Their Grammy winning concert documentary Hangin’ Tough remains one of the biggest selling videos of all time. After several failed attempts, the Kids finally reunited for the album The Block, which made No. 1 and a sold-out tour three years ago. It was after this that the NKOTBSB emerged.

You all know The Backstreet Boys. They are AJ McLean, Brian Litrell, Howie Dorough and Nick Carter. And for a while Kevin Richardson who is now a successful actor with Billy Flynn in Chicago as his most popular role.

Although the Boys from time to time would have solo efforts, Howie was here a few years ago for a duet with Sarah Geronimo, the four remaining guys remain close and are still the very much intact Backstreet Boys. When his schedule permits, Kevin would also join them in various appearances including a few recently with the Kids.

And how did this collaboration come about? It must have been Dick Clark’s idea. That guy is the ultimate pop music authority. He got the Kids and the Boys together for a number at last year’s American Music Awards and the fans went wild. Next thing you know they had a CD and were touring together.

Fans chose the songs included in what has been hyped as the ultimate collaborative album. The Help Make The Album campaign was launched when these boys decided to record and tour together. Fans were asked to send in the titles of hits by the two groups that should be included in the CD. Over a quarter of a million votes were cast from 52 countries over a 10-day period and the Top 5 titles for each group made it to the album.

Titled NKOTBSB after the first letters of their names and the same initials by which they had been known all these years, the album includes: Step By Step by NKOTB; I Want It That Way by BSB; You Got It (The Right Stuff) by NKOTB; Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by BSB; Please Don’t Go Girl by NKOTB; As Long As You Love Me by BSB; Hangin’ Tough by NKOTB; Larger Than Life by BSB; I’ll Be Loving You Forever by NKOTB; and Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).

And then because this is no ordinary compilation album of old hits, NKOTB and BSB recorded some new stuff. So all together now the NKOTBSB sing All In My Head and Don’t Turn Out The Lights (D.T.O.T.L.) and the NKOTBSB Mash Up of some of their big hits, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), Hangin’ Tough, I Want It That Way, Step By Step, I’ll Never Break Your Heart, Please Don’t Go Girl, You Got (The Right Stuff) and Larger Than Life.

They have not changed much. Their sound remains the same. They are just older. But who cares? So are their fans, anyway. And this chance to recapture glorious, fun moments from the past through their music is more than anybody can ask for.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=711981&publicationSubCategoryId=70

NKOTBSB in #9 on the list of The Hot Tours

A reunited Take That - the British boy band featuring Robbie Williams - tops Hot Tours, having stormed through the U.K., shattering gross records, including Bruce Springsteen's eight-year title as the highest grossing concert stand ever, a mark it topped twice on this tour.

Take That sold out eight concerts at Wembley Stadium June 30-July 9, with a gross of £38,094,558, according to Billboard Boxscore. The U.S. dollar equivalent of that is $61.7 million, far and away the highest gross ever reported to Billboard. Attendance was 623,737, also a record. The act also captured the second highest gross ever, with eight more sellouts at City of Manchester Stadium June 3-12 taking in £27,273,546 ($44 million U.S.) with attendance of 443,223. In total, Take That's run through the U.K. grossed $185,175,360 U.S. and drew 1,806,473 fans to 29 shows from May 27 through July 9.

Take That played multiple performances at all seven of the stadiums included in this week's Hot Tours tally, selling out all 29 concerts. The tour began with four shows at the Stadium of Light in the English city of Sunderland on May 27, followed by the Manchester run and performances in Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow and Birmingham before the London shows. The Progress Live Tour then moved on to play stadiums in a handful of other European markets during July with a final performance planned for July 29 at the Olympic Stadium in Munich.

Springsteen's stand at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. in 2003 grossed $38.6 million and drew 566,560 to 10 sellouts. The dollar amount now ranks third all-time with the Boss' attendance figure settling into the runner-up slot among all-time Boxscore reports.

Rounding out Billboard's list of the top five concert grosses on record are The Spice Girls at No. 4 with $33.8 million from 17 shows at London's O2 Arena during the winter of 2007-08, and U2 at No. 5 with $32.7 million from three concerts at São Paulo, Brazil's Estádio do Morumbi earlier this year.

U2 meanwhile claims the No. 2 spot on our weekly Hot Tours recap with reports submitted from its three-night trek through eastern Canada. The rock legends played a pair of sold out shows at Hippodome de Montreal on July 8 and 9 which preceded a full house at Toronto's retractable roof stadium Rogers Centre on July 11. The three shows grossed just over $24 million (U.S.) from an aggregate crowd of 220,886.

Rank Artist/Event
Total Gross
Show Dates
Show Venue/City (Shows/Sellouts)
Total Attendance (Capacity)
1 TAKE THAT
$185,175,360
May 27-July 9
Stadium of Light, Sunderland, U.K. (4/4)
City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, U.K. (8/8)
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, U.K. (2/2)
Croke Park, Dublin (2/2)
Hampden Park, Glasgow, U.K. (3/3)
Villa Park, Birmingham, U.K. (2/2)
Wembley Stadium, London (8/8)
1,806,473 (1,806,473)
2 U2
$24,034,855
July 8-11
Hippodrome de Montreal (2/2)
Rogers Centre, Toronto (1/1)
220,886 (220,886)
3 ROGER WATERS
$5,419,518
July 1-12
Palais Omnisports Bercy, Paris (1/1)
Mediolanum Forum, Milan (2/2)
OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall, Athens (3/3)
70,399 (70,399)
4 AMERICAN IDOLS LIVE
$4,057,300
July 6-17
Maverik Center, West Valley City, Utah (1/0)
Comcast Arena, Everett, Wash. (1/1)
Rose Garden, Portland (1/0)
Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento (1/0)
Oracle Arena, Oakland (1/0)
HP Pavilion, San Jose (1/0)
NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles (1/1)
Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, Calif. (1/1)
U.S. Airways Center, Phoenix (1/0)
73,965 (76,885)
5 NEIL DIAMOND
$3,451,260
June 25
Aviva Stadium, Dublin (1/0)
28,701 (32,000)
6 SADE
$3,045,782
July 12-17
Philips Arena, Atlanta (2/0)
Amway Center, Orlando (1/0)
32,271 (35,664)
7 KENNY CHESNEY
$2,721,441
July 6-9
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colo. (3/3)
USANA Amphitheatre, West Valley City, Utah (1/0)
45,081 (47,179)
8 JASON ALDEAN
$1,612,264
July 8-16
Marcus Amphitheatre, Milwaukee, Wis. (1/0)
1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre, Tampa (1/1)
Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Fla. (1/1)
55,872 (57,198)
9 NKOTBSB
$1,603,831
June 22-July 12
Philips Arena, Atlanta (1/1)
Rexall Place, Edmonton (1/0)
22,123 (26,202)
10 BRITNEY SPEARS
$1,563,934
July 17-18
Philips Arena, Atlanta (1/0)
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville (1/0)
23,897 (26,227)

New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys take over Hersheypark Stadium

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys at Hersheypark Stadium
Enlarge NKOTBSB live onstage at Hersheypark Stadium Saturday night. Daniel Zampogna, THE PATRIOT NEWS

Giddiness was written all over the face of 9-year-old Emmalyn Smith of Carlisle. There was only one name on her lips: Joey McIntyre, the New Kids on the Block heartthrob. Smith is a fan of mega proportions.

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys performed at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday evening. Fans filled the stadium, coming from as far as London, Ontario, to relive childhood memories or, as in Emmalyn’s case, to make new ones.

Emmalyn knows the lyrics to “Please Don’t Go Girl” and can be seen singing along on a video uploaded to YouTube by 28-year-old Stephanie Ickes of Carlisle. Ickes is one of the reasons behind Emmalyn’s love of the boy band. The other is Ickes’ close friend, 27-year-old Amanda Curry of York.

NKOTB2.JPGNKOTBSB take the stage at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday night.

“I’ve been a fan of New Kids on the Block for 22 years,” Ickes said.

This is the first time Ickes has seen New Kids on the Block, despite her and Curry’s best efforts.

“Amanda and I were up two hours straight trying to win tickets last time they were here,” she said.

The band is a source of fond childhood memories. Ickes remembers doing the group’s dances in front of the television.

Ashley Santana, 26, of Myerstown, has been a boy band fan since she was five and discovered New Kids. “I had my room plastered like wallpaper with their photos,” she said.

Attending the concert was a way for fans to relive those childhood memories. “It sounds cheesy, but the music brings back really good memories,” said Darcy Hutchins, 31, of Baltimore, Md. She and her high school best friend, Monica Bird, 32, from Chicago made the trek to Hershey just for the concert.

Kirsty Milner, 32, has Hutchins and Bird beat for distance traveled. The London, Ontario, resident has been following the band across the Americas. Hershey is the fourth New Kids on the Block concert she has attended.

Jenny Alger, left, and Ashley Santana wait outside the stadium before the concert. Santana, 26, has been a fan of boy bands since she was 5. "I had my room plastered like wallpaper with their photos," she said.
“I’ve been to more places in three years than the rest of my life because of New Kids on the Block,” she said. “I’ve made really excellent friends because of these boys.”

Milner was not calling it quits at Hershey. She has two more concerts in store for the summer.

Backstreet Boys had their share of fans as well. Mother-daughter team Marlane Scheetz, 56, and Katie Scheetz, 26, of Allentown, are diehard BSB fans.

“We’ve been fans since the beginning,” Katie said.

The music with its catchy beats and sweet lyrics makes the two swoon.

“Even an old lady like me,” Marlane said.

What is the best thing about BSB in their opinion?

“Their looks!” said Katie, laughing. “Their showmanship, too,” Marlane added.

“They’re one of the most successful boy bands in history,” Marlane said.

Andrew Howe, 23, of New Cumberland, agreed. “They really paved the way for other boy bands to follow,” he said. Howe became a fan when he was around eight, and his mother bought their CDs. While unfamiliar with the New Kids on the Block, he appreciates the two bands joining forces.

“The parents grew up with New Kids on the Block, while their kids loved Backstreet Boys. It’s literally two generations coming together,” he said.

Emmalyn and Ickes are a great example of that. One is in her 20s, the other is younger than 10. And both are boy-band fans.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/new_kids_on_the_block_backstre.html

New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys take over Hersheypark Stadium

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys at Hersheypark Stadium
Enlarge NKOTBSB live onstage at Hersheypark Stadium Saturday night. Daniel Zampogna, THE PATRIOT NEWS

Giddiness was written all over the face of 9-year-old Emmalyn Smith of Carlisle. There was only one name on her lips: Joey McIntyre, the New Kids on the Block heartthrob. Smith is a fan of mega proportions.

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys performed at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday evening. Fans filled the stadium, coming from as far as London, Ontario, to relive childhood memories or, as in Emmalyn’s case, to make new ones.

Emmalyn knows the lyrics to “Please Don’t Go Girl” and can be seen singing along on a video uploaded to YouTube by 28-year-old Stephanie Ickes of Carlisle. Ickes is one of the reasons behind Emmalyn’s love of the boy band. The other is Ickes’ close friend, 27-year-old Amanda Curry of York.

NKOTB2.JPGNKOTBSB take the stage at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday night.

“I’ve been a fan of New Kids on the Block for 22 years,” Ickes said.

This is the first time Ickes has seen New Kids on the Block, despite her and Curry’s best efforts.

“Amanda and I were up two hours straight trying to win tickets last time they were here,” she said.

The band is a source of fond childhood memories. Ickes remembers doing the group’s dances in front of the television.

Ashley Santana, 26, of Myerstown, has been a boy band fan since she was five and discovered New Kids. “I had my room plastered like wallpaper with their photos,” she said.

Attending the concert was a way for fans to relive those childhood memories. “It sounds cheesy, but the music brings back really good memories,” said Darcy Hutchins, 31, of Baltimore, Md. She and her high school best friend, Monica Bird, 32, from Chicago made the trek to Hershey just for the concert.

Kirsty Milner, 32, has Hutchins and Bird beat for distance traveled. The London, Ontario, resident has been following the band across the Americas. Hershey is the fourth New Kids on the Block concert she has attended.

Jenny Alger, left, and Ashley Santana wait outside the stadium before the concert. Santana, 26, has been a fan of boy bands since she was 5. "I had my room plastered like wallpaper with their photos," she said.
“I’ve been to more places in three years than the rest of my life because of New Kids on the Block,” she said. “I’ve made really excellent friends because of these boys.”

Milner was not calling it quits at Hershey. She has two more concerts in store for the summer.

Backstreet Boys had their share of fans as well. Mother-daughter team Marlane Scheetz, 56, and Katie Scheetz, 26, of Allentown, are diehard BSB fans.

“We’ve been fans since the beginning,” Katie said.

The music with its catchy beats and sweet lyrics makes the two swoon.

“Even an old lady like me,” Marlane said.

What is the best thing about BSB in their opinion?

“Their looks!” said Katie, laughing. “Their showmanship, too,” Marlane added.

“They’re one of the most successful boy bands in history,” Marlane said.

Andrew Howe, 23, of New Cumberland, agreed. “They really paved the way for other boy bands to follow,” he said. Howe became a fan when he was around eight, and his mother bought their CDs. While unfamiliar with the New Kids on the Block, he appreciates the two bands joining forces.

“The parents grew up with New Kids on the Block, while their kids loved Backstreet Boys. It’s literally two generations coming together,” he said.

Emmalyn and Ickes are a great example of that. One is in her 20s, the other is younger than 10. And both are boy-band fans.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/new_kids_on_the_block_backstre.html

Concert review: New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys aren't kids or boys anymore

Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011, 4:05 AM     Updated: Sunday, July 31, 2011, 12:51 PM

New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys (NKOTBSB) are due for a name change. After Saturday's Hersheypark Stadium concert, it became clear that they are neither kids nor boys any more.
New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys at Hersheypark Stadium
Enlarge NKOTBSB live onstage at Hersheypark Stadium Saturday night. Daniel Zampogna, THE PATRIOT NEWS
 
As soon as the bands took to the stage for a mash up of the Backstreet Boys song, "The One," the New Kids on the Block number, "Single," and the instrumentals of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" fans realized that this was no teeny bopper performance. The bands both have grown with their audience and provided a more adult show.
The Chippendales would be proud, as the bands titillated the crowd with pelvic thrusts, clothing tossing and the occasional shirtless moment (courtesy of the ripped Donnie Wahlberg).
The trajectory portion of the stage functioned more as a runway for the boys to strut up and down. Prior to every strut though, the bands had to freeze - allowing fans to marvel at their form before beginning to sing or dance.
When not singing the groups wooed in prose. Pennsylvania, fans were informed, has the most beautiful women according to Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough.
"If you close your eyes and sniff it smells of men's two favorite things," New Kid Donnie Wahlberg said. "Dark delicious chocolate and beautiful women."
New Kids on the Block set the mood with their synthetic heavy 2008 song "Summertime." Midway through the jaunty melody, Jordan Knight shot the crowd a cheeky look, slowly lifting his shirt to the delight of fans. That glimpse of his chest was as tame as NKOTB got. These boys, remember, hang tough.
Backstreet Boys Nick Carter and A.J. McLean had their share of "sexy" moments. Carter shrugged off a jacket at every opportunity to showcase a giant arm tattoo, while McLean coupled his raspy vocals with pelvic thrusts.
Later, when the band pulled members of the audience up on the stage to serenade with their "I'll Never Break Your Heart," Carter trailed a rose along the girl's back, stroked her cheek and writhed on the floor.
He then did the gentlemanly thing and dropped on one knee as the Backstreet Boys concluded their serenade with a truly beautiful a coppella version of the song's chorus. It was a reminder that the boys were more than just good looking, but talented too.
"Incomplete" further showcased the BSB vocal talents. With its sweeping harmonies and soaring melody, it was the musical highlight of their portion of the show, despite the fact it is one of the less popular Backstreet Boys songs.
New Kids on the Block also displayed their musical prowess. Knight's high notes were impeccable, most notably during the ballad, "Valentine Girl." With a hint of whine in his tone Knight's voice sent shivers down the spine.
As he concluded the song the stadium burst into cheers as grown-women screamed like pre-teens. It was like they had all been transported to the days of their youth.
"It feels just like 1989," said New Kid Joey McIntyre. "For some of us, it feels even feels like 1999."
"No matter what magical time traveling journey we are on," he said. "We see no reason to stop until we want it to stop."
The show was not a true time travel journey back to the hey-day of the bands. Backstreet Boys in particular had made an effort to modernize or change their classic hits.
"All I Have To Give," was given a regrettable makeover in the form of a more upbeat tempo, which only detracted from the song, disrupted singalongs and upset the ear.
Other changes were successful, although few improved the song. "Larger than Life" was given a rockier edge with a strong electric guitar, which played well with the flames that routinely erupted from the stage.
An guitar line similar to Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" was played during "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," carrying through to the New Kids' performance of "Hangin' Tough." In both cases, the change gave the song a more masculine and dangerous edge.
As McLean said, "Sometimes its good to be bad."
It was a philosophy the New Kids' employed. When the music of "The Right Stuff," began the band strutted up the stage in a manner which would have made the Jets of "West Side Story" proud. They continued to channel musical bad boys with several dance moves straight from "Grease".
The same parents who were horrified by Elvis Presley's gyrations in the 1950s would have dropped dead at the end of the song, in which the band delivered not just one, two or three pelvic thrusts - but ten. They even counted along, in case someone was confused.
And the stunts continued, complete with Wahlberg ripping his shirt off of his body during "Cover Girl." The gasp of the audience was almost as loud as the massive speakers blasting the music. The screams that followed the initial shock were definitely louder.
The concert also functioned as a sing-a-long. With the crowd split roughly even between Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block fans, there was always someone singing. If one person did not know the song, the person next to them did.
Nowhere was this more obvious than the New Kids on the Block song "Please, Don't Go Girl." After the first four words (the same as the title) the mic was turned on the crowd who gleefully supplied the next few lines. While half remained silent, by the end of the song those who had been mum were joining in.
The song is a showcase piece for Joey McIntyre, who took over the stage with a dynamic and athletic performance. Running down the trajectory he slid onto his knees, fiercely delivering the song's plea. As the music died, McIntyre stood, his face confused - as if he had just woken from a trance.
Then, with tears almost in his eye he sang one final time: "Please, don't go girl."
From the fan reaction, it's safe to say the response was "Don't worry, we aren't going anywhere."

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/concert_review_nkotbsb_arent_k.html

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Fans relive some fond memories with NKOTBSB reunion concert

 New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys take the stage at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ on Friday.
 New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys take the stage at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ on Friday.
 New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys take the stage at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ on Friday.
 New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys take the stage at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ on Friday.
 New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys take the stage at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ on Friday.
 New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys take the stage at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City NJ on Friday.
Posted: Friday, July 29, 2011 11:28 pm
ATLANTIC CITY - Oh, sweet 1990s nostalgia.
It was once the stuff of boy band dreams to think the New Kids on the Block, the biggest boy band of the late 1980s and early 1990s, could not only reunite and tour again, but join forces with late 1990s boy band powerhouse the Backstreet Boys.
But dreams can come true. And on Friday, the women - and a handful of men - flocked to Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall to see the combination, known affectionately on this nationwide tour as "NKOTBSB."
As the curtain lifted to reveal the nine members of both bands, singing their hits "The One" and "Summertime," the arena erupted with more screams than a Justin Bieber concert.
Sure, the guys are older, and yeah, there were some backing tracks throughout to support some of the slightly weaker vocals. But the biggest difference on this tour is the attitude. These guys are no longer puppets of a pop music factory, churning out manufactured hits and merchandise (anyone remember New Kids trading cards and Backstreet Boys dolls?).
Now on their own, the older, wiser New Kids and Backstreet Boys are still singing the saccharin-sweet pop that made them famous - but this time, they know exactly what they are selling. There was plenty of chest baring, crotch thrusting and general merriment among the rabid, 30-something females who filled the hall to see their childhood idols.
The female fans, too, had grown up. And they were not shy.
"Jordan take it off!" read one sign.
"Donnie get naked!" read another.
Still another: "Our husbands let us be single tonight!"
Each New Kid and Backstreet Boy fell into their corresponding boy band roles. "Bad boy" Donnie Wahlberg was clad in a Public Enemy T-shirt; at another point, tearing off a tight-fitting black T-shirt, rubbing it against his sweaty chest, and tossing it to a screaming fan.
Backstreet Boy Nick Carter remained the playboy, running into the crowd to flirtatiously search for a woman to sing to on stage.
New Kid Joey McIntyre, the innocent heartthrob, playfully mugged for the crowd as he sang his most famous hit "Please Don't Go Girl," albeit a few octaves lower than the version he made famous as a pre-pubescent teenager. Jordan showed off his still-impressive falsetto range with his hit "Didn't I Blow Your Mind."
Jonathan Knight, the shy New Kid, still managed to somehow blend into the background on a stage in front of thousands.
The biggest advantage of both groups touring together was a non-stop show for the fans. While one band was on, the other was off, meaning no breaks or intermission. They kept the momentum going by grouping big hits together - the New Kids amped the crowd singing "The Right Stuff," (complete with their trademark shuffle made famous in their music video), followed by the Backstreet Boys singing one of their bigger hits "Larger Than Life."
Both groups took the time to really interact with fans, recognizing the many signs, pointing and smiling, shaking hands and even pulling women on stage to sing. The crowd banter was limited and came off a bit scripted, but the interaction was genuine. It was the mark of stars who have been around long enough to appreciate how they got there.
As both groups finished with their biggest hits - "Backstreet's Back" and the New Kids' "Hangin' Tough," the fans, too, showed their appreciation, holding signs like "Thanks 4 all the memories!"
Opening for the boy bands was a perfect 2011 contemporary - breakout "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, who plays teacher Will Schuester on the hit Fox TV series.
With Justin Timberlake-style good looks and a level of charm that could give Michael Buble a run for his money, Morrison entertained the crowd with slick dance moves and a combination of pop medleys and original songs, including his first single "Summer Rain," played on a ukulele.
His set received a standing ovation from the crowd.
With star quality like that, Morrison is all set to start a boy band revolution anew.

Source:  http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/life/fans-relive-some-fond-memories-with-nkotbsb-reunion-concert/article_96374a62-ba5c-11e0-9230-001cc4c03286.html

Donnie Wahlberg interview with Cherrytree Radio 07/29/11

Donnie CherryTree Radio 7-29-11 by Jess807

Concert Review: NKOTBSB at Boardwalk Hall

Two generations of female fans screamed like the teenagers they once were at the smooth boy band hits of New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys with a little ‘Glee’ to begin the evening.
By Lori Hoffman
 Posted Jul. 30, 2011
Donny Wahlberg
Photo by Lori Hoffman
Actors on hiatus from hit TV series might try to land a movie role or perhaps perform in a play, but I’ll bet there has never been a star from a hit series who returned to his roots as a boy band heartthrob complete with ripping off his T-shirt to the screams of a packed throng of bedazzled female fans.
That is exactly what Donny Wahlberg, who co-stars with Tom Selleck in the hit CBS cop drama Bluebloods, is doing as one of the members of New Kids on the Block. NKOTB, who reigned on the charts from 1989 to the early-1990s, are joined by the Backstreet Boys, who first hit it big in 1999, in one of the biggest shows of the summer.
Opening the evening in the Atlantic City stop of the show was another actor on hiatus from a hit series, Matthew Morrison from Glee.
One of the numerous signs in the crowd summed up the crowd’s mindset perfectly: “Our Husbands Let Us Be Single Tonight.” Well, at least those husbands gave grown women (and a few daughters brought along for a bonding moment) a chance to squeal like teenagers all over again.
For a member of my generation it was like recalling the original Beatlemania at twice the decibel level, not just from the screaming and cheering, but from the shows’ warzone loud pyrotechnics that had me ducking for cover several times.
NKOTBSB certainly delivered  the goods, beginning with both bands on stage together kicking off the evening with a mash-up of “Single/”The One” with a few bars of the Coldplay hit "Viva La Vida" tossed in for good measure.
The stage set-up features two main performance areas, the main stage and a stage in the center of the venue, with a runway between the two as the boy band hotties strutted back and forth. They also went deep into the audience during one portion of the show, putting their safety at risk watched over by some beefy security guards
At some moments in the show it was one NKOTB song followed by one Backstreet Boys tune; at other moments the bands strung together mini-sets. The songs covered all the highpoints – “The Right Stuff,” “Summertime,” “Please Don’t Go Girl,” “Step By Step”  and “Hangin’ Tough” for New Kids; “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “Bye Bye Love,”  “I Want It That Way,” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “Drowning” from the B-Boys.
The audience seemed more than satisfied.
Matthew Morrison, who was originally scheduled to go on tour as a solo artist on the strength of his debut album (including a stop in Atlantic City at Caesars), couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tour in select cities with NKOTBSB and the added exposure it would bring. He delivered all his Will Scheuster/Glee moves, both vocally and dance-wise on his two singles to date, “Summer Rain,” and “Still Got Tonight,” while opening his set in Michael Buble mode with a saucy “Sway.”
He ended his nine-song set with a tribute to his idols, Gene Kelly, Patrick Swayze and Michael Jackson with “Don’t Stop Dancing,” complete with signature moves from his trio of favorites.  

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Screaming women! Spilled beer! Lost lip gloss! New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys drive 'em wild at The Q

Washington, D.C., could learn a thing or two from these guys.
When New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys teamed up for a nostalgic double bill Wednesday evening at The Q in Cleveland, it was a historic display of boy-band bipartisanship.
Each group favored a different approach to dealing with the impending national heartbreak crisis. Of course, the fact that there even is an impending national heartbreak crisis was news to some of us.
New Kids on the Block came out in support of austere measures -- i.e., “Hangin’ Tough.” Backstreet Boys came out in support of transparency -- i.e., “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).”
Yet in the end, both parties agreed to put aside their profound philosophical differences in favor of dancing the night away, to the delight of 12,000 supporters.
Slick pop songs and pop-and-lock choreography played exceedingly well to the boy bands’ bases, which were 99.9 percent female and way too excited to be there. Your intrepid correspondent personally witnessed one young lady spill her beer. (On me.) Another fan was so worked up, she dropped her tube of lip gloss. The hyperventilating commenced as soon as New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys were lowered into view atop a circular elevator. They promptly launched into a medley of “Single” and “The One,” with a bit of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” thrown in for good measure. Poor Coldplay.
Toward the end of the 2 1/2-hour show, the co-headliners joined forces for the least convincing cover of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” that I’ve ever heard. Poor Queen.
New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys were better off sticking to their own hits. And between them, they had plenty.
Both groups took turns strutting their stuff, frequently on a long catwalk that connected the stage to a smaller platform in the middle of the arena.
New Kids on the Block featured brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood.
Their songs -- including “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Cover Girl” and “Step by Step” -- were well-received flashbacks from the late ’80s and early ’90s.
The fivesome peaked with the ballad “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever),” which found Jordan Knight’s stratospheric falsetto reaching altitudes where not even the Bee Gees would dare to soar.
The downsized Backstreet Boys included A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Nick Carter. They were without the services of Kevin Richardson, who left the group a few years ago to pursue other interests.
Apparently, those interests do not include revisiting “Shape of My Heart,” “I Want It that Way,” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and other Top 10 singles from the late ’90s and early ’00s.
Backstreet Boys also personally serenaded four female admirers onstage to the tune of “I’ll Never Break Your Heart.”
It made for a sweet interlude, in sharp contrast to self-styled bad boy Wahlberg’s tiresome crotch grabs and incessant pelvic thrusts.
Perhaps it was better to focus on the music.
“Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh / Oh, oh, oh, oh / Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh!” New Kids on the Block fearlessly declared in five-part harmony.
“Na-na-na, na-na-na-na / Na-na-na, na-na, baby / Na-na-na, na-na-na-ahhh!” Backstreet Boys boldly countered in quadruplicate.
OK, so neither group’s lyrics have aged particularly well. Nonetheless, in light of their successful NKOTBSB Tour, it might be interesting to get their thoughts on the federal debt ceiling.
SET LIST:
Single / The One (NKOTBSB)
Summertime (NKOTB)
The Call (BSB)
Dirty Dancing (NKOTB)
Get Down (You’re the One for Me) (BSB)
You Got It (The Right Stuff) (NKOTB)
Larger than Life (BSB)
Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) (NKOTB)
If You Go Away (NKOTB)
Please Don’t Go Girl (NKOTB)
Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely (BSB)
10,000 Promises (BSB)
I'll Never Break Your Heart (BSB)
Drowning (BSB)
Incomplete (BSB)
Step by Step (NKOTB)
Cover Girl (NKOTB)
My Favorite Girl (NKOTB)
Games (NKOTB)
Click Click Click (NKOTB)
Tonight (NKOTB)
Shape of My Heart (BSB)
As Long as You Love Me (BSB)
All I Have to Give (BSB)
If You Stay (BSB)
Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (BSB)
I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) (NKOTB)
I Want It that Way (BSB)
Don’t Turn Out the Lights (NKOTBSB)
ENCORE:
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) (BSB)
Hangin’ Tough (NKOTB)
We Will Rock You / Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) / Hangin’ Tough (NKOTBSB)

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2011/07/screaming_women_spilled_beer_l.html

Backstreet Boys are back along with New Kids On The Block at the Q


read the entire article here: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/backstreet-boys-are-back-along-with-new-kids-on-the-block-at-the-q

Review: Boy bands show a touch of humility

Nick Carter performed Tuesday with other members of the band during a combined concert with New Kids on the Block.
Nick Carter performed Tuesday with other members of the band during a combined concert with New Kids on the Block. / DOUG McSCHOOLER / For The Star
The oldest trick in a heartthrob's book -- pull a girl out of the audience for a one-on-one serenade -- crystallized the appeal of Tuesday night's New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys concert at Conseco Fieldhouse.
A 20-something fan named Paige served as proxy for nearly everyone in the estimated audience of 13,000 when Backstreet's Nick Carter applied his Casanova moves during a rendition of "I'll Never Break Your Heart."
He locked eyes at close range, writhed on the floor and repeatedly teased Paige with a single rose before surrendering the prize. She more or less hyperventilated.
Carter and fellow vocalists on the dual tour billed as "NKOTBSB" brought dimensions of gratitude and humility not readily apparent when New Kids thrived as a money machine in the late-'80s and Backstreet stormed the international scene a few years later.
"NKOTBSB" is still a major production, with the best seats selling for $91.50 each. A catwalk stretched from one end of the arena to the other, allowing close-up views for fans as the singers walked back and forth.
The performers, ranging in age from Carter's 31 to 42 (shared by New Kids Danny Wood and Jon Knight), are physically fit and able to execute passable dance routines.
Supporting act Matthew Morrison, who portrays Mr. Schuester on TV series "Glee," sang and danced circles around the headliners.
Morrison tweaked his prime-time persona by mashing together Lolita-themed tunes "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "Young." He also aced an array of difficult dance steps.
In terms of talent in the New Kids/Backstreet camps, these comparisons emerged:
» The muscular vocals of Backstreet's A.J. McLean trump the falsetto of New Kid Jordan Knight.
» New Kid Donnie Wahlberg does winking beefcake even better than Carter.
» New Kid Joey McIntyre edges Backstreet's Brian Littrell in the category of most cuddly mascot.
Marcia Stroub, a 57-year-old Indianapolis resident, also heaped praise on McIntyre.
"I have a soft spot for Joey," said Stroub, who attended the show with 52-year-old friend Carol Draper. "He was the baby of the group when they started."
While most attendees were younger than Stroub and Draper, 46-year-old Tom Mollgaard was a more prominent exception in the crowd.
The Cincinnati resident said he and a buddy (who declined to be identified) were checking out the show with designs on meeting women.
"I'm a music fan; I'll go see anything," said Mollgaard, who recently caught hard rock band Buckcherry in concert.

Source: http://www.indystar.com/article/20110727/ENTERTAINMENT/107270354/Boy-bands-show-touch-humility?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Entertainment

BOBInterviews with Donnie Wahlberg 07/22/11


Donnie Wahlberg who played Carwood Lipton
was our LIVE guest on Wednesday July 27th 2011.

 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

new blocknation's blog from Jon

8/13

Jul 27, 2011 By: Jonathan Knight

The title basically says it all ,8 shows, and 13 days left on the NKOTBSB tour! Some people get upset when I talk of the tour coming to an end. Frankly, I am not a machine and it is past time to get home to my own familiar surroundings, my family, friends, and a normal sleeping pattern!

It will be hard to say goodbye once again to an amazing group of people! We had the most dedicated crew this tour, setting up and tearing down our stage every day! They always seemed to have a smile on their faces daily, even after only getting a few hours sleep, and not that many days off! I admire these men and woman! They are my kind of people. Hardworking everyday down to earth people! So much emphasis is placed on us the performers, truth of the matter, there would not be a show night after night without our amazing group of crew members and our bus and truck drivers who haul us and our stuff across the continent.

Working with the Backsteet Boys has truly been an incredible experience. NKOTBSB may come to an end sometime in the future but in my heart NKOTBSB will live on forever. I have grown fond of these guys and have enjoyed sharing the stage with them city after city! It is nice to work with other artists who have been through so many similar situations and experiences as we have! These guys have mastered their craft the same way we have, years and years of doing it. This business is tough, and can through many curves your way as you sail along! As long as you take the ride, doing the best you can do, the journey is amazing!

I am in awe everyday that we keep going forward! When I was approached in early 2007 about doing a "reunion tour" I honestly thought we would do one tour, and within the year I'd be back home working my day job! Funny thing is, this many years later, here I am riding on my bus to the next city to perform! It is still surreal that we hold such a special place in the hearts of so many. In my head I am just a man from Boston Massachusetts who took a chance with this boyband called Nynuk back in the mid eighties! We hit it big as NKOTB and then it all ended 17 years ago! I am one for giving people second chances ,but to get a second chance is something that should never be taken for granted! You all not only have given us our second chance, you have now given us our third, fourth, and fifth! I cherish all the memories we have shared together and look forward to the many memories we will create in years ahead!

All my love and respect,

JK

ps. dont type on your laptop while driving down the highway! its worse than reading in a moving car! I may be blind right about now LOL

http://nkotb.com/users/jonathan/blogs/1351771

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Jordan Knight And Donnie Wahlberg Provide More Eye Candy With New Video

#Videos JordanKnightWahlberg

Posted by Emily Exton on 07/26/2011 

More bait for restless cougars, whose desire for ’90s dreamboats can never truly be satisfied, this time in the form of an all-white everything Jordan Knight. The NKOTB/NKOTBSB heartthrob released a new video for all those fans who have been waiting patiently since he brought turtlenecks back in “Give It To You.” “Stingy,” features fellow NKTOBSB member Donnie Wahlberg, who is braving the threat of an aggressive fan reaction by appearing in this video. No one knows where this may lead—just look at those YouTube comments. Things stay tame, as the two open up about their lady problems in the comfort of an apartment hallway. Are we supposed to notice that Knight is in white while Wahlberg wears black? Symbolism! Looks like boy band member stereotypes still hold true today.
Forget that it has one of the worst titles since “Smack My Bitch Up,” we’d rather focus on Wahlberg’s tortured chorus, filled with spoken word whispers (“A careless whisper from a careless man”) that are straight out of The Lonely Island rejection pile. Watch below. And moms, please don’t get any ideas.

source: http://popdust.com/2011/07/26/jordan-knight-donnie-wahlberg-stingy-video/

Boyz II Men Surprises Fans At NKOTBSB Concert In Orlando And The Crowd Goes Wild!

BY Chloe Melas



New Kids On The Block and Back Street Boys got an evening of a lifetime when Boyz II Men took the stage and performed hits like ‘Motown Philly!

You must be totally jealous right now, because we are! Boyz II Men shocked thousands of diehard fans at the NKOTBSB concert on July 22 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fl. The group who reached mega-fame in the early 90s took the stage with New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys at their concert and the audience went nuts!
All the boy bands sang Boys II Men hits like “Motown Philly,” “I’ll Make Love To You,” and “End of the Road.” The only thing that would have made that night more epic would be if *NSYNC had taken the stage!

 Source: http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2011/07/25/boyz-ii-men-surprise-concert-nkotbsb-orlando-video/

NKOTBSB and Boyz II Men Team Up for ‘End of the Road’ Performance

NKOTBSB and Boyz II Men Sing 'End of the Road'

William Thomas Cain / George Pimentel, Getty Images

As if the forces of New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys weren’t mind-boggling enough, Boyz II Men recently made grown women (and men) weep when they appeared at a recent NKOTBSB show to perform ‘End of the Road’ with the super group.

Diehard boy-band fans shrieked like prepubescent teens when Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris hit the stage in Orlando, Fla. on July 22, and who could blame them? The epic collaboration was bursting with multi-layered harmonies, a veritable smorgasbord of sound for ’90s music lovers.

The audience was also graced with Boys II Men hits such as ‘Motown Philly’ and ‘I’ll Make Love To You.’ Unfortunately, ‘N Sync was nowhere to be found.

Boyz II Men are set to release their new album, ‘Twenty,’ this fall. The 2-disc set will contain 10 new songs, as well as 10 newly recorded and updated versions of ‘End of the Road,’ ‘I’ll Make Love to You’ and ‘Bended Knee.’ Already in the studio with super producers like Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, Teddy Riley, Rob Knox and more, the album will feature new music from the Philadelphia trio for the first time in a decade.

Watch NKOTBSB Perform ‘End of the Road’ With Boyz II Men

Source: http://popcrush.com/nkotbsb-boyz-ii-men-end-of-the-road/



Donnie Wahlberg Exudes Pure Hotness – NKOTB in Orlando

Source: http://www.modernmommysonline.com/2011/07/donnie-wahlberg-exudes-pure-hotness-nkotb-in-orlando/Enlace

They say a picture says a thousand words. If that’s true, then you have 5,000 drool-filled words below. Donnie Wahlberg, one member of the boyband New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) exuded pure hotness at the Friday July 22, 2011 NKOTBSB show in Orlando, FL. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking. Enjoy.

Pure Donnie Hotness

Donnie

Breakdown

Feelin' the love

Fortysomething boy bands have aged well with fans

Review | Backstreet Boys & New Kids On The Block

Monday, July 25, 2011 12:48 AM

The Columbus Dispatch

The Backstreet Boys make their way down the runway at Value City Arena last night. The group is touring with New Kids on the Block, forming a boy band super group.
Taylor Glascock | Dispatch
The Backstreet Boys make their way down the runway at Value City Arena last night. The group is touring with New Kids on the Block, forming a boy band super group.

To be a New Kid on the Block - or a Backstreet Boy, for that matter - in 2011 requires a certain indifference to social and sartorial norms that would typically recede with time and age:

Safe, synchronized dance moves.

Semi-formalwear awash in sequins.

Startling bursts of pyrotechnics, steam and confetti.

Gratuitous crotch-grabbing.

But a female-heavy crowd squealingly embraced such tactics last night when the two boy bands joined forces for a two-hour-plus show that took nostalgia-hungry listeners - depending on the performers - back 10 years (the Backstreet Boys, which formed in Orlando, Fla., in the early 1990s) or two decades (the Boston-based New Kids were first assembled in 1984).

"It feels a lot like 1989 again," New Kids vocalist Joey McIntyre told a packed Value City Arena last night. "No matter what beautiful, time-traveling journey we're on, we don't intend for it to stop."

Much of the show felt pretty modern, however.

The nine-piece group began the concert with a mash-up blending the New Kids' Single with the Backstreet Boys' The One while backed by the melody of the recent Coldplay hit Viva la Vida. It came off as a mix between an American Idol opening number and something those Glee kids might effortlessly throw together.

Utilizing a floor-length catwalk like it was Fashion Week, the guys effectively strutted, posed and offered a constant, childlike wave to no one in particular.

What worked best for the double-billing, though, was the iPod-Shuffle-style set list alternating between ensembles, which kept energy and audience interest high.

Still, the New Kids were the clear stars, running through upbeat songs of puppy love - Step by Step, You Got It (The Right Stuff), I'll be Loving You (Forever). Falsetto crooner Jordan Knight still hit the extended high notes.

For guys in their 40s, they've aged well, playing up the teenage Romeo shtick with full force - particularly bad-boy-turned-actor Donnie Wahlberg, whose face was covered for much of the show by a sparkly fedora (and, later, a Columbus Clippers cap) until he ripped off a black tank top to reveal a necklace strung with buckeyes (hey, it's only weird if you shouldn't flaunt it).

On their own, the Backstreet Boys were less magnetic. Performing without Kevin Richardson, who left the group in 2006, the foursome seemed bogged down by ballads, some of which were remixed with the Spinners and AC/DC music. Vocalist Brian Littrell seemed distracted, flapping his arms and making odd faces throughout.

And while their slow tunes have the burden of sounding strikingly similar, several stood out: As Long as You Love Me and I Want it that Way among them.

Source: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/arts/stories/2011/07/25/review-nkotb-backstreet-boys.html?sid=101