New Kids on the Block, the boy band that started all boy bands, is back on the road. Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood are bringing new life to their 1990 Magic Summer Tour, with all the flashes of neon, synchronized pop & locks and doodled designs of the band’s heyday. As Donnie described in an interview with 103.5 KTU, the initial iteration of the tour was “a little heavy on the magic.” The group felt disconnected from their fans with how hectic everything became, but as Danny mentioned, “we’re going to do it right this time.”
Joined by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Paula Abdul, this tour was ripped straight off MTV TRL’s top ten. Making their first stop in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, the show was a blast right back to NKOTB’s technicolor past. Even if it has been over 30 years, all the fans at the Blossom Music Center screamed just as loud, if not louder than they did back in the days of Fresh Prince and Full House. They erupted in a high-pitched, feverish excitement at the sight of the five men they’ve admired for decades. Asked by the band to show up in their most neon Step By Step era attire, the crowd looked like they were yanked straight out of the Magic Summer Tour Pay-Per-View special.
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It was a burst of nostalgia for all in attendance, as the band referenced the branded look-a-like dolls and iconic dance moves that defined what it meant to be a boyband in the '90s. Even old-school tour traditions made a comeback, like Jordan’s blown-away button down for “Baby I Believe In You,” or all the shaking behinds and shirtless Donnie during “Cover Girl.” The 28-song setlist covered a lot of ground, from the must-sing classics to live debuts of “Summer Love,” “Get Down,” and “Better Days.” The group even welcomed DJ Jazzy Jeff on stage for a medley of live debuts, “Dance With You / Pop / A Love Like This / In The Night / Long Time Coming,” celebrating the release of Still Kids, their first full-length album since 2013.
With their coordinated choreography and many matching outfit changes, it may seem like New Kids On The Block is only looking to take audiences back in time. Sure, they’re stepping out in matching leather jackets and chromed-out sets, dishing out the “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” shuffle like it’s 1988. Most of all, New Kids On The Block is looking forward to reconnecting with their fans. Donnie reflected on his gratitude in that same interview with KTU.
“It sounds so cliché but no matter how difficult or stressful this gets, somehow when we get back together with them, everything’s just ok. Walking on stage the opening of every tour it never gets old, never gets boring. Listening to them scream louder than they did when they were kids will always just be music to my ears for sure.”
For NKOTB, the magic is in the moments. The fans are what make this experience worthwhile, and taking on the Magic Summer Tour with thirty years of experience under their belt, they’ll finally be able to take it all in. According to Donnie, they’re hoping to “trim out all the bad stuff and bring back all the good stuff.” Having grown up with their fans, it all feels like one big NKOTB family reunion. Based on the enthusiastic revival of NKOTB hysteria in Cuyahoga Falls and Chicago, any Blockheads hoping to relive the days of ultra-bright scrunchies, cassette tapes and fanny packs with the five men once plastered on their walls are going to want to make it out to the new and improved Magic Summer Tour.
Magic Summer Tour 2024
06/18 - Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
06/19 - Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
06/21 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
06/22 - Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywod Casino Amphitheater
06/23 - Prior Lake, MN @ Mystic Amphitheater
06/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
06/26 - Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
06/28 - Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
06/29 - Salt Lake City @ USANA Amphitheatre
07/01 - Highland, CA @ Yaamava Casino
07/02 - Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre
07/03 - Mountainview, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
07/05 - Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
07/06 - Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
07/07 - Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
07/09 - Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
07/10 - Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
07/12 - Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
07/13 - The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
07/14 - Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
07/16 - Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheater
07/17 - Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheater
07/19 - Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
07/20 - West Palm Beach, FL @ iThink Financial Amphitheatre
07/21 - Jacksonville, FL @ Dailys Place
07/25 - Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium
07/26 - Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
07/27 - Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavillion
07/28 - Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
08/01 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
08/02 - Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
08/03 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
08/04 - Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
08/08 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
08/09 - Gilford, NJ @ Bank of NH Pavilion
08/10 - Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
08/11 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
08/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
08/16 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
08/17 - Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
08/18 - Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
08/22 - Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
08/23 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
08/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
08/25 - Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
