Hangin’ Tough

This summer, New Kids on the Block once again headline amphitheaters holding as many as 20,000 fans. PARIS VISONE / COURTESY PHOTO

When New Kids on the Block reunited in 2007, it was fair to wonder if the boy band would have anything more than just a brief second chapter.

After all, it had been 13-plus years since the five vocalists –Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Joe Knight and Danny Wood – sold some 80 million copies of four albums worldwide — with the 1988 album “Hangin’ Tough” and 1990’s “Step By Step” leading the way.

The guys were now in their 30s, and their teen fans of the 1990s were now well into adulthood. Had the fans moved on? Would the songs New Kids On The Block sang in their teens still resonate when performed by a group whose members were starting to approach middle age?

As it turned out, the reunited group’s first reunion tour in 2008 was an all-out success. Since then the New Kids’ popularity has endured. This summer, the group is once again headlining outdoor amphitheaters that hold upwards of 20,000 people as they tour behind their third post-reunion album, “Still Kids.”

Since reuniting, New Kids on the Block released three studio albums, “The Block” in 2008, “10” in 2013 and “Still Kids” earlier this year PARIS VISONE / COURTESY PHOTO

The youngest member of the boy band, Joey McIntyre says they did not envision the band still going strong in 2024. “I think if you asked any of us that 15 years later since we got back together, 16 years later, it’s (pause), it’s breathtaking. It definitely gives you pause. You’re obviously very grateful. At the same time, on the day-to-day, I know how much we believe, you know what I mean, and we have this concoction of personalities and desires and drive.”

“The five of us all show up. So it’s not a mystery as far as the day-to-day and the passion that’s involved,” McIntyre says. “And you know, when something is this big for this long, for me, I get to a point where I can’t keep trying to figure it out and just count my blessings and be of service…I think slowly but surely I’m at a point where I’m like hey man, I’ve just got a job to do and I’m lucky enough to have that job and I’m here to entertain the people and have a good time.”

New Kids on the Block’s summer concerts will include songs for their latest album, as well as the expected hit songs from the group’s catalog. PARIS VISONE / COURTESY PHOTO

The New Kids have certainly had quite the career. Liftoff came in 1988, when the teenage Tiffany, at the peak of her “I Think We’re Alone Now” popularity, brought New Kids on the Block out on her Nation Area tour, putting the boys on stage in front of tens of thousands — just when they’d released their second album “Hangin’ Tough.”

By the end of 1989, the singles “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” and the song “Hangin’ Tough” had all topped the charts, and the New Kids were the biggest boy band going.

Another blockbuster album, “Step By Step,” followed, before the New Kids saw their fortunes wane with the 1994 album “Face The Music.” It failed to generate any hits and the group was now playing smaller venues. Following the tour, the group decided to call it a day.

Since reuniting, it’s become clear that the New Kids weren’t simply interested in taking a victory lap. They’ve toured consistently and have now released three studio albums — “The Block” in 2008, “10” in 2013 and “Still Kids” earlier this year.

The latest album retains many of the musical trademarks of the early New Kids albums, with buoyant, danceable uptempo tracks like “Magic,” “Dance With You” and “Kids” having the familiar synthy gloss and strong pop melodies. The album also has its share of grooving ballads, including “Come Back,” “A Love Like This” and “Better Days.”

At the same time, McIntyre said some songs — most notably “Stay,” a lush multi-faceted tune about staying — or leaving — long-time relationships — pushed the group into new musical places with its instrumental breakdown.

New Kids on the summer concerts will include upwards of five songs from “Still Kids,” as well as the expected hit songs from the group’s catalog.

“We you want to give the people what they want and then also mix it up for us to keep it fresh. So we’ve managed to do that,” McIntyre says.

And yes, there will be dancing, although McIntyre noted the group has had to make some adjustments now that they’re in their 50s.

“I think it’s a balance,” he says. “We want to keep challenging ourselves, but we want to be appropriate for our age and not run around like chickens with their heads cut off like we used to. But let me tell you, it’s a workout. It’s a workout every night, especially outside in summer. But it makes it kind of cathartic. It adds to the experience, but you know, we have our signature moves and we try to build a show that is about movement and dance and connection. I think we do a decent job balancing that out.”

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