New Kids on the Block Cause Mayhem at Reunion Announcement
It’s been fourteen years since the New Kids on the Block shared a stage, but you wouldn’t know it judging by the crush of fans decked out in NKOTB jean jackets and tour laminates screeching with delight at the Today show plaza this morning. The now-thirtysomething boy band was bombarded by rain-soaked women dressed like teens (many with their actual teenage daughters) as the group announced a new album (due this summer) and a fall tour. “It was music that brought us back [together],” said Donnie Wahlberg, who for the last decade has followed his brother Mark into acting. “We really weren’t going to announce this yet, but a story leaked … and we said we better come out and let [the fans] know that it’s official.”
Their 1988 single “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” played as a large red curtain dropped to unveil the five guys to shrieks of “Still hot!” and “We love you, Donnie!” The group will make their first comeback performance in the same spot on May 16th live on Today with what they say will be a set of old and new songs. Although they did not offer specifics on their new sound — the crowd got just a quick sample of new track “Summertime” — they hinted it would be similar to their old tunes “with less ‘oh oh ohs,’ ” said Danny Wood. (Video after the jump)
As for the tour? It will be “action-packed,” said Jordan Knight, who saw minor solo success with his 1999 single “Give It to You.” “We got some moves,” Wahlberg reassured the crowd pressed against the barricades, sending them into hysteria with just a wink. “These are the kind of fans we have,” added Joey McIntyre, who spent the last ten years balancing a solo career with Broadway roles. “[They] stand in the cold and rain.” When asked the inevitable question of whether the New Kids have plans to change their name, Wood perked up: “We’re kids at heart; we’re never gonna change.”