January 27, 2008
NKOTB to Reunite? - A Blast from the Past, Embarassingly So
Are late eighties teenage heartthrobs New Kids on the Block set to stage a reunion tour? People magazine thinks so. They broke up in 1994 after dismal sales of that year’s record, but in the following years a couple have individually reached some success, most notably Joey McIntire on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Apparently a reunion concert almost happened in 1999 at the MTV Music Video Awards but was thwarted with Jordan Knight decided not to participate.
I must embarrassingly admit that I was an NKOTB fan in the late eighties, because, well everyone was. This was pre-grunge, I was not yet in high school, and MTV was just gaining a foothold around the nation. This band was a marketing machine who branded every conceivable item and were saturated in the small media landscape. I had a shirt and maybe even a lunchbox. I don’t really want to go into it, but I liked them. I never made it out to a concert though as I think I grew out of it pretty quick and realized I wasn’t a young teenage girl.
Who would be the target demographic for this tour anyway? Surely not the teenage girls of this decade, the Hannah Montana set so-to-speak. Their not exactly the American version of Menudo anymore. Maybe twenty something girls who don’t regret their younger tastes? I doubt you’ll find many of those when it comes to NKOTB though. Backstreet Boys, maybe. NKOTB, I don’t think so. The New Kids are just too damn embarrassing.
Maybe it’s just me that finds them so embarrassing. They were one of my first true introductions to pop music that I really liked for a time and memorized words of songs and such things. “Please Don’t Go Girl,” the quintessential Joey song, was a favorite of the ladies and the hopeless romantic in me, and “Hangin’ Tough” satisfied my macho side. I now look back at that song and realize how ridiculous it all seems. I’ve now buried that stuff deep. If I could make myself forget, I would.
Sometimes I do wonder though, how well I could sing along if I were to hear the songs again and the memories were sparked. Then I come to my senses and swear that I won’t be seeking out an NKOTB concert to find out. This is one skeleton in this music blogger’s closet that he would rather remain hidden from the light of day, far in the back, in perpetuity. Forever.
Update: It seems Danny has spoken, and said this is all news to him. (It’s in the comments). My world is now back in equilibrium.
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January 27th, 2008 22:09
Don’t feel so bad. In ‘88, I owned the Escape Club album. Not the “Wild Wild West” cassingle, I mean the whole goddamned album. You’re excused.
January 27th, 2008 22:48
um…i was an nkotb fan too…read Metal Monday!
January 28th, 2008 01:41
I was a pre-teen girl during this time and I definitely had my NKOTB cassettes, but no T-shirt or lunchbox… I’m impressed Josh!
January 28th, 2008 10:16
From Danny’s Myspace Page…
“Hello to everyone. Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying the New Year. I wanted to address the rumors of the NKOTB Reunion Tour. There has been no talk of this and you are getting it from source directly. Never say never, and you can’t believe everything you read.”
January 28th, 2008 12:10
I love New Kids. I saw them at the puyallup fair probably 17 years ago.
January 28th, 2008 13:05
I think the guys name was DANNY WOOD which makes it seem that your “Donny Wood” isn’t the real deal.
January 28th, 2008 13:34
sorry typo on my behalf
January 29th, 2008 04:23
I’d love this to be true,how great would it be if nkotb got bk together,i mean everyones doin it and becoming more succesful.
Guys if the rumours are true and u do tour don’t forget ur uk fans.
I have met both danny wood and jordan knight when they was in the uk,jordan was touring and danny was in that tottally boyband programme,witch i make a little apperance with him lol,
embarrassing when i told him i was a big nkotb fan and asked if he could sign my no more games tour programme.
oh and when i met jordan i kinda burst into tears lol.donnie’s my fav
sarahx
January 29th, 2008 18:13
oh god, you want to talk about skeletons in the closet: I shamelessly admit that not only was NKOTB my favorite band as a 9-10 year old girl (and yes, i too owned the towel, lunchbox, several t-shirts, and who could forget those ginormous pins that also doubled as picture frames!) but NKOTB was my first concert. I know, i know… i was also ten years old, and that nosebleed section ticket was probably the best stocking stuffer I’d ever gotten from santa. My sister and i still talk about that ‘euphoric’ moment to this day.
Although i’d never ever pay money to see them on their reunion tour (which i guess isn’t happening anymore), i’d be slightly intruigued to see what they all look like now- and if they can still perform the “hanging tough” dance without pulling a groin muscle…
February 2nd, 2008 06:08
First off, of all the pics (even from CD covers, could you not use any OTHER???) LMAO
A reunion WITHOUT all 5 is NOT a reunion…
There had been talks for ages and Donnie was always the one against it.
To be honest with you… I would kill to see them all back together, if anything because in 1994 they finally came to Italy and Spain for promo and in BOTH countries they promised a tour in the fall… MANY (me included) decided against going to see them in their (pitiful… because of lack of fans) US-tour. They suddenly announced the dissolution of the band and left us EUROPEAN fans with a bitter after taste…
So, if THEY want to reunite and finally give us our much deserved farewell tour, I am all for it…. AND, my 6 yo daughter will be singing along side with me… I am not ashamed admitting I still think they are the best band ever. I only do hope there won’t be excessive space for their earlier material because I think FACE THE MUSIC is their best album!!!!
Other than that… I hope Jordan will leave Please Don’t Go Girl to Joey (JAY…. it has been 22 years you have thought it should have been yours and was given to Joey, JUST LET IT GO… lmao). Donnie, please rap so I can get wet LMAO. You rock as an actor and you live large as a rapper (ALWAYS MY #2….)
Joe, show them how you rock it and WORK IT (my baby ALWAYS # 1)
Jordan, you just are an amazing singer, a little bit too stingy and take forever to come out with music….
DANNY, your solo career is AMAZING and you sure as hell aged DANG FINE!!!!!!!!!
Jonathan… GEESH, I would give ANYTHING to see you onstage again but, should you decide otherwise, I wish you all the best my friend (FYI: it was he, along with Jordan, that went to Oprah and talked about panic attacks).
BOTTOM LINE…..
NKOTB ROCK NOW AND FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS: set a date, a place, a time and I WILL BE THERE!!!!!!
Love, Tee
February 27th, 2008 11:31
Loved NKOTB then and Love them now. I am going on 30 and I would pay any amount of money to see them. I bought their CD’s on Ebay and listen to them when I am feeling goofy. LOVE IT!!!!
March 4th, 2008 06:18
well they were the first boyband to come out and rock the stage. they were awesome. i got to meet them when i was 14 and loved it. they are the reason i listen to pop today. they deserve much more credit for being the main starters of the boy band era than some people give them. nsync and backstreet etc wouldnt have been half as bag if it were not for the era before them which only consisted of nkotb. when they were out no other wanna be boy band could make it. they are icons in my eyes and many other peoples eyes. i hope they come back and go on tour cuz ill be there supporting them along the way no matter what happens. im a true fan and so are many other people i know and dont know around me. keep keep it on. nkotb fo life
April 3rd, 2008 06:11
Whatever!!!! What is the big deal to admit that you liked a group when you were young. People who say they are “embarrassed” need serious help. Maybe figuring out why you are so insecure should be your priority instead of blogging.
April 3rd, 2008 11:12
I use to love the New Kids back in elementary school and I still do at the age of 28!! I already travel as much as possible across the country to see Joey perform when he is on tour so I would definitely pay to see the whole group again. It was be a night to remember. I am pregnant at the moment and have already lined up babysitters if that time does come after the baby is born.
April 5th, 2008 02:56
I was a huge fan in the day and seriously I’m very stoked for this… After the New Kids I became a big grudge chic and people are shocked how excited I am on their return… People come to me for what’s good to listen to that’s not the radio … Because now a days the radio music sucks, but I have to say the New Kids have always had a place in my heart… I was late to work today to watch the New Kids on the Today show …Seriously what’s the harm and wrong with going back and enjoying the innocence of our first crushes and feeling like a kid again….Shit their music might even be good…Hey it’s gotta be better then this shit my kids love !!!
May 15th, 2008 14:27
Go check out Donnie’s good friend Nasri. He was the reason they got back together. he wrote most of ther new songs. You can even hear his voice on the chorus of “summertime” and he sings the second half of “click click click”
Check him @ myspace.com/nasriworld
June 2nd, 2008 22:11
I about fell over in my chair when I heard the news of the “highly anticipated” reunion tour?!?
Excuse me, but didn’t we all grow up? I was a die hard obsessed teen with my walls adorned with HUNDREDS of pictures of the pop group. In fact, in 8th grade, I saved my allowance, lunch money, babysitting money, and all the loose change I could find to go to their concert in Houston, TX. Why does this matter?
Because I lived in Dallas, TX and the New Kids weren’t coming to Dallas for thier spring 1991 tour.
Well, do not let 240 miles stand in the way of a couple of teen girls and their fantasy to loose their virginity to Donnie or Joey. My BFF at the time was a girl named Crystal and she was originaly from Houston. So the lies were dispersed to my parents about our alleged family trip, and away we were. Me, 13, Crystal, 16, with nothing but $250 and a dream.
We hooked up with Crystal’s friend, Renee, and her cool mom who set us up in a motel room close to the Houston Astrodome, and found us a scalper for tickets. Remember our ages…13, 16 & 16. Really? Seedy Houston motels and ticket scalpers, oh my! Anyhow, we got the tickets and went to the concert. Found out which hotel they were staying at as one of the New Kids announced it during the conert to 30,000 fans. Imagine being the Manager on duty at the Houston Four Seasons when, probably, 1,000 girls arrived in the lobby. We were 3 of them.
Renee actually knew the drummer of the backing band. Somehow we made our way up to the floor the band was staying on. HOWEVER, while we were waiting Crystal didn’t want to stand and wait for David, the drummer, to come get us. So she took me down to the lobby to do something…my memory fails me, I believe to get a coke. Well, we weren’t allowed back on that floor when we tried to make our way. Renee? David came for her minutes after we left and she hung out with “them”.
1991 - pre-cell phone, pagers, two-ways, computers or email. Crystal and I waited as long as we could until all the looming groupies were kicked out of the hotel. We jumped in a cap, where our driver was bleeding from a head wound as he’d just been robbed.
Well, tht story pretty much ends there. Months to a year later our focus was redirected to Color Me Badd and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. New Kids faded, but the memory of almost getting to hang out with “them” lingered in my imagination until 10th grade. That memory gave me the dropped stomach feeling people often get when they look back on decisions they made that changed what might have been. But now…
WHAT ARE THESE WOMEN THINKING?!? Lining up, IN THE RAIN, to see these washed up grown men and their failed careers. Well, Donnie is a pretty good actor, but that’s about it. It isn’t as if their music transcends generations like, say, The Beatles. It was pop crap then and it’s pop crap now. I often reflect on those days with much distain. Why didn’t a grown up, or anyone for that matter, shake me to my core and MAKE me listen to good music, or expose me to some culture.
And why doesn’t someone do the same to these women?
June 10th, 2008 02:47
aw. you were wrong.. go look at ticket sales…you douche bag
June 10th, 2008 15:09
I was wrong. NKOTB is back, and people actually want to go see them. Good for the New Kids. I don’t hold any ill will toward them or their career, I just thought that the era of the boy band was kinda past (at least for now).
As for who the douchebag really is in this thread …
November 20th, 2008 19:57
I soooooo love NKOTB and am soooo excited to say that at my age of 29 I will be attending their concert in seattle on saturday november 22nd and they are going to rock it. they are selling tickets all over the states. I Love you NKOTB