New Kids on the Block Reunion

New Kids on the Block First Musical Appearance
It was announced NKOTB will perform their first concert in well over a decade on May 16 on the NBC Today Show plaza. Up until the beginning of April, the former boy band had been trying to build up hype and excitement around this announcement with a countdown on their NKOTB website. Now the static photo and countdown clock has been updated with news, a video of their People Magazine exclusive, tour dates are conspicuously absent, there's a couple of blog updates, video interviews and a fan forum.

New Kids on the Block Reunion Tour
New Kids on the Block or NKOTB are getting back together with a new CD yet to be named to be released later this summer and backing it up with a fall tour. Diehard fans are sure to want to hear the old songs that made New Kids on the Block one of the favorite boy bands on the 1980s and 90s before they called in quits in 1994 In an interview with Associated Press, band member Donnie Wahlberg said "I had no interest in going out on a nostalgia tour and singing the same material," he said. But he promised, "We will absolutely do the old songs for sure."

What Have NKOTB Been Doing for the Last Fourteen Years?
Donnie Wahlberg, one of the band's principal songwriters, wrote a majority of the new songs with band members Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight. Wahlberg enjoyed the greatest success compared to the other guys in New Kids on the Block, acting in television and films. Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight have continuedvto record and tour as solo artists. Knight last appeared on VH1's the Surreal Life in 2004. McIntyre appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2006. Danny Wood has stayed in the music industry as a producer and performing with other bands. Jonathan Knight, in the meantime left the music business completely venturing into real estate development.

Past NKOTB Reunion Attempts
MTV tried to get the band back together in 1999 for their video music award show. VH1's Bands Reunited also tried an unsuccessful attempt at getting the band back together in 2004 according to a summary of reunion attempts on Wikipedia. It will be interesting to see what maturity and time away from the entertainment industry has brought to Jonathan Knight who was unable to complete their final tour before the group shortly disbanded because of panic and anxiety attacks.

What Sparked The Reunion
Donnie Walberg was handed a demo tape from his entertainment lawyer of a young singer songwriter Nazaree when in New York filming Righteous Kill with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. When he got into his car in Boston on his birthday he was energized and inspired by the songs he heard on the tape. He shared the song "Click, click, click" with his former band mates and together they began collaborating with Nazaree who used to be a fan back in the day when NKOTB was the #1 boy band. Read more on the NKOTB website.

What Were Their Big Hits?
The album Hanging Tough reached #1 in the U.S. in 1988 as did Step by Step in 1990. #1 singles include Step by Step and I'll Be Loving You (Forever).

SOURCES:
Associated Press, New Kids on the Block to Reunite, April 3, 2008
The New York Times, Like Old Times for the New Kids, April 4, 2008
Wikipedia, New Kids on the Block