New Kids on the Block, Paula Abdul coming to Nationwide Arena on Aug. 23
New Kids on the Block, who paved the way for future boy bands like NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, will return to Columbus next summer, leading a lineup of '80s acts a Nationwide Arena on Aug. 23.
Tickets for "The Magic Summer" tour 2024's Columbus stop can be found at ticketmaster.com.
New Kids on the Block, commonly known as NKOTB, was formed in 1984 by record producer Maurice Starr, who sought to create a white counterpart to New Edition, the popular teen quintet he'd discovered a couple of years earlier. After some minor trial and error, the final lineup of NKOTB was set: Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood and Joey McIntyre. (Fun fact: Actor Mark Wahlberg, brother of Donnie, was briefly a member of the band.)
NKOTB's 1986 self-titled debut was an unequivocal flop and their sophomore effort, "Hangin' Tough," and its first single, "Please Don't Go Girl," initially received a lukewarm response. However, an eleventh-hour rescue came from a Florida radio station that began playing the single and it soon became the most requested song on their playlist. The band's label ramped up promotion efforts, which paid off when "Please Don't Go Girl" climbed to No. 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart, scoring the group its first hit.
A string of other Top 10 hits followed, including "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," and "Cover Girl," as well as "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," re-released from NKOTB's first album. A holiday album spawned the hit, "This One's for the Children," which peaked at No. 7 and was the band's third single in the Hot 100 at the time. Other hits include "Tonight" and "Step By Step."
NKOTB disbanded in 1994 but reunited for a 2008 tour, and from 2010-2012, performed with the Backstreet Boys as NKOTBSB.
With The Magic Summer Tour, NKOTB — who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014 — are reimagining their wildly successful 1990 tour by the same name. They will be joined on the tour by '80s dance-pop hitmaker and former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul (who has appeared in Columbus before with NKOTB) and DJ Jazzy Jeff, best-known as "Fresh Prince" Will Smith's turntablist.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Kids on the Block, Paula Abdul to play Nationwide Arena on Aug. 23
