Today’s young generation has Justin Bieber and Katy Perry to worship, but back in the day it was the New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys who ruled the charts.

The two American boy bands peaked at different times — the New Kids had their heyday in the late 1980s and early ’90s, while the Backstreet Boys were hugely successful in the mid to late ’90s — but the concept of the bands was the same: They were a handful of handsome young men who could sing sugary sweet pop songs and sway their hips during their live shows.

It seems like a simple formula, and yet it was a highly lucrative one. The girls of the world went crazy over the good looks and swift movements of their dashing and talented idols: New Kids on the Block, Take That, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Blue — the list seems endless.

Many of those bands have disbanded in the years since the zenith of the boy band craze, while others have gone on a hiatus and then reunited to make music once more.

New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys, however, have done something unique: They have decided to join forces and go on tour together. Under the unwieldy acronym NKOTBSB, the two groups toured North America in 2011 and visited Europe earlier this year, much to the delight of their fans who enjoyed the offering by two of the biggest boy band acts in history

Read full article on TheJakartaGlobe.com.

By Lucy Gibson

New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys
Burswood Dome

Manchester, England, March, 1989. There we were, my four best friends and I packed into the Apollo theatre, resplendent in our hyper-colour t-shirts and ripped jeans waiting for our idols New Kids on the Block to take to the stage.

Fast forward 23 years and those kids are now men. Even the baby on the block, Joey McIntyre, like many of us fans has a few grey hairs.

But on Tuesday night the excitement was just as palpable as NKOTB – and that other boy band the Backstreet Boys (let’s remember who came first, folks) – delivered a three-hour concert at the Burswood Dome that made us all feel like teenagers again.

Read full review on TheWestaustralian.com.au.

The Pop Legends Are ‘Larger Than Life’ For Australian Comeback…

They’ve got a mighty 45 years of experience in the biz between them – and Saturday night was time for two of pops favourite ever boy bands to show Sydney what they’re made of!

Back Down Under for their sell-out world tour, the Backstreet Boys and New Kids On The Block joined forces to thrill more than 13,000 screaming (99.9% female) fans at Allphones Arena.

Belting out hit after hit for every girl who’d ever plastered their walls with posters of their favourite member, the 90s legends embraced their cheesy roots for a mighty two-and-half hour set!

Decked out in sleeveless vests, leathers and studded boots, the chart-topping rivals took it in turn to send their loyal admirers wild with an array of classics, like Backstreets’ ‘As Long As You Love Me’ and NKOTB’s ‘Step By Step.’

But, of course, no boy band show would be complete without a) a cheeky bit of flesh-flashing and b) some serious serenading. And between the two groups, they successfully had BOTH covered.

In the running for highlight of the night was the moment bad boy Donnie Wahlberg pulled a Marky Mark, by ripping off his shirt to parade his impressive six-pack while taking the lead for ‘Cover Girl.’

Read full article on MTV.com.au.

MANILA, Philippines – A boy band fever has been sweeping the local music and entertainment scene featuring a foreign act a few days leading to the back-to-back concert of New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) and Backstreet Boys (BSB) on June 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Since news of the joint international tour broke out a few weeks ago, renewed public interest and attention have been triggered by the trendy pop genre that made waves in the ’80s and ’90s with the signature sounds from various groups of young musicians with refreshingly new talents and styles that inspired the boy-band phenomenon.

Two of the most successful boy bands ever, NKOTB and BSB, are out to awe millions of Pinoy fans with a once-in-a-lifetime musical treat when they perform together on one stage in one night and bring back their greatest hits that made them household words across the globe.

Billed as NKOTBSB Live In Manila!, the musical extravaganza from Ovation Productions marks the concert debut in Manila of the two legendary boy bands as a supergroup that will showcase the enduring sounds of the past generation through an array of their best-loved songs.

NKOTB will perform the chart-topping hits it has popularized since it started as a boy band in Boston, Massachusetts in 1984, such as Hangin’ Tough, You’ve Got It (The Right Stuff), I’ll Be Loving You (Forever), Cover Girl, Step By Step, and many more.

Read full article on PhilStar.com.

MANILA, Philippines — Few thought it could happen, but it ultimately became a reality, putting together two of the world’s greatest pop groups in one musical event. And on June 3, Pinoy fans would certainly enjoy this special treat when legendary boy bands New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys (collectively initialized as NKOTBSB), two of pop music’s biggest and most successful acts, take their historic joint tour to Manila for a one-night gig.

The boy bands will appear on the same stage on the same night as they bring back their greatest hits that made them household words in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively, during a back-to-back super concert at the new indoor Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Billed as “NKOTBSB Live In Manila!,” the musical presentation from Ovation Productions marks the local debut of two of the biggest pop groups in the world that will showcase the magical sounds of the past generation through an array of their best-loved songs.

New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) will perform the chart-topping hits it has popularized since it started as a boy band in Boston, Massachussets in 1984, such as “Hangin’ Tough,” “You’ve Got It (The Right Stuff),” “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever),” “Cover Girl,” “Step By Step,” and many more.

In 1991, the group topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid entertainers, beating out the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Bill Cosby.

The present members of the band are Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg. Its former members are Jamie Kelly and Mark Wahlberg.

Read full article on MB.com.ph.

Many of us still remember the New Kids On The Block (NKOTB). The group from Boston, Massachusetts was made up of Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood. For a while it also included Donnie’s brother, Mark Wahlberg, who later on became Marky Mark, rapper and Calvin Klein underwear model and then became Mark Wahlberg again, box-office star and Academy Award nominated actor. They were the ultimate boy band of the ’80s.

Then came the ’90s. The NKOTB grew up. So did their fans. And there came a new boy band for the fans to adore. Formed in Orlando, Florida, they were known as the Backstreet Boys. Like NKOTB, they were also big. The members were AJ McLean, Brian Litrell, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. Despite some solo efforts, they have pretty much remained intact save for Kevin, who has gone solo and is now a successful actor in Broadway with Billy Flynn in Chicago as his most popular role.

A year ago, there came the news that the NKOTB and the BSB have gotten together to form a super group called the NKOTBSB. It was the late Dick Clark who got the ball rolling. He got the Kids and the Boys together for a number at the 2010 American Music Awards and the fans went wild. Next thing you know they had a new collaborative CD out in the market and were touring together. The album became a big hit and the tour sold out. Why not, they were singing their hits and their two new songs, Don’t Turn Out The Lights and All In My Head together.

Read full article on PhilStar.com.

Today’s young generation has Justin Bieber and Katy Perry to worship, but back in the day it was the New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys who ruled the charts.

The two American boy bands peaked at different times — the New Kids had their heyday in the late 1980s and early ’90s, while the Backstreet Boys were hugely successful in the mid to late ’90s — but the concept of the bands was the same: They were a handful of handsome young men who could sing sugary sweet pop songs and sway their hips during their live shows.

It seems like a simple formula, and yet it was a highly lucrative one. The girls of the world went crazy over the good looks and swift movements of their dashing and talented idols: New Kids on the Block, Take That, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Blue — the list seems endless.

Many of those bands have disbanded in the years since the zenith of the boy band craze, while others have gone on a hiatus and then reunited to make music once more.

New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys, however, have done something unique: They have decided to join forces and go on tour together. Under the unwieldy acronym NKOTBSB, the two groups toured North America in 2011 and visited Europe earlier this year, much to the delight of their fans who enjoyed the offering by two of the biggest boy band acts in history.

Thanks to its big success, NKOTBSB has extended the tour to include concerts in Australia and Asia, and will make a stop in Jakarta on June 1.

Read full article on TheJakartaGlobe.com.