NKOTB bring their MixTape Tour to Toronto

I’ll be honest. When I was offered to review the Mix Tape Tour concert – New Kids on the Block, I didn’t research it. Not one search was conducted. All I knew was I was going to see The New Kids on the Block.

I’m dating myself, but I was the ripe age of 11ish when The New Kids became famous. For my birthday, I had received a gift certificate for the only record shop in our town and purchased their cassette tape. Not the famous one, Step By Step, the one that put the Boys on the map, but the one actually called The New Kids on the Block featuring many unidentifiable tracks. My point is, it was a time in my tweens that made a mark.

So…I was given a ticket and asked to review. I arrived at the Scotia Bank Arena to a sea of neon, lace headbands and fingerless gloves all donned by women in and around my age. The squeals of delight, already outside the area were distinct. This was a crowd that were life long (nearly) fans.

After settling in my seat, it was time. The lights went down, the anticipation was palpable and from behind a black curtain they arose. Clad in white and bedazzled in silver, there they were. In the flesh. The (not so)New Kids on the Block; looking much the same, if not three decades older. But who am I kidding, so do I.

A bit creaky and stiff, they soon found their groove, energized by the screaming and sheer enthusiasm of a nearly sold out crowd.

After a few numbers, one better and more relaxed than the next, everyone was fully into the swing of things. When suddenly, they worked they way from the main stage, through the crowd to a secondary stage on the opposite end of the arena where they completed their first set.

I settled in for a break, when suddenly, a voice arose. A familiar song and voice, and much to my delight, Tiffany was there, performing in the flesh! If I was a cartoon, my eyeballs would have gone A-WOO-GAH! You know what I mean. And just after her, on the secondary stage Debbie Gibson, the embodiment of a teeny bopper disguised in a slightly older body. I was agape. What was happening?!!

It didn’t end there! Salt n Pepa, the bad ass girls of days gone by, appear on the main stage. “Let’s Talk About Sex”, performed exactly how I remember it…right there before my very eyes bringing me back in a flash to me writing in my diary in my room and my parents asking me if it was really necessary to have my music at that volume level. (Hint: it was).

These performances got me to thinking. Wow. This is like a mix tape but live. Then it hit me. MIX TAPE. Man alive, no wonder the tour was called The Mix Tape Tour. Fellow readers, forgive me and my ignorance and please let me be your favourite blonde going forward.

There was no intermission so this gal had to make a quick break for the little girls room. I came back to the aisle filled with people and I could barely make it back to my seat. I couldn’t figure out why everyone was crowding in the aisle. I looked up when I got to my seat and to my surprise there was Donnie Wahlberg performing in the middle of the crowd. What could I do but take a million photos, complete with caption “NO ZOOM!!”. Yeah, it was shameless and I am sorry, not sorry.

Between songs, the good man DW, took a moment to thank the fans. This was not just any amount of gratitude but rather a true tribute to the fans that have been supporting the New Kids on the Block since they first exploded onto the music scene 30 years ago. He said that people didn’t believe in the longevity of the boy band nor the longevity of the fans. However, credit was due; it was the fans who are so loyal and dedicated that made them what they are today. Girls who have become women who have become teachers, lawyers and doctors are now the adult fans that support them through and through. I had nothing but true and utter respect for the recognition of the people who made and sustained the fame of the New Kids on the Block. Sincere kudos for them recognising it and not taking it for granted.

But it didn’t stop there! In between there was a tribute to Tiffany from each of the boys of New Kids on the Block it was a pre-recorded tribute that recognized her and her efforts. That it was this pivotal time that allowed them to become who they are today.

It’s not often that a performer or famous person attributes their success to others and this recognition will forever hold my respect for them going forward.

In conclusion I was absolutely in awe of the energy and efforts from the New Kids on the Block and the additional performers of the Mix Tape Tour: Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Snow, Salt n Pepper and Naughty by Nature.

Thank you for an extremely energizing walk down memory lane and a re-enegized fan. For more on NKOTB and the Mix Tape tour visit https://www.nkotb.com/