NKOTB
June 25, 2017
Verizon Center – Washington DC
What a great way to start the week, reminiscing the past heartthrob boy bands and one familiar Ex American Idol Host on the The Total Package Tour which paid a visit to The Verizon Center in Washington DC on Sunday, May 25th.
Boyz II Men took the stage first and despite being one member short, the guys were still made up of the founding members, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris, and Shawn Stockman. Of course they played former hits such as MotownPhilly, then to On Bended Knee and infamous hit I’ll Make Love To You. The guys also included the cover of One Sweet Day, which they had performed with Mariah Carey. The trio sure sang their hearts out despite having such a short set and they proved to still have that groove.
After a very short intermission, Paula Abdul was up next. This exact tour is her first tour in over twenty years, and honestly, she didn’t quite meet expectations. The choreography to many costume changes and production were all great, especially the LED screen that lit up behind her. That was amazing. The only thing that wasn’t really to par was her vocals, they were kind of off. Despite not being fully there in the vocal world, Abdul did sing a variety of her older hits which included Cold-Hearted Snake, Opposites Attract and fan favorite, Straight Up.
Finally, the moment I’m sure every single middle aged woman in the room was waiting for, the former hotties of the 80’s, New Kids On The Block. The anticipation building video montage of the guys really got these fans all wild. Honestly, my ears were ringing by the screeching and screaming these fans were giving off.
Let’s talk about the amazing production these guys had. Pyrotechnic effects, confetti and the amazing lighting was just out of this world. Kudos to their production designers.
New Kids On The Block made up of Danny Wood, Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, and Joey McIntyre were literally smiling ear to ear as they opened with One More Night, which is the first single off their upcoming album, Thankful. It was pretty obvious that most fans weren’t really looking for their newer material- they were looking for their older hits like You Got It (The Right Stuff), Please Don’t Go Girl and Block Party. Throughout the night the “Block Heads” got louder and louder as the band continued to bring back memories of the 80’s-90’s dance moves and hit songs. As the night came to an end the band closed the night out with a ton of confetti and they played Hangin Tough to end their 34 song setlist.
Review by: Alyssa Howell
NKOTB
Paula Abdul
Boyz II Men
