Joey McIntyre - Freedom Tour: Phase One
On the last full week of April, Boston welcomed back one of their famous sons, Joey McIntyre. Boston is the second to last stop on Joey’s solo tour, The Freedom Tour. The show was held at Citizen’s House Of Blues near Fenway Park.
The last time I saw a Joey McIntyre solo show was at Cape Cod in August 2023. Of course I also saw him last year at the New Kids On The Block Magic Summer Tour.
Fast Pass and General Admissions
Unfortunately, I missed out on VIP tickets. Those tickets sold out fast, the moment they were released! Instead, I bought a fast pass. I definitely recommend purchasing a fast pass when the venue floor is set up as General Admission and no assigned seats. When doors opened at 7pm, I got to enter the venue before the regular general admissions and after the VIP. As a result, I secured a spot close to the stage and had Joey in full view. Totally worth it! The venue was set up with a circle platform spinning in the middle with another stage towards the back with a piano.
Also wanted to note, House of Blues handled the lines in a very organized fashion.
Concert Highlights
At around 8 pm, Joey kicked off the show by entering the stage, wearing a mechanic outfit with a shoulder bag hanging on his back. He fittingly opened the show with “Is Anybody Out There?”, the first single off Joe’s 7th solo studio album, Freedom. The Blockheads and Bravehearts (Joey solo fandom) screamed in delight once Joey walked onto the stage and started singing. Joey continued to build on their energy with “Crimson”.
The setlist consisted of mainly his original solo songs and NKOTB songs including: “Pop”, “Come Back”, “Stay”, “Until Tomorrow”, “One Shot” and “Other Things”. Joey composed a balanced setlist of uptempo and slow songs. Joe did not have a full band behind him. Only Sean Thomas, his guitarist accompanied him.
One of my favorite performances was definitely “She”. Joe poured his whole heart into the song. He was just sitting on a stool singing and leaving his feelings onstage. He continued to express his emotions during “I Don’t Need Another Thing”. Both songs with their soulful tones affirmed Joe as a crooner.
Another highlighted performance was “Easier”. “Easier” was not really one of my favorite Joey McIntyre songs but after watching Joe perform the song live and how he connects with the audience, I have a new appreciation for the song. Also, “Easier” allows Joe to truly show his vocal range. His vocal range also shined during “Where Do I Go From Here” and “Miracle”.
Despite the large turnout, the show felt intimate. Joe was notably engaging with the crowd. He made sure to make eye contact with the fans as if he was singing directly to them. Throughout the show, he also encourages the crowd to sing back to him. Considering he’s been performing since he was 12 years old, Joe carried this amazing confidence onstage. This confidence was apparent during his performance of “Freedom” as he started moving around onstage and singing the high notes. Joe was clearly comfortable onstage as he fed off the energy off the crowd. His confidence only grew as he started singing “I’m Waiting”. After a first quick change to a leather jacket and cumberbund, Joe reappeared onstage and started shaking his body slowly as he started singing the lyrics. He had this intense look on his face, captivating the audience. Later, he kneeled down on the stage, facing the audience at eye level and started singing “Own This Town”. I was left in a trance!
I also loved his performance of “I Love You Came Too Late” from his debut album, “Stay The Same”. It was the first time I saw Joe perform the song in an acoustic style. He did a second costume change into a very sparkly vest jacket. Despite being on a spinning stage, Joey made sure he was reaching out to everyone as he was singing. The song also brought back the nostalgia of the late 90s when Joey ruled the MTV days. The performance made me reminisce of the days of phoning in and running home from school to catch Joey’s video on TRL.
. Nevertheless, the mash up performance of “Please Don’t Go Girl” and “Stay The Same” was the biggest highlight of the night. When those familiar chords of “Please Don’t Go Girl” started playing. Joe seamlessly combined both of his famous songs, mainly the melody of “Please Don’t Go Girl” and the lyrics of “Stay The Same”. Despite both songs being over 25 years old, Joe still performed both songs with such passion and heart. He reignited the nostalgia, at the same time, he performed the two songs as if it’s a new song in a familiar way. Obviously, both songs have a special meaning to Joe and the fans.
Joe closed the show with “Shut Up and Sing”. He changed into a plaid shirt and jeans and sat himself by the keyboard. It was very personable,though I wished the piano was uplifted to a higher stage so we call see him in full view. Still, Joe continued to demonstrate his vocal range and identity as a crooner.
Poetry Reading and Storytelling
During the show, Joe took a moment to read two poems from the anthology, The Rag and Bone Shop of Heart: Poems for Men. He read Gary Snyder’s poem “Why Log Truck Drivers Rise Earlier Than The Students of Zen” and Robert Frost’s poem “Come In”. Joe’s poetry reading was . I felt the poetry reading added more depth to the concert. Also, the way Joe read those poems, it was deep! Like I felt we were at a spoken word event.
Since the show was in Boston, Joe told stories during the show of him growing up in Jamaica Plain and starting with the New Kids. He definitely got emotional as he talked about how far he has come since the early days and seeing the turnout in the Boston concert.
It was heartwarming to see his bandmate and my favorite New Kid, Jon at the show with his husband, Harley Rodriguez and his and Jordan’s mom, Marlene. Danny Wood’s dad, Danny Wood senior, was also at the show. He was kind enough to take pictures with fans.
Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed Joey McIntyre’s concert. It was purely a Joey McIntyre show with no bells or whistles needed. Just him singing, Sean with his guitar and the piano. Joe clearly felt at home on stage. His vocal range and singing was amazing and really touched the fans’ hearts. He made show personal. I know he’s been a solo singer for more than a decade. But it was the first time, I saw him being able to hold his own onstage without the other four New Kids. With a swagger, Joe confidently moved and danced about the stage and fed off the crowd’s energy. He didn’t disappoint! I am looking forward to Phase 2 and Phase 3.
