New Kids On The Block - 2024 Magic Summer Tour
Date: August 2nd and 10th, 2024
Location: Hartford and Mansfield
New Kids On The Block’s 2024 Magic Summer Tour landed on the east coast in early August. The tour was NKOTB’s revitalization of their previous 1990s tour. The show was a full NKOTB concert with supporting acts Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
When NKOTB announced their tour, I knew I needed to see at least two shows. The tour was sold out and the venues were packed with blockheads and their spouses/kids. Luckily, I scored regular tickets in Hartford, CT and VIP tickets in Mansfield, MA. I’m glad I got two different tier tickets because I got to see the Magic Summer Tour from different angles.
My concert friends and I also really lucked out on clear weather too because both concerts took place outdoors. Granted, we had a roof covering us where we were standing.
VIP in Mansfield
If you are a big NKOTB fan/blockhead, I highly recommend doing VIP meet and greet with New Kids at least once. The guys are quite friendly and happy to see fans.
You get to enter the venue early prior to general admission. VIP also comes with concert seats closer to the stage. And you get to meet and take a picture with NKOTB!
VIP Pro-Tips
Prior to VIP Meet and Greet, you have to set up your VIP photo group. Your group must consist of 10 people. One New Kid member stands with two people each. Fortunately, I already had a group with other blockheads from a previous concert. One less worry!
VIP runs very quickly. You have to prepare what you want to say to each guy. Make sure your eyes are wide open and remember to smile when the camera flashes.
During the meet and greet, I got to stand with my favorite, Jon. He definitely gives the best hugs. I told Joe that I sang his song, “Stay The Same” during my elementary school talent show. I thanked Donnie for continuing the New Kids. I even told Danny about how my mom used his quote about “try you might like it” to get me to try new foods when I was a kid.
Another perk of VIP is we get early access to the merchandise booth. Which was really fortunate as I got to purchase the green NKOTB city shirt before they ran out!
DJ Jazzy Jeff
DJ Jazzy Jeff got the party started by spinning the records. He is a legend and knows how to get the crowd going before the main event. Growing up watching the French Prince of Bel Air, I was ecstatic to see him live on stage. To add to the sense of nostalgia, he included the “Fresh Prince” TV theme song in his setlist.
DJ Jazzy Jeff later appeared during the main event with NKOTB during “A Long Time Coming” and “Get Down”. He also fittingly spun Will Smith’s “Summertime”.I can clearly tell that NKOTB, especially Donnie, were grateful that DJ Jazzy Jeff joined their tour and valued his legacy.
Paula Abdul
Up next was Paula Abdul. Her setlist included “Straight Up”, “Rush Rush”, “Opposites Attract” , “Forever Your Girl”, and “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow”.
This was the first time I saw Paula perform a full set. I previously saw her at Fenway Park with NKOTB back in 2017. Unfortunately, she had her performance cut short because she had fallen and the sky was about to rain.
This time around, Paula gave an impressive performance. She is truly talented. I can’t believe she’s 62 years old and can still dance like she is 22! I loved how she masterfully incorporated storytelling on her journey as an artist into her performances.Paula used clothing racks and ballet bars as props to replicate a backstage and dance studio. The choreography was so intricate and flowed well. Paula also gave her dancers, the opportunity to shine. One of her dancers actually competed on So You Think You Can Dance.
Moreover, Paula was incredibly engaging with the crowd as she ran around the audience.
During the show, Paula also expressed how grateful she was to be part of the Magic Summer Tour. She thanked her dancers and crew for putting the show together.
NKOTB Magic Seat VIP
For this tour, NKOTB offered an upgraded VIP experience known as Magic Seats. The Magic Seats offers fans the opportunity to watch the beginning of the New Kids show from the side of the stage.
After Paula’s set, I along with other Magic seat fans went backstage and see some NKOTB memorabilia. We got to do a group huddle with Donnie and Danny. Donnie gives a motivational speech, hyping us for the show. Danny was really friendly. He was willing to take selfies with the fans. I was happy to spend some extra time with Danny and Donnie after meet and greet. It was also cool to meet Jon and Jordan’s family.
After the group huddle, the backstage crew led us to the stage before NKOTB came on. Half of the fans got to stand on stage right. The other half got to stand on stage left. The space was definitely tight as Mansfield’s Magic Seats were sold out that night. Luckily, I secured a spot with a clear view of the guys and the stage. We got to watch the guys perform eight songs on stage from “Magic” to “Remix” .
Later, we leave the stage just as the guys go out into the crowd during “Block Party” and “Tonight”. Which works out well since we can’t see much of the guys anyways even if we were in the audience. And we make it right back to our regular seats just before Joey performs “Where Do I Go From Here”.
New Kids On The Block - The Main Concert
At 8:45 pm, NKOTB kicked off the show with “Magic” off their latest album, “Still Kids”. They wore colorful neon sparkly jackets and black shirts and jeans with sunglasses. From the Magic Seat point of view, it was incredible to closely watch the New Kids pop up to the stage with their doll boxes in the background. “Magic” was the perfect choice to open not only because it’s a high tempo banger of a song, but also each New Kid sang a solo part and demonstrated their voice ranges.
They continued the show’s momentum with “Summer Love”. Their setlist was a mixture of their major hits and new songs from their latest album, “Still Kids”, including “Favorite Girl”, “Tonight”, “Summertime”, “Dance With You”, “Call It What You Want”, “Step By Step”, “Block Party”, “In The Night’, and “Popsicle”. They appropriately included “Hangin’ Tough” in the encore, proudly showing their Boston pride sporting their Celtics jerseys.
My favorite performance was “The Remix (I Like The)”. The song is extremely upbeat and full of energy. The stage fills up with smoke and flashy lights as the guys dance on stage. I loved how the guys performed a synchronized choreography routine during one half of the song and just moved around freestyle. Especially Joey running across the stage. Moreover, the dynamic partnership between Donnie and Joey really comes out as they sing the leads of the song. Building on multiple years of friendship and brotherhood, Donnie and Joey share an incredible chemistry. That chemistry was also obvious during the performance of their latest single, “Kids”. They truly enjoy performing together on stage. That big positive energy continued to boost the audience’s spirits throughout the show.
My other favorite performance was definitely “The Right Stuff” because that song brings so much hype and momentum. The crowd starts going wild when the familiar beat begins playing. Jordan starts yelling to the crowd and the boys start singing “oh oh oh”. The blockheads jump and dance from their seats. From the Magic seat viewpoint, it was awesome to watch the New Kids perform their iconic dance moves upclose onstage. Being a noted favorite NKOTB hit, “Right Stuff” just brings so much nostalgia that the New Kids can’t perform a concert without it.
During the show, the guys make an effort to interact with the Magic Seat fans. Danny and Joe would come by and give us high fives. During “Dirty Dancing”, Donnie excited the Magic Seat crowd by leaning his body back into them. I managed to get his sweat on my fingers off his shoulder!
Moreover, I loved the fact that each New Kid performed at least one solo song and had the opportunity to stand out. Such as Danny singing “Never Gonna Fall In Love Again”with Donnie’s support. Usually you see him playing second fiddle to Joe or Jordan. He totally nailed his performance! He also gave it his all during his solo in “Valentine Girl” and “Favorite Girl”.
Donnie also showcased his solo talents during “Stay With Me Baby” and “Cover Girl”. He clearly loves performing in front of the fans. He feeds off their energy and makes every effort to reciprocate that excitement. Hot take - Donnie is a better rapper than his brother Mark! His rapping skills excel during “Games” and “Call It What You Want” and “Block Party”. In addition, Donnie re-emphasizes himself as the band’s leader as he takes time to talk to the audience in between songs.
Another highlight was Joey playing the piano during “Where Do I Go From Here”, then jumps up from the piano bench and starts singing and dancing to “Treat Me Right”. He is a natural showman and obviously models himself after Frank Sinatra. Joey further proved his showmanship and vocal abilities during NKOTB’s classic hit, “Please Don’t Go Girl”. Clearly never tired of singing that song multiple times, Joey left his emotions and vulnerability onstage.
Not to be outshone, Jordan showed off his vocal talents during the ballads, “Baby I Believe In You”, “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind” and “Valentine Girl”. He definitely utilizes his swagger and charisma into his performances. Jordan continued to emphasize his high falsettos during my favorite song, “I’ll Be Loving You Forever”. I identify him as the Diva of New Kids On The Block by how much passion and emotion in his singing. Jordan also projected his strong vocals in “A Love Like This”.
Side note: I was a little jealous of the Blockheads who got to go up to slow dance with the other four guys.
Finally, I was especially proud of Jon singing “Happy Birthday” and closing the show with “Better Days”. As a Jon Girl, it’s so great to see him comfortably being his authentic self and sing so confidently. He looks so happy and truly enjoys performing onstage with his five brothers.
The Verdict
Overall, I had a fantastic time at the New Kids’ Magic Summer Tour! I definitely danced the whole concert. My feet were tired by the end of both nights. Still, I wanted the show to go longer. The concert was just amazing.
The New Kids not only delivered a 2 hour action packed live show, but the concert felt like a party. No shortage of confetti! The guys did not disappoint. The Magic Summer Tour recertified New Kids On The Block as legendary entertainers and artists. NKOTB showed they can still perform and they will continue to perform for a long time.
Moreover, NKOTB ensured the show was complete with a full fan experience. They made sure to interact with the fans as much as possible, whether it’s inviting them to the stage or going into the crowd. I’m glad I did Magic Seats once. It was so much fun! And I’m excited about their Vegas residency.
