When I was a small child New Kids On The Block first burst onto the scene. Like many of you, I grew up with them. I had the merch. I knew all the words. I had a favorite member (Jordan). They were the first band I really got into. Despite that, I have never gotten the chance to see them live. So I was stoked to have the opportunity to cover their first show in Franklin the other night.

The venue, Firstbank Amphitheater is gorgeous. Having been there once before I knew traffic would be crazy. They seemed to have made good strides towards improving the traffic flow, but it still was nuts.

Opening act, Paula Abdul proceeded to spend most of her time onstage talking. Her whole set was like one big dance audition. And when she did perform it didn’t hold my attention. I was disappointed to say the least.

After a short intermission to change sets, New Kids On The Block hit the stage in all their retro glory. Their outfits were full of bling. The sets were neon, 90s themed, and fun. The boys opened the show with Magic, and had fans on their feet screaming from the start.
Even though Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, and Danny Wood are getting older, the guys still can entertain a crowd. I may not of known any of the new songs, but they still held my attention. It was nice that they spread out the old classics throughout to keep fans waiting for more.

My favorite part of the show was definitely all of the old school hits that I still remembered every word to after all these years. Two of my favorites were You Got It (The Right Stuff) and Cover Girl, so hearing both of those live was the highlight for me. The crowd went crazy for You Got It and Hangin’ Tough especially.

The entire show was full of moments with fans brought onstage. While a nice way to get closer to their fans, the price tag of being VIP ($1400 I’m told) is ridiculous. During the middle of the night, the boys walked offstage to these tiny light up stages that were erected in the crowd to sing a few songs.

They brought special guest “DJ Jazzy Jeff” (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) out and thanked him for his influence on their lives. He helped the guys “spin” a medley of songs off New Kids On The Block’s brand new album “Still Kids”. There were moments that were a bit cringy, but overall it was a good show. After all these years the guys proved that they’ve still got “The Right Stuff”.