New boy bands can learn from us, say New Kids on the Block

NEW YORK — New Kids on the Block are ready to take new boy bands on the block to school.

The Boston-based veteran group, which announced a summer tour with TLC and Nelly this week, said contemporary boy bands should check out their live concerts to learn from the experts.

“As far as boy bands, you know, we dance, we perform. I mean, I hate to sound like an old fogey, but these kids don’t know what they’re missing nowadays because we got to sing and dance for our supper, you know what I mean, and we love to do that,” Joey McIntyre, 42, said in an interview Tuesday (Jan 20) at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“So maybe a few kids could come to the show and see how it’s done.”

The Main Event tour kicks off May 1 in Las Vegas. Tickets go on sale Jan 31.

In the last few years, boy bands have resurged, with One Direction leading the pack, followed by 5 Seconds of Summer. Others, from The Wanted to Mindless Behavior, have had some success.

Donnie Wahlberg, 45, said the decades-long bond between New Kids on the Block and their fans makes it worthwhile.

“I would rather have the credibility of thousands of fans and have them be happy. That’s what we’ve learned and that’s why we’re still here,” Wahlberg said. “We keep it alive because it stays alive between us and our fans. It’s a real relationship now.”

Wahlberg and McIntyre, along with bandmates Danny Wood and brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, began playing together more than 30 years ago. They said they’re excited to share a stage with one of the top-selling female groups of all-time and the multiplatinum Nelly.

“It’s always nice to go out onstage and know there might be some people out there that haven’t seen what you do, so you’re engaging with them. It keeps it fresh for you,” McIntyre said. “It just adds to the juice of the night, and we’re ready to do that.”

The 42-date tour wraps July 2 in Buffalo, New York. AP