Reliving My Youth in NYC with New Kids on the Block! May 2008 About This Page:

[RobinKay6573]

Pretrip: How all of this started


In 1988 we were sitting in the car in Burlington, Vermont on the way to church with my family and a song came on the radio. As “Please Don’t Go Girl” played I looked at my sister and said, “Why is a girl singing ‘please don’t go girl’.” She laughed and said, “That is New Kids the Block.” Little did I know the following year I would not only know every single word to every song on their album but my room would be plastered with photos of every member of the group. In 1989 my sister went to see them in concert in Lake Placid, NY. She was going with a friend so I wasn’t invited. That fall we watched a Disney TV special and that is when I really took notice of New Kids on the Block. Joey, the 16 year old with the bright blue eyes, was my favorite. That Christmas my mom purchased the cassette tape of Hangin’ Tough. I played it so many times on my Walkman I actually wore the tape out.

By 1990 I ate, drank and breathed New Kids on the Block. My mom rolled her eyes when I would babble off trivia about the boys. That summer I my best friend Jenn and I boarded a bus to Montreal to see the New Kids on the Block at Olympic Stadium. We were late for the show and missed the opening acts. By the time we got to our seats the show started. I was shaking with excitement. We were seated so far away you could barely tell there were people on stage. It didn’t matter I was there, breathing the same air as Donnie, Danny, Jordan, Jonathan and Joe.


The Top Photo I am holding my concert ticket!!




In 1992 I graduated from high school. My love of New Kids on the Block followed me to Pine Manor College outside of Boston, MA. During orientation I sat next to a girl named Marisa. We started talking and both realized we loved New Kids on the Block. Later that night at dinner she introduced me to Sandy who was also a fan of the boys from Boston. The three of us became so close to this day we are like sisters. I can count on Sandy and Marisa for anything. We found out less then a month after we started school that we lived less then a mile from Joe McIntyre. I have no idea how we did it but we found his house and walked over there more times then I can count. We never met him...and never saw him (although I did meet his brother at Star Market).



Marisa, Sandy and I Across the street from Joe McIntyre's House in 1993


College was much harder then any of use expected. In 1994 I married a man from Dorchester, MA and moved to Michigan with him. I had quickly thrust myself from my carefree college years to pure adulthood. Any of my true loves (family, friends, NKOTB) took a backseat to my marriage. We lasted less then a year. He moved back to Boston and I moved back to Vermont, determined to get my head straight and move on. I moved back to Michigan later that year and started college at Michigan State in August 1996. New Kids on the Block broke up in 1994 and I had no idea. Life had made me miss the last 2 years they were together. When I came to this realization I was very sad.

[B.M.]

Great start! I seen NKOTB in Atlanta; it was my first real concert, I remember being very excited, I went with a friend and my cousin and we had the best time! Can't wait to hear more! (oh, and how cool you lived a mile from Joe!)

[RobinKay6573]

Pretrip: Fast Forward to 2008

Now fast forward to January 28, 2008, I was sitting on the sofa eating my cereal, watching the Daily Buzz while Belle did her business outside. The reporter came on and said, “People Magazine has reported that New Kids on the Block are reunited.” This was me (literally). I rewound the DVR and played it again…thinking I must have heard that wrong. No it was true. WOW! That night when I got home from work I logged on NKOTB.com . The website was VERY sparse and just has a place to fill out contact information…so I did. I found the message board NKOTBfans.com and started reading messages about the “rumor”. A few days later NKOTB had a video asking, “Are you ready?” At this point I was in total panic mode…was this really happening? As the days went on more and more information was being “leaked”. I was getting more and more hopeful that the rumors were true…my Boston boys were BACK!


New Kids on the Block's First Photo
together in 15 years!! WOW!

Finally the true announcement was made on the website. On March 31 an e-mail was sent out to everyone who had given contact information. The New Kids on the Block would be on the Today Show, April 4. I had been talking with a girl named Melissa who lives about 20 minutes from my house for a week or so. I had met her on NKOTBfans.com. When she heard they were going to be on the Today Show she made plans to go out there. With less then a week’s notice I really couldn’t make a commitment to go to NYC. Finally Friday April 4 arrived and I woke up early to make sure I was showed and dressed by the time the Today show started at 7. Sadly I missed the formal announcement (I had to be at work at 8:30) but my mom called me at 8:30 on the dot as I was pulled into work and said, “You never know who is going to come out from behind the curtain.” My boys are back! As soon as I heard that they were going to be back in NYC on May 16 I knew I was going…no doubt about it. NKOTB.com changed from just a one page website to a website with multiple pages and a message board on April 4. I signed in on that day and at this point I have over 600 posts When Melissa got back to Lansing I told her, “We are going to NYC on May 16!” She agreed!


Today Show, April 4, 2008...the day I turned 15 again!

The 6 week wait was agonizing. New Kids on the Block made it a bit easier with the message board. I could share my addition with people all over the world that shared my love for the boys from Boston. They also released bits and pieces of their new songs and did many radio interviews that give everyone an inside track on how this reunion came about. Donnie was given a song and he felt it was the perfect song for a reunion. He called Joe and they talked about it. Within a short amount of time all 5 members were onboard for a reunion. Recording started in August of 2007 in ORLANDO of all places. They had not even set foot in the same room together since early 1994. Seeing videos of them online hugging was very emotional.

Here is a link to the videos of the guys. The bottom video (The block is back) is the video with the hugging. UGH...I still need tissue when I watch it.
New Kids On The Block

[gwugirl03]

Of course, I am hooked. Keep it coming!

[chezp]

Great start Robin - I can't wait to read more!

[elbug10]

Can't wait to read about your trip. Judging from your sig. pic. you were CLOSE.! True confession time. I've never really been a NKTOB fan. I was in college in 1988 and my friends and I were far too to admit we liked them. That being said, I watched them on Today and had forgotten some of the songs they sang. I like "Please Don't Go, Girl".

Okay, and here's the part where I make you TOTALLY jealous. I've met Joey McIntyre and had my picture taken with him! He was playing Fyero in Wicked on Broadway when I saw it, and I went to the stage door after the show and got pictures and autographs. He was very nice and pretty cute, too! I'll have to see if I can dig out my picture.

On with the TR. More, please!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Robin

[RobDVC]

Great beginning.

[RobinKay6573]

Originally Posted by elbug10

Okay, and here's the part where I make you TOTALLY jealous. I've met Joey McIntyre and had my picture taken with him! He was playing Fyero in Wicked on Broadway when I saw it, and I went to the stage door after the show and got pictures and autographs. He was very nice and pretty cute, too! I'll have to see if I can dig out my picture.!

Okay I don't like you anymore, Amy. No just kidding. It is okay....I will meet him when the time is right. When it happens it is going to be wonderful I just know it. I already have my line for him, "Hey, Joe...I use to be your neighbor." Then I am going to tell him that I went to Pine Manor College (I know I will get a reaction from that because Jordan actually dated a girl that went to my school). Okay...I need to stop thinking about this now and get some work done. I changed my desktop photo at work to a photo of Donnie...I am thinking that wasn't a good idea.

[Cam22]

Terrific start, Robin! Can't wait for more.

[Lemap760]

Great start.

[Wendyismyname]

OMG!! NKOTB were oh so dreamy and man, they still look great!! Jonathan and Danny were my crushes. Oh and Donny. And who can forgot those blue eyes of Joey's? (sorry, Jordon was just o.k.)

Keep it up and I can't wait to hear about it!!

[Joanne929]

This is awesome! Can't wait to hear more!
I was a closet New Kids on the Block fan but now am all over it! In fact, I was watching some of their videos on YouTube last night!!!

[janicelovesmickey]

funny stuff!! hurry back with the rest of it.

[llgmommy]

My BFF sent me an e-mail and told me she had jsut seen them on the Today show.....she wondered what it felt like to do from 11-20 year olds screaming for you to a bunch of 30 somethings... she said they all looked the same. I will admit we went to three or four NKOB shows..we were hooked...now with little girls of our own we listen to Jesse McCarthy and Hanah...