New Kids On The Block: The Mixtape Tour 2022

May 16, 2022 Leave a comment

Enterprise Center | St. Louis, MO | May 14,2022

If you drove by Enterprise Center Saturday night, May 14th, you’d be forgiven for thinking there was a concert happening. In reality, it was so much more. Generations bonded together to celebrate the decade of hairspray, jean jackets, and the boys from Boston that rocked the world — New Kids on the Block.

Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, Donnie, and Danny might be a few decades older (in fact, a cake was brought out to celebrate Danny’s 53rd birthday) but you wouldn’t know it from the screams of the crowd, ranging from the expected demographic to pre-teens just as excited.

Opening with an 80s themed aesthetic intro video, the boys went straight into their hits, including “My Favorite Girl”, “Cover Girl” and “The Right Stuff”. Their dancing didn’t betray the years gone by, and neither did Donnie’s abs that he flashed the crowd several times, to ear piercing screams.

As the guys ran through the crowd and off stage, pausing to high five and pose for selfies with their fans, En Vogue took the stage, dressed in gold and high ponytails, with vocals just as hot as their outfits. They sang two of their greatest hits, “My Lovin’”, and “Free Your Mind”, announcing that it was “good to see such beautiful faces!” to ecstatic screams. The ladies completely owned the stage.

Following En Vogue, Rick Astley appeared on Stage B. You’d be forgiven if you thought his appearance might have a quieter reception, but you’d still be wrong. The crowd was delighted to see the meme star in the flesh, as he performed “Together Forever” and a lesser known hit, “It Would Take a Strong Strong Man.”

After NKOTB returned with a phenomenal 80s medley, Salt n Pepa arrived on stage with their backup dancers to perform “Let’s Talk about Sex” and “Whatta Man”, against a backdrop of the “Quick Change Cam”, which appeared to show a backstage view of the New Kids getting ready for their next set.

If you’re tired of talks of crypto, and a world spent more on a screen in your hand than real life, take a trip back to the 80s with The Mixtape Tour. Spend a night with the music from your boombox, with NKOTB, En Vogue, Rick Astley, and Salt n Pepa. The present can wait.