One of Pine Knob’s hottest concerts ever

CLARKSTON, MI – Tonight will go down as one of the hottest concerts in Pine Knob history. And we’re not just talking about Jordan, Joey, Donnie, Danny and Jonathan showing skin.

New Kids on the Block brought their 2024 “Magic Summer Tour” to the hot and humid Pine Knob Music Theater on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

And when we say things got hot inside the old amphitheater, we mean it, as officials even relaxed their outdoor water policy and allowed fans to bring their own bottles to stay hydrated as temperatures topped 90 degrees and barely reached the mid-80s by the end of the event.

And what would a hot summer evening be without DJ Jazzy Jeff to kick off the show? The Fresh Prince’s buddy started off by playing all sorts of old school hits, including the TV theme “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Apache” by the Sugarhill Gang, which can also be heard in a memorable episode of the TV sitcom.

Paula Abdul continued on and took the stage at 7:40pm with a performance that we can only describe as a little rocky. This was Abdul’s first appearance on this tour, as the first two shows had production issues.

Maybe they should watch it again. Abdul, who celebrated her 62nd birthday after the clock struck midnight, looked and sounded good, but her performance was slow and had awkward moments as she tried to explain to the audience how she put together her show from a behind-the-scenes perspective, with numerous dancers and costumes.

It just didn’t work because there really wasn’t much to say. She performed…everyone danced, she put on a few different jackets as she went along, and that was about it. There wasn’t much to explain. It just slowed things down. As did the many times Abdul exaggerated being out of breath and taking in some oxygen through a mask.

Abdul performed parts of nine songs in 35 minutes, including “Straight Up,” “Cold Hearted,” “Opposites Attract,” “The Way That You Love Me,” “Rush, Rush,” “Promise of a New Day,” “I’m Just Here for the Music,” and “Forever Your Girl.” There were also some audio issues, with the backing tracks cutting out a few times.

NKOTB took the stage just before 9pm and had their entire set spot on, pun intended. It was well paced and well produced. They treated the crowd to one of the most fan-friendly concerts we’ve ever seen, playing most of their hits and a few surprises.

This concert was a re-run of their huge 1990 tour of the same name and had an 80s/90s theme. And fans were not disappointed with their attire. There was enough neon, fluorescent outfits, denim jackets and elastic hairbands to film a scene from “Hot Tub Time Machine”.

The show started with the guys taking the stage with colorful old school lettering showing their names behind them. They started off with “Magic,” the first track from their new album, followed by the album’s second track, “Summer Love.”

Then came a string of hits, both old-fashioned and new, with “My Favorite Girl,” “Cover Girl,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Summertime,” “The Right Stuff,” “Remix (I Like the),” “Block Party,” and “Tonight.” They didn’t take a break and went impressively from one song to the next.

And like most shows, the guys went into the crowd. This time they walked all the way back to the grassy area of ​​Pine Knob to play “Block Party” and “Tonight.”

Then there were some surprises that we haven’t seen at any of their concerts since they reunited in 2008. Joey played two solos with “Where Do I Go From Here” and “Treat Me Right.”

They then played “Call it What You Want” from the album “Step by Step”, a song that we have never seen them perform live since their reunion.

Next, they went old-school and played a snippet of “Popsicle” from their very first album before Donnie took a solo on the reggae-inflected “Stay With Me Baby” from Step by Step, another song we haven’t seen them play on tour in recent years.

Then Jordan had a solo with “Baby, I Believe in You,” also from Step by Step. And, another surprise, a Danny solo with “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” with a little help from Donnie. And finally, a first in who knows how many years, when Jonathan got a solo and sang “Happy Birthday,” which he sang directly to a fan the guys had brought on stage.

Next up were more old school tunes with “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and “Valentine Girl” before something new school as the guys brought along DJ Jazzy Jeff to help them out with a medley of songs from the new album before closing the night with the huge hits “I’ll be Loving You”, “Step by Step” and “Hangin’ Tough” before the show ended with another new song, “Better Days”.

This NKOTB concert had a little bit of everything: old stuff, new stuff, and lots of confetti showering the crowd. On a night where many in the audience were constantly wiping sweat from their faces, NKOTB were cool and composed.