PORTLAND — New Kids on the Block may be stretching the definition of “kids” to its absolute limit — only one member of the beloved pop quintet is under the age of 50 — but the group’s extravagant performance at Moda Center on Sunday evening smacked of the youthful energy and exuberance that defined their early career. There was a sense of playfulness that permeated the nearly three-hour show, which found NKOTB sharing the stage — or stages, as it were — with supporting acts En Vogue, Salt-n-Pepa and Rick Astley.
The multiplatinum boy band that burst onto the scene in the late 1980s kicked off the evening clad in checkerboard-patterned leather jackets and retro shades, running through a series of hits from their expansive discography while confetti rained from the ceiling. The dual stage setup, with a smaller performance area on the arena floor, offered plenty of opportunity for fans to get up close and personal, and the group obliged by stopping to pose for photos while traveling between stages — and in some cases, wandering out into the crowd to perform entire numbers.
Eschewing the traditional concert format, where each act performs an entire set of their own before the headliners take the stage, the Mixtape Tour felt more akin to a block party or variety show. En Vogue appeared about 30 minutes into the evening for a pair of their most recognizable hits, followed by Rick Astley, then back to NKOTB for a medley of tunes before segueing into an appearance from Salt-n-Pepa. The constant coming and going of each artist ensured the audience stayed on their toes, and led to a few surprising (and welcome) collaborations, including En Vogue joining Salt-n-Pepa for their smash hit “Whatta Man,” and the entire lineup singing along with Rick Astley’s iconic pop culture phenomenon, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
New Kids on the Block will be on the road for the next month, working their way across the country and wrapping things up on the east coast at the end of July. Check out the full gallery from the Portland stop of the 2022 Mixtape Tour below.
Photo Credit: Brent Hankins
Setlist
New Kids on the Block
Block Party
My Favorite Girl
Dirty Dancing
Summertime
Cover Girl
You Got It (The Right Stuff)
The Whisper
En Vogue
My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)
Free Your Mind
Rick Astley
Together Forever
It Would Take a Strong Strong Man
New Kids on the Block
Medley (House Party / New Kids on the Block / Hold On / Full Service / Return of the Mac / Call it What You Want)
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) / Twisted
Remix (I Like the)
Salt-n-Pepa
None of Your Business
Expression
Let’s Talk About Sex
Shake Your Thang
Whatta Man (with En Vogue)
En Vogue
Don’t Let Go
New Kids on the Block
Please Don’t Go Girl
Games
Tonight
Cover Medley (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun / Poison / I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) / You Shook Me All Night Long / Livin’ on A Prayer)
Rick Astley
Never Gonna Give You Up
Cry for Help
Salt-n-Pepa
Shoop (with Donnie Wahlberg)
New Kids on the Block
Baby, I Believe in You
Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
Valentine Girl
If You Go Away
I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)
En Vogue
Hold On
New Kids on the Block
Step by Step
Salt-n-Pepa
Push It
New Kids on the Block
Hangin’ Tough / We Will Rock You
All
Bring Back the Time
Never Gonna Give You Up
Remaining Mixtape Tour Dates
06/07 Boise, ID — Ford Idaho Center
06/08 Salt Lake City, UT — Vivint Arena
06/10 Denver, CO — Ball Arena
06/11 Lincoln, NE — Pinnacle Bank Arena
06/12 Des Moines, IA — Wells Fargo Arena
06/14 St. Paul, MN — Xcel Energy Center
06/15 Milwaukee, WI — Fiserv Forum
06/16 Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena
06/17 Rosemont, IL — Allstate Arena
06/21 Cleveland, OH — Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
06/22 Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena
06/23 Mt. Pleasant, MI — Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
06/24 Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena
06/25 Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Center
06/26 Lexington, KY — Rupp Arena
06/29 Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center
06/30 Belmont Park, NY — UBS Arena
07/01 Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena
07/02 Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena
07/03 Atlantic City, NJ — Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
07/06 Greenville, SC — Bon Secours Arena
07/07 Atlanta, GA — State Farm Arena
07/08 Jacksonville, FL — Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena
07/09 Ft. Lauderdale, FL — FLA Live Arena
07/10 Orlando, FL — Amway Center
07/12 Charlotte, NC — Spectrum Center
07/14 Newark, NJ — Prudential Center
07/15 Boston, MA — TD Garden
07/17 Buffalo, NY — KeyBank Center
07/19 Pittsburgh, PA — PPG Paints Arena
07/21 Hershey, PA — Giant Center
07/22 Raleigh, NC — PNC Arena
07/23 Washington, DC — Capital One Arena