I’ve mentioned a few times on my blog that I love boybands! One Direction and Big Time Rush were my childhood, and I grew to appreciate the Backstreet Boys as I got older. I actually saw Big Time Rush live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in August 2023 and had a blast reliving my favorite songs from the show, despite the fact that their fans weren’t the kindest people to be around. However, I knew hardly anything about New Kids on the Block. I only knew about them because of a Backstreet Boys hoedown from my favorite comedy show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, courtesy of Chip Esten. Like any casual fan of the band, the only songs I knew of theirs were “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” and “Step by Step.” Sure, they also guest starred on Fuller House, the sequel to my favorite show of all time, Full House, but did that mean it was necessary for me to see New Kids on the Block live?
My mom and I were already going to be in Las Vegas because of a Kelly Clarkson concert, which I’ll do a review for, as well. But, to be honest, the only reason why we bought tickets for New Kids on the Block’s Las Vegas residency was because we wanted an excuse to check out Park MGM. There’s an elegance to the hotel because of the neutrally-painted walls, decor, and the fact that the hotel is smoke-free. As much as I have a soft spot for boybands, I was hesitant to attend the show because we were staying in Las Vegas for a shorter time than past trips and I wanted to enjoy the casinos as much as possible. Luckily, the tickets were only $40.00 per person, not including the taxes and fees, and let’s be real, it was cheaper to spend the money on another concert versus on the pai gow poker table, so off we went to see New Kids on the Block! The show was on November 12, 2025.
From left to right: Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, Me, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, and Jonathan Knight
We arrived at Park MGM early enough, so that we could dine at Eataly, where I devoured my overpriced fettuccine alfredo pasta, before the show. After briefly checking out the slot machines, we headed to the Dolby Live venue to take photos, check out the merch, and find our seats. I couldn’t find a shirt that I liked, so I passed on buying a shirt, which was probably the right call since they were $45.00. Again, merch and concert tickets are how artists make their income currently. I will say, however, given how cold the venue was, we didn’t need to enter the venue that early. We got to our seats at 7:32 p.m., thinking the show was going to start at 8:00 p.m., as described on the tickets. But to give those buying merch and alcohol enough time to get to their seats, the show didn’t start until 8:18 p.m. We were in the “limited view seating” area.
Because I knew almost nothing about New Kids on the Block’s catalog, I looked up previous setlists for their Las Vegas residency this year. Interestingly enough, while looking for a November setlist for this review, the closest setlist I could find was for July 3, which was identical to the setlist they did for the show I attended. Good for me, but really, they never changed the setlist one bit since July? To be fair, there were a few songs I wasn’t familiar with, so if the November show varied a little from the July 3 show, please let me know in the comments below! Despite that, I got to give New Kids on the Block props for putting together a cool setlist with old and newer songs. They could’ve easily done a show featuring songs from their self-titled debut studio album, Hangin’ Tough (1988), and Step by Step (1990). However, they chose to include songs from their post-hiatus albums, including their latest studio album, Still Kids (2024).
The band combined a good chunk of their songs into medleys to fit them within a two-hour timeframe. In other words, songs like “Summertime,” “Click, Click, Click,” “Full Service,” “Boys in the Band (Boy Band Anthem),” “Never Let You Go,” “Valentine Girl,” and “If You Go Away” got a verse and a chorus sung here and there, and if lucky, they got a bridge too. It reminded me of a show the Backstreet Boys did in Buenos Aires, Argentina in March 2020, where they also did a medley of their songs, but their medleys were more intense than the ones for New Kids on the Block. When it came to hits like, “My Favorite Girl,” “Cover Girl,” “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Step by Step,” and “Please Don’t Go Girl,” the band did full versions of them to avoid a riot from their hardcore fans. The latter was Joey McIntyre’s big moment, where had a rising, giant platform all to himself, allowing enough room to pour his heart and soul into the song. Coincidentally, right after “Please Don’t Go Girl,” New Kids on the Block decided to take their relationship with their fans to the “next level” by marrying them. The marriage was a little weird and I found it corny, but tell that to the thousands of middle-aged women who were also in the audience that night!
On a similar note, while Jordan Knight serenaded the audience with his gorgeous falsetto on “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever),” a man proposed to his girlfriend and she said, “HELL YEAH!!!” The band then celebrated the good news, along with the newly engaged couple, with a group hug, which was really cute. Look, I know there’s a lot of hype about the Backstreet Boys’ current Las Vegas residency at the Sphere, performing in a giant LED ball as tiny shrimp, but New Kids on the Block deserve just as much credit for what they do. They had lasers, a change cam, a lighted sign with their name on it, confetti, a moving platform, and human-sized gondolas that allowed the band to get close to the people in the 4th level / middle nosebleed section. I thought it was really sweet of them to give those people in the back an up-close view of the band because they gave those fans their money’s worth. Personally, it was the best of both worlds because I got to look at stunning visuals while also getting great shots of the band in person. Another example of the stunning visuals were the bold colors and patterns used on the screens for “Step by Step;” it felt like I was transported to the early ‘90s.
While doing research for the New Kids on the Block show, I grew to appreciate their music. I’m not a fan of all their songs, especially the dance music, but the catchy and melodic numbers, I like a lot. My favorite songs performed that night were “Summertime,” “Remix (I Like The),” “Click, Click, Click,” “Valentine Girl,” “The Whisper / Shout,” where they performed in the giant gondolas, “Step by Step,” “Kids,” and “Hangin’ Tough / We Will Rock You,” the latter being a medley with Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” I think “Remix (I Like The)” is a blast; the chorus is catchy and the song has a good message of being comfortable in your own skin. For “Kids,” the band entered the stage in a white car, showing that they’re physically not kids anymore, but mentally, they still are. The show ended at 10:20 p.m. and still, “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” was stuck in my head while leaving the venue.
Going back to the “limited view seating” area, where my mom and I were, I had no problem with the fact that we couldn’t see the entire view of the stage. My problem had to do with the people who were sitting around us. First of all, there were these annoying people in our row who kept leaving the show to get drinks, go to the bathroom, and do whatever. Then, those same people foolishly banged my mom’s injured right knee, which she did her knee replacement surgery on, when the show ended. To make matters worse, there was this ignorant lady in the front row of our section who stood up almost the entire show blocking my view. It was so bad that the couple in front of us had to switch seats, so his lady could see the show better. I found it kind of funny that a majority of the women that night were wearing New Kids on the Block shirts like they were still teenagers. Based on the people we encountered in our section, they sure were acting like teenagers.
That brings me to my next point about boybands. While I enjoyed the show, it was lowkey hard to take New Kids on the Block seriously because they were so young when their self-titled debut studio album came out. Now, they’re in their 50s and still singing songs like, “My Favorite Girl,” like nothing has changed, except for their age. They only have eight studio albums, one of them being a Christmas album, and they’ve been around for almost 40 years. What have they been doing all this time? Playing the same hits because they and their fans refuse to grow up?
Don’t get me wrong, I have mad respect for New Kids on the Block staying in shape and keeping fit after all these years because it’s not easy avoiding the insane amount of junk food available worldwide. However, they can’t do this for the rest of their lives. It’s going to be weird seeing New Kids on the Block in their 80s performing “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” and doing the same dance as before. I think New Kids on the Block and other boybands in a similar situation need to make an effort to put out new music and perform them consistently, or else they’re going to be stuck in a rut forever. Their latest album, Still Kids, is already a step in the right direction. Also, for goodness sakes, since they’re extending their Las Vegas residency to 2026, I hope they consider changing up the setlist, just to spice it up for the audience and make it fun for them to perform. If they’ve been playing the same setlist since June 2025, it’s time for some serious damage control!
Am I glad I went to see New Kids on the Block live? Absolutely! My mom and I had a great time, their songs are loads of fun, and those giant gondolas were worth seeing. However, I wouldn’t see them again because after two bad experiences with boyband fans at shows, including the Big Time Rush gig mentioned earlier, I’ve had enough of teenage fangirls. Actually, let me rephrase that, I’ll consider seeing New Kids on the Block again if they do another Las Vegas residency two years later and change up the setlist! Can’t avoid rude concertgoers forever.
Concert Setlist
Set 1: “The Right Stuff”
1. Twisted
2. Block Party
3. Single
4. My Favorite Girl
5. Summertime
6. Cover Girl
7. Magic
8. You Got It (The Right Stuff)
9. Remix (I Like The)
Set 2: “Quick Change Cam”
10. Click, Click, Click
11. Full Service
12. Boys in the Band (Boy Band Anthem)
13. Never Let You Go
14. Dirty Dancing
15. Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) (The Delfonics cover)
16. Valentine Girl
17. If You Go Away
18. Please Don’t Go Girl
19. Games
20. Get Down
21. Popsicle
22. Pop
23. Give It to You (Jordan Knight song)
24. Tonight
25. The Whisper / Shout (the latter an Isley Brothers cover)
26. I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)
27. Step by Step
Encore
28. Kids
29. Hangin’ Tough / We Will Rock You (the latter a Queen cover)
30. You Got It (The Right Stuff) (instrumental and chorus reprise)
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it with your friends. I write about music, Disney, movies, shows, and mental status. If that sounds like your cup of tea, please subscribe to my blog for more content like this! To help me keep this blog going, you can either make a donation or support me through Patreon. You can also follow me on social media through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
Don’t forget to leave a comment down below to start a conversation!
Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 
All looks good Lana, glad you enjoyed the show, except for the middle aged ladies acting like teenagers of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, yes those darn middle-aged ladies! Surprisingly, there were some dudes at the show too. But good for the band, I guess. Thanks for reading, Mike!
LikeLike