THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW — Episode 1025 — Pictured: New Kids On The Block (l-r) Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg — (Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
This feels like “The Right Stuff” for a Monday: New Kids on the Block has announced its 2022 tour – with a stop in San Diego – alongside throwback acts Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue and Rick Astley. Here are the details, “Step by Step.”
What to Know
- The Mixtape Tour 2022 is coming to San Diego on May 26, 2022
- The concert is at 7:30 p.m. at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl at San Diego State University
- The lineup includes NKOTB, plus Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and Rick Astley, and San Diego is one of 50+ stops for the tour across North America next year
Step 1: We Can Have Lots of Fun
NKOTB – the beloved pop group known for hits like “Hangin’ Tough” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” just to name a couple – announced Monday details of the “Mixtape Tour 2022.”
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Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on May 10, 2022, and will hit 50+ arenas across North America, including Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl at San Diego State University on May 26, 2022.
The tour will include three more ‘80s and ‘90s throwback acts: Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and Rick Astley.
The doors for the Viejas Arena concert in San Diego will open at 6 p.m., with the show set to start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. this Friday (Oct. 8) via Ticketmaster.
Step 2: There's So Much We Can Do
The Mixtape Tour 2022 is the latest “Mixtape Tour” iteration of NKOTB in recent years. Pre-pandemic, NKOTB brought the tour to San Diego in May 2019, alongside Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty by Nature, Tiffany, and Debbie Gibson.
Local
In June 2017, NKOTB performed in San Diego with special guests Paula Abdul and Boys II Men in the "Total Package Tour."
NKOTB – brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood – talked about their Mixtape Tour 2022 on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on NBC Monday afternoon.
Their episode, in honor of the group’s special announcement, was dubbed “Kelly’s New Kids on the Block Party” and was catered to "Blockheads," the nickname for only the biggest fans of the boy band. You can watch a clip here.
Step 3: It's Just You and Me
Fans of the ‘90s will remember hip-hop royalty Salt-N-Pepa for super hits like “Push It,” “Shoop,” and “Whatta Man.” Fans of Rick Astley still can’t get his hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” out of their heads after all these years.
And, as far as R&B singers En Vogue goes, well, hits like “Free Your Mind, "Hold On,” and "Never Gonna Get It" made the group unforgettable among fans.
Step 4: I Can Give You More
NKOTB’s Mixtape Tour 2022 will wrap on July 23 in Washington, D.C. For the full list of cities (including venues in neighboring SoCal cities Anaheim and Los Angeles), click here.
Step 5: Don't You Know That the Time Has Arrived
In a Live Nation press release, Wahlberg said NKTOB is more than ready for the big tour.
“We had a blast out on the first MixTape Tour in 2019 and can’t wait to take it to another level with our fans on the MixTape Tour 2022,” the singer said. “Just like a mixtape, these shows are going to take audiences through all the emotions. To be able to have Salt-N-Pepa come back and now also have the iconic and legendary Rick Astley & En Vogue join the tour… we could not be more excited. Let’s GO!”
The NKOTB tour is the latest in a string of '90s throwbacks heading to San Diego concert venues. In fact, two big shows are this week.
This Thursday, TLC and Bone Thugs N' Harmony will bring their 2021 tour the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre on Campanile Drive at San Diego State University. UPDATE: This concert was abruptly canceled this week.
On Friday, Boyz II Men (who toured with NKOTB in 2017), will perform at Pala Casino Resort Spa's Starlight Theater.
And with that, it's clearly time to dig the ol' boombox (and maybe the walkman, too) out of storage.
