The setup for the Mixtape Tour wasn’t your average setup. While most concerts have each act come out one at a time, all of the performers appeared at different times throughout the show keeping Little Caesars Arena on their toes. All of the performers were the main acts on this tour. Rick Astley, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa and New Kids on the Block were the headliners of the Mixtape Tour.

At the start of the show, the lights dimmed and on the big screen appeared the words “New Kids on the Block, Press Play,” like a ‘90s video game. A mini digital avatar of each member appeared on the screen as well; Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg. Then, five lit-up purple doors appeared on stage, and New Kids on the Block walked out of them. Each member had black-and-white checkered leather jackets. They looked at the camera posing with their sunglasses. The crowd screamed as each of them slowly revealed their faces. Fireworks and confetti shot into the crowd. The initials “N.K.O.T.B.” brightly appeared in flames on the screen. The boy band opened with “Block Party.” New Kids on the Block did their famous dance moves inspired by Morris Day and the Time. Their  performance included songs like  “She’s My Favorite Girl,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Summertime,” “Hanging Tough,” “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “The Whisper” and “Twisted.”. 

The boys knew how to keep the audience entertained. Throughout their performance, they weren’t afraid to show off their abs, amazing dance moves, continuous wardrobe changes and incredible vocals. Especially Jordan Knight’s amazingly high vocal range. They also made some mini tributes throughout their set, including one to Michael Jackson by dancing the moonwalk with a fedora and playing a clip of Patrick Swayze from the movie Dirty Dancing. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” said Swazyze in the clip. NKOTB also made a mini tribute to their own group while playing music videos of their younger selves on-screen and danced alongside them. The boy band even took the time during one of their songs to walk through the main floor, sing to their fans and take photos with them. I haven’t seen that type of audience interaction happen very often in my concert-going experiences. Their stage effects were amazing as well. During their song “Twisted,” they mixed it with “Sweet Dreams,” a very cool and creative choice. They shined flashlights on the crowd as the green strobe lights did the same. Then, they moved to a mini stage to get closer and more intimate with their fans. New Kids on the Block kept the party going by also singing songs by other artists, including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Poison” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The crowd sang along to the nostalgic hits.

NKOTB were not the only performers that wowed the crowd. En Vogue appeared throughout the show as well. The three dazzling women — Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones — appeared in silver dresses. They opened with one of their biggest songs, “My Lovin’ (Never Gonna Get It).” They also performed “Free Your Mind” and “Who’s Loving You/Hold on.” Fans swayed along to the girl group’s beautiful voices. Later, singer Rick Astley joined the party as well. He sang “Together Forever,” “Cry for Help,” and his biggest hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The fans wearing Rick Astley T-shirts were thrilled when that iconic intro started. 

Later on in the show, the legendary hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa’s symbol appeared on the screen. Then two more large purple lit-up doors opened and out came the iconic ladies; Salt-N-Pepa. They came out in all-black skirts and long black hair. Smoke blew into the air as the duo posed on the stage. The arena erupted in screams as they kicked off their set with “None of Your Business.” The ladies knew how to get the crowd to their feet as they sang “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “Push It,” “Expresion,” “Whatta Man” and “Shoop.” They had some cool wardrobe changes as well. They wore their iconic ‘90s style outfits that have inspired many artists today. During their song, “Whatta Man,” En Vogue joined in and sang with them. The audience was in awe of the surreal moment. The ‘90s nostalgia was hitting fans hard. People were shouting the lyrics and dancing along. Donnie Walhberg joined Salt-N-Pepa during their song “Shoop,” which elicited more cheers from the fans. For their final song, “Push It,” the ladies made sure to perform their legendary dance moves, encouraging fans to join in on the fun. 

At the very end of the show, all of the entertainers joined each other on the main stage to sing a song they recently recorded together, “Bring Back the Time.” But, the show wasn’t over yet. Not until they all Rickrolled the crowd one last time. All of the performers not only put on a great show, but also looked like they had fun doing it.

The Mixtape Tour was the perfect summer tour and brought back many memories to the fans that attended the show. New Kids on the Block, Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue and Rick Astley proved that they still got “The Right Stuff.”