Photographs by Lee-Ann Richer.
The Air Canada Centre went back in time with The Main Event Tour. With a line-up of rapper Nelly, 90s R&B girl group TLC, and headliners New Kids On The Block. They promised that it would be a night of “hit after hit, after hit”.
Taking the stage accompanied by four dancers and hype-man, Nelly started the night off with song “E.I.”. The stage was set up to look like a boxing ring of some kind, having it in the middle of the arena. I don’t know if this was a problem on their end or the ACC, but the sound could have been better. The music was too low and Nelly’s mic was too loud, which made it hard to understand what he was saying. As the big screen showed the mostly female crowd, it was cleared that they weren’t familiar with the St. Louis rapper. It wasn’t until Nelly performed songs like “Dilemma” and “Hot In Here” that there was crowd sang along.
TLC held everyone’s attention more when they performed. Starting their set in what looked like a seashell, T-Box and Chilli wore matching silver overalls. They were accompanied by dancers wearing jean overalls that had “TLC” going down their legs, just like the girls did in the early days. They thanked the crowd throughout the night, mentioning their member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, who died in a car accident in 2002. The remaining members brought strong vocals, dance routines and even bringing a lucky guy on stage for a lap dance from Chilli. Ending with the song “Waterfalls” and having the whole arena light up their phones in honour of Left Eye, it was a moving experience I must say.
As the wait for the New Kids On The Block started, the arena had some sort of buzz going. It was clear that everyone was there for the main act. Having been dubbed the nickname “Blockheads”, the fans cheered at every glimpse of one of the guys from the videos being played between sets. Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, and Jonathan Knight – NKOTB came out with a bang! Streamers falling everywhere, smoke blowing up as the big screen welcomed you to the “Block Party”.
The guys brought a lot of energy on stage. They were running from one end to the other, on cue for their dance routines and shared stories about their love for Toronto. The night was filled with hits dating back to early in their career to singles from recent. For the first change of costumes, Daft Punk’s “One More Time” played as the screen had what was called “Quick Change Camera” on. The fans got to see NKOTB strip out of their first outfit and into the next with a shake from Donnie Wahlburg’s bottom showcasing his Canadian flag underwear.
They shared a special moment singing the Jackson 5 hit “I’ll Be There”, dedicating it to a fan that passed away. Jordan Knight did a medley of solo hits he had in the 90s, shirt-off-blowing-in-the-wind and all. Meanwhile after, Joey McIntyre came out to do his own version of “Sweet Dreams” shirtless wearing white pants.
New Kids On The Block played it up to the screaming suburban moms throughout the night. They know what the ladies want and gave it to them for the whole two hours. The night ended with their 1989 single “Hangin’ Tough”. Each member reached down in the front of the stage to shake hands even after they finished performing. No getaway car waiting?
Overall, they may be well into their 40s, but NKOTB are doing what’s working for them. This was the first of two sold out nights at the ACC and it’s clear that they’re stepping by step to the next level in their careers.
Thanks to Live Nation Ontario for media access.
