Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block sat down with Kyle Meredith to dish on the Mixtape Tour, the band’s unlikely second act, and what keeps him moving forward after three decades in the business. Equal parts charming and candid, McIntyre pulls back the curtain on how a group once dismissed as a pop phenomenon continues to rewrite the boy band rulebook.
If you’ve been sleeping on NKOTB’s Mixtape Tour, wake up. It’s a technicolor collision of nostalgia and reinvention that throws Joey and the guys—alongside Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and Rick Astley—back into arenas packed with screaming fans. “It’s like living inside a pop culture fever dream,” McIntyre says with a grin. But this isn’t a victory lap. “We don’t just hit play on the past. We make it fresh every night.”
The Mixtape Tour flips the script on standard arena tours by integrating the artists into one seamless show. NKOTB starts, stops, and reappears throughout the night, bookending performances by their equally legendary co-stars. “It’s a no-brainer when you think about it, but it’s rare. We keep the energy high and the surprises coming.”
McIntyre, once the youngest Blockhead, now plays the role of elder statesman with self-deprecating charm. “We embrace the nostalgia. Our fans are here for that connection to 1988,” he says. “But we also know how to keep it exciting. Donnie [Wahlberg] is the visionary—he’s got ideas for days—and together, we make sure the shows evolve.”
Joey’s personal evolution extends beyond NKOTB. When he’s not onstage with the group, he’s cutting his teeth in theater, from starring as The Fonz in Happy Days: The Musical to recent work in the Broadway-bound The Wanderer. “Theater has been my chance to stretch creatively,” he says. “It’s where I can challenge myself, and it feels like home.”
That duality—balancing NKOTB’s larger-than-life persona with his quieter Broadway passion—is what makes McIntyre so fascinating. “There was a time when I wanted to separate myself from the group, but I’ve learned you can’t really compartmentalize it,” he admits. “I’m Joey from New Kids. That’s who I am. But I’m also a dad, a solo artist, an actor. I love that I get to do it all.”
The Mixtape Tour, however, is no small gig. Bringing back the iconic choreography for “The Right Stuff” was like stepping into a time machine. “We hadn’t done it in 30 years, and the second the music started, it was in our bones,” McIntyre recalls. “It’s wild how muscle memory works. It felt like a hug from our past.”
Even so, McIntyre has his sights set on the future. The band has been teasing new music, and Joey has a dream: “I’d love for the five of us to lock ourselves in a cabin somewhere and just create. No distractions, just music.” While that sounds like an NKOTB reality show waiting to happen, McIntyre insists it’s about staying connected to their roots. “When it’s just us, it feels authentic. That’s where the magic happens.”
And for those wondering if the nostalgia train ever runs out of steam, McIntyre is quick to remind us that it’s not just about looking back. “We’re not just revisiting the past; we’re bringing people into this moment,” he says. “There’s a second generation of Blockheads now, kids coming to shows with their moms. They don’t see the division of genres or eras. If they like it, they like it. It’s beautiful.”
With Joey’s son Griffin occasionally joining the band onstage, the legacy of NKOTB is already moving forward. “Seeing my son perform is incredible,” Joey says, beaming. “He’s got the talent, but I’m not about to become a stage dad. It’s gotta come from him.”
For now, Joey is savoring every moment on the road, from the energy of the fans to the camaraderie with his bandmates. “We’ve been through so much together,” he reflects. “This isn’t just a job; it’s a family. And as long as the fans keep showing up, so will we.”
Whether it’s the Mixtape Tour, his next Broadway run, or an elusive solo album, McIntyre is proving that NKOTB isn’t just a nostalgia act—they’re a living, breathing, ever-evolving part of pop culture. So, if you’re still wondering whether to see them live, Joey puts it simply: “Stop thinking and come to the show. It’s a damn good time.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
