Review: The Package Tour
(seen at Verizon Center on June 14, 2013)
By Christine Petralia








Click above for a slideshow of photos I took at the show.
The Package Tour (featuring NKOTB, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men)
June 24, 2013
Seen June 14, 2013 at the Verizon Center in DC.
What do you get when you throw 12 men in their late 30s and early 40s together on one stage? The 2013 Package Tour. Leaving the Backstreet Boys to tour on their own this time, our favorite 80s boy band New Kids on the Block, or rather NKOTB, teamed up with fellow boy bands 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men to round out their worldwide summer tour. And what a show!
Since we weren’t too thrilled to see 98 Degrees, we were hoping they’d go on first, so we arrived a little after the 7:30 p.m. start time. Well, we were shocked to see the show not only started on time, but Boyz II Men were on stage! We rushed to our amazing seats in section 107, row J, seats 9 and 10. We were just a few rows back from the floor seats and got the aisle seats! Score! We were also excited to see that the show was done in the round, so though we were toward the back of the stadium, we were super close to the stage in the middle! Double score!
It was only three members of Boyz II Men, but they sounded just as good as they did 10-15 years ago, performing their classic hits, such as ‘End of the Road,’ ‘I’ll Make Love To You’ and ‘Motown Philly.’ You could tell they were so very grateful to be back performing for a sold out crowd, though their dance moves seemed forced and rusty. Oh well.
Then, with just a minute or two break, 98 Degrees took the stage. I used this time to use the restroom and grab a few beers (only $8.50, not too high). Though I did get to hear their few hits, such as ‘I Do (Cherish You’ (which they proudly dubbed a classic wedding song) and ‘Because of You.’ And I caught the tail end of their stupid new song, filled with poor sexual innuendos, ‘Microphone.’ Nick Lachey was just as cocky was he was 15 years ago and the other three were just as useless. Nothing really changed with them, except now they are all married with babies.
After about a 20-minute intermission, the lights went low again around 9 p.m. and a message displayed on the jumbo screens asking the audience of screaming women (myself included) to repeat after the announcer. The gist – to leave your troubles and worries at the door and settle in for a fantastically good time for the next two hours, because ‘we deserve it.’ I got chills as the boy band I grew up on took the stage. More chills that I did at the NKOTBSB tour two years back. And the next two hours were jammed back with dancing, singing, sweaty, sexy men performing just for me…er the audience. I have to admit the few beers I drank before the show definitely gave me the energy to jump up and down and dance in the aisle for the entire show, even trying to do the ‘Step By Step’ moves up and down the stairs.
The songs I didn’t know (from years past) I learned that night. I sang along and screamed like a pre-teen when Donnie tore off his shirt! However, I did get a little grossed out when I looked down for a minute at my camera only to hear the screams getting louder, when I looked up at the jumbo screen, I saw Danny Wood (yes, the ugly one) making out with a rather large audience member during the song ‘Single.’ Not just a peck on the cheek, full-on tongue kiss! Now, I’ve been to my fair share of boy band concerts and I have never seen that! Pecks on the cheek, hugs, dancing on stage, etc. all the time. Full-on tonsil hockey, hell no! Too bad she got the ugly one.
In the middle of show, they turn the cameras on the audience, probably to take a break, and rocked out to Icona Pop’s ‘I Like It.’ I, of course, found more energy and jumped around some more.
And just like Boyz II Men, you could tell the guys in NKOTB were very grateful to still be performing to sold-out crowds 25 years after hitting it big. 25 years! And as Joey brought his son out to sing along to my favorite ‘Tonight,’ it brought tears to my eyes that I too a reformed boy bad addict could still get all crazy like a teen when these guys take a stage. I used to laugh at those girls (I still do at the ones that try to meet these guys and live for them), but that night I joined them. But once we rushed out after ‘Hangin’ Tough’ to catch our train, and I regained my hearing, it was back to reality and my secret boy band life was tucked away (until August, at least, for the BSB show) once again. But every now and then, when I get the urge, I do play my ‘Cheesy Boy Band’ playlist on Spotify to reminisce and hope that one day ‘N SYNC will get back together (haha – every boy band fan knows that will never happen).
All in all, a great show by all (OK – most) of the men on the Package Tour!
Setlists (taken from the NKOTB website):
NKOTB:
We Own Tonight
Block Party
Summertime
The Right Stuff
The Whisper
Survive You
Didn't I Blow Your Mind
Valentine Girl
If You Go Away
Please Don't Go Girl
Remix (I Like The)
Acoustic medley with snippets of:
- Single
- Baby I Believe In You
- Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars cover, Joey on lead vocals, some shows only)
- Stay The Same (some shows only)
- I Remember When (this seems to have replaced the previous two songs in the most recent shows)
- Tender Love
- Click Click Click
- Faith (George Michael Cover, Joey on lead vocals)
- Kiss (Price Cover, Jordan on lead vocals)
- Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO cover)
- Hot In Here (Nelly cover)
- Dirty Dancing
- We Found Love (Rihanna cover, some shows only)
Step By Step
Cover Girl
Games
(The guys film the crowd while Icona Pop’s “I Love It” plays)
Tonight
I'll Be Loving You (Forever)
Hangin' Tough (with Dropkick Murphys’ "I’m Shipping Up to Boston" and Queen's "We Will Rock You")
Boyz II Men Setlist:
On Bended Knee
Water Runs Dry
I'll Make Love To You
It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday
End Of The Road
Motownphilly
98 Degrees Setlist:
Girls Night Out
Microphone
Invisible Man
The Hardest Thing
My Everything
Impossible Things
Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)
I Do (Cherish You)
Because Of You
Despite weird muffled audio and the cancelation of Owl City, Maroon 5 put on an amazingly entertaining show at Madison Square Garden. Filled with songs from their most recent album, as well as the classics, Adam Levine led the group through a sold-out audience. Seen Feb. 16, 2013.
Want more raves and rants? I have lots more to say!