Blockheads were out in full force on Monday, July 31st, when Joey McIntyre, youngest member and the second lead vocalist of pop icons New Kids on The Block, performed at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. McIntyre previously had a successful Vegas Residency with Debbie Gibson, and following the success of his Carnegie Hall appearance earlier this year, Joe decided to take his show on the road.
The concert, known as “Solo Joe,” began on time at 7:40, with Joe appearing in a casual black ensemble. Guitarist Sean Thomas accompanied him. Joe started his performance with a rendition of “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars, which he seamlessly merged into U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name.” He then proceeded to perform “Here We Go Again” from his 2009 EP of the same name.
During the night, McIntyre interacted with the audience by sharing stories and acknowledging Blockheads who had attended his previous shows. I commend Joey for understanding his audience, which helped him choose the right songs for his set list. Although McIntyre has released five solo albums, they did not sell well. Therefore, his set list mainly consisted of covers from popular artists like Elton John, George Michael, and The Eagles.
McIntyre has always had a strong voice, allowing him to make the covers his own while keeping the vibes of the original song. McIntyre also took time to show off his piano skills which was a treat. Naturally, McIntyre found time to dip into the New Kids catalog, performing “Tonight,” “Where Do I Go From Here,” “Single,” an energetic take on “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” and, of course, the sentimental “Please Don’t Go Girl.”
For the most part, it was a great night out. However, I did have one minor gripe. The Blockhead nation is one of the strongest fandoms around, so I would’ve loved to hear Joe do snippets of the deep album cuts like “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” “Funny Feeling,” and “Close To You.” Given how many Blockheads were in attendance, those songs would’ve gone over like gangbusters.
Nevertheless, Solo Joe is a nostalgic trip down memory lane from a highly underrated vocalist. Dabbling in movies, music, and an active social media presence, McIntyre shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and I recommend seeing his show when it’s in your town.
Final Grade: B+
Growing up in the nineties, movies aimed at a melanin audience often featured soundtracks that had to be just as flavorful as the films themselves. This week, for Slow Jam Saturday, I want to take a trip back to 1993 and highlight one of the slow jams from the soundtrack of “Menace II Society”.
Last week marked two significant anniversaries for one of the greatest artists of all time, Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson. It’s only fitting that I show him some love for Second Listen Sunday. The first anniversary was on the 21st, commemorating nine years since his passing. The second anniversary was on the 22nd, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.”
One of my most significant decisions late last year was to pledge to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. At the time of this writing, I am in Atlantic City for my fraternity’s Regional Conference, where I will represent my chapter, Beta Alpha Omega. In that regard, I believe the perfect song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday is “The Best Man I Can Be.”