With over twenty five years in the biz, New Kids on the Block are still thrusting their hips at screaming fans -- also twenty five years older -- and "Hangin' Tough" on their latest Package Tour with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men (also still thrusting their hips). They're bringing their alluring vocals and hot moves to the BB&T Center on June 22.
Every teeny bopper in the '80s and '90s had a favorite New Kid. If you were on the younger end of such a boy band phenomena, Joey was your boy of choice. If you were inclined to fancy the shy and quiet type, you might have found it in Jonathan. On the hunt for muscles and a sweet singing voice? Danny was your boy. For the outgoing gal who probably also fell for Justin Timberlake and Nick Carter, there was Jordan.
But if you needed a bandanna wearing, rapper bad boy, then Donnie Wahlberg was your pick of the litter. The fashionable badass of the bunch has managed to keep his tough guy image and also become quite hip in the meantime. Here's a short list of the top five things that might just turn Wahlberg's tough guy thing into a hipster thing.
5. He named the band.
Shortly after deciding to put a group of young men together for the sake of harmony, Maurice Starr set out to find the perfect players.
After reviewing a selection of auditions, Starr made no hesitation on Donnie. This made Wahlberg the very first member of NKOTB. It is reported that Donnie's rapping skills and image were what caught Starr's attention. Not only was Donnie the first member of the band, but also wrote a rap song for their first record. The group went from the moniker Nynuk to New Kids on the Block, after the song's title.
4. He hated Piers Morgan before it was cool.
After a few snide remarks, the Boston bad boy had to be led away from Morgan during a press conference. As Morgan reports, "I wrote a few less than complimentary observations about New Kids during their lengthy, chaotic British tour," which apparently sent Wahlberg into a tizzy. The issue was a simple one of respect, of which Wahlberg reports, Morgan had none.
Not long after that Wahlberg appeared on stage with a homemade T-shirt that read, "Piers Morgan Sucks." Again, a man way ahead of his time.
3. One word: "Wahlburgers"
Nothing is as hip as burgers these days. Believe it. What the niche food industry has done, if nothing else, is over comodify a hamburger. How else do you nab a conscious consumer than using locally purveyed meat and ingredients to make something like Donnie's "Thanksgiving burger?"
Wahlburgers is sleek and airy like a juice bar, and even has a green theme going on. But behind the counter is the opportunity to add three more patties to that holiday themed sandwich. Partnering with his brother Mark, Donnie Wahlberg knows that it takes more than an argyle sweater and thick framed glasses to keep up appearances. Opening a burger joint was the obvious choice. And if you're bringing the kids, we recommend the "Smahlburger." Get it?
For the young woman at the After Party last night whose camera did not work. Here is the pic I took for ya! pic.twitter.com/5G6RVoMwb6
— Donnie Wahlberg (@DonnieWahlberg) June 12, 2013
2. He's not too good to tweet at you.
Any good hipster knows the importance of social networking, and Donnie Wahlberg is no exception. He often mentions his projects in his tweets, but never fails to mention whatever game is on.
He has a crap ton of followers. It seems that boy band fame has taught him the importance of his fans, while Instagram has shown him the glory of a selfie. Just recently, Wahlberg Tweeted a photo of himself and a fan whose camera was on the fritz when she met him at a bar. He took the picture of the two of them, selfie style, and sent it out into Internet land, where all truth lives. Thus, she had proof of her brush with NKOTB fame.
1. He "hearts" Brooklyn.
It's where East Coast hipsters go to raise families. It's where the art school graduates go to feel normal. It is Portland, with less dreadlocks and more buildings. Brooklyn.
And now, it's where Donnie Wahlberg goes to film his latest television show There's no place he'd rather be! And who could blame him? Birds of a feather flock together, and we know what kind of bird you are, Donnie. You are a lone hipster wolf in a pack of pop icon pups.
Now be a good hipster and quit with the cop shows and write us a few Brooklyn rap songs, would ya?
The Package Tour: NKOTB, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men, 7:30 p.m., June 22, at BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Visit thebbtcenter.com.
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