The Total Package Tour definitely lived up to its name as Tampa’s Amalie Arena housed three big acts from the past on Saturday. New Kids On The Block, Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men poured their love for fans on stage as they sung their classic hits and danced their way back into our hearts.
Boyz II Men opened the show with a full band and hyped the crowd as members repped Tampa Bay Lightning jerseys on stage, but it was karaoke favorites like “One Sweet Day,” “I’ll Make Love To You,” “A Song For Mama” and “End of the Road” that had the whole arena singing while hands and cell phones swayed in the air. The Philly natives even brought it back to basics for stripped-down takes on “In The Still Of The Night” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.” Because what’s a Boyz II Men concert without a capella?
It was the vocal performance fans hoped would transport them back in time and a perfect way to open a concert that would unfold into a set from Paula Abdul, who conquered the stage with her interactive backdrops, high energy dance numbers and pop classics like “Opposites Attract,” “Cold Hearted Snake” and “Straight Up.” The Canadian superstar had women of all ages dancing out of their seats, feeling sexy and empowered while she tied anecdotes from her journey as an entertainer in with words of wisdom and positivity. If there was ever a person to epitomize the saying, “you’re only as old as you feel,” then it’s the 55-year-old Abdul who was clearly feeling young as ever.
As one of the original boy bands that set the standard for the boy bands that would follow, New Kids On The Block did not disappoint. I didn’t grow up listening to NKOTB but the OG boy band made me wish I grew up in the 80s, with posters of it on my wall or the a memory of slow-dancing to its songs at prom in my head. The boys took it all the way back in time, too, performing all the jams from “You Got It,” “Step By Step,” and “Cover Girl” while also mixing in more recent cuts like “Remix” and “One More Night.”
Swooning fans with its cute boy band choreos, skin tight shirts, occasional hip thrusts and shirt lifts had everyone in the crowd fan-girling/boying once again. The pyrotechnics, confetti and streamers added to the party vibe the NKOTB was going for, but what really made it feel like a “Block Party” was the constant interactions with the crowd. The backstage ‘change cam’ was a delightful treat as we watched the New Kids change in between songs. Throughout the show they strutted their way through the arena even stopping to take selfies with fans, efficiently using two center stages making every seat in the house a good seat. Donnie Wahlberg did a pseudo crowd surf at one point, and the guys were dispersed in the crowd to serenade us all. Two lucky women were even brought up on stage and personally serenaded as hundreds of other women were heartbroken with jealousy.
Overall, every performance was all out, which each performer giving 150-percent. It was clear that this tour was put together with the fans in mind; as a “thank you” for the unconditional support and love that they’ve given these artists over the past four decades.
I asked a fellow concert goer and St. Pete local who she came to see and she replied, “All three acts speak to my heart, all of them take me back to a special time and place.”
I couldn’t agree more.
