New Kids on the Block tour charts spring 2009 North American dates

New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) will continue their widely popular reunion tour with a new leg of spring dates in the U.S. The extended jaunt picks up March 7 at Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, TX, and ends March 31 at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH.

The coast-to-coast outing will play arenas in 17 cities, including a March 16 set at the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN, a March 20 concert at Giant Center in Hershey, PA, and a March 28 show at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY. Two dates are also on the books for Ontatio, Canada: March 29 at the John Labatt Centre in London and March 30 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

Ticket sales for the March concerts begin January 23. More dates for the spring 2009 jaunt are expected, as a note on the NKOTB Web site notes, “This is just the beginning…!”

One of the original “boy bands,” the New Kids reunited nearly 14 years after disbanding for an extensive 2008 North American tour. The 48-city trek ran from September 18-19 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, through November 26 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Original members Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood have been participating in the reunion tour and promoting their first studio album since 1994’s “Face the Music.” The September 2008 release “The Block” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and helped the group reach a younger audience in addition to their existing fans.

NKOTB debuted in 1986 with an eponymous release that hit No. 25 on the U.S. charts. The following releases, 1988’s “Hangin’ Tough” and 1990’s “Step by Step,” both topped the Billboard 200 and reached worldwide sales of over 10 million copies.

New Kids on the Block itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)