New Kids on the Block tease skin on 'live change cam,' take selfies at Iowa State Fair

New Kids on the Block undressed in front of thousands of Iowa State Fair Grandstand concertgoers Saturday night.

Well, the bottoms stayed on.

About halfway through their set, the five men dashed off stage as the large screens set up on the sides switched to what was called the “live change cam.” There, the 50-something men teased the audience as they stripped off their shirts to reveal defined abs and arms and blew kisses to the camera.

It was just one of many moments when the enduring boy band who rose to fame in the late 1980s hammed it up for the crowd of 9,841, a figure from the State Fair marketing department. Jesse McCartney, singer and actor known for hits “Beautiful Soul” and “Leavin,’” opened for the Grammy-nominated act.

Women made up much of the crowd, some accompanied by teenagers or younger children whose references to boy bands may more likely be NSYNC, One Direction or the South Korean phenomenon BTS.

Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Jonathan and Jordan Knight took the Grandstand stage 34 years since their previous State Fair show in 1989, when they and fellow teen star Tiffany performed a sold-out show. It was the highest-selling Grandstand show that year, the crowd of 15,000 dwarfing Reba McEntire's audience of 9,253, according to Register archives.

“The last time we were at this wonderful State Fair was 1989, and it feels damn good to be back,” Wahlberg said. “Iowa, we love you.”

Both Selena Mallinger and Jen Vansickel were in the pit at that concert over three decades ago.

The two friends were joined by Jana Hunter and Teresa Phillips Saturday night. They all graduated from high school together in 1995 in Webster City.

Mallinger, who was wearing a New Kids on the Block shirt from 1989, is the No. 1 Blockhead — the term for the boy band’s fans — or at least that’s what her friends agreed on. Mallinger recently saw New Kids on the Block last year and in 2019 in Iowa.

The group of women owned New Kids on the Block bedsheets, CDs, cassette tapes and posters when they were teens, some of which Mallinger held onto, along with her ticket for the 1989 concert.

Mallinger and Vansickel made friendship bracelets with the words “Blockheads” or “New Kidz” for all four of them to wear Saturday, inspired by the legion of Swifties who’ve been doing the same ahead of Taylor Swift concerts.

“I just appreciate how they love their fans, and how they’re still doing it after how many years," Mallinger said. "They’re really great guys. I’ve met them a couple of times, and they just really care about the fans.”

Later in the night, New Kids on the Block expressed their gratitude toward fans as Wahlberg recalled opening for Tiffany in Davenport before the State Fair performance.

“We didn’t know who was going to be waiting for us in Iowa,” Wahlberg said, adding that when they arrived, it was like “New Kids-mania.”

“In every single time we’ve been to Iowa since, you continued to impress us. You continued to show us so much love,” he said. “We can’t thank you enough because you always continue to surprise us and blow our minds.”

New Kids on the Block keeps fans screaming with pelvic thrusts, surprise appearances in the crowd

It was difficult to track how many pelvic thrusts, crotch-grabbing or general hand motions to the groin area occurred over the course of the nearly two-hour set Saturday night.

After all, Wahlberg announced to the crowd that he and the four other former teen idols were about to do 10 pelvic thrusts in a row not even 30 minutes into their performance.

It wasn’t the only moment when New Kids on the Block gave some fan service. Wahlberg took a moment to turn around and shake his backside as the camera focused in on the playful moment, and Jordan Knight lifted his shirt and acted out the title of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” during a mashup of non-New Kids songs.

Wahlberg, Wood, McIntyre and the Knights showed tight choreography and a command over their vocals throughout the entire night, kicking off the show not on stage, but all in different places throughout the audience.

New Kids on the Block performed “Step by Step” and “Remix (I Like The),” and during “Tonight” left the stage and walked around the crowd, stopping to take selfies with fans as people in the crowd rushed toward the nearest group member for the chance to get a closer look — and a picture. Other songs performed included “Block Party,” “You Got It (The Right Stuff)" and “Cover Girl.”

“It’s 1989 all over again,” Wahlberg yelled during “My Favorite Girl.”

Next up at the State Fair Grandstand: Country star Eric Church will perform on Aug. 13 at 8 p.m.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New Kids on the Block tease skin, take selfies at Iowa State Fair show