Nostalgia Explosion: Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Hangin’ Tough Once Again

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Tweens of the ’90s, dust off your Nick Carter T-shirts and New Kids on the Block charm bracelets – Backstreet’s back on tour, and this time it’s with Donnie, Jordan, Joey, Jonathan and Danny. The boys are old enough to grow facial hair and you’re old enough to legally drink a beer at the concert, so we don’t see why NKOTBSB (the obvious tour name) can’t be a blast.

Rumors of a joint tour have been swimming around since the Backstreet Boys showed up unannounced at a NKOTB concert at Radio City Music Hall in June. On Wednesday, Ryan Seacrest confirmed the suspicions on his radio show and simultaneously sent grown boy band devotees into scrunchie-and-scream-filled flashbacks. (Let’s hope they’re not nostalgic enough to want to listen on a Walkman – unlike the pop-stars, the tape player has seen its last days.)

The boys will kick off the tour in the summer of 2011, but the excessive screaming doesn’t have to wait until then – on November 21 all nine pop sensations (used to be ten, but true fans will remember Kevin left BSB to “pursue other interests”) will perform at the American Music Awards.

Is this yet another dried-up reunion or could NKOTBSB make TIME’s list of the Top 10 Comeback Tours? These pop sensations actually have a few things on their side – minus Kevin, the bands will have all their original members (unlike the barely-recognizable Beach Boys) and will perform their most beloved hits. And since they were just tykes when they made it huge, ten years and a grown-up set of vocal chords later, they just might be in their prime.

Fine, pop hysteria isn’t for everyone. But if reading this made you want to call your BFF and dig out a shoebox full of boy band CDs and trading cards, then there’s a concert stage somewhere in the summer of 2011 with your name on it. Get your tickets – they would want it that way. (via Entertainment Weekly