ET was with the guys as they rehearsed for their upcoming Total Package Tour with Boyz II Men and Paula Abdul.
These guys are clearly still kids at heart!
As New Kids on the Block gears up for their Total Package Tour with Boyz II Men and Paula Abdul this summer, ET's Nischelle Turner got a sneak peek at what to expect during their rehearsals. Since hitting it big in the '80s, there's still one tour prank they can't seem to outgrow.
"We can't have certain things because of our youth," Donnie Wahlberg says of the group's backstage snacks. "If there were cold cuts, it would usually be like, frisbee toss time, and that's bad. So we can't say that we have grown out of that, but we just grew smart enough to know that -- don't bring cold cuts."
"Anything that can stick to a wall," Jordan Knight chimed in, "we don't want it."
"Or someone's face," Wahlberg continues. "Guys getting smacked with a piece of bologna."
The New Kids have kids of their own now, and touring has become a family affair. In fact, one of Joey McIntyre's young sons even filled in for Wahlberg during a recent choreography rehearsal. "It was the cutest thing," McIntyre gushed.
Also hitting the road is Wahlberg's beloved pup. "Lumpy polices us," he says. "So if anyone's screwing up, he comes and growls at you."
"He does every tour," Wahlberg continues. "He loves the tour buses and flying around. We'll go in an arena for the 10th time, Boston Garden, whatever, we don't always know where to go. He knows where to go every time! [And] he knows whose got the treats."
WATCH: New Kids on the Block Want to Bring 'Happiness Back to the World' With New Tour
While NKOTB and Boyz II Men have toured together before, this summer marks Abdul's first trek in 25 years.
"We did the Package Tour and Boyz II Men was a part of that last time," says McIntyre. "'Total' comes from Ms.Abdul, who's total everything. She's totally awesome and totally amazing and totally a pro and totally has a million hit records and it's totally cool to have her on the tour."
"It's doubly interesting for us because, A. We watched her come up and become successful right at the same time that we did," Wahlberg adds. "But we never got to work together, so there's that. After all of these years, we finally get to work with her, but it's also her comeback now. We've been on our comeback for the last nine years and she's starting hers now. We get to bear witness to that and it's exciting, it really makes it all the more special. It's not like we've both been out there doing it for the last 30 years. This is a big deal for her and it's a big undertaking, so to be there to support her, because we've been there, it makes it special for us."
The Total Package Tour kicks off May 12 in Columbus, Ohio, and includes a special Boston homecoming for NKOTB on July 8 at Fenway Park. Also on May 12, NKOTB will release a brand new EP titled Thankful.
For more on how the tour came together, watch below.