NKOTB Are Taking Their 1990 Magic Summer Tour Back on the Road 34 Years Later: 'It's Redemption' (Exclusive)

"It's a little more personal," says New Kids on the Block's Danny Wood. "I want to make the Magic Summer Tour our best tour instead of our worst"

• The New Kids on the Block are going on tour this summer — and it's a bit of a re-do

• "I want to make the Magic Summer Tour our best tour instead of our worst," Danny Wood tells PEOPLE

• The original Magic Summer Tour ran from April to September 1990, and was one of the top 10 grossing tours of that year

The New Kids on the Block hope this summer is full of magical moments for their fans.

The group — made up of bandmates Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre and brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight — will soon hit the road for The Magic Summer 2024 Tour, a nostalgic reference to their record-breaking stadium tour of the same name in 1990.

But this time, says Jordan, "We want to do it again and do it right."

The original Magic Summer Tour ran from April to September 1990, and was one of the top 10 grossing tours of that year.

"For me, there are just not a lot of great memories wrapped up in that tour," says Danny, who is featured with New Kids on the Block in the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now. "Things just got too big with the stadiums. We were so far away from the crowd, and we felt this disconnect from their reactions. It just felt like we were going through the motions."

Says Donnie, "We thrive on the energy of our fans, we always have, and we were completely disconnected from them. We were on this massive stage. We probably looked like ants to the audience and they weren't even visible to us most of the time. We just couldn't connect with the fans and I think that didn't help."

The band — who recently released Still Kids, their first full studio album 11 years — says it was a feeling that extended beyond the stage. "It was our biggest tour but, as a group, we weren't as connected to each other as we had been," says Jordan. "Everything had become so big — the stadiums, the fame, the craziness — that we kind of retreated into ourselves."

During the frenzy of New Kids mania in the late '80s and early '90s, the band was on a non-stop touring schedule that had them performing all over Asia, Australia, Europe and North America – with concerts almost every night.

Related: Donnie Wahlberg Says Stepping Away from NKOTB 'Was Scary' but 'Time Apart Was Good for Us' (Exclusive)

"In the early incarnation of New Kids, they had us on the road constantly," says Jonathan. "We would go on the road for 360 days a year, and just keep going and going. You wouldn't see your family, you wouldn't see your friends, you wouldn't sleep in your own bed. I don't want it to sound like I'm complaining because we had such a amazing experience and we're really thankful and grateful for that, but it was also a lot to go through, especially when we were young kids like that."

As the tour rolled on, the non-stop pace began to take a toll on the group as they dealt with growing up within the confines of the band, which had come together in 1985 when Joey was 12 and the others were young teenagers.

"We didn't feel like we were at our best, I think, or the circumstances weren't the best for us to thrive," says Donnie. "I think most of us look back and say we were growing apart, but we were stuck together every moment of every day for 24 hours a day."

Continues Donnie: "In 1988, we went on tour with one tour bus, and it was one for all and all for one. We were just kids living our dream. And by the middle of that tour, the start of the next tour, everybody started growing up. We were trying to find our own space and autonomy, and to find our own voice in life as young adults."

In 1994, the band decided to take a break to pursue individual projects and passions, before reuniting in 2008 with the release of their comeback album The Block.

Related: New Kids on the Block Thank 'Blockheads' for Their Support in Video Announcing Release Date of Upcoming Album

Nearly 34 years after the first Magic Summer Tour, Jordan says, "it's redemption" as they reimagine the tour as a reconnected group of friends and artists.

"The sweetness is that we can say all those things because we've had time to revisit that and look back at it with a tender heart and say, 'Wow, those were amazing times, but let's do it again a little bit differently. Let's take all the good parts and leave all the stress and the craziness behind, and just bring the fun,'" says Joey. "We want to do it with about a thousand more percent of presence. This time, we're going to be there mind, body and soul." 

Joined by Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff, NKOTB will kick off the tour at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on June 14. The group then takes their more than 40-date run around the country, with stops in Phoenix, Dallas and Philadelphia before wrapping up in Noblesville, Indiana on Aug. 25.

Related: NKOTB Recreate Group Photo from Over 35 Years Ago: 'We Really Couldn't Stop Laughing'

Along with performing in some of the same outdoor venues as they did during the early days, the band also says they'll incorporate a few elements from the original tour into their new production.

"We haven't performed outside at these amphitheaters in a long time," says Joey. "There's an energy that comes with that that's exciting. I remember playing those venues under the summer night sky, and that juice and that energy that you can only get from those kind of shows. I know that's going to be a part of the chemistry this summer as well." 

Says Danny: "It's a little more personal. It's all about the nostalgia and being out with our fans, and connecting with our fans in a real way. I want to make the Magic Summer Tour our best tour instead of our worst."

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