From left, Laurie Beaven, 12, Amy Lanham, 12, and Melissa Gordon, 13, waited for the begining of the New Kids on the Block concert on Jan. 13, 1990, at Rupp Arena. The trio came from Spingfield and brought the homemade banner with them. With parents in tow, young girls wearing New Kids on the Block T-shirts, jackets, buttons, hats and bandannas flooded the Lexington Civic Center to see the popular singing group. They paid at least $18.50 apiece for the opportunity. At the time of the nearly sold-out show of 21,000, the group had vaulted to teen stardom with three hits: This One’s for the Children, Cover Girl and Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind). The first two numbers of the New Kids’ 90-minute concert — My Favorite Girl and the beat-crazy What’cha Gonna Do About It — were almost totally drowned out by the crowd, which shrieked and shrilled at every move the group made. Just how loud was the crowd? Earplugs were being sold at the concession stands. Photo by James D. VanHoose | Staff