New Kids going back to "The Block"

Less than two months before it's set to be released, I just came across the cover art for the New Kids On The Block's new CD!

Donnie Wahlberg* told loyal readers of NKOTB.com like me last week, "We are NOT recording with Michael Jackson and/or Madonna. We never claimed to be either." All I can says is, Phew!

The New Kids did, however, work with Ne-Yo on a song entitled "Single," which we can all listen to by clicking here.

*Donnie is the one with the sunglasses on in this picture.

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam..."

Loyal "Sean's Space" readers will recall bus tours I've been on in the last year, focused on TV shows and movies shot in NYC as well as "Sex and the City" locations, but I embarked on my own impromptu tour last week.

Spending the past week covering the Empire State Games in Binghamton, NY, I was relegated to staying at a hotel just outside Scranton, Pa., due to logistical reasons. A disappointment? No way.

That's because I got to see many of the sights surrounding one of my favorite current TV shows, "The Office."

I spent some time at The Mall at Steamtown, where Michael Scott took his female subordinates and treated them to a single piece of apparel at Victoria's Secret. As you can see above, I found a real-life Mifflin Avenue.

Entering the town driving on the Scranton Expressway (seriously ... that's what they call it!), I saw the same landmarks and buildings as in the opening of the show. The sign welcoming visitors to town, however, is not the same as it was when the opening shots were filmed several years ago.

At centercourt at the mall, you can find an homage to the show that's brought the town national TV notoriety. It was pretty cool seeing the real-life sights used as the backdrop of the fictional series.

My only question, though: Since I've seen Mifflin Ave. ... is there a Dunder Drive?

The Jonas Brothers answered YOUR questions!

So Tuesday at 2 p.m. EST, hours before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game began, I sat behind the New York Yankees' dugout at Yankee Stadium on a conference call with the Jonas Brothers.

The guys were in LA, plugging their "Burning Up" tour, which stops in Sullivan County's Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

On the line were reporters from all over the country, talking to Joe, Nick and Kevin about everything from their new CD, their current tour and even the craziest question a fan has ever asked Joe: Can I punch you in the arm?

With so many people vying for the guys' time -- not to mention the phone line breaking up a bit on my end -- I was able to ask them a pair of questions, each from the more than 200 that "Sean's Space" readers from around the world e-mailed me. So here are your questions to the guys, followed by their answers...

Becki from Saratoga, New York: I've been in the crowd at one of your shows and it's so loud you can barely hear yourself think. What's it like being on stage with so many fans screaming for you?
Kevin Jonas: Yes, being in the audience is one thing. You should try being in the other direction when it's coming at you. No, it's incredible. We love it. But we wear customized, in-earpieces that allow us to hear our band and hear our music without any outside noise. So sometimes, if you wear them properly and your volume's up enough, it almost sounds like there's not even a person in the audience. And that's sometimes not good because then you're like, "Are they responding?" You may see them freaking out, (and) you just can't hear them. It's really funny.

From there, I was able to pose another reader-submitted question to Nick.

Lee from Dallas, Texas: After being on tour for two years, how do you keep yourselves motivated to do concerts almost every night and stay in hotels and your tour bus instead of at home?
Nick Jonas: We really love what we do. I mean, at the end of the day, when we get to play a show and be with our fans, it's all worth it — the late nights, whatever it may be. It's all worth it at the end of the day.

And there you have it, the Jonas Brothers' answers to two questions e-mailed me to readers for the guys! Thanks to the 200-plus JB fans from all over the world (obrigado, Brazil!) who wrote in to take part.

Nick, Joe and Kevin were very cooperative and eager to help us reporters. A big thanks, too, to Victor T., the brothers' publicist, for all his cooperation setting the whole interview up for all of us. Be sure to check out my complete story on the guys, including some quotes from Joe (I couldn't leave him out) in the Poughkeepsie Journal next month, as the Jonas' local show gets closer.

I just got off the phone with the Jonas Brothers

Amid my work here at Yankee Stadium, covering the MLB All-Star Game, I took part in a conference all with the Jonas Brothers, who have been on tour since July 4th.There must have been a few dozen journalists on the call, from all over the country (places like upstate Syracuse; Trenton, N.J.; Burlington, Vt.; and Virginia) all clamoring to ask Joe, Nick and Kevin a question or two.

With that much demand on the guys' time, I was able to ask the guys two questions ... including one submitted by a "Sean's Space" reader.

Being busy with tonight's big game, I'm a bit pressed for time but I promise I'll post the guys' answer to your question tomorrow right here on "Sean's Space!"

YOU can ask the Jonas Brothers a question!

Jonas Brother fans, listen up...

If you've been reading "Sean's Space" over the past few months, I've been hinting at something big, and here it is:

Just as I did before when I interviewed Clay Aiken, Bret Michaels, Taylor Hicks and Blake Lewis, I'm giving you a chance to ask the Jonas Brothers a question when I talk to them!!!

Kevin, Joe and Nick will be performing at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on August 14th.

In anticipation of that concert, I'll be part of a conference call interview with the guys on Tuesday (that's July 15th) for a story I'm writing for the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Here's where I need the help of all you Jonas Brothers fans...

Now, all you've got to do is e-mail your first name, your hometown and your question for Nick, Kevin and Joe to me at journalsean@aol.com.

I'll pick the best one (and only one) out of all the questions I receive and pose it to the Jonas Brothers when I speak to them. Then, I'll post their answer to your question right here at "Sean's Space."

Be creative! Ask the guys a question that no one else has ever asked them!

You've got until Monday at 12 p.m. e-mail me your questions, and I'll pick the best one to ask the Jonas Brothers!

It's just a "Bad" idea

There were reports thrown about this morning that some people were hoping would lead to a "Thriller" of a lineup: The New Kids On The Block teaming up with Michael Jackson for their upcoming album.
Luckily, Joe McIntyre (left of center in above pic) chimed in to say all that talk was "a complete rumor."

Of course, Danny Wood (behind Joe in above pic) said pretty much the same thing when new of the New Kids' reunion leaked out over the winter before the official announcement was made. We all know how that one turned out, to the benefit of NKOTB fans like me.

One more palatable collaboration (which has been confirmed for the New Kids' fortcoming release) is with New Edition, the precursor to the New Kids in the early '80s.

Both those groups, btw, were formed by the same producer, who looked to capitalize on New Edition's success by creating the New Kids.

"The Hills" meets "Monday Night Raw"

Just got through watching the series premiere of "Brooke Knows Best," which debuts Sunday at 10 p.m. on VH1, with a sneak peek at 1 p.m.

A spin-off "Hogan Knows Best," the Hulkster's now-20-year-old daughter moves out of the house (the Hulk and wife Linda, btw, are currently in the middle of a bitter divorce, while 17-year-old brother Nick is serving time for his role in a horrific car accident that seriously injured a friend) and into a Miami penthouse, away from Hulk's protective 24-inch arms.

Sound familiar? Like when LC left the comfort of Laguna Beach (both the town and the hit MTV reality show) and went off to make her mark on her own in the big city?

I don't want to give any more of this gem, but if you check it out Sunday, enjoy the scene with the Hulkster (seen here with Brooke back in '04) strolling the aisles at Target! Can you imagine shopping at the red bullseye and running into Hulk?!

And for more on the world of sports entertainment, check out my colleague Phil Strum's "Under the Ring" blog.

The JB have invaded BK

So as I was eating my plain hambuger (I'm a picky eater) at Burger King just now, it hit me: They're everywhere!

That's because smack dab in the middle of the King's (food) court sits one of these little things, alerting everyone that the Jonas Brothers are on tour this summer.

I've known this for months now, since the JB are headed to Bethel Woods to play the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival in nearby Sullivan County on August 14th.

Just in case anyone else wasn't aware of this, they just need to look at the placemat that was under my burger wrapper:Yup! That's Kevin, Joe and Nick, quietly sitting on every tray in the place!

It's ironic timing, really, as I was on the phone with the Jonas Brothers' publicist yesterday about interviewing them next week for a story about their upcoming show. Hopefully before the day is out, I'll have more details about that.

Stay tuned...