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PROVIDENCE - When the lights at the Dunkin' Donuts Center dimmed on Thursday night, and the members of New Kids on the Block took the stage, thousands of screaming and cheering fans got the chance to show their beloved band from Boston just how much they missed them in the fifteen years they had been away from the spotlight.

And with every step, and seemingly every note, they kept on screaming for the duration of the two and a half hour show.

Who could blame them, really? The band delivered an fun, energetic and entertaining performance with just the right bit of nostalgia mixed in that gave their long-time, mostly 20 something fans exactly what they were looking for: A chance to relive a part of their teen years with a show that combined the band's current radio hits with the fans' favorite songs from the late '80s and early '90s.

Using choreographed dance moves, the band members - Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Jon Knight and Danny Wood - danced around the stage as if they were teenagers again, much to the delight of the audience that seemed to hang on every twist, spin and hip shake.

NKOTB started off the show with their recent radio hit "Single" from their newest release "Block." In a rhinestone-studded Boston Red Sox baseball cap, Wahlberg used an R&B beat to accent the song that included vocals from McIntyre and Jordan Knight. That song segued into "My Favorite Girl" and an enthusiastic "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" from 1988's "Hangin' Tough." After a short break, the band changed into suits and Knight hit some really high notes for the slow song "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" from the band's 1986 self-titled debut album. The slow songs continued with "Please Don't Go Girl," that featured a heavy contribution from McIntyre. "Grown Man," a collaboration between NKOTB and Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who sang her parts of the song by a pre-recorded video, followed.

The band used the song "If You Go Away" as a tribute to not only their family members, who had passed away, but also celebrities such as grunge rocker Kurt Cobain, rappers Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., and actor Heath Ledger, among others.

During the two-minute video production, though, the band members slipped from the stage to a piano set up on a raised platform in the middle of the arena within reach of fans straining to touch them to sing "2 in the Morning," a song about a relationship on the rocks, and "Dirty Dancing," a fast paced dance tune, both new songs from "Block."

Before beginning their final song at the piano, "Tonight," McIntyre took some time to reflect with audience about the band's return to the spotlight. "Can you believe it Providence?" McIntyre pondered to the screaming fans. What some lucky fans couldn't believe was when the band members walked right past them to get back to the main stage after the song, giving a few women high fives and a chance to touch their once-teen idols.

After giving the crowd some face time on the giant screen behind the stage, the band launched into "Twisted," a dance song featuring McIntyre's vocals and a hint of a techno beat. From there, Knight sang "Give It To You," a catchy song from his 1999 solo album, and McIntyre followed up with "Stay The Same," a ballad from his 1999 solo project.

The entire band took the stage again for Wahlberg's vocals on "Cover Girl" and Knight's on "I'll Be Loving You Forever," two old favorites, and "Click, Click, Click," a new song. After a break for a critique of a still shot of the group that the band called a "pose-off," they finished strong with current hit "Summertime."

"Step By Step" and "Hangin' Tough," for which the band donned Boston Celtics jerseys, completed the set list during the encore.

NKOTB took every opportunity to remind their fans about their roots, interspersing images of Boston sports teams on the video screen behind the stage, and even including a video montage of Celtics' players Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett before "Hangin' Tough."

What left the crowd somewhat perplexed were the gratuitous shots of Wahlberg's and other band members' behinds, which graced the large screen behind the stage several times throughout the show. Their appearance seemed out of place with the songs being sung at the time and seemed like a cheesy way to just get the crowd to scream more.

Overall, though, NKOTB proved that even after a 15-year hiatus they can still entertain through lyrically-light pop songs and with energetic dancing, which included Danny Wood's breakdancing. Their fans sent them on their way in the same way the show began - with loud screaming, proving also that even after 15 years, the band still has some of the most loyal and excited fans around. Jessica Kosowski can be reached at 508-236-0331 or jkosowski@thesunchronicle.com.