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New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) have kicked off their first-ever Las Vegas residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM, while the Backstreet Boys are set to return to Sin City for a residency at Sphere in July and August. But are these two iconic boy bands in competition with each other?
In a recent interview with E! News, NKOTB members Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight opened up about whether they see themselves in competition with the Backstreet Boys.
"We don't talk to them," McIntyre joked. "They can take their big fat sphere and stick it up..." before laughing and adding, "No, I'm kidding."
Wahlberg chimed in, saying, "We love those guys. There's no competition with us." The band is focused on crafting a unique experience for their Vegas residency, which they've dubbed "The Right Stuff."
"The entire show is going to be unique," Wahlberg said. "We are crafting it specifically for Vegas and adding things that, in many ways, we can only do in Vegas and are inspired by Vegas."
In April, the band spoke with PEOPLE about their excitement surrounding their first Vegas residency, with Jonathan saying, "Vegas is going to be insane. It's definitely going to be very different from other shows that we did. I mean, we are in Vegas, so it's a little more upscale, a little more sexy. And the stage is absolutely huge."
Meanwhile, Backstreet Boys member Howie Dorough told PEOPLE in February that they're excited about playing the Sphere, saying, "When this opportunity came to us to do the Sphere, it just made sense. I mean, it's a comeback on the next level. You can't get any bigger than the Sphere."
The NKOTB Vegas residency is now underway at the Dolby Live at Park MGM, while Backstreet Boys kick off their Sphere shows on July 11.