Hang tough with Jordan Knight at the Hard Rock Thursday night

A decade ago, you were wearing their buttons and T-shirts with your socks pulled over your… A decade ago, you were wearing their buttons and T-shirts with your socks pulled over your spandex and your Tiffani Thiessen hair tamed by a scrunchie. You and I were not the only ones who fell asleep to “The Right Stuff” playing in our ears with dreams of running our hands through Joey McIntyre’s hair.

We were a part of their fan club, along with thousands of other 7-year-old girls. We were a part of an age that tied our hand-me-down shirts in knots and wore one overall strap on our shoulder. We were the devoted followers of those five hunky guys who were responsible for the boy band phenomenon.

Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joe McIntyre, Danny Wood and Jon Knight were the five hotties who made up New Kids on the Block. We thought of them as our little sisters think of *NSYNC. If you were like me and in love with these guys, you may have often wondered what they did after hits such as “Hangin’ Tough” stopped being requested on pop radio stations.

After the band members broke up in 1994, the world took a break from boy bands.

Well, just when you thought that you would never see them again, Jordan and Joey came back to woo us all over again. This time, they were singing solo, and we were explaining to our younger sisters who our Justin Timberlake was when we were their age.

If you were like me, you had a huge crush on Jordan. And you found that you were crying yourself to sleep when you had to put your Jordan locket in your jewelry chest to gather dust.

A decade later, you were shaking off the cobwebs and wearing his face proudly around your neck again. Knight’s solo career took off with “Give It to You,” and you couldn’t seem to hide your smile.

After his hit single came out in 1999, along with a video on MTV’s Total Request Live, fans didn’t hear too much from the pop star. No worries, though, because Knight is back and is coming to Station Square’s Hard Rock Cafe this upcoming week.

On Thurs., Jan. 22, Knight will make love to the microphone while girls make love to him in their heads. It’s part of his tour promoting the NKOTB remix album coming to stores in late February.

And don’t think you’ll be able to sing along to all his songs, either. Along with Knight’s latest single “Tender Love,” a new album is in the works – a follow-up to his debut album – and you’ll wish you were making tender love with the former New Kid. Unfortunately, his second album doesn’t arrive in stores until this summer.

But if you can’t wait that long to hear Knight’s voice, then get out to Hard Rock Cafe this Thursday. You can even bring your “I [insert heart] Jordan” locket.

Jordan Knight arrives at Station Square to perform at the Hard Rock Cafe Thurs., Jan. 22, at 9 p.m. Ticket prices are $15/advance and $17/door. For more information, call (412) 323-1919.