Just minutes ago all five members of New Kids on the Block appeared together, for the first time as a band in approximately 47 years, on the Today show to finally announce their imminent reunion tour and album! The record drops next month, apparently, with a full concert schedule to follow this fall. (Immediately following the announcement, Today cut to a live report from Tennessee, at a march in remembrance of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., with Al Roker standing somberly outside the hotel where Dr. King was assassinated.)

But minutes later, the New Kids were back! They debuted a brief clip from one of the songs on their upcoming album ("Summertime" — not bad!) and politely fielded tactful e-mail questions from fans, such as "Where have you been for the past fifteen years?" and "Will you guys keep the same band name since you're not really 'kids' anymore?" ("We're kids at heart," answered grizzled tenor Danny Wood.)

Sadly, fan attention seems to have crashed the band's official Website this morning, but whatever — NKOTB are back!

New Kids on the Block [Official site]