Homecoming at Fenway Park

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June 13, 2011|By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein

Saturday nights celebration included (from left) Donnie Wahlberg, Peter… (LARA CALLAHAN )

They came. They saw. They slid down a rain-soaked catwalk at Fenway Park like it was a Slip ’n’ Slide. And before and after their big Saturday-night concert, NKOTBSB (also known as the Boston-bred New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys) partied all over the city.

NKOTB guys Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood started their evening at Hot Stove, Cool Music, the semiannual event that raises money for the Foundation to Be Named Later, a charity run by Peter Gammons, Theo Epstein, and Theo’s brother Paul. The shindig — which was moved from Fenway’s Right Field Roof Deck to the sheltered Steiner Deck because of the rain — was catered by Tremont 647 chef Andy Husbands, dante chef Dante deMagistris, and the MET Bar’s Todd Winer, and raised $125,000 for the foundation’s children’s causes. Jayme Parker of NESN and Dan Hausle of Channel 7 ran the night’s auction. Mix 104.1’s Kennedy Elsey emceed. Guests included Hot Stove coordinator and local music manager Michael Creamer, “Hell’s Kitchen’’ finalist Jason Santos, the foundation’s executive director Allyce Najimy, Roger Greene of Ipswitch Inc. (the night’s big sponsor), and Mayor Tom Menino.

During the party, Theo told us that even though the New Kids aren’t like the other musicians who have played Fenway Park (rockers such as Dave Matthews, Aerosmith, and Bruce Springsteen), they’ve earned their night on the ballpark stage. “They deserve this. They’re a local institution. They’re big Red Sox fans. They’ve been coming here for years,’’ he said. Theo promised he’d try to do the “New Kids dance’’ during the night, but said his wife is better at it. Donnie, who has perfected the New Kids moves for more than 25 years, took the Hot Stove mike during the party to tell young people in the crowd that no matter where they’re from, “If you work hard for it, you can do it.’’ He said he felt lucky to be sharing the night with “inner city kids and people from Boston.’’

Later on, Donnie’s brother Mark Wahlberg, who’s in town to film the movie “Ted,’’ surprised the crowd by introducing NKOTBSB and joking to the sold-out ballpark that if it weren’t for his brother Donnie, who helped him start a music and acting career, he’d probably be incarcerated right now.

The Backstreet Boys continued the celebration long after their Fenway show was over. The foursome hosted an afterparty at Royale where they sang, DJ’d, mingled with fans, and sipped on Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne. New Kid Donnie accompanied them to the club and introduced them at the event.

On Friday, NKOTBSB prepared for their performance with a meal at Cafeteria on Newbury Street. Donnie also mingled at nightclub Cure.

Speaking of Mark Wahlberg and his Seth MacFarlane-directed comedy “Ted,’’ we hear it’ll be filming at the Somerville Theatre tomorrow.

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