CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Whether you know him from his superstardom in the 80s or more currently you know him from being Rickrolled, Rick Astley is going on the road as part of the Mixtape Tour.
First stop: Cincinnati.
Astley told Local 12's Bob Herzog he drove to Cincinnati from Los Angeles. He doesn't like to fly and he likes to see the country. He also likes to sample local food and his first stop was Sotto.
The tour will actually drive during the day so that they can see more of the country.
New Kids on the Block is headlining the tour. Astley said he and the other acts are more like guests than opening acts.
"It's what sold it to me. They don't treat the other artists like you're just there to warm up the crowd 'til we come on. They don't have that attitude at all. They go out there, they get it rockin' and then they introduce a guest."
Other guests will include Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue.
The acts will be performing their big hits from the 80s and early 90s.
"We've had a few laughs about that already. I think it's good to be realistic and honest about the evening we're trying to do. It's meant to be fun and after the last couple of years, that's what I want."
Astley has been doing festivals the past few years. He jokes that he's Uncle Rick at these festivals since many of the acts are younger than he is.
"Festivals are way more eclectic than they've ever been so that's why Uncle Rick gets to play a few around the world and that's why I bump into people like Foo Fighters or some of the younger bands that I've met in the UK and different parts of Europe."
Astley took a 15 year break from music and started touring again right about the time that Rickrolling took off. He says he has no negativity toward the trend.
"I'm all over the Rickrolling thing. If anyone wants to do anything with that song, put it in a TV show, do anything you like, I'm all over it. It's a memory for me, it's great, it keeps it's head above the parapet occasionally which in today's billion things a day going on, it's kind of nice."
The Mixtape Tour is at Heritage Bank Arena on May 10.