Let the Screaming Begin

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Feb 05, 2001 Source: Toronto Sun Submitted By: Aimee Let the screaming begin On Wednesday, The Backstreet Boys bring their Black & Blue tour to the SkyDome By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun When the Backstreet Boys released their album, Black & Blue, last November, they probably didn't think that a group that broke up three decades ago would steal their thunder. Or did they? It wasn't just any band, after all, but The Beatles, whose collection of No. 1 hits was released one week before Black & Blue, and now appears destined to become the best-selling disc of all time. "Well, I don't think we feel worthy of comparison to The Beatles," said band member Kevin Richardson during a press conference in New York the day of Black & Blue's release. "I think that a lot of the hysteria that surrounds us, there's some similarities there, because they had quite a following and quite a young following." No doubt both young and old members of the Boys' dedicated followers will be screaming their lungs out when the band's five members -- Richardson, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter and A.J. McLean -- take the stage at SkyDome on Wednesday night for a show that sold out in a mere 75 minutes. The Black & Blue world tour kicked off with a three-night stand in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan. 22 with a 90-minute show that included a seven-piece band, 10 dancers, five costume changes -- one of which the audience gets to see -- a smaller stage closer to the fans, and 21 songs. The show also has "the largest indoor concert set ever constructed," according to the Boys' label, Zomba Records. The Associated Press described the tour launch as "a show mixing harmony-driven pop and dance with playful asides that worked fans into a frenzy." The Boys opened the evening with Everyone, and returned for one encore, Shape Of My Heart, both songs from Black & Blue. While Black & Blue -- along with the rest of the big pre-Christmas releases -- was left in the dust by The Beatles, it is by no means stiffing. To date, it has sold 700,000 copies in Canada and 15 million worldwide. (Comparatively, 20 million copies of the Beatles' 1 album have been shipped worldwide.) "I mean obviously we're all grown up, we're all getting older," said McLean of the band's more mature sound on Black & Blue. "But musically, we've definitely grown on this album. We took a trip down to the Bahamas with just us five in May or June. It was a writing trip. We didn't know how it was going to go, if we were going to try to kill each other or we were going to work together. And we came out with nine songs that we wrote, two of which were on the Black & Blue album -- Time and Answer To Our Lives. "Just the fact that we wrote songs on this album shows a lot of growth for us personally. There's a lot more inspiration and a lot more participation from our side on this album. That shows growth musically, production-wise, and the same thing with our tours and everything. We're trying to just grow slowly with our fans and as a family and as a group. We're just taking it step by step and I'm sure the next album will be more of a growth." And maybe some mini Backstreet boys -- or girls -- running around. Both Richardson and Littrell have married since the last time the Backstreet Boys were in town. In fact, Littrell's wedding will be part of InStyle: Celebrity Weddings airing on NBC tomorrow at 8 p.m. Fans will get a chance to ask all of the group's members questions -- personal and otherwise -- when they pull into MuchMusic on Tuesday for an hour-long chat starting at 8 p.m. Following their Toronto appearances, the group leaves for a Thursday night show in Pittsburgh. The first leg of the North American tour wraps up on March 18, but they are expected to return for a second leg of stadium dates from July through September. Their world tour also takes the Backstreet Boys to Mexico and South America in April; Europe in May and June; and Japan, Australia and New Zealand in October and November. "We've never taken our tour to Japan or to Australia," said Richardson. "And that's why with this Black & Blue world tour, it will first and foremost be an official world tour. We will go everywhere for the first time, and that's important to us." And they'll apparently be doing it as a tight unit. "The Black & Blue record is probably the most focused we've ever been as a group, the tightest we've ever been as a group," said Littrell, "and what's to come, we let that be." Added Carter: "So to all those people out there, in the press community, that don't want pop music to continue on -- sorry." ----------------------------- The BACKSTREET BOYS File Kudos: Just won best pop-rock band honours at the American Music Awards. Their single, Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely, has garnered them a Grammy nomination for best pop vocal performance by a duo or group. The Grammys take place Feb. 21. Millionaire contestants: Backstreet Boys' Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough will appear on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on Feb. 11 & 14. Good Will: Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson recently launched Just Within Reach: An Earth Foundation, a fundraising group for environmental issues. Recent Dis: They "can't sing, can't play, can't dance ... they should be shot." -- Oasis braintrust Noel Gallagher during a press conference in Caracus, Venezuela. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnansaz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Comment on this item. Next Item: Grammy Predictions from Wall of Sound Prev Item: Vienen los Backstreet Boys a Puerto Rico?