Daily Collegian Review: 2/12/00, University Park, PA

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Feb 15, 2000 Source: The Daily Collegian (Pen State U.) Submitted By: CONCERT REVIEW: Backstreet Boys at Penn State Updated 12:00 PM ET February 14, 2000 By Brandy Brubaker Daily Collegian Pennsylvania State U. (U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The building was dark -- dimly lit only by a few thousand blue and green glow sticks clutched tightly in the hands of anxious little girls. Miniature Britneys and Christinas bounced up and down, clinging to the identically dressed girl next to them -- giggling, shaking and dancing to music that wasn't playing. Just then an image flashed up on the giant screens in front of them -- and the volcano erupted in a chant of "Backstreet Boys! Backstreet Boys!" It went black again. Silent -- but for the last time. The show had started. Armed with fireworks to challenge any Fourth of July celebration and enough costume changes to qualify them for Miss USA, The Backstreet Boys exploded onto stage -- and State College -- and we wanted it that way (in a show that was larger than life). As I sat just a couple dozen feet from my yummy, yummy Backstreet Boys, I wondered just what was keeping me -- not to mention the 10 zillion sugar-rushed teeny-boppers -- from rushing the stage. But, believe it or not (and I still do not believe it), we all behaved ourselves, confining our dancing to the aisles and our awestruck eyes locked on our favorite Boy (Nick, Nick, Nick!). They sang. We screamed. They danced. We screamed. They teased. We screamed. They stripped (just a shirt or two, please). We screamed (yes, my ears are still ringing). They wiped their sweat. We screamed. Are you sensing a pattern here? In fact, it seemed like a simple movement from Kevin or a little wink from Howie was enough to send the crowd into hysterics. But a blown kiss from Brian, a pelvic thrust from A.J. (cover your 10-year-old's eyes, Mom!) or a salute to State College from Nick made them (OK, and me too) erupt in shrieks, tears and flying teddy bears. They waved their hands, and their annoying billboard-sized signs splattered with pics of their favorite Boy from Bop magazine, back and forth -- mesmerized as their dreamboys gave them all they had to give. They had counted down the days since tickets went on sale in December -- keeping track of the magic number on wipe-off boards. They had plotted strategic plans to stalk the band at the airport, around campus and, of course, at the hotel (where did they stay anyway?). And now, they were in the very same building, just yards away from their future husbands. "I think the hype makes it so much more fun," said Monica Farrell, (freshman-biochemistry), one of the few 18-plus in the audience. "The crowd was like one happy family." "It was unbelievable. Absolutely amazing. I've been to so many other concerts and I've never seen anything else like this," Laura Kauffman (freshman-visual arts) said. "They performed for the entire audience." Kauffman hit it dead on. The Boys wooed every single girl in the audience so well that many of them probably expected marriage proposals after the show. One girl, who held an "I love A. J." sign up throughout the whole show (yes, I said the whole show) almost went into cardiac arrest when her loverboy gave her a quick little wave. . .or so she thought he did. A few rows down, someone yelped that Brian had just winked at her. Another sign-toter went nuts when Kevin just looked her way. And Howie's solo in front of our section incited a few thousand camera flashes. And when Nick came jivin' over. . .watch out, ladies! He's mine! Somehow, some way, The Backstreet Boys gave each of us (with the exception of the few boyfriends who were dragged there by glittered-up girlfriends) a moment that we will never forget until our paths one day cross again -- preferably at the altar on our wedding days. (C) 2000 Daily Collegian via U-WIRE Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: awesome seo eA84Wf Wow! Thank you! I continually wanted to write on my site something like that. Can I implement a fragment of your post to my blog? Submitted by: Halz Submitted by: Antony Submitted by: Joe Submitted by: Kelly Submitted by: Carol Clark Submitted by: Lemat Submitted by: William Submitted by: Carol Clark Submitted by: Ann Elisabeth Comment on this item. Next Item: Times Union Review: 2/14/00, Albany, NY Prev Item: Access Atlanta Preview: 2/19/00, Atlanta, GA