Greensboro News & Record Review: 2/20/00, Greensboro, NC

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Feb 23, 2000 Source: Greensboro News & Record Submitted By: MAnetrella@aol.com Review: Backstreet Boys have got it going on 2-22-00 By PARKE PUTERBAUGH, Special to the News & Record GREENSBORO -- The Backstreet Boys are not a personal favorite of this critic (or any other). But let's face facts: the only critical appraisal of their Sunday night concert at the Greensboro Coliseum that really matters came from the 22,684 fans who broke a house record for concert attendance at the 41-year-old arena. It went something like this: "Aaaaahhhhh....." The sustained outpouring of lung power by the mostly young, mostly female crowd sounded like the deafening whoosh of a Concorde jet taking off. They screamed at the band's arrival onstage, a special effects-laden production that took 10 minutes. They screamed when the five hunky singers were hoisted high in the air via wired harnesses, performing somersaults above the oohing audience while singing "Quit Playing Games with My Heart." They screamed when the boys made small talk between songs or posed such rhetorical questions as, "Greensboro, are you having a good time tonight?" They screamed for each costume change, and there were many. They screamed for every swivel, twitch, shake, shimmy, leap, knee-drop and impassioned clutch of the microphone. The phenomenon for which the pre-adolescent throng raised its voices for two hours was a group of young men from Florida who, to quote one of their own song titles, have got it going on. The girls shouted loudest for Nick - the obvious heartthrob, tousled blond hair and all - and sandy-haired Brian. Howie and A.J. came across as older, more rugged and "manly"; the latter actually appeared to have a receding hairline. Kevin, who embodied the strong, silent type, fell somewhere in between. The fantasy of romantic infatuation collectively projected upon the Backstreet Boys was indulged by the eager-to-please band, who sang every heart-tugging ballad with absolutely no irony or condescension. For their money, the audience got treated to plenty of spectacle, too. The show was like an electrified circus, with all sorts of activity whirling around the five singers, who performed in the round from a stage on the coliseum floor. There were fireworks, a troupe of ten limber dancers and a dramatic arrival via spaceship. Such numbers as "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" were tours de force of dancing and high-energy hip-hop pop, while the romantic ballads, with their protestations of fidelity and undying love, had the young girls swooning. To the band members' credit, they did not surround themselves with distractions to cover up a lack of performing skills, as is often the case. Judging from their Greensboro performance, the Backstreet Boys can sing - the individual voices are strong, the harmonies tight, the phrasing surprisingly adult in its controlled emotionality - as well as dance and entertain. Some of them even play instruments and write songs. Though their aura is larger-than-life, when they donned T-shirts and jeans for the final segment - after having been through body armor, head-to-toe black leather, lawyerly vests and ties and gangster suits and fedoras - they came across as likable, regular guys, the kind you could safely bring home to Mother. A few gripes: The unexplained, hour-long delay between the fleeting opening act (the Jungle Brothers, who rapped for all of 13 minutes) and the Backstreet Boys dragged on interminably, and a terrible tape of '70s disco hits only further tried the crowd's patience. The volume was too loud, no doubt causing temporary tinnitus and possibly damaging the hearing of school-age children. Finally, the price of Backstreet Boys merchandise was through the roof, with $30 hats and T-shirts thinning the wallet of many a bedraggled parent. No doubt moms and dads were shouting, too, but for reasons that had nothing to do with crushes on Nick or Brian. Parke Puterbaugh is a Greensboro-based free-lance music writer. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnanz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Submitted by: crorkz linkz FSbfE1 It's actually a nice and useful piece of information. I am satisfied that you shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing. Submitted by: good backlinks ODwBix Superb post however , I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I'd be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Cheers! Submitted by: barrycmster Submitted by: utilizera Submitted by: bezdar1 Submitted by: Ann Elisabeth Submitted by: Edward Submitted by: Monika Submitted by: Lemat Click here to see more comments. Comment on this item. Next Item: Depot.com Review: 2/20/00, Greensboro, NC Prev Item: The Chronicle wants YOUR Houston concert reviews