Houston Chronicle Fan Reviews 2/28-29/00, Houston, TX

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 01, 2000 Source: Houston Chronicle Submitted By: I attended the Backstreet Boys concert last night (2/28). My favorite part was when they flew on to the stage on the surf-boards! I loved all of their songs but I especially loved "Show Me the Meaning..." because I think it's amazing how they have gone through the deaths of their closest friends and family and have not been affected. I had so much fun and I hope they come back and see us again soon! -- Tricia Smit, 14 I thought the bsb concert was the best and most exciting concert in the whole world. I started to cry when they came out cause it was like a rush it was like oh i don't know just so awsome. I can't even find the words to discribe a concert like that. Their costums were nice and at the end i like how they dressed like they were them selves and when Kevin played the piano that was really special. The concert was like a dream it felt like it wasnt even really happing to me it felt like it was too good to be true. Cause that was a once in a life time chance to actually see those guys in person. Last night was the best night of my life. The only thing that would of made me happier was to see them in person. That concert is worth seeing twice. And the guys looked HOT!!!!!!!!! They need to have another concert very soon and need to came visit Texas again very soon!!!!!!! Wish i could meet yall. -- Brooke Fielder As I was approaching my 40th birthday last week, I became very melancholy. I was reminescing with my 7 year old daughter about the things I liked as a child. I was reminded of the time my mother took me to see the Monkeys when they came to Houston, and I too was 7 years old. What a lasting impression.... the feeling of excitement and exilaration to see my idols in person!!! As I shared this story with my daughter, she reminded me of her total excitement with the impending Backstreet Boys concert ahead. To see her idols in person was something she could hardly even begin to imagine. I could only hope and pray that she too would experience those same "little girl" feelings I had as I screamed wildly along with the thousands of other fans at the Monkeys introduction to Houston. Last night in the Compaq Center I watched my daughter experience the thrill of a lifetime! To see her scream and shout with all her might , I knew she too had found the thrill of teeny-bopper heaven! I even watched as my normally calm, re served husband was transformed into a dancing maniac!! The Backstreet Boys are the best of the best.Good boys from good families that show respect and have decent values.Something our kids need in their role models now-a-days. And they perform music that is decent to listen to and comes from the bottom of their hearts. To watch them perform was truely wonderful, and to watch my daughter in all her glory... well.... If you are a parent then you can understand. There is nothing better than seeing your child as absolutely happy as they can be! And how did I like the Backstreet Boys?....Goes to show that even at 40, I can still scream, shout, and dance with the best of them. Thank God for the Backstreet Boys!!! -- Lori Denzler, League City I got my tickets from a girl who was selling them on the web. It cost me $52, and it was totally worth every penny. I screamed my heart out and even cried a few times. They are so fine and talented. Standing there watching my fave five guys in front of me in person was unbelievable. I couldn't believe that I was actually watching the Backstreet Boys in concert. Everything was perfect. The dancing, singing, and especially the pyrotechnics. I would do it all again if I could. This will not be my last BSB concert. Whenever they come back, I will definitely be there. -- B.K. My family and I were lucky enough to attend the BackStreet Boys Concert last night at the Compaq Center. Let me tell you, those boys sure do put on one heck of a show! Complete with flashing lights, moving stages, fabulous dancers, and even the boys themselves flying out over the audience suspended in mid-air with cables! The touching rendition of "The Perfect Fan" where the mothers and daughters were brought on stage was especially touching. This was certainly a night well worth the wait and the money spent! -- A. Terwilliger BACKSTREET BOYS WORTH THE WAIT? It was a Christmas present from my parents. We got them off the net, whe me and my father were on the phone. The concert was so much better than I expected. They sung so many songs. Brian was totally hott. The only thing I didn't like was that it started at 8:30. I became frustrated with the waiting. All in all it was a kick butt concert. They Rawk!!! -- Krissy I'm a 17 year old Senior living in Spring, TX. I had to go through a lot of turmoil to get to see the Backstreet Boy's concert at the Compaq Center on February 28, 2000. My best friend, Julie, and I found out about the concert far in advance of the ticket sales because we always keep up on the latest BSB news. We set out a plan of how we were going to camp out in front of Foley's starting at 1:00 am because we figured no one else was insane enough to be there that early. The whole night was long and cold, but with the knowledge that we would soon have BSB tickets kept us going through the night. You could imagine our disappointment when we found out that the Ticketmaster was doing a "random drawing" for each place in line. We ended up 14th in line which seemed so far away as they kept announcing how bad the seats were getting after each person in front of us paid for their tickets. When we finally got to the ticket agent she handed us 2 tickets for the second to the last row in the arena. I was close to tears because of the extreme disappointment. Weeks went by and news of selfish radio stations who had all the front row tickets were thrown in my face. We tried calling scalpers, and even had garage sales to try to raise the money to get $500 BSB tickets. We decided that we would just attend the concert and not worry about our awful seats because bad seats are better than no seats at all. In the next week or so our choir director announced a mandatory rehearsal because a prestigious director was to clinic us, and if we didn't attend then we could no longer sing in the choir. It just so happened that it was on the same night as the BSB concert. Again, we were heartbroken and felt at a loss. We would listen to 104.1 KRBE everyday (even through the awful dance music) hoping to be the 15th caller so that we could somehow get February 29th tickets. It was so depressing to hear all the unexcited winners on the radio hour after hour. An acquaintance of mine actually won, and sold the tickets for $600 each. Five days befo re the concert I broke down in front of my choir director while Julie explained our situation. We rambled on and on about our continuous bad luck, when she suddenly interrupted by saying she understood because she actually tried getting tickets for her daughter. I can't believe that I actually got to attend the BSB concert last night because everything was going against us. I have been to MANY concerts, it's sort of a hobby of mine, but I must admit that this was the best one yet. The energy the boys gave us throughout the whole evening made me forget about all the money hungry scalpers and unfair radio stations. The night was an experience I'm very grateful to have been a part of. I hope that everyone else who attended realizes how lucky they actually were. -- Maggie As expected it proved to be a spectacular show. My Daughters, Genesis (9 years old), and Cristina (6 years old), will remember it for years. After buying T-shirts, a program, necklaces, and pictures of the boys, we settled into our seats and waited anxiously. The first two performers were great and got the audience in a great mood. The BSB's appeared on flying boards for a start to many of the theatrics used during the show. We were all up on our feet dancing to the songs all night. I loved it that they gave a great concert that was clean and wholesome. In todays wolrd as a parent you have to worry about what you subject your children to, however I would extend my thanks to The Backstreet Boys for being a role model for all ages. -- Melissa Eddy The Compaq Center became the best place to be in Houston on February 28. For Backstreet fans that is. Over 18,000 fans attended the sold-out show, and it showed when the girls were screaming for the Boys to come out. I for one, was one of them. After two opening acts, (who cares who they were, bring on the BSB!) and the crew fixing up the stage, the Boys finally came out. And in a big way too. They arrived onto the stage on airboards, and began to sing their fan anthem "Larger Than Life." No one could hear themselves think during the two hour show, because every second was spent hearing the screams and loud music. This wasn't a problem for the true fans in the audience, but it might've been to parents or young children (on behalf of the fans I'd like to say sorry, but we couldn't help it!) Every song was energetic and loud, and it was noticable that many fans knew every song by heart. The highlights of the show depends from fan to fan, but I for one, enjoyed when Nick acted like he was good at the keyboards, and when he wrapped himself up in a fan's sign (made out of a bedsheet.) All the songs were exceptionally well sung, and it was a surprise to hear the Boys sing in spanish during "I'll Never Break Your Heart." Many a pyrotechnic and a song later, it was sad to see the show ending, but BSB were sure not to disappoint too much, doing two encores, "It's Gotta Be You" and "I Want It That Way." It was fun to see the Boys sing every song off their new album and do several songs off their previous two. To the fans that went to either the first or second show, remember it was definitely a sure thing to say, Backstreet's Back alright!!! -- Katy I went to the concert yesterday and BSB rocked!!!!! They were so awesome!!!!! I loved it. Brian even saw me and my two other friends and he told us to come up so we jumped over the rails onto the floor section and we ran to the front row and Brian posed for us the only reason why he saw us was cuz we had a sign the said WE love u brian!!!! It was the best concert ever!!!!!! -- Trish Hello!!! I am one of the 18,000 lucky people that got to go to see the Backstreet Boys!!! I saw your ad in the paper so I decided to write you guys back. Ok. Well, my mom got the tickets for my sister and I for Christmas, but she had to kill to get them. What I didn't like about the concert was that it took to long for them to come on stage. Like it started at 7:30 and they didn't come on till about nine. Plus for one hour we sat there listening to oldies music until they came on. What I did like about the concert was how they had these zoot suits that they wore because they looked really cute in them. Also, I like the way the opened and closed the show. Because at the end it looked like they were finished, but they came out and did a song that towards the end I didn't think they were going to sing which was "I want it that way." What songs that I liked the best were: "I want it that way" because that they did that song so suddenly that it got everyone pumped up and excited. I also liked the song "Show me the Meaning of being Lonely" I like that song because that they dedicated it to a special producer that had recently died of cancer. I also like every other song they did because that they did it with such enthusiamum that it pumped up the crowd and made the concert fun!!!! -- A BSB FAN BSB did an awesome concert. Their entrance into the arena was perfect for "Space City." The Boys took performing to new "heights." Would I do it again? YES! BSB were having fun performing at this concert & they shared it with the crowd. -- Susan McTiernan I had the best time with my son and his wife, my daughter and one of her friends and my husband. We screamed like 8-year-olds chanting "Backstreet Boys" and dancing to the wonderful songs. The best part of the evening was when the Boys started to sing the song which was written by Bryan and dedicated to their moms. My daughter wrapped her arms around me, telling me that I was the best mother in the world, and she wanted to dedicate the song to me too. I was moved to tears, excitement and feeling that I had made wonderful lifetime MEMORIES. -- Lisa Gaskill I remember seeing them when they were in Houston last time; their show was not as great as this one. I will remember this night forever, and I think it was a once in a lifetime experience. -- Sheena I took my 12-year-old daughter, her friend and my 8-year-old son to the concert last night. We had 16th row tickets. I will never buy floor tickets at Compaq again. Lower promenade for me forever. The show was wonderful and certainly worth every bit of hassle to get there. I was disappointed that the silver spaceship-looking things on the ceiling only smoked and flashed lights. I could only see if I stood and my young son had difficulty seeing cause everyone on the floor stood up the entire concert. I'm very lucky that I am able to let my kids enjoy this great, clean, healthy entertainment. I didn't feel ripped off at all. -- M. Hutson My friend and I purchased tickets for the Backstreet Boys concert for an early birthday present for our daughters who will turn 12. The back-up bands were not so great -- two rappers and a girl dance band. The BSB were very entertaining. The music and dancing were great. They played for two hours. The crowd was mostly female of all ages. Our girls really enjoyed themselves and have a great birthday memory. -- JoAnn Rose We really enjoyed the concert. Their dancers were pretty cool, and the girl in the band played an awesome saxophone. We knew all of the songs and the costume changes were very quick. -- Gia, Maxx, Laurie, Kamilah, Seth and Nari I'm a 38-year-old mom who took my 11-year-old daughter, three girlfriends and my 9-year-old son. Those beautiful BSB Boys were AWESOME! Yes, my ears rang for hours after the concert but I love their music as much as my daughter! I had high powered binoculars that were glued to my face the whole time! They came out for two encores. By far, one of the most incredible concerts I've been to. -- Liz Longshore Hi, I'm Liz, and here's my concert review of the Feb. 28th BSB concert!!! I LOVED THE CONCERT!!!!! It was sooooo awesome!!! One of my favorite parts was at the beginning when the dancers marched out to the theme of Star Wars, and the Backstreet Boys rose out of that black box and flew to the stage on those awesome surf boards!!!! My favorite songs were Everybody, Larger Than Life, Get Down, Don't Want You Back (Because of the awesome ladder dancing), It's Gotta Be You, I Want It That Way, and finally No One Else Comes Close To You( Because that's the song where Brian and Kevin waved at my friends and I!!!!!) There was nothing that I didn't like!! I LOVED THE WHOLE THING!! And It met my expectations and WHOLE LOT MORE!!!! I thought the whole concert was sooo cool!! They had the best dance moves and the most awesome special effects!!! I think the Backstreet Boys did an awesome job and I hope (and pray) they come back soon!!!!!!! -- Elizabeth Carney The concert did not meet my expectations. I was expecting to hear the BSB and put a voice together with a face while enjoying their songs. However, the percussion instruments were so loud that I was barely able to listen to the lyrics of each song. Future concerts should take into account the sound system, particularly the percussion instruments, and how it could affect the quality of the concerts. -- Ileana Sepulveda The BSB concert was WELL worth the wait!! The boys really knew how to pump up the crowd and get us up on our feet!! IT WAS AWESOME!! My favorite part of the show was when each of the boys "flew" into the audience!! It was totally unexpected!! I have never been to a concert like it and the next time they are in Houston I won't think twice about standing in line just to get my hands on BACKSTREET BOYS tickets!! -- SaRa StEffLeR The skyboards were cool. I liked all the special effects, but it was too loud with all that screaming. I fell asleep before it was over. -- Daniel S., 7 I wanted you to know how much I liked this concert!! The show had a good display of lights - the special effects were awesome - the music out of this world. I loved the way THE BOYS came in on flying skateboards!!!! For every song they moved to a different part of the stage. I especially loved "Larger Than Life", "I Want It That Way", "Everybody", oh every one of them. The only thing I did not like was that I did not know their opening act. This concert went over my expectations. I wish it had been longer. I screamed all night, so it is hard to talk today, but it was worth it. This concert was well worth the wait!!!!! Even my dad enjoyed it, he said he liked it better than the "New Kids on the Block" concert he took my sister to. -- Amanda Ramage, 11 I went to the Backstreet Boys concert on February 28. It was the greatest experience of my life! My two friends and I were dropped off by my parents, who had bought the tickets fro hundreds of dollars. As we neared the doors, I realized that I didn't have my ticket anymore. I was so upset that I almost threw up because I have been a huge Backstreet Boys fan since about 1996 right before they were extremely famous in the states. A very considerate security guard let us use his phone and my parents rushed back. We searched for at least 25 minutes until my dad decided to go to the ticket booth. I almost wasn't able to get in until a very nice lady who I didn't know offered me a free ticket. I am so thankful to her! At the concert, my friend and I held up a sign that said "I should be the one marrying you, KEVIN!!" and he saw it and waved to us. This concert is something that I will never forget! Whether it be the great dances and awesome effects to the hamonizing songs and Kevin playing the piano, this concert m ade me and my friends laugh, scream and cry and I will never forget it! Cassie Brasher Age 15 Katy, Texas The Backstreet Boys concert was amazing. After standing outside for two and a half hours with the smallest hope my friends and I could get backstage, which we couldn't, we were ready to scream. Brian, Nick, Kevin, Howie, and AJ came out of a pit full of smoke and lights to perform an electrifying rendition of "Larger Than Life." and my friends and I screamed. At this point I knew the concert was going to rock. They performed songs from both their first US release, and their mega-hit second album, Millennium. Each of the Boys introduced themselves, with Nick Carter saying he purchused one of his dogs in Houston and that he named his dog Houston. This led my friends and I to wonder if when the BSB are in Boston, he says his dogs' name is Boston. Overall, the concert was just as good as I thought it would be, but they cut my favorite song, "Everybody 1/8Backstreet's Back 3/8" off in the middle, and went into "We've Got It Goin' On." Of course the Boys saved the best for last, finishing the concert with "I Want I t That Way." The numerous costume changes, good dancing, great singing, and spectacle of lights and smoke made this Backstreet Boys night one I will never forgot. -- Heather Lord Hi!! my name is Leah Sutterfield. I'm writing in regards to the BSB concert. It was the greatest. They played all their good songs. My friend Missy and my favorite parts were when Brian flew above us and when we shook Howies hand. I think I liked As Long As You Love Me the best because they did their cool little chair dance. It was so awesome. All their other songs were pretty great to like Larger Than Life, and Show Me the Meaning which is one of my all time favorites. I had floor seats so i saw everything really good and i took good pictures. well here is my review -- Leah I am one of 18,000 lucky Backstreet Boys fans who attended their Monday night concert at the Compaq Center. I received floor tickets to the concert as a Christmas present after I cried because I thought I was not going to get to go. I was told that it took 5 hours of waiting to purchase these tickets. The concert was even more than I hoped for. After an amazing entrance on "hover boards", the boys went through a 2-hour set of their greatest songs. My favorite of the songs was definitely "I Want it That Way". This was their last song of the evening, and they performed it beautifully, and with so much energy. The greatest moment of the concert for me also came during this song when one of the boys, Brian Littrell, waved at me and blew me a kiss. I'd have to say the only thing that I didn't like was that I couldn't take one of the boys home with me. The concert was fabulous, and it is definitely a night I will never forget. -- Brittany Wittig, The Woodlands There is this saying I have, "I'll never be the same, now that I'm with God." I say that when my heart grows heavy and so I remember those words to help me cope with anything. Well, I have this new saying; "I'll never be the same, now that I have seen the Backstreet Boys." It might now seem as though one little concert can compare to the events of a holy epiphany, but it defiantly felt like I was renewed. My quest to see the Backstreet Boys concert started early last summer when the first leg of the "Into the Millennium Tour" was announced. I was very disappointed when Houston wasn't going to be one of the stops. And there was no word on a second leg to the US tour. Finally mid-fall, the second leg was announced and Texas was going to be hit heavy. I purchased my tickets online which was probably the smartest thing to do. I don't agree with the Ticket Master lottery process. The lottery was created to give everyone a fair change to get a ticket by picking your number out of a hat. If your number wasn't called , maybe next year. So I got my tickets online and they were good seats as well. The day of the concert, I attended the Monday show, was all about anticipation. I was ready for it not really knowing what to expect. The Backstreet Boys are not just musicians to me. They are the shoulders I sometimes need, the friend that are always with me, and the reminder that with faith, all things are possible. So actually being able to see them in the flesh had not hit me yet. But I don't think they will ever know how much they mean to every single person that attended and feels the same as I do. I took my seat and I was ready for what was promised to an amazing show. The Jungle Brothers took the stage and that was the last time I saw my seat. They were extremely energized and got the crowd ready. They had me on my feet and working the crowd participation. The second act was a young girl by the stage named Willa Ford (her real name is Amanda Williford). She was high impact and worked the crowd too. Her dancing was virtuous and high energy and the songs were catchy. The opening acts set the stage for what was to be the greatest show I have ever witnessed. There was a 30 minute wait which went by without me even noticing because the Center played your average "Shake Your Booty" songs to keep the energy up. In that time we discuss how the Boys would make their entrance. Much to our surprise they entered from a curtained area on our side of the stage. They flew out over the crowd onto the pentagon shaped stage to the theme from Star Wars. From there the explosions and excitement began. The first number was their second single from the second America LP (Millennium), Larger Than Life. It's a crowd favorite and a great way to start off the show. Following was a string of hits from Millennium and there first self titled American album. The best moment for me was when Brian flew out in front of us on a harness and did a bit of his running man act. I was quite impressed with Howie's back flipping all the way back to the stage, fasten t o his harness of course. I would have to say that the performance of Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely was one of the high lights for me because that song hits so close to home. It's a song about an emotion of immense sadness in the loss of a loved one. I've lost a lot of people in just the pass few months and my friend who was with me lost her father to cancer the night before the show. The only reason she wanted to go was to here that song. It's almost as if they knew we needed to hear it. We needed that song to feel the grieving, to feel the hurt. And we did. And it will go down in my life as one of the most beautiful moments of my life. The show ended in style, going out to an explosive performance of I Want It That Way. The band and dancers were announced which, I was in awe by them as much as the Boys. They have a talented group of dancers with them as well as a band that really stood out in my eyes. A special credit to the only girl member of the band, Mindi Abair, she played the saxophones amazingly along with Kevin as he did his intro into Back to Your Heart as well as throughout the show. I have to say that there will never be anyone else that can compare to that show. They themselves may be able to out do it but no one else. Honestly, I have never seen anything like it before. I can't form the words to justly describe it. My only complaint is that that it had to end. -- Crystal Klyng, 19, La Marque, TX Comment on this item. 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