Post-Dispatch Preview: 3/7/00, St. Louis, MO

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 07, 2000 Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Submitted By: Ivy C Get ready for the sites & sounds of the Backstreet Boys By Kevin C. Johnson Post-Dispatch Pop Music Critic The Backstreet Boys' big show Tuesday night at the Trans World Dome must seem like a virtual lifetime away for their voracious followers. Hey, it's been a whole four months since the group last played St. Louis, selling out Kiel Center on Nov. 17. Fans who can't wait until then for a taste of Nick Carter, Howard "Howie D." Dorough, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean, can find a bit of solace in the fact that the Backstreet Boys are just a click away. Thanks to the Internet, there are now thousands of Web sites dedicated to this popular singing group. To be sure, these are busy places. Though often lampooned and lambasted, the group's hot second CD "Millennium" has sold more than 11 million copies. That's just 1 million fewer than their self-titled debut release, which has been on the charts for more than two years now. Often, these BSB Web sites, as they are known, are nothing more than places fans can go to gaze at BSB photos, check out the latest tour schedule, listen to songs, buy merchandise or take in news -- bit after bit -- about the guys. Only a couple of the sites appear to be actually endorsed by Jive Records, the group's label. That doesn't matter, though, as fans exploit the BSB's image endlessly, all in the name of love. Or hate. To counter the electronic adoration, there are plenty of equally exploitive anti-BSB Web sites that poke fun at the fellows. Pro or con, these sites often serve as places where fans from around the world can comment forever on what's going on in the BSB world. And lately, there's been a bunch of junk to mull over. How about the recent "news" that both Richardson and Littrell would be married by year's end -- Richardson to a dancer he met in the cafeteria at Walt Disney World and Littrell to a budding actress? This news was a heartbreaker for fans who like to imagine themselves as the object of the group's love songs. Reaction to the engagements was swift. Some followers sent sincere congratulations, others predicted the beginning of the end for BSB. Then there's the recent MTV interview in which the Backstreet Boys spoke out against rival guy group 'N Sync, declaring that 'N Sync follows in their tracks every step of the way. This, too, prompted plenty of reactions, ranging from "way to go, BSB!" to charges that the comments were designed to distract from the two engagement announcements. There's also fan reaction to the Grammy Awards. Fans crowed over the group's five nominations, feeling validated because the boys scored major nominations, for Album of the Year and Record of the Year. But when the boys went home the night's biggest losers, fans vented their anger via their computer keyboards. The BSB sites are a great way for fans, or non-fans (or curious parents), to venture into that big, wide BSB world. They also serve as a great example of how the Internet figures into pop culture these days. They're also - if you can stand it - entertaining, even if you don't care about the group at all. Following are a few Web sites you can check out. http://www.bboys.com This is the site listed throughout the Backstreet Boys' newest CD, which makes it one of the official sites and a good place to start. It is colorful and topnotch, but pretty much like many other record label-endorsed sites. Here, fans can listen to songs, like new single "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" or watch its video. The site also gives fans the opportunity to buy merchandise, join the fan club or get the latest BSB news via e-mail. http://www.backstreetboys.com This site, billing itself as another official site, is reportedly the only place where fans can watch Millennium TV. What the heck is Millennium TV, you ask? It's where Web users can view "personal and exclusive" scenes of BSB with a new "show" each week. The most recent show was "Brian TV! See B-Rok sing, dance and golf for two solid weeks!" The site also lets fans win tickets to concerts, keep up with tour dates, order a BSB comic book, post burning BSB questions, read the diary of a Backstreet girl, and watch an online, pay-per-view event. There's even "Backstreet Facts," like these particular golden nuggets we all need to know: Carter and Littrell usually share a hotel room when they are on the road, and Richardson's secret nicknames are Boo and Pumpkin. http://www.come.to/bsbhumor This Web site opens with a disclaimer, telling fans to proceed with caution. That's a good thing, because some of what's found here could be a shock to the system of a diehard fan. After pointing out on the home page that the site is in no way affiliated with the BSB (as if anyone could think it was), the site states this key point: "We are not the Backstreet Boys! We are not Nick, Brian, Howie, Kevin, or A.J. We will not marry you." The site will get no love from BSB fans, especially from pages casting aspersions on BSB members' sexuality on "Reasons Why I Would Not Kiss a Backstreet Boy." Here's why Web user Frances wouldn't kiss Carter: "Well, even though Nick is gay (sort of) he is not openly gay like Howie so he might allow it. But think about it. Nick's favorite food is pizza. That should explain his breath." Then there's Meg's reasons for Dorough's high voice, including: "He's actually a well disguised female." http://www.backstreet.net This Web site purports to have "thousands and thousands of pages about the Backstreet Boys with over 1,000 articles, 7,500 pictures and 4,700 links to other great BSB sites," which is more BSB than any one person could possibly need. The site, courtesy of a rabid community of BSB fans (hence its obsessive nature), includes picture galleries, concert reviews, surveys and quizzes, forum and chats, sound clips, information on how to create your own BSB Web site, and this original bit of nothing - a quiz titled "Who Wants to Be a Millenniumaire?" http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/2312 This is one of the silliest of BSB sites. Here, folks can find BSB fiction written by fans, promising dream scenarios featuring BSB or fantasies of meeting BSB for the first time. The site currently features more than 30 stories (though curiously, only one of the stories is actually complete). Vistors get tales like "Learning to Love," about a car collision bringing together two girls and five guys (guess who) as well as "Restless in Ruskin," described as a takeoff on "Sleepless in Seattle." http://www.backstreetproject.com BSB fans can purchase this "deluxe, larger-than-lifesized Backstreet Boys graphic novel" online here or at BSB concert venues. The limited edition magazine casts the fellows as animated superheroes, saving the Earth from Sijnissta, the Zophacian Death Queen. Carter, it turns out, is a big comics fan. He met Stan Lee, the comic book creator behind "X-Men" and "Spider Man," kicking off this new collaboration. The comic book is $10. http://www.backstreetboysstore.com If you've got unlimited allowance, you'll want to visit this Web site, which even lets buyers set up their own account. A variety of items wait for their purchasers: a varsity jacket for $139.99, a "Millennium" bomber jacket for $75.99, a sterling silver logo necklace for $37.99, a "Millennium" song book for $24.99, a BSB Christmas stocking for $19.99, and a pencil bag for $9.99. http://www.members.tripod.com/cranberrie69/bsb.html This fan site from "Theresa and Kim" is an example of how cheesy a BSB site can be and a good example of why paying homage isn't always a good thing. It has some basics - a guest book, a chat room, photos, general information, etc. A section titled "latest" news and gossip was last updated in May. Hopefully the pair of girls got too caught up in school work to attend to the site. Here's what passes for gossip: "A.J. shaves his legs," "A.J. sleeps naked," "Nick is afraid of the dark," and "Howie has an innie bellie (sic) button." [Note from Backstreet.net: There's nothing wrong with this site... it's pretty good actually] The Backstreet Boys Where: Trans World Dome, 901 North Broadway When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday How much: $22.50-$45 More info: 314-241-1888 Backstreet Boys rumors from the online world Here's what they're saying online about the Backstreet Boys -- and remember, don't believe everything you read on the Internet. 1. A. J. McLean collects hats (http://www.backstreetboys.com). 2. Brian Littrell wrote the "The Perfect Fan" for his mother (http://www.bboys.com). 3. One reason why you should love the Backstreet Boys: They aren't overly fond of Britney Spears (http://www.come.to/bsbhumor). 4. Nick Carter is a big comic book fan (http://www.backstreetproject.com). 5. During the group's earliest days, the fellows focused on cover tunes such as Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love" (http://www.bboys.com). Comment on this item. 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