Daily Texan Review: 3/5/00, Austin, TX

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 09, 2000 Source: The Daily Texan Submitted By: Sw33tdaze@aol.com Backstreet's back: All right! by Ashok Chandra Anyone driving by the Frank Erwin Center would hav noticed hordes of young girls carrying signs of young girls carrying signs conveying their deepest adoration for the "Into the Millennium Tour," a show that sold out in less than half an hour in Austin and in 11 minutes in Dallas. The doors didn't open until 6:30 pm. Until then, groups of girls screamed wildly with anticipation as various radio stations appeased them with contests allowing these fans to prove just how true they were. One group of girls from Westwood High School, calling themselves "ROY G. BIV" as a collective, proved they were the "perfect fans" by adorning themselves in T-shirts of different colors reading "BSB or Bust." As 9pm drew near, the lights went down and the "Imperial March" from Star Wars filled the Erwin Center. The music suddenly changed to the Star Wars them, lights shooting on from above and there were the Backstreet Boys, flying on neon surfboards from the ceiling to the stage. They broke into their dance hit "Larger than Life," with a band playing in the center of the stage and dancers at the periphery. In the audience, fans were dancing and singing along, revitalized after seeing their heroes. Following this charged song, the Backstreet Boys segued into another fast-paced number, "Get Down." After singing "Don't Want to Lose You Now," each Backstreet Boy got on stage alone and addressed the audience. AJ McLean, "the tattooed one," was first (actually he was second), telling his fans that he wanted to move to Austin. He was followed by Nick Carter (AJ followed Nick really), and then by Howie Durough. The two soon-to-be-wed Backstreet Boys cam on last, but the screams from the audience showed that the girls still love Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. While each singer spoke, the rest changed clothes backstage for the next set. In this wardrobe - consisting of stylish balck trench coats - they performed "As Long As You Love Me," and executed their famous "dance of the folding chairs." The choreography was one of the true highlights of the show. It was amazing to see the dances and the singers so synchronized throughout the performance. Later in the set, the Boys san their first hit, "Quit Playing Games With My Heart." To end the song, each Backstreet Boy flew above the audience, hoisted by cables on a moving track that allowed the singers to move in close to the audience. The architecture of the Fracnk Erwin Center allowed for a more intimate interaction between the Backstreet Boys and the audience. Larger venues, such as the ALamodome or Reunion Arena - where BSB played the past few nights - could not give the fans such contact. Throughout the night, the fans were satisfied by the sheer thetraics and music. When they performed their ode to mothers, "The Pefect Fan," each Backstreet Boy escorted a mother and daughter around the stage , giving them an unforgettable experience. Before the encore, Howie dedicated their current hit, "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely," to their late producer, Dennis Pop. Apparently some of the fans - probably attending their first concert of their lives - were unaware of common encore procedure. Ager the Backstreet Boys left the stage for the frst time, many of the people in the audience left, not knowing about the encore. When the lights came back on, the boys performed "It's Gotta Be You" in street wear, no longer adorned in European fashion. Those remaining in the auditorium - roughly half of the initial crowd - were treated to "I Want It That Way," one of the best pop songs in recent memory. The audience, from the oldest man to the youngest girl, sand along with every word. The Backstreet Boys gave the lingering audience members an itimate goodbye, which included AJ descneding nto the audience to greet some of the fans (once again I think they mixed him up with Nick). The Jungle Brothers opened the night with a set of audience interaction, beginning with their latest single "Freakin' You" which thankfully, most of the audience didnt' understand. Following the Jungle Brothers, Willa Ford - the lastest female pop singer - took the stage. Ford and her dancers wore skimy dresses, rivaled only by the skimpier dresses worn by some of the teenage girls in the audience. This concert was the essence of what the boy band phenomena is all about. Many criticize the boy bands for being contrived and lacking. The performance Sunday night proves that the Backstreet Boys make no presupposition about their artistry. They are entertainers who make pop songs that put smiles on people's faces. They give us a temporary immortality that we can share. That was what they did Sunday night, and Austin was ready. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: cheap seo services oOzVGU It's best to take part in a contest for probably the greatest blogs on the web. I'll advocate this site! Submitted by: Carol Clark Submitted by: Monika Submitted by: Mark Submitted by: Lemat Submitted by: Mark Submitted by: Joe Submitted by: Louise Submitted by: Joe Submitted by: Edward Comment on this item. Next Item: Plain Dealer Preview: 3/7/00, St. Louis, MO Prev Item: Post-Dispatch Review: 3/7/00, St. Louis, MO