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

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 11, 2000 Source: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Submitted By: Email_A_Friend%PTZ@gw.pulitzer.net By Daniel Durchholz Special To The Post-Dispatch If it ain't broke, the saying goes, don't fix it. That is sage advice, which apparently has been taken to heart by the Backstreet Boys, who returned to St. Louis Tuesday night with virtually the same show they presented here not quite four months ago. The props (flying snowboards, body armor-style suits, fireworks, and confetti) and presentation (a multi-tiered hydraulic stage set in the middle of the venue and more costume changes than a Cher concert) and even the set list were virtually the same as on the previous go-round. But unlike that show, which was held at Kiel Center, this one played before a near-capacity crowd at the TWA Dome. By anyone's count, that's a lot of screaming adolescent girls, most of whom probably didn't see the November concert, or if they did, seemed to care not one whit that their beloved Backstreet Boys would stoop to repeating themselves. In the same way that teens often flock to theaters for repeated viewings of a favorite movie-of-the-moment, the Backstreet Boys' tour has taken on the feel of a ritual or rite of passage. With questions of just what the group would perform, or how, removed, all that remained was to see if they could bring the cavernous TWA Dome down to size, or whether fans would leave longing for the relative intimacy of a hockey arena. The answer is that sometimes they could, sometimes they couldn't. The Boys are a talented vocal group, and some of their material is first-rate, if flyweight, pop. But with a sound system that fairly roared in its attempt to let their harmonies be heard over the crowd noise, any sense of nuance was lost. And the video screens, intended to allow the back rows and upper decks some semblance of a decent view, were glitchy for much of the evening. That's too bad, because the show did have some genuinely nice moments, in particular, a suite of ballads - "Spanish Eyes," "I'll Never Break Your Heart," "No One Else Comes Close" - that allowed each of the band members -Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean, and Nick Carter- to strut his stuff. Judging from the deafening response every time he appeared on the video screens, McLean - sporting a new blond hairdo, but still the most high-maintenance facial hair in pop - is the St. Louis fans' favorite, followed closely by Carter and Littrell. On upbeat tunes like "Larger Than Life," "Get Down (You're the One For Me)" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," the group made good use of their corps of 10 dancers. Those numbers were a visual treat, with motion on every portion of the circular stage. But some of their act is starting to become hackneyed, including the bit where the Boys put on harnesses and dangle over their minions - after all, 'N Sync does that, too. Their gangster outfits they wore for "All I Have To Give" seemed borrowed from Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" video, and the routine where they dance with chairs from his sister Janet (among others). Meanwhile, long instrumental breaks to cover the costume changes allowed any excitement that had built up to dissipate, and the Boys frequently had to start again from square one. Fans who stuck around until the end got to hear a wondrous version the hit "I Want It That Way," but not before an interminable introduction of the band and battle between dancers sent much of the crowd heading for the exits. The young fans seemed sated, but the uneasy coupling that marked the encore - mass hysteria mixed with utter tedium - was emblematic of the night. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: nice penalty removal 6KQeiL It's in point of fact a great and useful piece of info. I am satisfied that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing. Submitted by: marvilkg Submitted by: snymrik Submitted by: ppionerka Submitted by: Kevin Submitted by: Halz Submitted by: Kelly Comment on this item. Next Item: Post-Dispatch Review: 3/7/00, St. Louis, MO Prev Item: Hamilton Spectator Preview: 3/14/00, Hamilton, ON