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Backstreet? Mania Street!
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Date: Oct 16, 2099 By Cathy Maestri The Backstreet Boys are no mere pop singers, they'er a cutural phenomenon. There is no other way to explain the frenzied little girls who filled the Arrowhead Pnd with a chilling, high-pitched sound comparanble only to the title characterd in Alfred Hitchcook's "The Birds" as they waited for their idols to appear on thursday evening. The effects of Backstreet Mania were everywhere. A girl standing on her chair in the row behind me fell and Knocked her teeth loose before the Boys even hit the stage. The row ahead of me suffered the opposite effect froma day's worth of unbridled excitment - despite the music and all that screaming, three little ones fell asleep in a heap, limp as ragdolls, in the middle of it all. The inspiration for all this is five young men - A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorought, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter - assembled by the pop-marketing team that scored a generation or two earlier with New Kids on the Block (nad is also responsible for Backstreet's closest rivals, 'N Sync). Their recipe for success focuses on style rather than substance and Thursday's slick two-hour show was a spectacular example. It was sort of like bubblegum - a sugary treat with no nutritional value. It all began with a grand antrance as the singers - suspended by wires - sailed across the crowed on what looked like glowing skatboards, gently landing on the round stage in the middle of the Pond's floor. The stage was actually a key player in the show. The center circle rose, revolved or disappeard as needed. There were burst of fireworks and the occasional pyrotechnic flare. A white pianowas concealed overhead, lowered briefly for Richardson to use: the spokes of rigging radiating from its hiding place were actually rails that let the Boys fly above, and toss stuffed animals into ,the delighted crowd. The Boys themselves executed all their dance drills well. It's a help that they really can sing; McLean and Dorough display fairly solid R&B chops when given the chance. All had their moments, sharing the spotlight fairly evenly. Overall, their voices are sweet without being too disticnt, making them ideal for the dreamy harmonies of the Boys' teeny-pop. Backed by a live band and supplemented with 10 dancers, the two-hour set covered the new "Millennium" album(8 million soold so far) as well as a significant portion of the Boys' self-titled debut (11 million and counting). What was missing was a chance for much individual personality to come across; the show felt a bit cold. A little humor might have helped, too. Songs tened to fall into three categorties - First there are the up-tempo, pumping numbers like "Larger Than Life", "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)." At the opposite end are the ultra-syrupy ballads such as "The Perfect Fan" (meaning dear old mom; pairs of mothers and daughtes were brought on stage) ;and "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely." In between are things like the catchy ballad "I Want It That Way," the night's finale. It featured the night's most impressive vocals -- but they came when the band stepped back and let the crouwd sing.
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