Milwaukee Capital Times Review: 11/04/99 Milwaukee, WI

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Nov 06, 2099 Source: Milwaukee Capital Times Submitted By: Sherri Boys' fans shriek off the charts By Rob Thomas Imagine sticking your head inside a roaring jet engine. Now imagine that engine really wants to hear "I Want It That Way.'' That about describes the constant ear-splitting shrieks of delight from young, mostly female fans as the Backstreet Boys played the Kohl Center Wednesday night. The sold-out concert was, in the words of one parent, the "preteen event of the year.'' It's doubtful any fan walked home disappointed from a dazzling, energetic show featuring backup dancers, rapid costume changes and pyrotechnics. All that sizzle wisely took some of the spotlight away from the Backstreet Boys' actual songs, which with a few exceptions are weightless commercial pop. Early on in the show, the crowd cheered and screamed gamely for the opening acts. But it seemed almost like they were just warming up, the way a jogger stretches before a marathon. As they fidgeted and waited for the five teen idols to take the stage, the crowd chanted "Backstreet Boys!'' and did the wave. A group of girls even started singing one of the group's newer hits, "Larger Than Life,'' inserting their own lyrics, along the lines of "Brian is such a hottie.'' The five-sided stage was located in the center of the arena, giving fans in all sections a pretty fair view. The elaborate rigging suspended above, with a network of lights, speakers and video screens, resembled the mothership from "Close Encounters.'' The noise level in the stadium went off the charts when the lights finally went down. The ticking clock of the Chambers Brothers' "Time'' began to play over the loudspeakers, followed by a snippet of the "Star Wars'' theme. Then dancers marched through the audience, carrying electric torches aloft, and took the stage. I have no idea what any of this meant, but at least it made a little more sense than the evil space alien who opened the 'N Sync show earlier this year. Finally the Backstreet Boys appeared, and the crowd hit a new pitch of frenzy. Four of the Boys (Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean) entered by gliding above the audience on wires, appearing to be riding snowboards in the air. The fifth, oldest member of the group, Kevin Richardson, had to forgo the acrobatics because of an arm injury. Ironically, he said he hurt it recently while doing some real snowboarding in Colorado. The band opened with "Larger Than Life,'' a high-energy dance track off their smash "Millennium'' album from this year. That segued smoothly into another uptempo number, "Get Down (You're the One for Me).'' The rest of the show was a curious mix of sensuality and sentimentality. For "The Perfect Fan,'' a song Littrell wrote for his mother, the band invited five mothers and their young daughters onstage. Each member walked hand in hand with the young fans around the stage as the mothers snapped away with their cameras. It was a really nice moment, and Richardson and Littrell in particular seemed to have a real affinity for their fans. But a couple of songs later, the dancers were doing an overtly sexual bump-and-grind on the same stage, and Carter was even simulating a little spanking. Wonder if Mom got a picture of that for the family album. In the early going, it seemed like the group could carry an entire concert on presentation, energy and good will alone. The show was exceedingly well put together, and the group easily moved between uptempo hip-hop ("It's Gotta Be You'') to romantic doo-wop ("As Long as You Love Me'') without breaking stride. But as the concert wore on, the weaknesses in the actual songs became more and more glaring. Although some of their songs are insidiously catchy, the lyrics of most are almost completely forgettable, the music a bland porridge of pop formula. It doesn't help that while the Backstreet Boys all have pretty good voices technically, they often emote without really seeming emotional. Scrunching their faces up oh-so-cutely as they hit a high note, it's impossible to tell whether they're lamenting a lost love or celebrating a new one without referring to the lyrics. And anything that makes me refer to the lyrics of a Backstreet Boys song is a bad thing. Still, they've got the edge on boy-band competitors such as 'N Sync, who seemed so creatively bankrupt at their Kohl Center show in May that they once wore big Afro wigs to cover a Jackson 5 song. The Backstreet Boys had their share of costume changes, going from the sci-fi military garb of Lazer Tag recruits to baggy Hilfiger-esque clothes to fuschia suits and fedoras. But underneath all the glitz, it's obvious that these guys know how incredibly lucky they are, especially since just a few years ago they were playing school assemblies and shopping malls. They seem to treat their young fans with respect. Each member took a turn early in the show welcoming and thanking the audience, and their gratitude seemed genuine. Given the short shelf life of mega-teenybopper bands through the ages, it's a long shot that the Backstreet Boys will be around long enough to mature into a more talented band that can demand better material. But for now, there are a lot of happy, hoarse young fans in Madison today. Comment on this item. Next Item: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review: 11/04/99 Milwaukee, WI Prev Item: Toledo Blade Review: 11/06/99 Detroit, MI