Toledo Blade Review: 11/06/99 Detroit, MI

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Nov 10, 2099 Source: The Toledo Blade Submitted By: nomoon1412@aol.com 'Boys' add some surprises to their mix November 8, 1999 BY DAVID YONKE (yonke@theblade.com) BLADE POP MUSIC WRITER AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - With a rumbling instrumental blast, billowing smoke, a parade of electric torches, and 20,000 screaming fans heralding their arrival, the Backstreet Boys sailed down to the Palace of Auburn Hills' stage on futuristic "air boards" Saturday night and opened their concert with a perfect song: "Larger than Life." The vocal harmonies and visual appeal of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, and Kevin Richardson have created a pop-music sensation that indeed seems larger than life. The group's three shows at the Palace, including tonight's closing concert, sold out faster than any other event in the venue's 10-year history. The vast majority of fans at Saturday's show were star-struck teenage girls who must have saved their allowances for weeks to afford the $38.50 tickets. Few, if any, left disappointed, as the Backstreet Boys covered all their hits in a nearly flawless two-hour show (to the minute!) that gave fans raised in the era of music videos a swift-paced blend of entertainment for the ears and the eyes. After their dramatic entrance - on which the five singers were suspended by wire harnesses as they "surfed" high above the crowd and descended to the stage in the center of the arena floor - flames shot up from the floor and the Backstreet Boys leaped into action with their versatile six-person band and their acrobatic 10-person dance troupe. Unlike many other "packaged" groups assembled by industry moguls, the Backstreet Boys are much more than just a gimmick. The group, whose 1997 self-titled debut disc sold 10 million copies in the U.S. and 25 million worldwide, and whose second CD set a record for first-week sales, showed individual and group flair on intricate vocal arrangements. Even while dancing up a storm, the five sang their harmonies gracefully and traded lead vocals constantly. Each of the Boys established a vocal identity, with bad-boy A.J. (tattoos, earrings, hair cropped short and dyed reddish-orange) performing with a gruff baritone, for example, while clean-cut Brian showed true power and a wide range with his smooth tenor. Kevin's right arm hung limply in a sling, and he told the crowd that he been hurt in a recent snow-boarding accident. The injury limited his dancing ability, but he still managed to tap out the simple melody of "Back to Your Heart " on acoustic grand piano - although he hit a few clunkers. The quintet rotated around the ornate, multi-leveled stage with clock-like precision, making sure to spend an equal amount of time with their fans on all sides. The whirlwind show never sagged and had numerous surprises. The Boys sat on each corner of the stage on "Quit Playing Games" and suddenly rose up and out over the crowd, hooked wires and turning flips and tossing teddy bears and roses to their fans. On "Perfect Fan," a quiet ballad that Brian wrote in honor of his mother, five pairs of mothers and daughters were invited out of the audience and escorted by a Backstreet Boy as they strolled around the stage. The band exited after "Show Me the Meaning" but came back for two one-song encores, a jazzy jam on the soaring "It's Gotta Be You" and one of the group's catchiest hits, "I Want It That Way." There was one disappointed person at the Palace. The promoter said he was sorry he could bring the Backstreet Boys to town for only three shows. "We could have sold out six," he told me. Comment on this item. Next Item: Milwaukee Capital Times Review: 11/04/99 Milwaukee, WI Prev Item: Montreal Gazette Review: 11/10/99 Montreal, PQ