Cincinnati Enquirer Review: 11/15/99 Cincinnati, OH

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Nov 16, 2099 Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer Submitted By: Y Backstreet Boys thrill teeny-boppers BY LARRY NAGER The Cincinnati Enquirer Now that's a first concert. Backstreet Boys took over Firstar Center Monday night and proved they're the undisputed boy-band kings, the lords of entry-level pop. After a big entrance that found the five of them soaring over the crowd, suspended on wires and riding “hoverboards,” they delivered a two-hour spectacle filled with fireworks, fancy lighting, an automated hexagonal stage, loads of costume changes and a variety of special effects. They gave the sell-out crowd of more than 16,000 the show of its young life. The audience was, naturally, 90 percent female, the vast majority between the ages of 8 and 16. The rest was made of moms reliving their own Davy Jones/Bobby Sherman/David Cassidy girlhoods, along with a smattering of beleaguered dads. And while the girls shrieked their little hearts out, the Backstreet Boys' production was good enough to make parents feel they'd gotten their money's worth. There was no comparison with the group's hottest boy band competition, 'NSync. The 'NFeebled show that group put on at Riverbend this summer wasn't even in the same league. Monday's concert opened with Mandy Moorer and her four boy dancers, who also opened for 'NSync. Singing and lip-synching to recorded tracks, she's gotten no less mediocre. EYC, who opened for Ohio's 98` at the summer's Nickelodeon fest, has improved. But their lyrical references to loving “nice and slow” were gro tesquely inappropriate for a crowd still contemplating its first kiss. In that, Backstreet Boys again showed how they've sold 30 million records in just a couple of years. The group's music uses R&B production and melodies, but the lyrics, even in songs like “I Need You Tonight,” retain an innocence. For Lexington-born Boys Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, it was a homecoming, with friends and family attending. Mr. Richardson showed his colors in a UK ball cap. The audience didn't play favorites, though, screaming for all five members, as Mr. Littrell, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter took turns singing lead. Howie Dorough, of Puerto Rican descent, took over for “Spanish Eyes.” The show was divided into segments of ballads and dance tunes, as the group sang its two albums. On up-tempo tunes like “Get Down” and “Everybody (Backstreet's Back),” they were joined by 10 dancers, giving the raised-on-MTV audience a nonstop show. Despite the futuristic “Millennium” set, there's not much new about Backstreet Boys. The music is the same pop-R&B that's been a chart staple since Michael Jackson's Thriller. It can get pretty sappy, notably Mr. Littrell's song to his mom, “The Perfect Fan,” sung Monday to five sets of mothers and daughters. Sentiment ended at the souvenir stands, as the Backstreet Boys set new records for high prices. T-shirts were $30; programs were $20, both about $5 above average. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnansaz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Submitted by: JimmiNi gJpD6v http://www.FyLitCl7Pf7ojQdDUOLQOuaxTXbj5iNG.com Submitted by: gordon QXLi1s http://www.y7YwKx7Pm6OnyJvolbcwrWdoEnRF29pb.com Submitted by: gordon gjk2dR http://www.y7YwKx7Pm6OnyJvolbcwrWdoEnRF29pb.com Submitted by: matt G2csTM http://www.y7YwKx7Pm6OnyJvolbcwrWdoEnRF29pb.com Submitted by: chaba nD91rb http://www.y7YwKx7Pm6OnyJvolbcwrWdoEnRF29pb.com Submitted by: matt 3gU3Dj http://www.y7YwKx7Pm6OnyJvolbcwrWdoEnRF29pb.com Submitted by: chaba M7JBTX http://www.y7YwKx7Pm6OnyJvolbcwrWdoEnRF29pb.com Submitted by: JimmiXzS Nks0d6 http://www.FyLitCl7Pf7kjQdDUOLQOuaxTXbj5iNG.com Submitted by: JimmiXzS RpSqCb http://www.FyLitCl7Pf7kjQdDUOLQOuaxTXbj5iNG.com Click here to see more comments. Comment on this item. Next Item: Buffalo News Review: 11/14/99 Buffalo, NY Prev Item: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Review: 11/17/99 St. Louis, MO