They're like, oh my God, the biggest thing ever.
And they're like, here in Toronto!
They are the Backstreet Boys, as anyone who's female and between the ages of 12 and 17 would already know.
The veteran boy band makes an appearance at MuchMusic tonight, and hours before Nick, A.J., Howie D., Kevin and Brian even arrived, hundreds of screaming young fans flooded the streets around the TV station. They were waiting even though all the spots inside the studio are already reserved for people who had won contests. Tomorrow night, the band plays a sold-out show at the Air Canada Centre, to showcase their latest album Black and Blue.
''It's so worth it. They're so sexy. I've watched them forever, since 1996,'' said a shivering 16-year-old Amy Secor of Ajax. Secor, who said her parents knew she was cutting class, got up at 5 a.m. to make the trek downtown. The early wake-up call only earned Secor a spot in the middle of the lineup outside the studio.
By the flavour-of-the-month standards of boy bands, the Backstreet Boys have been around for a while. They formed in 1993 after meeting in an Orlando, Fla., high-school, and released their first single in 1995. All of the group's albums have gone platinum.
Those at the front had to camp out overnight to earn their prized spots. Making a 17-hour train and bus trek from Moosonee and Moose Factory paid off for Tammy Cheechoo, Kathryn Pasquach and Theresa Mark. The three friends shared a blanket, and drank lots of coffee to keep warm after arriving at 5:30 last night.
''We're really hoping to get a front-row seat to watch them through the window. This is great,'' said 17-year-old Cheechoo.
Further back in the lineup, Grazyna Summaria brought her 15-year-old daughter Gabriella a slice of pizza to kill the time. While admitting her daughter probably should have been in class at Mississauga's Loyola High School, Summaria didn't seem to mind too much.
''She's a very good student, and besides, it's kind of fun,'' said Summaria.
The crowd occasionally broke into song, Back Street Boys naturally, and shrieked at the top of their lungs, often, for no apparent reason.
A police officer guiding traffic admitted the din was getting to him, even though the crowd was otherwise well-behaved.
''My shift ends before the band gets here, thank God,'' said the officer, who wouldn't give his name. By tonight, the crowd is expected to swell to at least 3,000, forcing a shutdown of Queen St. West between John and Duncan.
A bemused John Szekely watched the scene briefly through the window of his taxi.
''We were all young once. For me, it was like this for jazz when I was young,'' said Szekely, whose granddaughter is going to tomorrow's concert.
