Title: Carter's energetic concert falls short on musical value
Topic: Winter 2001 Concert Review
Source: The Boston Herald
Source: ARTS & LIFE; Pg. 040
Author: By Sarah Rodman
Date: February 22, 2001
Aaron Carter, at Avalon, Boston, Tuesday night.
All hopped up on snowcones and soda pop, a whole mall full of little girls waving glow sticks shrieked with glee Tuesday night as 13-year-old pop singer Aaron Carter finally took the stage at Avalon.
Several opening acts, lots of downtime and a lack of seats in the rock club had made some in the very young audience cranky - as it did their shoulder-hoisting parents. But once Carter, his four dancers and five-man band hit the stage, many were in bubble-gum nirvana.
Carter's energetic 50-minute performance was probably the first concert for many of the children in attendance. These kids are the toddler and tweener siblings of Backstreet Boys fans, just as Carter himself is the younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick.
With nothing to compare it to, many of the kids doubtless went home satisfied with Carter's smiley, third-rate Will Smith rapping style and G-rated Bobby Brownisms.
But unlike many before him, from Michael Jackson to Donny Osmond - one of the obvious squeaky-clean role models here - to his own brother and even Brown, Carter doesn't have a particularly good, memorable or soulful voice or any undeniable star quality.
Yet, the youngster is working so hard onstage dancing and actually singing live and his averageness is so aggressive that it ultimately makes you feel badly for him and all the bum notes he's hitting.
Adding to the problem is that the songs on Carter's platinum sophomore album, "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)," aren't particularly memorable, making his older brother's band and its songwriters sound like melodic geniuses by comparison.
The best tunes in the set were the covers of the infectious New Orleans favorite "Iko Iko" and Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy." (This is probably the first time anyone's actually sung this song about candy.)
Carter's definitely got moves, can do a decent beatbox and proved he's adept at ultralite rap, as on the bouncy "That's How I Beat Shaq," but his voice betrays him.
Openers Tik'n'Tak, a Finnish girl group, are a rare commodity in today's pop scene: They're actually a band. Although still on the ascending side of the learning curve, the girls had some catchy tunes and it was refreshing to see them doing something other than dressing cute and dancing in formation.
Also opening was local quintet Code Five dressed cute and danced in formation but the young boys --exhibited an adorable stage presence and some vocal skill.
Photo Caption: AARON IT OUT: 13-year-old sensation Aaron Carter pumps up the volume during his concert Tuesday night at Avalon. STAFF PHOTO BY BILL BELKNAP
