*NSYNC- the "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" Tour
Date: July 9, 1999
Location: E-Center; Camden, NJ
Rating: 
*Nsync has now embarked on their so-called "shed tour," a tour of U.S. venues that are out in the open, most with open-air lawn seating (thus the "shed" moniker). In my opinion, lawn seating plus millions of screaming, hormonal, teenage girls DO NOT MIX. Although my friends and I were the first people out on the lawn, with front/center seats, we were pushed and shoved until we ended up a few rows back. Picnic blankets? Forget about it! We lost two of them in the mad dash to escape from the random outbursts of teenybopper cat-fighting. We were lucky our friends sitting in the orchestra had room for the rest of us.
Seating problems aside, the show itself is phenomenal. The guys have staged a new opening which, while not as enjoyable as the Star Wars intro, far surpasses their disappointing brush with monsters and tribal dancing on the last leg of their American tour. I'm not going to give anything away, but the new opening is clever and definitely enjoyable. Kudos to whomever thought this one up.
The lineup of songs is still a bit confusing. The show begins with the crowd-pumping "Here We Go," and although a great choice for its crowd interaction factor, it's confusing with the opening lyric "here we go, one more time." They just started for goodness sakes, how can it be one more time? I would much rather see "Crazy for You" open the show. The lack of heavy-duty choreography in this number fits much better at the opening of the show, instead of jammed somewhere in the middle, where it makes the show lag a bit.
My favorite inclusions in this tour are still the Time Machine, where the guys cover "That Thing You Do", a Jackson 5 Medley, and "Celebration," and the screening of the "U Drive Me Crazy" video, only released in Europe. As an avid fan of TTYD, I was very impressed with *Nsync's rendition of this number. It was also impressive to see the guys each playing an instrument, but could someone please find something for JC to play?? Yeah, we know he can play the piano, but it's a little annoying when he's the only one not playing something. As for the Jackson 5 Medley, the costumes definitely make this number. I'd pay $35 any day to see the guys in those afro wigs. I also think it was a great idea to have Chris and Joey as the lead vocalists during the Time Machine, it gets a little monotonous watching Justin and JC try to out sing each other in every other song. (I'm kidding, people!) Now if someone would just let Lance sing…
A note about opening acts: the choices for opening act entertainment this tour range from Britney Spears-esque Mandy Moore, to white rapper Trey D, to the old school sounds of the Sugar Hill Gang. Other openers include PYT, four thirteen-year-old girls from Tampa, FL with a mix of pop and R&B music; ex-New Kid on the Block Jordan Knight ; and in some cities, 3rd Storee. Moore, Trey D, and PYT all appear at a second stage, while Knight, Sugar Hill Gang and 3rd Storee appear on the main stage. Especially promising are the four girls of PYT, Pretty Young Things. These four have so much talent and charisma it's difficult NOT to like them. Make sure not to miss the second stage acts, they're all quite good, and as an added bonus, sign autographs after their performances.
Overall, the *Nsync show is filled with energy, and it's a guarantee that everyone will have fun at this one. You can't help but sing and dance along with those catchy tunes. The money you pay for this show will be the best money you've spent in awhile. One cool selection- the addition of "Sailing" to the concert. Although a smidge over the top, the staging for this number is a perfect ending to a high-energy evening. Be sure to look up, and dodge the sweat!!! A few disappointments: No beatbox from Justin, no BeeGees Medley, and no "Giddy Up" with sunglasses and supersoakers (unless you're one of the lucky few venues where "Sailing" can't be performed… I'm pretty sure Irvine, CA will be one of these venues). Otherwise, there really isn't any stopping them now.
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