IN THEIR WORDS: KEVIN AND BRIAN

Source: Lexington Herald-Leader

A few musings from the Kentucky Backstreet Boys.

KEVIN RICHARDSON

``So we were there for about three months. After a while, I felt almost like, I don't know a gigolo or something. Teaching all these ladies ... I felt like they were enjoying it a little too much.''

BRIAN LITTRELL

Brian & Kevin: The Kentucky cousins

On Lexington Herald-Leader they have a special on BSB because 'they are home for the weekend', they wrote it like that. And they also had two concert photos of Brian and Kevin, I don´t know wich city it´s from, though:

Lexington move date for BSB

For the first time in at least 15 years, Lexington has moved the date of its annual Christmas tree lighting - from Nov. 26 to Nov. 23. The reason: the Backstreet Boys, who have sold-out concerts at Rupp Arena on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27. The city closes part of Main Street for the lighting, which would affect concert traffic, officials said.

Backstreet Boys respond to scalping scandal

Source: Infobeat

(Launch) - Following a recent ticket scalping scandal in Denver, the Backstreet Boys have authorized their management company, The Firm, to investigate possible criminal activity. After the band's Oct. 31 performance at the Pepsi Center in Denver, the Backstreet Boys learned that more than 1,000 tickets were released to scalpers, who charged fans $110 and more for the $38.50 face-value tickets. The Firm promptly hired investigators, who found out that 1,200 tickets in sections under house control ended up in the hands of scalpers. As a result, the band members have asked that the House of Blues - promoter of the Oct. 31 show - make a $75,000 donation to the Columbine College Fund. This organization was established to help out all of the students of Columbine High School affected by the April 20 shooting by providing financial assistance for post-secondary education.

"We've done everything we can to prevent scalping, from limiting the number of tickets purchased to distributing wristbands," the Backstreet Boys said. "To think scalping of this type occurred at our Denver show infuriated us. We were horrified to learn that our fans in Denver were manipulated and ripped off in this way." The band has also pledged that, for each show on the group's spring tour, they will work with tickets.com by offering fans up to 1,000 choice seats. Through this arrangement, tickets will be sold via auction on the tickets.com Web site. Profits (excluding any service fees) from all tickets sold above face value will go to a charity selected by the Backstreet Boys. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the House of Blues said: "We are launching an investigation and upon completion of the investigation we will take appropriate action."

Backstreet Boys head south

Source: Infobeat

(BackstreetBoys.com) - The Backstreet Boys will be treated to some Southern hospitality as their tour makes its way through the region in the coming days. The Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., will play host to The Boys' tour Friday, followed by the Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sunday and the Nashville Arena in Nashville on Monday.

Source: Alabama Live/Birmingham News

MARY COLURSO
News staff writer
11/23/99

MEMPHIS — Large white garbage cans stood just inside the Memphis Pyramid, a 20,000-seat arena jammed with giggling, screaming girls Sunday night.

The bins were equally packed with the remains of homemade signs - pieces of cardboard carefully colored, lettered and glittered by fans of the most famous dance-pop quintet in America, the Backstreet Boys.

Although messages for the group had been crafted with care ("Nick is the bomb!", "Brian, wave to me please!") the Pyramid's policies forbade concertgoers from bringing signs or banners into the venue. Adrenaline-charged ticketholders, wailing, were forced to surrender their love notes at the door.

"It took us three days to do this!," exclaimed Jennifer Beachy and Stephanie Campbell, both 17, of Memphis, holding up a garage door-sized photo collage of the Boys, which ended up in the Pyramid trash.

But that seemed to be the only disappointment the evening held for the wildly cheering crowd, one of about 50 audiences lucky enough to secure tickets to a stop on the Backstreet Boys' sold-out Millennium tour.

Excitement reached a fever pitch about two hours before the 8 p.m. show, and stayed that way until the concert ended at 11 p.m. Enthusiasm is expected to be equally high in Birmingham tonight, as the Backstreeters headline a 7:30 p.m. extravaganza at the BJCC Arena.

The elaborate Millennium show features sparkling fireworks, overhead acrobatics, shooting flares, a dance procession with torches and a spectacular entrance by the Boys on neon-lit, flying surfboards. Also on the Boys' agenda are 19 Backstreet songs, including the hits "I Want It That Way," "As Long As You Love Me" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)."

Approximately 18,000 tickets sold out here in 18 minutes when they became available in August, an arena record. It took about an hour for them to disappear in Memphis, but they ended up in the hands of Backstreet devotees who happily traveled to Tennessee from Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, and even as far as Texas.

"I wouldn't sell my tickets for a bazillion dollars," insisted Mayra Sanjuan, 14, who hopped a plane from Houston to see her fave raves, along with friend Philys Johnson, 15.

The teens said they spent the day before the show trying to track down Backstreet members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson at the Memphis airport and in area hotels. Their efforts were rewarded late Sunday afternoon when, staking out the Pyramid's backstage gate, they spied Dorough emerging from a tour bus.

"We're positive it was him; he had a ponytail and blue Adidas on," said Johnson, who clutched a souvenir bag containing various Backstreet goodies. "We had to trespass a little to get over there, but we snapped his photo. He waved and smiled, which was way cool."

Not everyone was willing to leap over barricades or climb chain-link fences, yet eager clusters of ticketholders began congregating at the downtown arena around 3 p.m. so they could make the experience last as long as possible.

T-shirt vendor Paul Martinez said his company expected to sell about $300,000 worth of official Backstreet merchandise before the night was over - to say nothing of rogue salesman who hawked heaps of bootleg souvenirs on nearby streets.

"The kids are definitely pumped up," said Martinez, who pointed out his most popular shirt, a white-and-green, two-sided T bearing pictures of the Boys and a futuristic typeface that spelled out "Millennium tour."

Gadsden native Savannah Stewart, 12, who was eyeing Martinez's wares, admitted that attending the concert would force her to play hooky from her Kentucky school Monday, a sentiment echoed by many of the youths on hand.

"But I'd go across the seas and run naked for miles before I'd miss the Backstreet Boys," said Ammie Smith of Memphis, 15. "They are so fine, so sweet. ... I'm telling you, not even an 'N Sync concert is this big."

Boy Crazy

Source: Lexington Herald Leader

By Rich Copley
Lexington Herald Leader
Published: November 21, 1999

Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson grew up quietly in the Bluegrass. This weekend, they return as conquering heroes, members of the world-famous Backstreet Boys, the five-man vocal group rounded out by Orlando, Fla., singers Nick Carter, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough.

Because it's a hometown-hero story, some people around these parts wonder how big the Backstreet Boys actually are.

Well, check this out:

The Backstreet Boys' U.S. debut album was the third highest-selling saucer of 1998.

The follow-up, Millennium, set a record for fastest-selling album in the first week of release: 1.1 million copies.

The group just signed a new contract with Jive Records worth $60 million.

A quick Yahoo! search reveals 125 World Wide Web sites devoted to the group.

But the Backstreet Boys' overwhelming appeal is best summed up by the experts. No, not grizzled rock critics, but teen-age girls who have propelled the group to the pinnacle of pop music.

``Their music is great, and they like things I like,'' says Amber Lowery, 14, a Bourbon County High School freshman. Amber has filled the walls of her bedroom with Backstreet Boys photos and she has started to plaster them on her ceiling. ``Brian is a Christian, like I'm a Christian. Nick likes the water, and A.J. loves McDonald's.''

Danielle Johnson, a Tates Creek High School freshman who is still ticketless for the Lexington concerts, says, ``I was really impressed when I started reading the `thank yous' in the Millennium CD. Brian quoted the Bible and said some really good stuff. It wasn't like, `Thank you to all the little people I stepped on on my way to the top.' ''

Cara Larkin, 14, an eighth-grader at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, thinks ``the average little girl would say they're really cute, but I also think they're really talented.''

And, says Cara's mother, Christy: ``They're really good role models. These guys try to set an example.''

Christy Larkin, a 46-year-old interior designer, is a lifelong music fan. She says she can't remember the teen-age female population swooning over a band like this since the Beatles inspired a collective shriek from the world in the mid-1960s.

So what do the Fab Four and the Fab Five have in common?

``You've got the teen-age sex symbols, then you've got the distinct multiple-personalities so that every girl has someone they can relate to,'' says Timothy Scheurer, a pop culture expert at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio.

``But overall, it's a different kind of phenomenon,'' he said. ``The Beatles were revolutionary in addition to hugely popular. The Backstreet Boys aren't terribly revolutionary, and you get the sense they won't last very long.''

That's the charge that has dogged BSB: They're just good-looking singers who don't write songs or play instruments, and their 15 minutes of fame are about up.

To be fair, Littrell and Richardson have songwriting credits on Millennium, and all five are reportedly dabbling with instruments.

``We've been dealing with the criticism of being a flash-in-the-pan or the flavor-of-the-month,'' Littrell says. ``But we've been a flavor-of-the-month for many months, and we're thankful for that. We've been together going on seven years. It's just amazing all the things that we have accomplished, and plans for 2000 are gonna be even better.''

And their most loyal fans think they'll be listening to Backstreet Boys for years to come.

``As long as they pay attention to the music and keep their heart in the right place, I think they'll be around for a long time,'' Danielle says.

Adds Amber: ``They've been around seven years now; I don't see why they won't be around longer. I know I'll keep their albums and their pictures forever.''

Backstreet coonference

The Boys held a press and fan conference in Las Vegas to discuss the tour. It will air at BackstreetBoys.com on Tuesday, November 30th.

2000 MTV Europe Music Award is in Stockholm

Yes, that´s true! Finally the MTV awards is comming to Sweden, and of course I´m going to be there! It´s very difficult to say wich artist who is going to be there, if it´s true that BSB is realesing their 4th album October 2000, then it´s possible that they are going to be there! I also think Westlife is going to be there (or should I say I hope (= )

Source: gomemphis.com

Pop sensations the Backstreet Boys glided on glowing surfboards over the crowd of screaming fans and onto the stage at their concert Sunday night. (Photograph by Alan Spearman)

MUSIC REVIEW

Tight harmonies + terrific effects = good show

By Bill Ellis

The Commercial Appeal

How do you react to a phenomenon, especially one that has sold some 40 million records worldwide and makes an entrance by cable-flying onto the stage?

If you were one of 20,107 (mostly) teenage girls at The Pyramid, where the Backstreet Boys played Sunday to the second-largest event in the building's history, you screamed, jumped, blushed, cried, screamed, hyperventilated and screamed again.

If, however, you were the one male of drinking age who was not a daddy but instead a music writer for the local daily, you left your critical faculties at home with your Elvis Presley, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Madonna records (ah, phenomenons past).

Even Shania Twain and Alanis Morissette felt shut out of the clubhouse tonight.

Who's to say if the Backstreet Boys will ultimately be judged less a modern-day Beatles than our Bay City Rollers? As the future encroaches with rapid uncertainty, the Backstreet crew are the kings of pop, offering optimism and eyes-wide-open anticipation of a brave new world when other popular forms from rap to rock offer only nihilism. Don't miss the significance of Backstreet's latest album title, simply called "Millennium."

The packed Pyramid got its piggy bank's worth: two hours of nonstop dancing and choreographed moves, pyrotechnics, a rainbow-filled light show, costume changes and an in-the-round stage - reminiscent of Metallica's last arena tour - that gave everyone a good seat, none better than when the limber Backstreeters took wing again, this time flying right over the adoring horde.

There was no evidence of Milli Vanilli trickery here. A real band played behind the five singers - Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A. J. McLean and Kevin Richardson - who offered the same airy vocalizing and tight harmonies live that they pull off on record. And because they're capable of tunes so honestly catchy as Quit Playing Games With My Heart, Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and I Want It That Way, the Backstreet Boys deserve the commercial lead they maintain over boy-band competition 'N Sync and 98 Degrees.

Candy-pop opener Mandy Moore got her 15 minutes of fame, literally. The second opener, E.Y.C. ("Express Yourself Clearly"), extended their stay by an extra 10 minutes and surprised the audience, who roared en masse as if Backstreet were taking the stage. When it dawned (rather quickly) on the sea of teens that only three guys were doing the dancing, the reaction dropped by several decibels from unbounded ecstasy to mere enthrallment.

Thousands of girls hadn't been saving their money for this night, you see -- they had been saving their hearts.

On the Access Hollywood poll they where voted #3 for favorite band of all time! That's pretty good considering they've only been known in the U.S.A for 2yrs. They voted next to legends!

Billboard Nominations Announced-BSB nominated in 5 categories

Source: Billboard

Edited by Julie Taraska / November 19, 1999, 11:00 a.m. EST

Spears Is Finalist In Six Billboard Awards Categories

Britney Spears leads the list of finalists for the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, to be held Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Jive teen singer is in the running in six categories: artist of the year, female artist, new artist, Hot 100 singles artist, album artist, and album of the year ("...Baby One More Time").

Spears' labelmates Backstreet Boys also fared well, becoming finalists in five contests, including artist of the year and album of the year ("Millennium"). R&B act TLC is in the running in five categories, too, among them artist and duo/group artist of the year

In addition, Shania Twain, Jay-Z, Whitney Houston, and R. Kelly were finalists in three categories each.

The awards will be telecast live starting at 8 p.m. ET on FOX-TV.

Among the acts scheduled to play at the show are Metallica, which will perform with a 79-piece orchestra from a special location on the Vegas strip; Spears; Ricky Martin; Jennifer Lopez; LeAnn Rimes; and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Additionally, Backstreet Boys, Kelly, Vitamin C, and Brian McKnight will make special appearances on the program, along with previously announced artists Celine Dion, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Christina Aguilera, Aerosmith, Lou Bega, 98 Degrees, 'N Sync, Mary J. Blige, Everlast, ZZ Top, Sugar Ray, and Blink 182.

1999 Billboard Music Awards Finalists

Artist Of The Year

• Backstreet Boys
• Britney Spears
• TLC
• Shania Twain

Album of the Year

• Backstreet Boys "Millennium"
• 'N Sync "'N Sync"
• Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
• Shania Twain "Come On Over"

Duo/Group Artist

• Backstreet Boys
• 98 Degrees
• Sugar Ray
• TLC

Hot 100 Singles Artist

• Backstreet Boys
• Ricky Martin
• Britney Spears
• TLC

Album Artist

• Backstreet Boys
• Garth Brooks
• 'N Sync
• Britney Spears

Male Artist

• DMX
• Jay-Z
• R. Kelly
• Ricky Martin

Female Artist

• Cher
• Whitney Houston
• Britney Spears
• Shania Twain

New Artist

• Christina Aguilera
• Lou Bega
• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears

Rap Singles Artist

• Jay-Z
• JT Money
• Busta Rhymes
• Sole

R&B Artist

• Faith Evans
• Lauryn Hill
• Jay-Z
• R. Kelly

Country Artist

• Dixie Chicks
• Martina McBride
• Tim McGraw
• George Strait

Hot 100 Title

• Cher "Believe"
• Whitney Houston Feat. Faith Evans and Kelly Price "Heartbreak Hotel"
• Monica "Angel Of Mine"
• TLC "No Scrubs"

R&B Singles Title

• Deborah Cox "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here"
• Whitney Houston "Heartbreak Hotel"
• Maxwell "Fortunate"
• TLC "No Scrubs"

R&B Album Artist

• DMX
• Lauryn Hill
• Juvenile
• R. Kelly

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON
Post-Dispatch Pop Music Critic

If concerts were judged solely on presentation and production, the Backstreet Boys' sold-out show Wednesday night at the Kiel Center might be one of the most favorably reviewed concerts the teeny-boppin' pop group has ever seen - if just for its entrance alone. But here's the catch: Concerts aren't reviewed solely on presentation and production.

No amount of special effects, aerial stunts, fancy footwork, fireworks, confetti or levitating platforms can cover for actual talent. And that's where the Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter, Howard "Howie D." Dorough, Brian Littrell, Alexander James "A.J." McLean and Kevin Richardson ultimately fail. (OK, now that I've put that out there, I'm at risk for a week's worth of phone calls, letters, and e-mails from irate teen girls who'll tell me I need to shut up unless I can get up on stage and do a better job myself.)

The ceremonial-like opening began with science fiction movie music and torch-carrying dancers and culminated in the Backstreet Boys rising from the floor and continuing to rise until they were high in the air gliding on snowboards that carried them to the stage situated in the center of the arena floor. It was an eye-popping entrance.

But once the music started with the song "Larger Than Life," the problems began. The fellows haven't improved as vocalists, despite the fact that its second CD, "Millennium," will probably sell more copies than any other CD this year. Their singing during early tunes like "Get Down (You're the One For Me)" and "The One" sounded not only oddly canned, but phoned in - on a bad cell phone at that. Their voices, Carter's in particular, were thin and whiny.

Every song was treated like a hit and received that way, and most songs had some sort of production number attached to them. For "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," the group was hooked up to wiring that allowed them to space walk, somersault and sprint in the air, high above the audience for the second time. If this sounds familiar, it's because the group's main competitor, 'N Sync, did the same stunt on its last tour.

The slick, on-point dancers, including St. Louis-area natives Amy Allen, Roland Tabor, and Earl Manning, helped keep many of the upbeat songs like "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and "We Got It Goin' On" moving right along, and the chair routine from the male dancers during "As Long As You Love Me" was impressive, even though chair routines have gotten old.

Slower songs tended to make the group look better, with less is more working in its favor vocally. The group took itself most seriously with some of these songs. You could tell by the way they came out in suits and sat on stools, with one suddenly sporting a pair of spectacles and another slicked-back, neat hair for ballads like "Spanish Eyes," "I'll Never Break Your Heart," and "No One Else Comes Close." Dorough distinguished himself here, shining as well as a Backstreet Boy can shine vocally.

"The Perfect Fan," dedicated to all the mothers in the house, featured several mother-daughter pairs on stage, and each Backstreet Boy strolled around the stage with the daughters. The group's encore included "It's Gotta Be You" and ended in fireworks and confetti, a seemingly fitting finale though the group returned for a final round of fireworks and the song "I Want It That Way."

Two other young acts, EYC and Mindy Moore, opened the concert.

For those shut out by the concert's quick sell-out or those who can't wait to see the show again, the Backstreet Boys will return to St. Louis, this time to the TWA Dome, at 7:30 p.m. March 7. Tickets are $37.50-$45, and go on sale Dec. 4.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Wednesday, November 17, 1999

Dancing with the Backstreet Boys is a nice gig for 3 St. Louis-area hoofers

By Kevin C. Johnson
Post-Dispatch Pop Music Critic

Dancing on stage with the Backstreet Boys during the hot pop group's completely sold-out tour is a nice gig - if you can get it. The arenas will be packed when the tour hits cities acound the world, and many young dancers would sell their souls to get on board.

But a trio of St. Louis-area hoofers, Amy Allen, Earl "Sleepy" Manning and Roland Tabor, didn't have to go to such extremes to land three of the 10 dancer spots on the tour. They just relied on their talent.

"It was a little different for each of us," Allen explained during a telephone interview at a tour stop in Detroit. Manning and Tabor, who are brothers, also gathered in Allen's hotel room for the phone chat.

Allen, originally of St. Charles, went the old-fashioned route to get on the tour. She auditioned for choreographer Fatima Robinson. "I wasn't even auditioning for the Backstreet Boys," says Allen, who first met with Robinson for a slot in Will Smith's "Miami" video, which she didn't get. What she did get was some notice from Robinson, who later called her for the Backstreet Boys tour.

"She asked if I was interested, and of course I said yes. I was home by myself when I got the news. I screamed my head off. My phone bill was out of sight because I had to tell everybody. It came out of nowhere," says Allen, 24, a former Los Angeles Lakers girl who has appeared in videos by Mase, Master P, C-Murder and Maxi Priest. She has since gone on to appear in the Backstreet Boys' latest video for "Larger Than Life," danced with the group on the MTV Video Awards and completed the Backstreet Boys' European tour.

That's a lot of dancing considering Allen left Missouri only last year. "I didn't think it would happen this quickly. If you don't look spectacular or have a special look, it's difficult. To me, I look like an all-American girl. So doing the hip-hop thing is a little difficult since I'm white and blond. They look at you in an audition and they're like 'Hmmm, no rhythm.'"

Manning, 25, didn't have to audition since Robinson was already familiar with his work as a dancer. He'd toured with Aaliyah and Next and appeared in the "Larger Than Life" and "(Everybody) Backstreet's Back" videos since leaving St. Louis in 1996 on a Los Angeles-bound Greyhound bus with $20 in his pocket.

"She knew me as a dancer and asked me if I wanted to come. She'd seen us (Manning and Tabor) in the clubs in LA and liked how we danced," says Manning, who'd also toured with the Backstreet Boys in Europe.

Making it as an R&B/hip-hop dancer didn't come as quickly for Manning, whose first video in 1996, for R&B girl group 702, was never aired. But he knew his day would come. "I knew I wanted to dance, that I wanted to go to LA and learn to become a famous dancer," says Manning, who speaks of growing up in near-poverty conditions with little chance of accomplishing what he has.

"I worked to try to achieve certain goals," says Manning, who'll tour with the Backstreet Boys in South America and Japan next year.

Tabor, 22, also danced with Aaliyah, appeared in the same two Backstreet Boys videos as his brother, did a Hammer video, danced for Usher on two tours and choreographed Ginuwine.

"It's a blessing, a true blessing. This makes me feel good. It's great," says Tabor, who moved to Los Angeles four years ago. He, too, expects to tour with the Backstreet Boys next year.

It is folks like Manning, Allen and Tabor who help make the Backstreet Boys look good on stage, as fans will see when the ensemble performs at Kiel Center tonight. A group like the Backstreet Boys can't get by on singing alone, and flashy special effects and hyperactive dancing are needed to keep the show moving. When the Boys last performed here in July 1998, their moves were tightly choreographed, though the steps weren't exactly current.

"They may not be the best dancers, but they catch on real quick," says Manning, who ranks their dancing ability just behind that of Aaliyah, Ginuwine and Next. Allen says, "Actually a few of them are good dancers. Kevin (Richardson) used to teach ballroom dancing. A couple of them have some nice rhythm going on."

She says what the Backstreet Boys reveal on stage in the dancing department is a combination of what comes naturally and what the choreographer instilled in them. "The choreographer worked with them a lot. And even when you have something natural, it's still hard work."

"They learn quick," said Tabor. "Some learn quicker than others. But they work really hard, and they won't get on that stage unless they get it down pat."

So what are Richardson, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Howard Dorough (Howie D.) and Alexander James McLean (A.J.) like off stage?

"The guys are so cool. We get together all the time and confer. They listen to our ideas and they're extremely nice, and they want to participate in a lot of things with us," says Manning. Tabor agrees, saying, "We all go to clubs together, and they come to the room for Play Station. But I hang out with Nick more than any of them."

But Allen sees a little less of the Backstreet Boys when they're not performing. "It's hard, though we try to schedule little events like a Halloween party or bowling party. But lots of times they're in different hotels and they're doing lots of press and have lots of meetings. It takes up lots of their time. But as far as the dancers go, we're a big family and we spend a lot of time together."

Backstreet Boys

Where: Kiel Center

When: 7:30 tonight

How much: Sold out

More info: 241-1888

The Backstreet Boys appeal lies in the selling of sincerity

Source: Kansas City Star

By TIMOTHY FINN - The Kansas City Star

Date: 11/15/99 22:15

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- If you think the biggest force in pop music is only on the minds of teen-age girls and the parents who underwrite their shopping sprees, you've underestimated the Backstreet Boys phenomenon.

On a recent, chilly November evening, the B-Boys have sent a few tremors through this staid college town and a university acclaimed for its writing program and wrestling teams.

Two hours before the Boys are due on stage at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena, eight or nine young ladies have commandeered a downtown tavern. The sound system blares tunes from "Millennium," the Boys' latest, megaplatinum album (8 million copies sold in 24 weeks), and the ladies, each wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "Backstreet Boys," are gathered around a table. Some drink beer, some smoke cigarettes, most sing along to every tune.

"So what's the drinking age in Iowa -- 14?" the bartender is asked.

"Uh, no," she says andlaughs. "Those are college girls." Then, shaking her head, she sighs. "I don't get it."

She doesn't elaborate on what exactly she doesn't get: the Backstreet Boys, or how on earth they appeal to females who have already declared their academic majors.

But if you look beyond their derivative pop tunes, their predictable choreography and their charm-school manufacturing, you'll "get" a few things, mainly why the Boys have become the biggest thing in pop music since Michael Jackson.

More than this

The Boys' biggest sin, their critics will tell you, is what they have wrought upon the recording industry. Once the "Backstreet Boys" album went multiplatinum on the Boys' soon-to-be-former label Jive Records (11 million sold in two years), every other record label feared the worst: getting caught up Dawson's Creek without a paddle.

At the same time, consumer spending statistics showed that teen-age girls were the biggest economic juggernaut in America, so media executives started going after them and the reported $60 billion they shell out each year. In the recording industry, the result was a barrage of B-Boys clones, among them N' Sync, 98 Degrees and one of the openers at Carver-Hawkeye, EYC.

An hour or so before the main event, the three buffed, bare-chested EYC dudes are prancing about the stage, generating some polite hoots. But for the most part the crowd, which has filled this arena early, is biding its time.

Like most stops on this tour, the Iowa City show sold out faster than an episode of "Party of Five." In fact all 785,000 tickets for the entire 39-stop North American tour, which went on sale on the same day, were gone in less than two hours.

Here in Iowa City, the sellout crowd is pretty homogeneous: a few fathers and grandparents; a smattering of teen boys; lots of mothers, many of whom, it turns out, are fans posing as chaperones; and countless women of college age, many with dates who can't wipe chagrin off their faces.

But mostly the place is packed with excited young girls, most 5 to 18 years old, nearly all with some Backstreet product attached to their fidgety selves. About 9:15 p.m. the lights go out and a deafening tsunami of screams fills the arena. It's show time.

Tonight, though, the Backstreet Boys are definitely not in sync: One of the guys has a wounded wing. Four of the Boys descend on wires from the rafters, snowboards fettered to their feet. Kevin Richardson (recently crowned People magazine's sexiest pop idol), though, emerges from the bowels of the stage, his arm in a sling. He never explains the injury, but you can bet anyone plugged into one of the umpteen-hundred B-Boys Web sites knows he got it snowboarding.

After some "Star Wars" theme music and some military choreography, each member of the group takes his spot on the pentagonal stage and rips into "Larger Than Life," the souped-up, sugar-pop funk tune that opens "Millennium."

The song is a thank-you note to their fans, and though it would be silly to explore too deeply the substance of any of these songs, it's worth considering how most fit into the Boys' carefully crafted persona.

The five guys in this group, ages 19 to 27, were chosen based on their looks, their voices and their footwork, probably in that order. But if all it took were looks and moves, EYC or 98 Degrees or Boyzone could sell a million tickets in two hours. There's something more going on, something beyond the hype and market-tested business plans.

Yearlings and yearnings

The music, of course, is vital. The band's primary songwriter, Max Martin, writes groovy, melodic music -- instantly likable, derivative dance tunes that grab the youngest part of this fandom, right down to the 5-year-olds.

What attracts the adolescent girls, though, seems to be something a little more complicated. They may be the most economically empowered demographic in America, but teen-age girls, as many behavorial experts will tell you, also are most in need of some emotional empowerment, some self-esteem, especially when it comes to dealing with boys.

The B-Boys' tunes provide that in syntax that is simply and ambiguously about love, commitment and romance, but not really about sex -- unless you want it to be. Lines like, "It's gotta be you, all the way," or "You keep doing things I like; you got me hypnotized," could be about puppy love or bedroom moves, which might be where the college women fit in.

The insinuation: Sex is a stage of love and romance, a possibility, a potential consequence; and saying "no" or "wait" is OK, no matter how many cherries he throws atop his "pretty please."

Now you might prefer something less prim and smarmy, but chances are you're not 14, virginal, insecure and getting bombarded with sexual messages and images from virtually every medium out there, not to mention from your sexually active peers. The Boys provide a refuge from the storm of impulses and unsolicited information: a place where a yearling libido can catch its breath; a step away from the soft-core, grope-and-grind raunch of Eminem, Limp Bizkit, Lil' Kim or Puff Daddy.

The Boys do more than soft-pedal sex. They also practice gender equality. Not coincidentally, women play conspicuous roles in the live show as backup dancers but particularly in the band. Add all that up and you'll "get" why so many of the mothers in the crowd look so appeased.

The Boys and their creators, by the way, are well-aware of mom's role in all of this love and commerce. Thus the most cloying number of the evening, "The Perfect Fan." Brian Littrell wrote that song for his mother, and when they perform the tune, each Boy escorts a mom and her daughter on and around stage for the duration of the song.

You can't get much cornier than that, but then again Littrell is probably sincere about it. He's the one who thanks God the most during the introductions (they all do), and backs it up by quoting Scripture in both albums' liner notes.

Playing the spirituality card is a no-brainer when you're trying to cast the widest net possible, but it apparently strikes a chord: When Littrell's angelic face appears on the video screens, it prompts by far the loudest shrieks all night, louder even than blond cover boy Nick Carter's or People's choice Richardson's.

Be here now

The show lasts nearly two hours, comprising 19 songs and about six costume changes. During "Quit Playing Games," the four who aren't wearing a sling attach themselves to cables and boogie, flip and fly high above the crowd.

The Peter Pan metaphor is apt: The Backstreet Boys are a phenomenon, a tornadic spectacle, one that one day will subside. But for now they are here in a big way, and if their primary purpose is to make a ton of money for themselves and their financial backers, then so be it.

But let us acknowledge one consequence of their hard work: For a couple of extravagant hours, they made adolescence, for all its trials and torments, seem like an exciting place to be.

Oh, Boys!

Source: Buffalo News

The Fab Five - they're funky, romantic and totally awesome

By ANTHONY VIOLANTI
News Critic
11/15/99

They're not just boy toys. You can call 'em a boy band, you can call 'em teen idols, but whatever the label, the Backstreet Boys proved Sunday night they are superlative performers, singers and showmen.

This was a spectacular stage production before a frenetic throng of mostly adolescent girls screaming their little hearts out in a sold out and deafening Marine Midland Arena.

A.J. McLean, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough, better known as the Boys, appeared with 10 dancers and a six-piece band.

The concert was a cross between the live performances of Cher and Garth Brooks. It featured countless costume changes, pyrotechnics, smoke bombs and Jumbotron scoreboard close-ups of the Boys, who eventually were hoisted up to the rafters by wires fastened around their waists.

Disneyworld met Motown as the Boys pranced around all night long, singing funky tunes, sweet romantic numbers and melting the hearts of their fans with soft harmony.

The entrance set the pace for the entire evening as it was filled with electronic gimmicks and imaginative staging. The theme from "Star Wars" played over the sound system as the arena was darkened and a parade of dancers, carrying glowing poles that resembled street lights, marched to the "in the round" stage.

Suddenly, the Backstreet Boys materialized high in the air to one side of the stage. Each boy was suspended near the ceiling on a neon boogie board. Slowly, the boards came down to the stage and the boys, wearing blue vests and black slacks, got off and saluted each other.

Then they walked to each side of the stage and saluted the audience. That's when the hot and funky "Larger Than Life" started and the Boys, led by Richardson wearing a microphone headset, ripped into the vocal.

The furious pace continued on the first few numbers, such as "Get Down" and "The One." It seemed hard for one singer, Nick Carter, to keep up.

Carter, who was born in Jamestown, seemed to be suffering from flu-like symptoms. His voice was hoarse at times; his eyes watery, and he was sweating profusely. But Carter put on a game performance, and with his blond hair and handsome features, seemed to lead the Fab Five in screams.

Each Boy flashed his own personality: Richardson was the quiet, handsome brooding one; Littrell, another blond bomber, seemed like Carter's heartthrob sidekick. Dorough added some harmony and charm while McLean was the true bad Boy, with street smarts and cool stage antics.

"Look at all the beautiful ladies in Buffalo," McLean said, addressing the crowd. "It's pretty cold outside, so you guys are going to have to keep us warm."

The group recognized the parents in the crowd with a number called "The Perfect Fan." Richardson introduced the song by bringing five pairs of mothers and daughters on stage.

As they sang the soft tune, the Boys walked around stage, hand in hand with the daughters and eventually presented a rose to each mom.

The Boys walked risky ground here by overdoing the maudlin sentiment, but for some reason it worked.

"That song with the mothers on stage was tremendous," said Lori Pracht of Perrysburg who drove to the show with her two daughters, Cayleigh 4, and Carin 6. "These guys not only sound great but they know how to touch the hearts of kids and their moms."

The Boys put on a glittering display of their five-part harmony on such ballads as "I'll Never Break Your Heart" and a concert highpoint, "I Want It That Way."

During the show, each Boy took time to address the fans. "My family is from Buffalo and we're here to put on a show for you," Carter said. "You mean the world to us, and you are the best fans in the world.

Littrell echoed those feelings. "Without you there would be no us," he said.

Sure, it was corny but there's something about the Backstreet Boys in person that overcomes the sanitized and commercial feeling of their music and image. They have been on the road for five years and have set the standard for the teen acts that are beginning to dominate the music charts.

The Backstreet Boys have an edge and polish others lack. They also connect to the deepest level of their fans. Many of those fans have been introduced to rock or taken that interest to a new level thanks to the Backstreet Boys.

"It's just awesome seeing them in person." said Christin LoFaso, 15, of Lancaster. "I've had this ticket since August and it seems like forever. Now they're here and I can't believe it."

Sunday in the Arena was a night to believe in the Backstreet Boys.

Source: Yahoo

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1999--BACKSTREET BOYS have announced their plans for the year 2000: six weeks of US dates in February and March, after which they'll head into the studio to record a new album for release in September or October.

BACKSTREET BOYS - - NICK CARTER, HOWIE DOROUGH, BRIAN LITTRELL, A.J. McLEAN and KEVIN RICHARDSON - - have also resolved their differences with their record label JIVE in a far reaching deal encompassing the joint developmen t of several innovative Internet ventures, sponsorships deals and close cooperation on the marketing, licensing and other commercial exploitation of the group's recordings.

``For the past five years Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough (the Backstreet Boys) have enjoyed what can only be described as a hugely successful and rewarding career, leading to the Backstreet Boys now being one of the most popular recording artists in the world,'' said Clive Calder, Chairman/CEO of the Zomba Group of Companies. ``Unfortunately, over the past two months due to a series of events, the relationship between the group and our Jive record label got temporarily derailed. This is now behind us and everything has been resolved to everyone's satisfaction. We at Zomba and Jive are absolutely delighted to be back at work with a renewed spirit of partnership and cooperation with these five talented and hardworking young men, whose personal growth and achievements over the past five years we have grown to love and respect.''

In a group statement, the BACKSTREET BOYS said: ``It feels great to have resolved the differences with our record company. Now we can move forward in the most positive way, focused on creating the best music we can for our fans all over the world. We have very exciting and interesting plans for the year 2000.''

The BACKSTREET BOYS are currently in the midst of their 11-week, 39-city North American sold-out ``Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium Tour,'' which runs until December 6. Their current record-breaking MILLENIUM album is the biggest selling album in the U.S. this year and continues to dominate the charts both in the U.S. and around the world (including Gold, Platinum and Multi Platinum certifications in 41 countries).

Stay tuned for an announcement regarding the BACKSTREET BOYS tour dates in 2000.

The Backstreet Boys sing the national anthem before the start of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins at Ralph Wilson Stadium, in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, November 14.

Backstreet Boys sign Jive deal

Source: Infobeat

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - In one of the largest record deals ever, multiplatinum group Backstreet Boys have struck a new partnership agreement with its label, Jive Records, valued at about $60 million, sources said. The five-album deal includes a significant amount of money up front for the group's next release, sources said. The follow-up to the best-selling "Millennium" album is slated for release in September. Jive's re-signing of Backstreet Boys puts an end to threats that the group - one of the world's most popular - might leave the label. Backstreet Boys, its management company the Firm and lawyers for both parties declined comment. The contract puts Backstreet Boys in the same financial stratum as such artists as Prince, Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones. Backstreet Boys have sold nearly 40 million albums worldwide during the past four years and are the best-selling act of 1999.

Backstreet Boys Larger Than Life at Corel Centre

Source: JAM! Music

By JOSHUA OSTROFF Ottawa Sun

Backstreet Boys
Corel Centre, Ottawa
Friday, November 12, 1999

OTTAWA -- The Kids are dead! Long live the Boys! Uh, I mean relatively long live.

After all, as Chris Rock so eloquently pointed out at the MTV Awards, we all know how this story ends.

Sure, the Backstreet Boys are riding high on the charts, moving mind-boggling numbers of their new CD Millennium, raking in numerous sales-based awards and basically refusing to remove their sticky fingers from the pocketbooks of little girls everywhere.

But as utterly dominant as they might feel now -- even securing a reverse-backlash after the media jumped down their throats for "dissing" a sick fan a few weeks back and winning their silly spat with doppelgangers 'N Sync -- you just know that the no longer New Kids On The Block are rubbing their hands anxiously waiting for A.J., Kevin, Nick, Brian and Howie to join them in the land of musical footnotes, desperately analyzing ex-Menudo member Ricky Martin's every move.

But before all those sticker books and lunch boxes become kitsch collectibles, the Backstreet Boys are admittedly a cultural force to be reckoned with. Alanis (the artist formerly known as generational spokeswoman) couldn't fill half the Corel Centre, and BSB sold over 18,000 tickets in less than a day.

And besides, there is something surreal and beautiful about an arena filled with primal screams.

Which is what predictably happened as soon as the lights dimmed and the Backstreet Boys made their pop culture-appropriating appearance. After the dancers filed in to the strains of the Darth Vader theme, the main attraction emerged from a giant boyband-in-the-box on flying skateboards right out of the Back To The Future sequel.

The show kicked off with their strongest track, Larger Than Life, an unabashedly self-promoting pop anthem that, with a bit more guitar and just the same amount of pyrotechnics, could have come straight out of KISS. And I mean that in a good way.

After a few songs, they stopped singing in order to take turns sharing philosophical platitudes with the easy-to-please audience (I didn't hear a single sarcastic "you say that to all the crowds" after they were informed "YOU DEFINITELY ARE THE BEST FANS IN THE WORLD!")

As they ran through numerous costume changes -- including pink zoot suits (huh?) for All I Have To Give and sporting trench coats for As Long As You Love Me, seemingly oblivious to the garment's current infamy -- the boys split their time unevenly between slow, sappy ballads like the cringe-inducing Spanish Eyes and the sickeningly sweet The Perfect Fan and the much preferable (though rarer) uptempo dance tunes like Get Down (You're The One For Me) and their career-making single Everybody (Backstreet's Back).

Despite the neat-o simulated thunderstorm (complete with strobe-lightning) and straight-from-the-video horror show dance moves, Everybody failed to provide the momentum boost the concert really needed. While the incessant screaming masked most of the garbled lyrics, the song still couldn't clicked as smoothly as did their opening number.

And things went downhill from there as the band played what seemed like ballad after ballad after ballad, eventually closing with the slow but slightly less generic hit I Want It That Way.

In the end, with all the fireworks, flying and fashion taken into account, it was all about putting on a reeeally big show. Something that emulated their big-budget videos enough so their attention-deficient fans wouldn't have time to wonder why exactly they were screaming so loud for what amounts to five cute boys with decent voices, cheesy songs and often lame choreographed dance moves. Then again, as the New Kids and Menudo before them have proved, maybe that's all their fans really really want.

Like the recent TLC show, the Backstreet Boys' openers were curiously generic. But at least 15-year-old Mandy Moore -- another clone from the Orlando pop music genome project -- has a song people might be familiar with. Highlighting her 15-minute set was Candy, a harmless piece of bubblegum pop, the kind left on the bedpost post overnight and then re-chewed in the morning.

As for EYC (their name is an acronym for Express Yourself Clearly, so I will do just that) I can't say enough ... about how incredibly awful they were. For what seemed like an hour (which through the magic of relativity turned out to be merely 20 excruciating minutes) the three boys shouted "yeah," lifted up their shirts and ran madly about the stage without delivering anything that came even remotely close to a song.

Call me cynical but they are going to be huge.

Source: Aftonbladet

The boys in Backstreet are swimming in money. They have sign a contract with Jive Records to do five albums. The contract give them half a billion crowns (that´s $60 million).
The deal place Backstreet Boys in the same leauge as the music buisness big ones, Rolling Stones, and earlier Michael Jackson and Prince.

BSB was nominated in four catogories but only win one award, the best group. Best pop and best song went to Britney Spears and best album to Boyzone.
You could also see a performance with the boys at the countdown, but not live. They sang 'Show Me The Meaning (Of Being Lonley), wich were from a show they did in Denver last week.

Boys' night out

By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun

Source: JAM! Showbiz

Backstreet Boys
SkyDome, Toronto
Thursday, November 11, 1999

TORONTO -- The Backstreet Boys delivered a slightly more sedate version of their current Millennium tour last night during a sold-out show at the SkyDome's SkyTent.

But do you really think any one of the 29,000 screaming, near-hysterical fans noticed?

Probably not.

I'm just going by the noticeably shorter buildup last night to the pop quintet's much-anticipated entrance on stage -- via neon-lit boogie boards suspended above the crowd on the floor -- compared to a recent show in Philadelphia, which saw them take a good 15 minutes to make their appearance.

Oh well, judging by the deafening roar that greeted the arrival of A.J., Brian, Howie D., Kevin and Nick, the sooner, the better.

Backed by a six-person band and 10 dancers on their impressively lit "in the round" stage, the Backstreet Boys' Disney World-like showmanship didn't fail them often as they made their way through 19 songs from three mega-selling albums, including the most recent chart-topper, Millennium.

The group, who are big on choreographed moves, costume changes and five-part harmony, are based in Orlando, Florida, after all.

Although A.J., sporting a somewhat crazy red dye job, claimed that if he was to move away from Florida, "I would pick Toronto."

This was during the "talking" portion of the concert, early on in the show, as each of the Boys addressed the fans separately.

In an uncharacteristically somber moment, Kevin asked for -- and got -- a moment of silence in honour of Remembrance Day "and the veterans who gave their lives so that we could live in peace and freedom." Quite a feat, given the hormone-charged atmosphere.

Nick, meanwhile, sounded the hoarsest of the five and actually lost his voice by the encore. (Although he and Brian did turn up at the Air Canada Centre's practice facility for the Toronto Raptors yesterday afternoon for a lengthy game of pick-up basketball with ACC staff and some of the Raptors ambassadors.)

Kevin also didn't seem to be any worse for wear despite recently re-injuring the shoulder he dislocated in a snowboarding accident late last month. He flew just as well as the other four Backstreet Boys when they were propelled through the air on bungee cords during Quit Playing Games With My Heart. But it was Howie D. who scored the biggest points with the crowd as he showered fans with red roses from a large bouquet in his arms.

Another audience-pleasing moment occurred during The Perfect Fan, as five mother-daughter duos were pulled up on stage for a personal serenade.

Other highlights included the opening one-two punch of Larger Than Life and Get Down (You're The One For Me), a lightning-and-thunderstorm-drenched Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and Quit Playing Games With My Heart, which produced the first real singalong of the night from those on the floor and in the stands who remained devoutly on their feet throughout the two-hour performance.

No doubt all of this added up to a night to remember for Backstreet Boys fans -- if not exactly for their parents, who, in addition to have to shelling out big bucks for concert tickets and merchandise, had to pay $10 for the privilege of hanging out in the designated waiting area in Club Windows.

If it's any consolation, the Backstreet Boys show was the concert event of the fall in T.O., having sold out in a mere 28 minutes.

Source: MTV

The eldest Backstreet Boy was recently named "Sexiest Pop Star" by "People" magazine. However, a snowboarding accident may have made the celebration a brief one.

Richardson dislocated his shoulder while snowboarding when the Boys' tour enjoyed an off day in Denver just over a week ago. In addition to being appropriately dreamy, Richardson is also apparently rather rugged as well, as he made the group's Denver show on October 31 and has not missed a gig as a result of the accident.

Source: Launch

(11/8/99, 12 p.m. ET) - The Backstreet Boys made headlines last week with a story concerning the fact that the group would not be able to find the time to visit a five-year-old girl suffering from leukemia in Warren, Mich. The story was picked up nationally, resulting in rather harsh criticism of the pop group on radio and television reports. It also prompted the Backstreet Boys and The Rainbow Connection, who made the request on behalf of the ill child, to issue formal statements on the matter.

Now that all parties involved have had their say, it appears as though young Morgan Zalewski will be granted her backup wish by The Rainbow Connection, which is a trip to Disney World in Florida. Meanwhile, the Backstreet Boys were recently honored as the 1999 Celebrity Wish Grantors Of The Year by another organization that grants wishes to seriously ill children, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

Backstreet member Kevin Richardson tells LAUNCH about how personally important it is for him to be involved with organizations that grant wishes for terminally ill children. "We had a little girl come in from Make-A-Wish Foundation, and they said that she was going to come in dressed up as a little princess because she thought that we were her princes," he says. "So when she came in, she was just adorable. I mean, it's stuff like that.I mean, she has a terminal disease and it just breaks your heart. I mean, I lost my father to cancer, and so it's moments like that just really make you thankful that you can make somebody happy--make somebody forget about their problems, put a smile on people's faces--I mean, that's where I get my joy."

Richardson adds that he's accepted the fact that the Backstreet Boys are not going to be able to please everybody.

"Initially, it bothered me, but now I've accepted it, and it's the fact that you just can't please everybody. Everybody is not going to like our music, everybody is not going to like us. There are going to be people that absolutely hate us and make fun of us and that's fine. It's kind of like if you see yourself in a tabloid, you've approached a level of success that people know who you are, and now they want to start making fun of you."

-- Jason Gelman, New York

Backstreet Boys sang the national anthem at the home opener game in Auburn Hills for the Detroit Pistons on November 5 1999.

The 3rd single will be "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely". Look for the video to debut on MTV on or around December 15. The song is also expected to be the first released as a retail single in music stores across the U.S. Look for it just before the holidays!

Boys' Town

Source: All Pop

Here's what to expect when pop music's hottest act performs in T.O. on Thursday

By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun

PHILADELPHIA -- The Backstreet Boys packed plenty of Disney World spectacle into a recent two-hour performance here prior to Thursday night's sold-out date at SkyDome's Skytent.

A.J., Brian, Howie D., Kevin and Nick may be miles away from their home base of Orlando, Fla., but the amusement park mentality is clearly still on the road with the R&B-pop quintet during their current North American tour.

And that's probably a good thing.

With a lot of parents shelling out as much as $60 for a single concert ticket (Toronto prices ranged from $25.50 to $59.50) and God knows how much more for merchandise (prices at the Philly show ranged from US$35 for a T-shirt to US$5 for a keychain), their children might as well be visiting Space Mountain at The Magic Kingdom.

The Backstreet Boys' show at the First Union Centre in support of their staggeringly successful third album, Millennium, began with one of the strongest openings I've seen yet in a big arena tour.

Despite the tendency to want to write off this harmony-happy fivesome as nothing more than '90s versions of New Kids On The Block, you can't help but be impressed by their sheer showmanship.

To build anticipation for their appearance, the Backstreet Boys' near-hysterical fans were initially shown a video, on five enormous screens above the "in-the-round" stage, of screaming girls chasing the group down a street to the tune of their latest hit, Larger Than Life.

That bit of Beatlesque production was followed by more darkness and flashing lights while The Chamber Brothers' 1968 classic Time Has Come Today boomed throughout the stadium.

The group's 10 dancers then marched through the crowd carrying lights on long poles to the theme from Star Wars and joined the six-man band, all of them dressed in futuristic white costumes, on the blue-and-purple lit stage.

From there it was a guessing game as to where and when the Backstreet Boys would appear.

The five singers finally emerged out of a cloud of white smoke at one end of the arena, riding neon-lit boogie boards suspended high above the crowd.

The place exploded with sound and light as the audience roared its approval, and flashbulbs that went off in quick succession were followed by a big burst of flames from the stage.

And this was just the first 15 minutes.

So what can concertgoers expect for the rest of the time Backstreet Boys are on stage?

Well, aside from that opening, which was hard to top, there were plenty of choreographed dance moves, more costume changes than Cher's recent show -- everything from dangerous black leather to ghastly pink and lavender -- plus props ranging from poles to harnesses that enabled the Backstreet Boys to dangle upside down or fly over the audience.

There was also a rising platform in the middle of their circular stage, a crane camera capturing all of the action for those in the nosebleed sections, and pyrotechnics ranging from flares to fireworks to a lightning and thunder storm during Everybody (Backstreet's Back).

The stage banter was mainly forgettable, although the crowd seemed to appreciate the fact that early on in the show every Backstreet Boy got his own moment in the spotlight to address his contingent of fans.

For my money, blond, handsome and diminutive Brian Littrell, who sings most of the group's lead vocals along with bigger, blonder and blander Nick Carter, had the loudest following.

The group's dedicated audience members came bearing gifts -- the usual flowers and stuffed animals -- which they threw up on stage whenever they got the chance.

It was predominantly young females at the Philly show -- there was actually a group of 14- and 15-year-old fans whose black and pink T-shirts spelled out "We love BSB" -- but some older women were also spotted dancing the night away.

The capper was when a group of five young, female audience members got to come on stage with their mothers to be serenaded during The Perfect Fan.

Hokey to be sure, but a connection seemed to be made.

Let's face it -- demand for that connection has never been hotter.

The Backstreet Boys' SkyDome show, which will see 29,000 fans packed into the sports stadium on Thursday night, sold out in a mere 28 minutes.

In fact, the Boys' entire North American tour, spanning some 39 cities, took all of an hour to sell out.

So if you think this isn't the concert event of the fall -- the likes of Ricky Martin and Bruce Springsteen notwithstanding -- think again.

An inside scoop: what the boys played in philly

1. Larger Than Life
2. Get Down (You're The One For Me)
3. The One
4. As Long As You Love Me
5. Don't Wanna Lose You Now
6. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
7. Don't Want You Back
8. The Perfect Fan
9. Back To Your Heart
10. Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
11. We've Got It Goin' On
12. That's The Way I Like It
13. Spanish Eyes
14. I'll Never Break Your Heart
15. Just To Be Close To You
16. All I Have To Give
17. Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely

ENCORE
18. It's Gotta Be You
19. I Want It That Way

Backstreet Boys Under Fire For Declined Fan Request

Source: MTV

These are hectic times for the Backstreet Boys.

The boy band is currently the hottest thing going among the under-18 female crowd, making demand high and supply low on their time.

However, the band is currently being scrutinized by the media for not meeting with a five-year old Michigan girl named Morgan Zalewski who is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia. With the pop act headed to the Detroit area to perform at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the girl's father contacted a local newspaper (the "Macomb Daily News") to reveal that the group denied her request to meet BSB via the Rainbow Connection (an organization that tries to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses).

The Rainbow Connection says that Zalewski was one of a number of children in the area who had requested a chance to meet the group, and the organization said in a statement that "due to the overwhelming popularity of these young men and the uncountable requests, our requests were denied."

After the "Macomb Daily News" carried the story, the Associated Press picked it up, flagging it with the headline "Pop Group Refuses To Meet Ill Child."

"We are hurt by these reports that we deliberately did not see an ailing child in Detroit," the group said in a statement addressing the issue. "We are committed to our fans and whenever possible make every effort to meet as many as possible. Due to our current tour schedule and the amount of requests we receive, we're unfortunately unable to meet everyone. We offer our regrets to the Zalewski family and send our best wishes to Morgan."

Addressing the matter, the Rainbow Connection noted, "This story developed out of one father's love for his little girl.... At no time was it the father's intent to bring negative publicity to the Backstreet Boys or the Rainbow Connection. He only wanted to make his very sick little girl happy."

The Boys have done a good deal of work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation (which also grants the wishes of ill children) and were recently named 1999 Celebrity Wish Grantors of the Year by the organization.

"As one of today's most popular music groups, the Backstreet Boys are extremely busy, but they make a special effort whenever they can to fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening illness."

While Zalewski's request will remain unfulfilled, the local paper reports that she still plans on seeing the Boys in concert this weekend.

Backstreet Boys Diss Sick Girl

Source: E! online

by Emily Farache
Nov 5, 1999, 12:30 PM PT

Are the Backstreet Boys bad, or just plain busy?

That's the question being debated today by fans and foes of the boy band, after the mega-selling popsters refused a hospital visit to a leukemia-stricken girl in Michigan.

Five-year-old Morgan Zalewski, the little girl undergoing painful chemotherapy, had asked to meet the Backstreet Boys when they perform this weekend in suburban Detroit. But the boy band backed out, saying they were too busy.

"We used every resource we possibly could," said Patricia Flack, director of the Rainbow Connection, an association that grants wishes for dying and seriously ill children.

Morgan wasn't angry with the group, and she still plans to see their performance this weekend. "That's how she is," said Morgan's father. "She accepts it and just goes on."

While she seemed to forgive and forget, the perceived diss became fodder for local newspaper editorials and outraged newsgroup banter. "May this band collapse and be forgotten about," read a typical posting in the alt.showbiz gossip group. "They do not deserve fans."

In response to the backlash, Backstreet finally issued a comment Friday. The popsters' publicist says the band gets "thousands and thousands of requests" daily from organizations like the Rainbow Connection and can't possibly fulfill them all.

The Florida quintet also reminding everyone that they were honored by the Make-A-Wish foundation as the 1999 Celebrity Wish Grantors of the Year.

So there.

Backstreet Boys Respond to Criticism

Source: Wall of sound

The Backstreet Boys are on defense, following a media report that the boy band was unwilling to meet with a 5-year-old girl suffering from leukemia. An article in the Michigan newspaper Macomb Daily News recently stated that the band refused to meet young Morgan Zalewski when their tour took them to the Detroit area. The request was made by the Rainbow Connection, an organization that strives to grant the wishes of dying and seriously ill children. "We used every resource we possibly could," Rainbow Connection director Patricia Flack was quoted as saying.

The story was picked up by the national media, painting the teen heartthrobs in a less-than-favorable light. "We are hurt by these reports that we deliberately did not see an ailing child in Detroit," says the band, which was honored as the 1999 Celebrity Wish Grantors of the Year by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "We are committed to our fans and whenever possible make every effort to meet as many as possible. Due to our current tour schedule and the amount of requests we receive, we're unfortunately unable to meet everyone. We offer our regrets to the Zalewski family and send our best wishes to Morgan."

"We are thankful for the generosity that the Backstreet Boys have shown and continue to show our wish kids," Make-A-Wish President Paula Van Ness says in the same statement. "As one of today's most popular music groups, the Backstreet Boys are extremely busy, but they make a special effort whenever they can to fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses."

Flack also makes it clear that she had no problem with the Backstreet Boys. "We were disappointed," she says, "yet completely understood that it is not humanly possible to respond to all of them." The Rainbow Connection, the Associated Press reports, is sending the Zalewski family to Disney World.

The Backstreet Boys are currently on tour, promoting their album Millennium. Since its release in May, the album has been certified eight-times platinum in the United States, and at press time had actually sold almost 6.8 million copies domestically, making it practically a lock for the best-selling album of 1999.

Source: People Magazine (Nov 15, '99)

Here’s the article from the November 15th issue of People Magazine (Sexiest Men Alive) about Kevin Richardson who’s the sexiest pop star:

It’s time to separate the man from the boys - Kevin Richardson from worldwide pop phenoms the Backstreet Boys, that is. Sure, bandmates Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell each have their cadre of screaming teenage girls. Those fans scooped up all the tickets to the Boys’ current 39-city tour in one day and made their latest multiplatinum album, Millenium, the fastest-selling record of all time. But with his laser-bright green eyes and chiseled chin, Richardson, 28 - deemed the group’s “most likely future male model” by The New York Times – is the one providing a guilty pleasure for Mom too. “he has a very strong presence; his whole aura is sexy,” says the quintet’s fashion stylist Rachel Rosenzweig. Yet the 6’1” former captain of Lexington, Kentucky’s Estill County High School football team calls himself “pretty quiet. I guess I’m more the ‘internal’ type than the other guys.” And, according to Dorough, “the most humble and modest guy I know.” Still, immodest fans lob lingerie during concerts, not caring that Richardson found his own sweetie (a dancer he declines to name) seven years ago at Disneyland, where he began his showbiz career as a Ninja Turtle. “She walked into the cafeteria, and it was like someone turned a light on,” he says. As to his own incandescence, Richardson demurs. “Sexiness isn’t something that’s put on,” he says. “It just naturally comes out of you.” And it’s just as natural to notice.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review: 11/04/99 Milwaukee, WI

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A show that's larger than life

Backstreet Boys sing the best-looking songs around

By Dave Tianen

Journal Sentinel pop music critic

Last Updated: Nov. 4, 1999

They're Backstreet Boys with a Park Place budget.

The show the Backstreet Boys mounted Thursday night at the Bradley Center sets a new standard in boy band extravaganzas. Not only is it the most lavishly produced teen dream to ever hit the road, it may well be the brightest and most imaginative.

A lot of the individual components are hardly novel: billowing clouds of fog, towering risers, bursts of glitter confetti, giant projection TV screens, geysers of flame, multiple costume changes, and an acrobatic brigade of dancers.

What was truly striking (and consistently entertaining) was the way in which each individual song became its own unique production. The show opened in epic style to a parade of torches and "Star Wars" fanfare, accompanied by the Boys and a bodyguard of vaguely militaristic dancers marching around the huge in-the-round stage to the fan appreciation anthem "Larger Than Life." That felt like "Starship Troopers: The Musical" - goofy but amusing.

For "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" the guys flew out over the crowd in four different directions, doing somersaults 30 feet in the air and showering the fans with flowers and stuffed animals. For "Back to Your Heart," Kevin Richardson played a pure white piano high on the center riser while his mates sang on the stage below, bathed in blue light.

Not all the productions were high-tech. Brian Littrell's singing Mother's Day card, "The Perfect Fan," was simply mounted with each Backstreet Boy bringing a mom and daughter out of the crowd and sitting with them around the stage.

Like all boy bands, Backstreet is as much about romantic fantasy and wish projection as it is about music. In that sense, it helps that each Backstreeter projects a separate and distinct image. Littrell is sort of the Backstreet John-Boy, shy, sensitive and approachable. A.J. McLean is the bad boy, the only Backstreeter with a touch of the streets, not to mention tattoos and three-alarm flaming red hair. Howie Dorough is the Latin lover, crooning Spanish eyes - probably the first teen idol who could plausibly be called suave.

Nick Carter has the floppy, Leonardo blond hair, but he's also the most flirtatious Backstreeter, with a hint of young colt cockiness. Richardson is the most handsome, leanly muscular, dark and chiseled. At 27, he's the one clear Backstreet Man. These days he's also performing with one arm in a sling, a memento of a snowboarding mishap.

We haven't said anything about the music, which in boy band land is often not the first consideration anyway. Actually, the Backstreeters probably deserve their place at the pinnacle of the teen pyramid. They harmonize competently and share the vocal duties more evenly than some of the competition. By far, their biggest asset is the slick production and tuneful songwriting support they've gotten from Max Martin and the late Denniz Pop.

The basic idea (almost the only idea) is to project romantic fantasy in ballad form. That said, "I Want It That Way" may be the catchiest tune ever to find its way into a teen idol's repertoire of charms.

Daily Iowan Review: 11/02/99 Iowa City, IA

Source: Daily Iowan 11/3/99

Iowa City, IA

DI reporter Robin Wright

Back(squeal)street (squeal) Boys (squeal)

The Backstreet Boys took a back seat to no one Tuesday

Thousands of squealing girls flood out of minivans into Caver-Hawkeye Arena, dressed in their favorite pair of flared jeans and carrying glittery posters.

The majority of them can't drive and begged rides off mom and dad to attend their first concert.

This is the scene when the Backstreet Boys come to Iowa City.

Approximately 80 percent of the sold-out concert of 16,000 people was made up of minors, fueling campus criticism of SCOPE for not finding a more college-oriented band, said Ryan Barker, the SCOPE director.

"We got a lot of flak when it was announced that Backstreet Boys was coming but I don't care," he said. "It´s the biggest act in music today."

The six middle-school-aged girls who arrived at the concert with Kay McCafferty of Geneseo, Il., had no complaints about the choice of bands.

"My daughter is the biggest Backstreet Boys fan," she said.

Although University of Iowa junior Matt Schultz and his friend Scott Tanner of Mason City were among the few male attendees, they still enjoyed themselves at the concert.

"People make fun of me, but I don't care. I love the Backstreet Boys," Schultz said.

But for some UI students, the Backstreet Boys just provided the opportunity for a pleasant evening,

"We don't even know the names of the Backstreet Boys, but we just wanted to have fun," said UI senior Becky Maack.

Tickets for the concert went on sale on AUg. 14, nine days before the UI classes started, and sold out in 45 minutes. SCOPE was powerless to make ticket sales more convenient for UI students," Barker said.

"There was nothing we could do about it," he said.

The group is the third concert to be held at Carver this year, after the arena had stayed out of the big band circuit for five years.

"We've been working friggin' hard to get people to come to Iowa City, and it's finally paying off," Barker said.

Backstreet Boys’ upbeat outlook hooks teens

Source: Detroit News

By Kevin Ransom / Special to The Detroit News

Teen-pop rules! You could call the astounding success of the Backstreet Boys and other “boy groups” in the late ’90s a sugar-sweet reaction to the punishing grunge-rock and alt-rock that ruled the charts earlier this decade.

Or you could just call it fun.

Either way, the Backstreet Boys are back in Motown and playing sold-out shows at the Palace on Saturday, Sunday and Monday .

“The music of the Backstreet Boys is positive, and light and easy to listen to,” says Sandy Warner, 36, of South Lyon, who’ll be in the crowd this weekend. “It doesn’t project the negative, depressing images that a lot of the alternative bands seem to project.”

For Warner, the parent of two children, ages 7 and 13, that’s an important consideration.

“I just couldn’t listen to the alternative and grunge bands any more,” says Warner, although she says she still enjoys groups like Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind. “The Backstreet Boys have a positive outlook on things everyone can relate to, like boyfriends and girlfriends. Nothing gets too deep or too heavily emotional.”

Maybe that’s why the commercial power of the Backstreet Boys has been so staggering. Their Saturday show at the Palace sold out in eight minutes — the fastest in Palace history — and all three shows were sold out within 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Backstreet Boys have sold a combined 18 million copies of their last two albums. Indeed, when their Millennium album was released in May, it sold 1.1 million copies in its first week, breaking the single-week SoundScan sales record previously held by Garth Brooks.

And on Aug. 14, when tickets for their fall tour went on sale, 765,000 sold out in one day, raking in $30 million. Most of those tickets were gone within an hour.

Like many massively popular teen-pop acts, the Backstreet Boys take a drubbing from the critics. When not ignoring the Boys completely, critics use terms like “gooey,” “bland,” “formulaic” and even “insipid” when describing the Boys’ electro-pop and swooning ballads. But the fact that their music is so harmless and inoffensive is what makes it so palatable to the mass audience.

“Yeah, their music is pretty harmless,” says Dana Lundon, music director at WQKI-FM (95.5). “Obviously, their biggest audience is teen-age girls, but I think parents also like them because they’re pretty good role models.

“I think a lot of parents are just so happy that their kids are into the Backstreet Boys, as opposed to someone like Marilyn Manson,” she adds.

“But they really are the epitome of pop music. It’s pretty contagious stuff,” says Lundon, 34. “It’s not something I go home and play, but if it comes on the radio, I don’t shut it off, either. And I find myself singing one of their songs to myself and thinking, Oh, like I haven’t heard that enough. ... It’s just very hooky.”

Cristin Lentine of Sterling Heights is such a big fan of the Boys that she traveled to Washington, D.C., in September for a show. She’s going to two of the Palace concerts and will catch their Lexington, Ky., concert Nov. 27.

“Their music is unbelievable, and I don’t agree that it’s just for teen-agers,” says Lentine, 20. “I’m involved in a group called the Mature Fan Club. It’s men and women, mostly over the age of 25, who are into the Backstreet Boys’ music.

“Their promoters and marketers have targeted young people, but that’s just the way the record industry is. It’s been that way since the Beatles.”

Lentine isn’t just a teen-pop fan, however. “I think Metallica is great, and I’m also into groups like Nirvana and Aerosmith.”

As a 16-year-old, Danielle Eckhout of Utica is an enthusiastic member of the Backstreet Boys’ target audience.

“Yeah, I guess they have more appeal to young girls, because of their looks,” says Danielle, who’s going to two of the shows this weekend. “Some of them are really good-looking, and they’re real trendy-looking, like the ideal guy. And their words appeal to us too, because they sing about love — you know, that little word.”

Unsurprisingly, Eckhout knows very few boys who are into the Boys.

“My boyfriend despises them,” she says. “He won’t even go to the show. And if one of the guys starts singing a Backstreet Boys song, the other guys will say, Hey, shut up, quit singin’ that.’ ”

The first Backstreet Boys show at the Palace sold out in eight minutes, a record, and all three shows were gone in 45 minutes.

Music Preview
Backstreet Boys

with EYC and Mandy Moore

7:30 p.m. Sat., Sun., Mon.

Palace of Auburn Hills

Sold out

(248) 377-0100

Performing via satelite

The boys will be performing via satelite from Toronto at the MTV Europe Music Awards wich is held in The Point, Dublin on November 11 1999.

Pressconference for fans

There will be a press conference that will be held at the Skydome in Toronto on November 11th 1999 but it will be a press conference only for fans.

'Millennium' 8x platinus in Chile

'Millennium'is 8x platinus in Chile, that means 400.000 records sold so far in a country that has only 13 millions of people.

BSBband.com has been updated, go and check it out! It has a pic of A.J. with his new hair color. But I have some cool news from the BSB band page for you:

News from the BSB band page

Source: Tommy Smith of the BSBband.com homepage

Kevin dislocated his shoulder while snow boarding in Denver. He's fine now. He is not dancing for the next few shows but otherwise he's alright. Don't worry.

The Boys went into the studio in California and recorded some background vocals for a new Elton John song that will be featured in an upcoming animated film from Dreamworks.

The next tour will start in February and will be another tour of the US. Texas will be included.

LONDON (Billboard) - One RCA boy band ceded the top place on the U.K. singles chart to another on Sunday. Five's "Keep On Movin" entered at No. 1, becoming the act's first chart-topper and unseating Westlife's "Flying Without Wings," which fell to No. 4. Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" (Columbia) debuted at No. 5, while Diana Ross appeared at No. 9 with "Not Over You Yet" on EMI/Chrysalis. It's the 18th solo (or duet) top 10 hit in the U.K. for Ross and her first since "One Shining Moment" in 1992. The U.K.'s new No. 1 album is by Jive act and singles chart regulars Steps, whose "Steptacular" hit the peak as the group's arena tour of the country continued. Genesis came in at No. 4 on Virgin with its "Turn It On Again: The Hits" compilation.

Europe's new favorite album, meanwhile, marked a triumphant comeback for Eurythmics, as "Peace" (RCA) went straight to the top of Music & Media's European Top 100 Albums for the Nov. 6 issue. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart's first studio project together in a decade had a series of high chart entries, including No. 2 showings in Germany and Switzerland, No. 4 in the U.K., No. 5 in Italy and Sweden, No. 6 in France, and No. 9 in Austria. M&M's Sales Breaker album this week is Eric Clapton's Reprise compilation "Chronicles," with an 8-2 climb on the European chart; the Backstreet Boys have that award on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, jumping 12-5 with the Jive release "Larger Than Life." Christina Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle" (RCA) album spends a second week at No. 1 on that survey.

Millennium Certifications

Source: Zomba

10x Platinum (Diamond) - Canada

8x Platinum - USA

3x Platinum - Taiwan, Philippines, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Japan

2x Platinum - Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Thailand

Platinum - Hong Kong, South Korea, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand

Gold - UK, Finland, Sweden, the Gulf, Norway, France, Portugal

With over 16 million "Millennium" albums sold worldwide!

Kevin performs despite of Injury

Only four snowboards flew into Denver's Pepsi Center Sunday night. An injured Kevin arose from the center of the stage, his right arm in a sling. Near the beginning of the show when they each spoke to the audience Kevin said "I was looking forward to coming to Colorado and doing some snowboarding but,as you can see, I messed myself up yesterday." He did not say what type of injury but his entire arm was in a sling and immobilized. My guess is it's more than just a sprain. He did his best with the dance moves, even climbing the pole. Later in the show he said "I feel worthless up here but I want you to know that I'm singin' my heart out for you."

During 'All I Have To Give' he stood at the top platform of the stage and just danced by himself since he had no way of doing the hat routine. He did that during the chair routine for 'As Long As You Love Me'. The whole arena would simply erupted with screams whenever Kevin was on the screen.

Denver Rocky Mountain Review; 10/31/99, Denver, CO

Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News

Backstreet Boys craft fun pop spectacle

By Mark Brown
Our Rating: B
Denver Rocky Mountain News Critic

It's easy to rip on the Backstreet Boys and their '90s-lite music. Not to mention it's a whole lot of fun, too. That is exactly where music critics go wrong. The Backstreet Boys are the musical equivalent of movies with Will Smith and aliens. They exist strictly to entertain. If you're looking for art or deeper meaning -- well, pal, you're the one who's messed up. You can argue that music should have a higher purpose than giving people sappy love songs to sing along to, but then you'd have to toss out all your early Beatles and Supremes albums.

So let's ignore the snobbery for a moment and answer some basic questions. Did they keep up their end of the bargain? Did they give a good show?

Sure. The Boys came to town and did what they were supposed to do and kept every promise their fans expected of them. They sounded perfect. They looked great. They served up the hits early and often. And they gave an arena full of kids the time of their lives on Halloween night and resisted the urge to gouge 'em on ticket prices in the process. Heck, they even went onstage at the relatively early hour of 8:15 -- it's a school night, you know.

So blasting them for not being Lou Reed is pointless. In fact, in an era where concert tickets cost as much as airline tickets and where even minor stars cop a fame-is-so-hard bad attitude, you wonder why more artists can't be this good to their fans. With an in-the-round set-up, crystal-clear sound and five big screens, even those in the rafters saw and heard it all. And top ticket price was less than $40.

For the uninitiated (that is, those of you without kids), the Backstreet Boys are the current version of the Spice Girls, except that the Boys can sing. And the word boys is a misnomer: They're five guys from Orlando, Fla., between the ages of 19 and 27 (Brian, A.J., Howie D., Kevin and Nick). Their image couldn't be cleaner, though, or more carefully crafted; they croon heartfelt if generic love ballads like I'll Be The One, It's Gotta Be You. They post fun "facts" on their official Web site about who has the neatest bedroom. It's no wonder the tour is sponsored by Sears. And the careful crafting pays off; they've ruled the pop charts since May with the release of their second album, Millennium.

It must have been impossible to get a baby sitter in Denver on Sunday night; every girl in the city between 12 and 16 was packed into the Pepsi Center. At most shows you need earplugs because of the band; here you needed them because of the crowd. The screams were at jet-engine levels for the generic opening act, E.Y.C. When the Backstreet Boys hit the stage -- well, you're not going to hear those kind of decibels at a Nuggets game anytime soon.

Entering above the crowd's heads on floating, sparking skateboards accompanied by the Star Wars theme -- how could you possibly make that up? -- the Boys were unflaggingly upbeat and generous. The marketing plan may be a bit cynical, but the Boys themselves are doing their jobs with enthusiasm and heart. The moves may be calculated, but they're nice ones; during The Perfect Fan they not only brought onstage five sets of mothers and daughters but gave them cameras to record the moment.

They know exactly what they're doing, playing to the crowd and the cameras simultaneously. Surrounded by a crack six-piece band and 10 dancers, it's not a rock show so much as a spectacle. Fireworks, flashpots and fog machines kept the technical crew sweating and even kept the parents out of the bars. You also got The Many Moods of the Backstreet Boys, from the raucous dance numbers to the solemn, sitting-on-stools ballads. Give them credit for being able to pull it off -- no lip-syncing or other shenanigans, just skilled singing and dancing, even with Kevin Richardson's right arm in a sling from a snowboarding accident.

The music? This is where it gets sticky. It's inoffensive if unremarkable, lifting the smoother urban, urbane sounds that have worked so well for Babyface, Mariah Carey and others. They're not breaking any new ground on album or in concert but they're not trying to. It's as far from edgy as you can get, and that suits people just fine. The crowd knew the opening notes of every song, from the hits (I Want It That Way, Everybody) to the newer album cuts (Don't Want You Back) to the "oldies" from 1998 (That's The Way I Like It).

With a solid two hours of songs, the band certainly earned its money and the crowd certainly got its money worth. Is that a bad thing?

Westlife thanks Backstreet Boys on album

I´ve got the Westlife album yesterday and in the special thank you they thank the Backstreet Boys!

Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News

Elitch's Fright Fest might have a good shot at it if only the Backstreet Boys weren't performing next door at the Pepsi Center. The only question, actually, is who'll be screaming the loudest -- 18,000 teen and preteen girls or their parents. Either way, it's going to be the population of a small town going out of its collective mind over five Orlando guys singing sad, sincere love songs.