Backstreet Boys light up America West
By Ann Brown
Razzle-dazzle lights, oh-wow special effects, high-energy dancing, sweetly strong voices, endearing lyrics and, of course, wholesome good looks.
On Tuesday night, the Backstreet Boys demonstrated to an America West Arena capacity crowd of 18,000 why the harmonizing quintet leads the guy-group pack.
From the moment Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter were lowered from aerial suspensions onto the raised, pentagon-shaped stage until they exited though a trapdoor almost two hours later, the group mesmerized and invigorated the standing, swaying, singing crowd.
The precise, well-choreographed show felt much like theater: Kaleidoscopic lights and shapes bathed the stage and often the crowd from space-station-type arrays on the arena’s ceiling. Fireworks crackled, and the stage’s center rose to elevate the teen heartthrobs even higher.
Multiple costume changes let the guys be cyborg-looking, T-shirt-casual and all-suited-up in peachy-pink (really) and French cuffs.
The high-voltage Orlando- based quintet primarily sang and danced its way through selections from its “Millennium” album, which was released in early June, soared to No. 1 its first week and has hovered near the top of the pop and adult contemporary charts ever since.
The group, which is touring arenas around the country, took advantage of the America West acoustics, designed to intimidate opposing basketball teams, and created a skull-pounding sound that nevertheless did not overpower the clear, sweet voices.
Opening acts Mandy Moore and EYC didn’t fare as well: Overwhelming bass obscured their lyrics.
The concert exploited the best of the Boys: gentle, uplifting romantic lyrics. There was never profanity, raw angst or misogyny. Girls swooned to the soft “I Want It That Way” lyrics: “You are my fire/The one desire. . . .”
While their music may not be cutting-edge, gut-wrenching or especially challenging, it is pleasing and gives teen-agers a positive, predictable musical influence. And for many young teens, a safe crush.
While the audience was predominantly younger teen-age girls, there were plenty of older teens — boys and girls — and parents with young children.
And yes, those teen-age boys and parents were standing and clapping, too.
“I think they’re talented. I like their music,” said Tucsonan Margaret Gomez, who won tickets for daughters Jessica, 16, and Paula, 12, and bought tickets for herself and an adult son. She readily admits buying the Boys’ CD for herself. Paula Gomez had another observation: “They’re gorgeous!”
As the five danced and sang in the well-orchestrated, polished presentation, they conveyed an appreciation and respect for their fans. Of course, each made the obligatory we-love-you-Phoenix comments near the first part of the concert.
But during “Perfect Fan,” a tender song of appreciation written by Littrell for his mom, five sets of mothers and daughters were brought to the stage, and each daughter strolled the stage hand-in-hand with one of the Boys. These were not perfect, perky model-like teens, but everygirls, some of whom had a few extra pounds and stringy hair.
Can’t imagine a teen-ager or mom in the audience who couldn’t relate to the lyrics or the Boys’ seemingly genuine graciousness with the girls.
The uplifting fan-appreciation song “Larger Than Life” sent the crowd clapping and cheering. The Boys told the crowd, “Yeah, every time we’re down/Yeah, you can make it right/Yeah, and that’s what makes you larger than life.”
The Boys’ respect for the audience apparently didn’t filter down to management. Sign-carrying, singing fans began lining up at about 5 p.m. The neat lines that snaked around the arena at 5:30 became a shoving, pushing, elbowing, “let-us-in” chanting crowd when the doors finally opened at 6:45. Beads of sweat quickly washed away all that Tommy Girl cologne.
With only 45 minutes to squeeze 18,000 people through the turnstiles, the throngs at the T-shirt vendor (a commemorative concert tour T-shirt is a mandatory teen item) and concessions were maddening, and most people were not seated when the concert began promptly at 7:30 p.m.
This wasn’t all bad. At least those in line didn’t have to sit through scrawny Britney Spears-wannabe Mandy Moore screeching through her opening set, which included her new release “Candy.” Her remarks about her talented backup dancers — referring to the four hunks as “my dancers” — were unnecessarily patronizing.
Interracial cute-guy trio EYC (Express Yourself Clearly) followed Moore with high-energy harmonies that had rap undertones. The group’s athletic dance routines were peppered with a few flips and a display of their washboard abs.
The Backstreet Boys, who were supported by 10 talented dancers and a knock-your-socks-off backup band, found several ways back to the hearts of a packed arena. source:www.azstarnet.com
