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Brian Littrell,
Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, and AJ Mclean
are the Backstreet Boys.
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The Backstreet Boys get
back to basics |
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Preview by
Anita
Murrin |
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 s someone in the band gay? Did someone in the group beat up their
girlfriend? Which one is dating Paris Hilton? Who went to rehab? Did
someone record a gospel record? Did I see one of them wearing a dress?
Like other teen idols, the Backstreet Boys are subjects of intense
gossip, evidence of their enduring popularity. They may not be destined
for the rock hall of fame, but millions of teens in America, Europe, and
Japan bought their albums, providing all five members with a comfortable
retirement.
A Google search for Backstreet Boys information
reveals hundreds of sites devoted to praising or dissing the group.
Their official website offers a journal where band members share
information with fans, offer samples of their music, list tour dates,
and offer photos suitable for framing in high school lockers everywhere.
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The Backstreet Boys, with their
coordinated outfits and hip-hop dance moves, will live on in the
memories of teenage girls from California to Connecticut. |
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The original
members of the Backstreet Boys answered an ad in the Orlando Sentinel,
encouraging them to audition for a new pop group. “Producer seeks male
teen singers that move well between 16-19 years of age. Wanted for New
Kids-type singing/dance group.” The current lineup features only three
of the first five members. Two of the original Backstreet Boys left the
group after disagreements with controversial manager Lou Pearlman, the same
producer who launched N’Sync to stardom. Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and
Nick Carter were already in place. The remaining slots were filled by
Kevin Richardson and his cousin Brian Littrell, who auditioned over the
phone to become the fifth member.
A barrage of negative press followed the group. They were mocked for
not writing their own songs, corny performances, and the suggestion that
they lacked substance. Media criticism didn’t prevent Backstreet from
rocketing up the charts. Their top-ten singles include “We Got It Going
On,” “Quit Playing Games with My Heart,” “I Want It That Way,” “Larger
than Life,” and “Shape of My Heart.” During a five-year break from
recording, they released a multi-platinum greatest hits package. While
in hiatus, members of the group launched solo albums that never took
flight with critics or fans. After a legal battle with Pearlman, the
group returned to the studio and recorded their latest release “Never
Gone” in June 2005. The first single, “Incomplete” went into heavy
rotation on both radio and MTV.
According to Rolling Stone critic Barry Walters, the Backstreet Boys are
coasting on fumes. In a June 2005 review of
“Never Gone,” Walters wrote, “The
Backstreet men rarely accelerate beyond a midtempo thud . . . With all
the millions they've made, can't the Backstreet organization afford
someone to write better titles than My Beautiful Woman and Poster
Girl?” Of course, a decade from now, no one will remember that Walters
existed. The Backstreet Boys, however, with their coordinated
outfits and hip-hop dance moves, will live on in the memories of teenage
girls from California to Connecticut. The group will live forever as a
guilty pleasure.
On Friday, September 2, the Backstreet Boys host the Z100 Last Chance Summer Dance at
the
Clark County
Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington. This is the
last stop of their current tour and concert organizers expect 5000 or
more fans to attend. Parking is free, another perk of locating the show
away from the Rose Quarter or Waterfront Park.
The show begins at 7:30pm. At least two other acts are scheduled to
appear, but the Backstreet Boys headline the show. Tickets are
available through
Ticketmaster or the
Clark County Amphitheater Box
Office.
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Published September 2, 2005 |
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by Christopher Vetter
Watching the Backstreet Boys was
low on my list of concert priorities this year.
Their mindless boy band optimism, goofy choreography, frozen
smiles, and creepy popularity with underage girls made them an
easy target for my contempt.
I went to the show anyway. For more than two hours, these
guys delivered a high octane performance, thrilling fans with
roughly a decade of material from their four multi-platinum
albums. They were smooth and soulful, offering power
ballads and new interpretations of their original hits.
The Backstreet Boys connected with fans, revealing a sincerity
and depth I never anticipated.
The crowd was a broad demographic mix. Thousands of
college-age women attended the concert, along with teenage
girls, suburban housewives, and a small but visible coterie of
homosexual men. In the front row, three forty-something
guys dressed in slacks and dress shirts danced throughout the
performance, lip synching to every song, clearly enthralled with
the band. They repeatedly slapped hands, living and dying
with each falsetto blast.
During a slow number, simulated snow was released from the
ceiling, gently falling into the first few rows. This made
perfect sense, since I was certain Hell would freeze over before
I attended a Backstreet Boys show. As I left for the
parking lot, I slipped on some ice and was injured by a polar
bear. To my astonishment, I liked these guys. I
enjoyed their positive energy and I was impressed with their
poise and confidence. The Backstreet Boys know how to
please an audience. They have seen a million faces, and
they rocked them all. |
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