TIU Tour Articles (no chatting) [Archive]

misha17

05-28-2010, 08:06 PM

* Nick Interview, May 27 St Petersburg Times. Posted in the thread, Nick intv, St. Peterburg Times, May 26/27
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?2981-Nick-intv-St.-Peterburg-Times-May-26-27

Posted online May 26, will be in the May 27th paper:

http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/a-word-with-nick-carter-as-backstreet-boys-come-to-ruth-eckerd-hall-may-31/1097728

A word with Nick Carter as Backstreet Boys come to Ruth Eckerd Hall May 31
By Stephanie Hayes, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, May 27, 2010

By STEPHANIE HAYES

Times Staff Writer

Is this where we make the "Backstreet's back" quip?

Let's not. It's way overused, not to mention possibly inaccurate. Nick Carter says the Backstreet Boys never went away — even if you didn't notice. For 17 years the group has toiled to stay alive. They've sold more than 100 million albums. They've been golden boys and guilty pleasures. They lost a member and continued as a foursome. Their latest album, This Is Us, came out in 2009. The Backstreet Boys are back (fine) on a world tour, stopping at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Memorial Day.

Carter, the teen idol who grew up in Apollo Beach and Ruskin, is now 30. He has navigated addiction, screamy reality TV and industry scandal, but says he's in a good place. He called from home in Nashville to talk about the tour and his favorite Tampa memories (RIP, stadium Bennigan's). And if Justin Bieber loyalists don't appreciate his music, he's content to count their moms as fans.

Do you still keep a house in Tampa Bay?

I don't, but when I get some time, I'm going to go look again in Tierra Verde. That's one of my favorite places.

What was it like growing up here?

My experience there was amazing. I have so many friends there. Tampa's my home. I'm a huge, die-hard Buccaneer fan. On my Twitter, I have the Bucs flag as my picture. I'm kind of a fanatic. I'm a little crazy, you know?

What about the Rays?

I'm down with all Tampa teams. I love the Rays, too.

How is the tour going?

The show itself is probably one of the best we've ever put on. It gets really big. We've got four girl dancers, a lot of people on stage. The new music, the new record, it's dance pop. … It's basically what we've done over the years. Anyone that comes to the show is going to get an opportunity to go in a time warp and enjoy the '90s again.

Are you playing more intimate venues in America?

There are some places that are bigger and some places that are smaller. The show is designed for an extremely big place. We just did Asia and we were playing 20,000 seats a night. We were playing 20,000 in Europe. We had to take smaller venues in the states. (Overseas) they're not afraid of pop music and boy bands.

How is it different touring now than 10 years ago?

I think it's more fun because, think about it, there are a lot of groups out there who probably wish that they could still be doing what we're doing, and they just can't because they gave up or they didn't believe in what they were doing or they moved on in life, and they're all sitting back and home and fat and we're in shape. We're out on the road and dancing and we're healthy and singing music and entertaining, and they're probably all kicking themselves in the butt. We stayed the course. It's been 17 years solid. It's almost like we're the pop version of the Rolling Stones.

How do you feel about teen pop stars like Justin Bieber?

We were there. We were doing the same thing and now we're in our own zone, our own generation. Their kids are into these new artists and their parents are going, "We had a pop band, too. We liked the Backstreet Boys." Now they're probably going to rediscover us again. That's kind of how it goes in life. When they rediscover us, they'll realize, wait a minute, it's not just nostalgia. It's not just old music. There's a new album out that's amazing.

What surprises you?

To this day, seeing all these fans coming to the shows. You see so many people coming still and it's like, man, they don't get enough. I guess they realize how great of entertainers we are. To be a Backstreet Boys fan is taboo. In some way, they like that. They like being a part of something special.

*********

*edit/update*

The paper's blog has a "preview" of the article. No new content, just a summary of the interview:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/tbt/2010/05/the-backstreet-boys-nick-carter-talks-tampa-justin-bieber-and-growing-up-a-teen-idol.html

The Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter talks Tampa, Justin Bieber and growing up a teen idol

It says something about the Tampa Bay area that one of the biggest stars to come from here is Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, who was raised on the mean streets of Ruskin.

"My experience there was amazing," he said in a recent interview with Stephanie Hayes. "I have so many friends there. Tampa's my home. I'm a huge, die-hard Buccaneer fan. On my Twitter, I have the Bucs flag as my picture. I'm kind of a fanatic. I'm a little crazy, you know?"

So were his fans, back in 2000, when a ridiculous 45,000 screaming Backstreet Boys fanatics crammed into Tropicana Field to watch the group in concert, when they were the biggest pop band in the world.

Things have changed since then. For one thing, the Boys are now a four-piece, after the departure of Kevin Richardson. For another, the band's days of playing 45,000-seat arenas are probably over. Instead, the Backstreet Boys will hit Ruth Eckerd Hall on Monday; tickets are $52.50. Click here for details.

Before he returned for a hometown gig, Carter chatted with Stephanie about life as a Tampa Bay Bucs fan, the differences in touring now versus a decade ago, and the newest mop-topped boy idol on the scene, Justin Bieber.

"We were there," Carter said of Bieber's reigning status as the teen pinup du jour. "We were doing the same thing and now we're in our own zone, our own generation. Their kids are into these new artists and their parents are going, "We had a pop band, too. We liked the Backstreet Boys." Now they're probably going to rediscover us again. That's kind of how it goes in life."

....

misha17

05-28-2010, 08:12 PM

AJ intv, May 27 Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune
Posted in the thread, New AJ McLean interview with HeraldTribune.com
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?3241-New-AJ-McLean-interview-with-HeraldTribune.com&highlight=Dankeschoen

Backstreet's back, and they bring 'This Is Us'

A.J. McLean sounds fully prepared for the demands of touring this year with his bandmates in the Backstreet Boys.

"I'm in the best shape I've ever been in, so I can actually perform it and look good, too," McLean said in a recent phone interview.

He better be in shape. According to McLean, the current tour -- which includes a stop Monday night at Ruth Eckerd Hall -- requires more dancing from the Backstreet Boys than the show the group took on the road following the 2007 album "Unbreakable."

"We've got four extra dancers. And production-wise, we're doing like a bunch of different gags and stuff," McLean said. "It's going to be very theatrical, lots of dancing on our part. It's going to be very entertaining. It's going to be really, really entertaining and cool with all the old songs mixed in with the new ones."

The new music comes courtesy of "This Is Us," the CD the Backstreet Boys released last October. The album is an attempt to recapture the R&B-influenced dance-pop sound of the group's early albums, after a bit of a stylistic departure on its 2005 CD, "Never Gone" and "Unbreakable," which were more pop-oriented.

McLean, though, said the musical direction of the group wasn't the main reason "Unbreakable," in particular, was less than a smash.

"Honestly, the reason why it didn't do so well is because the songs weren't that good," McLean said.

Seeing lackluster album sales was a new experience for the Backstreet Boys, which was put together by music mogul Lou Pearlman in 1993.

more+++
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100527/ARTICLE/5271009/2072/FEATURES?p=2&tc=pg

misha17

05-28-2010, 08:16 PM

* Brian intv, May 27, CityLinkMix (Miami), Posted in the thread, Good interview with Brian--Flashmobs, boybands, and crazy fans!!
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?3280-Good-interview-with-Brian-Flashmobs-boybands-and-crazy-fans!!

http://citylinkmix.com/music/backstreet-boys-forever-young/
Backstreet Boys: Forever young

The numbers speak for themselves: The Backstreet Boys have sold more than 130 million albums, released 24 singles and are now in the middle of their ninth tour. The pop act’s 2007 album, Unbreakable, is aptly named, especially when it comes to Brian Littrell. The 35-year-old singer was born with a heart defect, which has required him to undergo several surgeries over the years. In 2008, his son Baylee was diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki disease, which causes an inflammation of the arteries. And this past October, Littrell had to cancel several shows and appearances after being diagnosed with swine flu. Littrell called City Link from his Atlanta home May 14 while recovering from another minor surgery. The resilient crooner with the slight Southern accent was in good spirits, even breaking into a pitch-perfect verse of “I Want It That Way.”

What has it been like being on the road again?
[This Is Us, Backstreet's latest album] came out in October of last year. So the This Is Us tour started in November of last year over in Europe. We did all of Europe last fall and winter. Then, we did Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan and now, we’re kicking off the U.S. leg of the tour. In August, we’ll be in Canada and in November, we’re talking about South America. It only takes us 12 or 14 months to get around the whole world, but we’re excited to be touring back home. It’s definitely a nice, rewarding thing to be able to tour in your home country.

You guys had taken a little hiatus. Was there ever a time you thought the Backstreet Boys would never tour again?
To be honest with you, there was a time after the Black and Blue tour had ended where we did take a break. We were all kind of searching for who we wanted to become — not only as individuals but as a group, as well. We had been touring for nine or 10 years straight at that time and really busting our butts and making a name for ourselves. But then, when you make a name for yourself, you kind of sit back and say, “OK, now what do we do?” There was a time when we were in a growing-pain type of environment, where we were going in separate directions as individuals. But now, I think our differences bring us together instead of tear us apart. We’re a lot older now. We’ve been together for 17 years and we’re also good friends. We’re loyal to one another and we care for one another in the fact that we’re all helping each other continue to be successful. And the fans are attributed to that.

What has been the wildest thing a fan has done to get backstage?
We were somewhere in Europe, and I was backstage with my security guard getting ready to go have dinner. And I knew on the schedule we have a daily outline of the things we have to do for work that day. Press is typically on it, but I knew that day we didn’t have anything on the schedule for press. I was headed to dinner with my security guard and along come these two girls that are walking down the ramp to the back of the arena. They had these huge press passes on. They were these crazy, big laminated press passes and another pass with their picture IDs on it, which were laminated, as well. And they walked right by me and they kind of stopped. They weren’t speaking English, so I was wondering if they were gonna stop and talk to me or not. But they walked really slowly by me and I saw their press badge said “makeup” on it.

Were you expecting a makeup artist?
Sometimes, when we do TV, we try to look as pretty as we possibly can. We get our dark circles taken out. We are a bunch of guys but we tell all the secrets. It’s no big deal. So we get a little powder or something to look presentable on TV. They said they were doing makeup for press. So I had my security guard start to question them. Well, they made these passes, got backstage, walked all the way to the dressing room and nobody stopped them or asked them anything. I ended up signing autographs for them and taking pictures. It was pretty funny. That’s kind of going all out.

Your fans have been known to form flash mobs in the streets of Italy and Peru. What’s the farthest a fan has gone to get your attention?
There have been people who have broken in and then, they’re sitting in our dressing room waiting for us. That happened in Germany. There were these girls wearing really ripped-up jeans sitting on our sofa in the dressing room. We walked in and they kind of gasped for air screaming, “Oh, my God, it’s the Backstreet Boys.” Their legs were literally bleeding. We asked them how they got in there and why they were bleeding and they said, “Oh, we jumped the fence and broke in.”

You had a No. 1 song on the Christian charts after releasing your first solo CD, Welcome Home, in 2006. Will you do another Christian album?
I grew up singing in church as a little boy and I always wanted to do contemporary Christian music. That’s really what I thought I’d do with my life. I am in the process of working on my sophomore CD. It’s been one of the most rewarding things in my life other than being a parent, because it’s close to my heart. A lot of people don’t know that I had a vocal scholarship presented to me in the early ’90s to a Bible college in Cincinnati and I passed up on that to be a Backstreet Boy in 1993. Little did I know, we’d still be here 17 years later and actually have made a career out of being a boy band. But I knew when I got the chance, I’d step out on my own two feet and do some contemporary Christian music because that was always where I thought my path was to go.

So are you psyched about embarking on your first Backstreet Boys Cruise?
Yes, that’s in December of this year. We’ve been trying to put together a cruise probably for five years. It was one of our original ideas that many managers in the past have taken other groups to do before us. I’ve never even been on a cruise before. I was joking with fans on Twitter that I’ll probably be wearing a life jacket the whole time. My wife has never gone on one either. I’m going to take my wife and my son and some family members and close friends. We’ll kind of be trapped on the boat. I’m a little worried about that. I can’t go anywhere. I may have to call a chopper. Just kidding. It’s going to be fun.

The Kids on the Block Cruise left Miami May 14. Is your band friends with any of the other boy bands, such as NKOTB or ‘NSYNC?
We’re acquaintances. The only ones I can say we’re really more than acquaintances with is Joey Fatone from ‘NSYNC. He and I have hung out several times over the years. He’s just a lovable guy and there’s not one bad thing you could say about him. He makes everybody feel like they’re special. Justin [Timberlake] is pretty much the same way. We’ve hung out. He invited me to his solo show here in Atlanta before, and I hung out backstage with him. I call him a kid because he’s younger than I am. He’s extremely talented. I’d love to still play some golf with him. We haven’t been able to get that on the schedule. From the New Kids standpoint, I can’t really say that I know any of those guys. I have exchanged some e-mails with Donnie [Wahlberg] several times in the past.

Was your band ever in competition with the other boy bands?
There’s enough room for everybody. There was always a big competition between ‘NSYNC and us that was really kind of created by the press years ago. Who was bigger? Who was better? Who was gonna sell more? When you look back to all the groups in the history in the pop world, there’s always somebody that’s the next best thing and life goes on. Now, it’s Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato. Disney cranks ‘em out left and right.

Are you expecting to see familiar faces in the crowd during this tour?
To see people’s faces whether you’re 29 or 35 or 40 is still great. Maybe you’re 18 and your older sister loved us when you were in grade school, but you didn’t really care then but want to come to a show now. The longer we stay around, there are more guys that come out to our shows and say, “Hey, we like the Backstreet Boys now.” When they were 18 and all their girlfriends were jamming to “I Want It That Way,” they pretended they didn’t like it. What’s great about getting older, and we all are, is that now it’s cool because they’re married and have kids and can say, “Yeah, I like that song.”

misha17

05-28-2010, 08:22 PM

Nick intv, May 28 Orlando Sentinel, Posted in the thread, New Nick's Interview - Backstreet Boys are back (again)
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?3345-New-Nick-s-Interview-Backstreet-Boys-are-back-(again)

Backstreet Boys are back (again)
Jim Abbott

SOUNDBOARD

3:10 p.m. EDT, May 27, 2010

This doesn't mean much, but here it is:

In 1993, I filed one of the first newspaper stories ever on a group that no one had ever heard of.

The Backstreet Boys were rehearsing at a steamy blimp hangar in an industrial section of Kissimmee. They were doing a cappella serenades for anyone who would listen, including me, at Italian restaurants and business offices. They were playing middle schools.

More than 16 years later, I am talking on the phone to Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. He's now age 30, which seems pretty old to be in a boy band.

Like some other child stars, his transition into adulthood yielded embarrassing tabloid headlines: There was a rocky relationship with Paris Hilton that included allegations of physical abuse and a sex tape. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to drunk-driving charges.

Those days are behind him and he's again on the road with the Backstreet Boys, though it's obvious the glory days are in the past. With the departure of Kevin Richardson, there are now only four Backstreet Boys: Carter, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell.

The band's Orlando homecoming on Tuesday is at Hard Rock Live, not an arena. On the phone, I can't help thinking that I now might be doing one of the last interviews with a Backstreet Boy.

Ah, closure.

I ease my way into a question about whether it's a bummer to be playing smaller halls.

"We're still an arena band," Carter says. "In the states, not a lot of people are interested in a boy-band from the '90s, but if we go over to Australia or Europe, or to Asia or Canada, we're still playing 20,000-seaters in all those areas. We have a show that is made for those venues."

He's equally glass-half-full about the band's most recent album, This Is Us: "I think it's the best album we've done in a very long time and I'm very proud of that. If we can build on this, we have a lot of good things to look forward to."

When Carter started with the group, at age 12, did he envision being a Backstreet Boy at 30?

"I was really young, so it was hard to look at it and know what was coming," he says. "I just wanted to have fun and create music and dance and sing. That's all I wanted to do. I really didn't look too far ahead and I still don't; I live in the moment, still, and it's great right now."

Carter is most happy to have his erratic party days in the past tense.

"I am fortunate every single day," he says. "Don't get me wrong, there are things that come up that I have to always stay on top of. It's about being aware of the things that have brought you down and knowing what they look like."

If no one warned him of the pitfalls of success, it's because it's not that easy, he says.

"The manual is the mistakes of the people before you. Humans do things. They just learn from their mistakes and move on. We didn't get it right completely and some of the same stuff happens now."

So what does Carter think when he looks at the Miley Cyruses and Demi Lovatos of the world? A new era of Disney-powered teen pop? Listening to Carter, you'd almost think the Lou Pearlman-bred Backstreet Boys were indie!

"It's good music," he says, "but as far as the success that they are having, it's relevant to the times. We weren't associated with Disney; we weren't associated with the protective bubble. We had to fight for ourselves and that's what makes our stories different."

It's only Hard Rock Live, but it's a sell-out, so maybe this isn't the last Backstreet Boy interview, after all.

See for yourself

The Backstreet Boys

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Hard Rock Live, Universal CityWalk, Orlando

Cost: The show is sold-out.

Call: 407-351-5483 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 407-351-5483 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Online: hardrock.com

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/os-cal-abbott-backstreet-boys-052810-20100527,0,1604635.column

misha17

05-28-2010, 08:31 PM

AJ intv, May 28 Biloxi (MS) Sun-Herald, posted in the thread, AJ says they will start recording for the new album at September!
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?3484-AJ-says-they-will-start-recording-for-the-new-album-at-September!

What a great news! :D

Anyway, new AJ interview with SunHerald.com.

..

The Boys are back in Biloxi
Together almost 20 years, Backstreet Boys Nick Carter, Howie Donough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean have sold more than 76 million records worldwide.

But while probably still best known for their successes in the late 1990s, the band is not standing still.

As they kick off their 37-stop tour of the U.S. and Canada, AJ McLean took time to talk with the Sun Herald recently about what the band is up to and what fans can expect when they appear at the IP in Biloxi on June 4.

What’s life on the road like? Do you love it or hate it?

Life on road, it’s kind of a love-hate relationship. I love what I do, it’s all I know, and I absolutely love being on stage. I love to perform for people. But now you know, I’m getting older, I got engaged, I am starting a life of my own. It’s different — I’ve got my own house, my dogs, and when I’m on the road for too long, it gets a little hard.

When I’m home, I enjoy being in my house. I don’t want to go out. I just veg at my house, work out, play video games and write music, really.

When I’m on the road, I try to take the crew out for golf, or dinner, or do things like that. I’ve really gotten back into photography as a hobby.

I’ll get up in the morning, go out and walk around, especially if it’s a place I haven’t been to before or a place I’ve been to but not really seen, and take my camera, look around, take random pictures of random people and cool stuff. I’d like to put together a coffee table book or something like that.

read more
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/05/27/2212719/the-boys-are-back-in-biloxi.html

misha17

05-28-2010, 08:47 PM

I'll post a couple of tiny articles to keep this post "legal"/"kosher". I'll be offline most of the weekend; please check these paper's links for fuller articles and/or reviews, and post if you find anything. Click on the newspaper name to get to the paper's homepage:

*********

* Miami Herald (www.miamiherald.com)
- Small article about the Miami concert, posted May 28:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/28/1650970/saturday.html
Saturday | Backstreet Boys
`THIS IS US TOUR'

BACKSTREET BOYS

They're no longer boys, but they're back to perform hits including Unbreakable, Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely and I Want It That Way.

Details: 8 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; www.aaarena.com; $32-$82.

*********

* Sun Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/)
+ Back in business: The Backstreet Boys perform in Miami on Saturday
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/news/thingstodo/sfl-ent-to-do-backstreet-boys-052610,0,7583643.story

Backstreet Boys

The "Millennium" was good to these guys, as their top-selling CDs and teen-idol coronation attested. The quintet is now a quartet, but the pop pride of Orlando still has a long list of hits. The Boys' singles include "As Long as You Love Me," "I Want It That Way," "Larger Than Life" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena Waterfront Theatre, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Tickets: $32-$82; Ticketmaster

+ Weekend preview: Lust-filled chicks on the loose!
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/thingstodo/2010/05/weekend_preview_lustfilled_chi.html

This weekend's theme: Sex-crazed chicks kicking up the sand in a search of lusty male companionship.

Yes, most critics' reviews of “Sex and the City 2” are decidedly ... let’s say “mixed.” And their point is... what? The party will go on! As we discussed earlier, there are all manner of boozy, schmoozy, shoe-zy gatherings scattered around South Florida this weekend in celebration of the SATC girls' over-the-top exploits in Abu Dhabi. You'll find a sampling of events here.
...
Backstreet's back (Alright?)
New Kids came through, now it’s these guys ... Only a matter of time before Nick Lachey decides to reunite 98 Degrees. Catch Backstreet at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Saturday. Tickets: $32-$82 at Ticketmaster.

*********

* Palm Beach Post (www.palmbeachpost.com)
(no articles - yet? - but the site's search feature turned up some articles from past Miami concerts)

misha17

05-28-2010, 09:17 PM

Nick intv, May 27 Tampa Bay Tribune, posted in the thread, "Backstreet's back; Nick says they never left" - Nick intv, May 27 Tampa Bay Tribune
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?3625-quot-Backstreet-s-back-Nick-says-they-never-left-quot-Nick-intv-May-27-Tampa-Bay-Tribune

********

Backstreet's back; Nick says they never left
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/may/27/backstreets-back-nick-says-they-never-left/
By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 27, 2010

The Backstreet Boys knew what they wanted when they made their most recent album, last year's "This Is Us."

"When we set out, we made a conscious effort to make music we could dance to and perform," Backstreet Boy Nick Carter says by telephone from his home in Nashville, Tenn.

The Boys sought out producers and writers old and new, from Lady GaGa mastermind RedOne to old hand Max Martin, who wrote hits for the group such as "I Want It That Way" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."

Despite the presence of A-list producers, "This Is Us" hasn't returned the Boys to the top of the charts. But Carter says he didn't expect that to happen.

"Top 40 radio is not particularly in tune with the type of music we play and who we are," Carter says. "We're not mainstream right now.

"A lot of fans don't really know the album's out," Carter continues. "We're not getting exposure on TV and radio. Some people think we broke up."

The Boys took a hiatus between 2002 and 2005, when they returned with "Never Gone." Kevin Richardson left the next year, making the Boys a quartet of Carter, A.J. MacLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough.

In the late '90s and early '00s, the Backstreet Boys were huge, setting attendance and album sales records. That period, though, also was full of offstage drama, from lawsuits with management and record labels to MacLean's drug addiction. Carter was accused of beating ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton, which he has denied, and his family turmoil became a reality TV show, "House of Carters."

"We had some tough times, but it's not that way anymore," Carter says. "Things have chilled out. We want to make music and create. We're over all the drama."

And if the group's popularity has leveled off in the states, they're still going strong overseas, Carter says.

"Ultimately, we're still able to go around the world on tour and sell out arenas," Carter says.

ON TOUR

Backstreet Boys

WITH: Mindless Behavior

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Monday

WHERE: Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N. McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater; (727) 791-7400

COST: $52.50, $62.50 and $85

misha17

05-28-2010, 09:37 PM

Nick intv, May 29 Miami Herald, posted in the thread, New Nick interviewL Nick: Happy to be in Miami
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?3626-New-Nick-interviewL-Nick-Happy-to-be-in-Miami

Nick: Happy to be in Miami

They're certainly no longer boys, but the Backstreet Boys are definitely back. The boy band from Orlando -- A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter (Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006) -- will show why it's sold more than 130 million records worldwide with its high-energy tour, which begins Saturday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami.

Original member and South Florida homeboy Nick Carter talked to The Miami Herald about the tour, that YouTube video (you know the one), and why the Boys were really Never Gone.

Q: Why kick off the U.S. tour in Miami?

A: I was the one pushing to play a show in Miami for a lot of reasons. I've lived down in the South Florida area, in Parkland and down in the Florida Keys, so it's kind of a home to me, and I really wanted to be able to play for friends and family. I feel like there are a lot of people who live down there who haven't seen us in a while. Actually, funny enough, that's one of the shows that's doing the best as far as ticket sales. So we're really happy.

Q: What can we expect from the show?

A: A pop show, dancing, singing, cool gags, just big energy, explosions. You get to see a group who hopefully you've liked through the years. We perform our biggest hits -- we've got 10 or 12 top 10 hits around the world that people know -- so we perform those as well as songs off our new record. It's just jam-packed. We've got four dancers and big production.

...

read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/29/1654038/nick-happy-to-be-in-miami.html

misha17

05-28-2010, 09:48 PM

* Articles in the Miami New Times (http://www.miaminewtimes.com)

+ Bio/concert article, May 27 Miami New Times
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-05-27/music/backstreet-boys

Backstreet Boys

By Arielle Castillo Thursday, May 27 2010

The late '90s were, in many ways, a musical wasteland, at least above-ground. Rock and roll was dormant thanks to the spectacular death of grunge, and hip-hop was in a weird transitionary period. The dance music that broke into the mainstream was usually a scary brand of commercialized trance. Thanks to all this flux, teen pop was, again, able to rise to the top, and a scourge of misspelled, prefab groups were suddenly everywhere. At the top of the heap, though, were 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. And even if you didn't like the entire Colgate-smile culture, you at least had to admit these two groups did it the biggest and the best.

The '00s, though, were rather unkind to most of these boy band alums (save for Justin Timberlake, the scene's crown prince graduate). Still, enough time has passed that we're allowed some nostalgia; onetime teen pop fans are old enough to not be ashamed anymore, and to spend some discretionary dollars on comeback tours. Enter the Backstreet Boys, who long ago morphed into men, but are still beloved by a hard-core following of mostly female late 20-somethings.

After a hiatus and a return as a four-piece (Kevin Richardson quit the band in 2006), the Boys released a comeback album, Unbreakable, in 2007. It debuted at an impressive number seven on the Billboard Hot 200, and a series of well-received tours have followed continuously in the years since. The current outing sees the group celebrating two recent releases, a late-2009 studio album, This Is Us, and a January 2010 greatest-hits compilation. As such, fans can expect a healthy dose of both old and new.

Details
8 p.m. Saturday, May 29. American Airlines Arena Waterfront Theatre, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets cost $32 to $82; ticketmaster.com
Location
American Airlines Arena

misha17

05-30-2010, 12:06 AM

Not a newsitem, but WireImage has photos from the Miami concert.

misha17

06-01-2010, 09:10 AM

Howie interview by our own Karah, Jun1st Valdosta (GA) Daily Times, posted in the thread, Article (Howie Interview): Backstreet's Back (from an awesome writer...)
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?4158-Article-(Howie-Interview)-Backstreet-s-Back-(from-an-awesome-writer

"Backstreet's Back: Vocal group performs this Saturday at Wild Adventures"

http://valdostadailytimes.com/local/x1414121416/Backstreet-s-Back

:cool:

misha17

06-01-2010, 09:28 AM

May 30th report on the Miami concert, with a couple of Newscom photos and bsbrock's IWITW video:

Backstreet Boys in Miami live Concert video: 'I want it that way' pics and YouTube
May 30, 2010 03:39 PM EDT

http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978267848

You heard me right.... the Backstreet Boys are back and they played a concert to a packed house in Miami, Florida on Saturday night (May 29) They opened their tour at American Airlines Arena. Of course we also found out earlier that they had discontinued their long-time record contract with Jive records. They had been with Jive for nearly 16 years.

The band announced the split from the record company on their website stating "So the news is out! The Backstreet Boys are no longer signed to long time record label Jive Records. The amicable split is very exciting for the group. "

As for the concert, the guys look older (and AJ looks balder) but the audience is still a bunch of screaming girls (as you will see in the video clip below ofI Want it That Way) I wonder if they should change their name, especially now that they have left Jive. Perhaps Backstreet Men or Mainstreet Men, or something like that would work. Then again we never asked the Beach Boys to change their name when they started doing gigs after 20 years.

Check out the video below and tell me what you think!

Next tour stop, Clearwater, Florida on Monday night.

misha17

06-01-2010, 09:34 AM

Review of the Miami concert in the Palm Beach Post:

Backstreet Boys: A night in boy-band heaven
By Sarah Mulé June 01, 2010

http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2010/06/01/backstreet-boys-a-night-in-boy-band-heaven/

remember the first time I saw the Backstreet Boys in concert. My best friend Sara and I were 13, and beyond excited to have gotten tickets to the Boys’ show at the South Florida Fair.

It poured that night, but we didn’t care. As far as we were concerned, we were in heaven.

And so it started. We became part of those girls who “looooooooved” the Backstreet Boys.

And you know what? We still do.

So Sara and I set out for an evening of being teenagers.

They may be older, but they’re still as fantastic as ever, and they proved it Saturday night to a huge crowd of people at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

The BSB led the way in the five-guys-from-Orlando vein of pop music and released their first album in 1996. Not too long after, they shot to fame like a pop-fueled supernova.

The boy band scene had been vacant since the early 90s when the New Kids on the Block went their separate ways and the video rotation on MTV (yes, youngsters… MTV actually used to play music videos) turned to the likes of Nirvana and No Doubt.

With songs like “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” and “I Want It That Way,” BSB took control of the Top 40 airwaves and earned themselves gold status on MTVs Total Request Live.

They’ve released six other albums since their first, not counting solo projects, but the last two as a quartet after member Kevin Richardson left the band in 2006.

Not surprisingly, the BSB opened Saturday’s concert with their song “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).” I may or may not have mimicked some of the dance moves I may or have not memorized from that music video ages ago.

They took their fans through the best songs from all of their albums, old and new.

One of the greatest things about the Backstreet Boys is the relationship they have with their fans. They realize that everything they have as artists, is thanks to the thousands of girls — and guys — all over the world who continue to support them, who continue to buy their albums and come out to their shows.

“It is only because of beautiful people like you, that we’re still here,” said Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell.

Every time the BSB have performed in South Florida, I’ve been there. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen them, but it was like no time had passed. And for a brief moment, the five guys were reunited, thanks to a fan with an awesome sense of humor and a Kevin Richardson inspired blowup doll.

The four guys, four backup dancers, and a fantastic DJ took the stage for about an hour and half of music, dancing and laughter.

Each guy recorded a couple-minute spoof of a major movie and inserted themselves into the main character roles — The Fast and the Furious, Fight Club, Enchanted and The Matrix. They were hilarious!

For me, I really think that it’s that kind of stuff that’s made me want to keep these guys on my radar. They’re not like every other band. They know how to evolve and remain relevant without losing the things that drew their fans to them in the first place.

Does it make me a dork? Some of my friends seem to think so, but I – and what seemed like a sizable percentage of the female population of South Florida — don’t really care.

My friend Sara really summed up the evening best, “Good tunes, sexy men and amazing company. Who could ask for more?”

Indeed.

***************

Photo Gallery, 18 photos on page 1, 2 on page 2:

http://page2live.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=927577&CategoryID=57519&ListSubAlbums=0&thisPage=1

misha17

06-01-2010, 03:40 PM

(nice) Review of the Clearwater concert, with photos:

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/06/01/concert-review-backstreet-boys-bring-back-the-90s-on-memorial-day-at-ruth-eckerd-hall-with-pics/

Concert review: Backstreet Boys bring back the 90’s on Memorial Day at Ruth Eckerd Hall (with pics!)
June 1, 2010 at 4:57 pm by Alison Chriss
[All photos by Tracy May.]

To satisfy the nostalgic needs of my teenage pop-obsessed past, I decided to go for it when I saw that Backstreet Boys would be stopping in Clearwater on May 31 as part of their most recent tour. Yes, “Backstreet’s back, alright!”

...

I was expecting an insanely dramatic entrance, but it turned out to be even better than that. As soon as the lights dimmed, the screams, cries and wails from every girl in the crowd began. The elaborate stage setup was revealed and featured a staircase on either side, reminiscent of the BSB’s older stage setups, although just a quarter of the size of their previous arena shows. Not that I’d ever been to a BSB concert, but like all other teenage girls who grew up in the ’90s, I knew all about what I’d missed.

A hilarious music video-esque/movie served as the intro and was projected onto a huge screen, and came complete with a countdown to the big moment of their entrance. As their movie-screen selves started to close in on the camera, the suddenly jumped from the screen to the stage. And as you can imagine, the ladies went crazy, jumping to their feeting and dancing aroudn as BSBs opened with “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)!”

At the risk of completely discrediting myself as having any kind of musical knowledge, I’ll admit I knew all the words and all the names of their songs up to about 2003. After that, I fell in and out of touch with them, although I knew they were still producing music. They said a new album is currently under way and should be released later this year. After 17 years, the foursome still has a loyal following, even with one less original Backstreet Boy than they started with.

After the big opener, they launched into “We’ve Got It Goin’ On,” a newer selection called “PDA,” and a “Quit Playin’ Games/As Long as You Love Me” montage.

Wardrobe changes, fly-girls, and BSB movie interludes — the show was definitely quite the spectacle. A Fast and Furious montage with Howie against Vin Diesel gave them time to change and they reappeared in sequined BSB hoodies.

They still had the moves. Every once in a while, between the band themselves and the fly girls, they would miss a beat or over-anticipate a step, but generally, they still had it “Goin on’.” The crowd seemed to agree. They played songs new and old to satisfy every age in the crowd. “This is Us,” the title track off their most recent album was followed by “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “All I Have to Give.” They kept a good flow of new-old, new-old but you could tell who loved them from the start and who just recently jumped on the BSB bandwagon with a simple scan of the crowd.

Besides the BSB Fight Club montage with AJ, the Enchanted montage with Brian, and the Matrix montage with Nick, the lighting, onstage drummer, and random use of cutesy props to act out the stories within the songs made for an amazingly entertaining evening. That’s the thing you can always count on with pop shows: it’s all a big charade and a great one at that.

Backstreet Boys ended the evening with their greatest hit “I Want It That Way,” which ended up being the high point of the evening. They returned for a quick and easy one-song encore of their latest single “Straight through My Heart.”

BSB has stayed consistent over all these years, which is more than I can stay for most other boy bands, and it’s nice to see them still putting their all into their music. Sure, it may be pop at its most mainstream, but it certainly sticks with you; every fan at was a testament to that!

The crowd left elated and ready to gab about the show. I heard a few guys commenting on how BSB updated their choreography, and even my husband admitted that, overall, the show was pretty good. For a trip down Pop music’s memory lane, it was a great one, and my 14-year-old self is finally at peace after having the ultimate boy-band experience to end Memorial Day Weekend!

misha17

06-02-2010, 02:45 PM

Review of the June 1st Orlando concert, posted in the Orlando Sentinel blogs.

LD discussion thread: Backstreet Boys turn back the clock for faithful at Hard Rock Live
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?4387-Backstreet-Boys-turn-back-the-clock-for-faithful-at-Hard-Rock-Live

Backstreet Boys turn back the clock for faithful at Hard Rock Live

For anyone around for the boy-band hysteria in Orlando in the 1990s, there’s something a little sad about a Backstreet Boys homecoming that fits into the relatively cozy confines of Hard Rock Live.

It’s hard to shake that mental image that the aging “boys” are only a couple tweaks away from becoming Elvis in Vegas or launching a dinner show in Branson, Mo.

Maybe it’s just the circle of life in pop music.

But if being downsized is a bummer for the remaining group members – Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean and Brian Littrell – it wasn’t apparent in a visually splashy sold-out show on Tuesday at Hard Rock. If anything, the guys delivered an arena-sized spectacle at point-blank range, a 95-minute production that was consistently fun to watch even if you don’t want to admit it later.

Hakuna Matata!

Yeah, a fair amount of the choreography is still laughable, especially all those semaphore-style hand signals. And most of the two dozen makeup artists listed in the closing credits on the big video screens must have been assigned solely to slathering on AJ’s mascara.

And songs such as the monotonous “PDA” are mind-numbing reminders that not all of the Backstreet Boys catalog comes equipped with big, lovable choruses. Inexplicably, the group decided to extend that clunker on Tuesday, inciting one of those tired competitions to see which side of the room was louder.

They really needn’t have bothered. Although it was a smaller crowd than in the old days, the screaming was formidable from a mostly female audience that looked to be twentysomething and beyond.

Some of the songs were worth the excitement: The medley of “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” and “As Long As You Love Me” was a blend of voices, dance moves and infectious hooks descendant from the Motown tradition.

And the elaborately produced video spoofs that put the Backstreet Boys into films such as Fight Club and The Matrix turned a costume-change time-killer into a nice showcase for the group’s sense of comedy.

A little more of that personality in the actual performance would have been nice, especially in place of a few of the sappy ballads that made the singers (especially Nick) go all goofy with melodrama.

Maybe he was just caught up in the moment.

“This is where it all began,” Brian said, waxing nostalgic. “It’s been 17 long years, but it’s gone by so fast.”

If the glory days are gone, the Backstreet Boys can still turn back the clock at least for a night.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com

misha17

06-02-2010, 03:55 PM

Photos from the OrlandoSentinel:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/os-backstreet-boys-picture-gallery-060110,0,6212247.photogallery

Nicksbutt

06-02-2010, 07:13 PM

My friend wrote this who is a fan :) Please comment

http://flashcity.com/?p=898

misha17

06-03-2010, 08:24 AM

AJ intv, Jun 3rd at www.Fredericksburg.com
Discussion thread: New AJ interview with Fredericksburg.com: Talked about new BSB, Kevin, and...
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?4680-New-AJ-interview-with-Fredericksburg.com-Talked-about-new-BSB-Kevin-and...

After 16 years together, the Backstreet Boys are still cranking out albums and loving every minute of it.

The band will perform at Wolf Trap's Filene Center in Vienna on June 9.

For the few fans who lost touch, it might appear that not much has changed with the iconic boy band--but their dedicated followers know better.

For starters, there are no more "boys" in the band; they are full-grown men with families of their own. "There's Backstreet Dads!" exclaimed member A.J. McLean, during a recent phone interview.

"Brian [Littrell's] little boy is going to be 8, and he's starting second grade, which is just weird."

Indeed, things have changed. Howie Dorough has a 1-year-old; Nick Carter can usually be found at the gym; and McLean is recently engaged.

Perhaps the biggest deviation is that founding member Kevin Richardson left the group to focus on his family.

"Initially it was a little weird--we had to re-block the actual live shows and figure out who would sing his part. But once we started doing show after show without him, it kind of became the norm," explained McLean.

"This is the new face of the Backstreet Boys, but the door is always open if he wants to come back." :p

read more
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/062010/06032010/551980

misha17

06-04-2010, 07:44 AM

Nick intv, Jun 5 Raleigh News-Observer

Discussion thread:

New Nick's Interview: "They still like being Backstreet Boys"
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?4948-New-Nick-s-Interview-quot-They-still-like-being-Backstreet-Boys-quot

Don't tell Nick Carter that the Backstreet Boys are back. The lean, lanky pop singer will inform you that the group never went away.

When Carter released his solo album "Now Or Never" in 2002 and his boy-bandmates tried their hand at other projects, ranging from Broadway to parenthood, the Backstreet Boys were never far off the periphery. It was only a matter of time until Backstreet reconnected.

"We never drifted far from each other," Carter says. "We always had [the Backstreet Boys] in our heads. We took a little break, and we're loving every minute of it now that we're doing our thing."

Some boy bands pick it up again (New Kids on the Block) and others move on ('N SYNC). Carter is thrilled to be in the former camp.

"It's so great to do what we do together," he says. "I'm sure there are a lot of people who were part of [boy bands] and gave it up and they wish they were still doing it.

"They moved on in life. Maybe they're happy, but they probably look back and miss it. We don't miss it because we're still doing it. We're doing it like we once did it."

That's not an exaggeration. The Backstreet Boys' latest album, the aptly titled, "This Is Us," works well because the group was wise enough to re-embrace the sound that established the act and led to a staggering 100 million in album sales. The CD is heavy on the rhythm and features the familiar harmonies that smack of the Backstreet Boys' mid-'90s heyday.

...

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/04/512416/they-still-like-being-backstreet.html

I<3BSB

06-04-2010, 08:43 AM

Howie Interview June 4th, 2010
The Washington Post blog

Be specific: Howie Dorough on the Backstreet Boys, the later years

Backstreet's back ... but they never went away. (Courtesy of the artist)
By Allison Stewart

You might never have thought of the Backstreet Boys as survivors, but here they are: Seventeen years after their inception, they've survived the death (and rebirth, and then death again) of boy band pop, and the departure of member Kevin Richardson, who in 2006 embarked, perhaps unwisely, on a solo career, and who has not been replaced.

The group has released two albums post-Richardson, most recently 2009's "This is Us," which they're currently touring behind. (They'll play Wolf Trap's Filene Center next Wednesday, June 7.)
Howie Dorough, 36, talked to Click Track about the tour, and what it feels like to be a boy bander in -- well, not winter, exactly. But you know what we mean.

Are you all used to being a four-piece by now?

I don't think we'll ever be 100 percent used to it. Kevin was a part of the family, and it's definitely different, but I think we've definitely adapted to it. I think hopefully our fans will appreciate the fact that there's still good music… and when they come to the shows or listen to the music, they don't feel like there's anything missing.

Is there still a lot of screaming during shows?

There's definitely a lot of screaming and we're fortunate for that. That hasn't really changed. The frequency is not as piercing, but the overall hysteria is still there. It's really crazy. The fans get older and they move on past us and go do their own thing and get married and start a family. A lot of them have done that, and they still follow us. We're very appreciative of their willing husbands, who let them go out and get crazy.

(Dorough on the perils of being Justin Bieber, after the jump.)

Of all the boy bands, people might not have picked you to be the ones who lasted.

We were the first ones who came out in that era of the quote-unquote "boy bands," and to be the last ones still standing is amazing. We've had the adventure of a lifetime together.

The Backstreet Boys are going on an upcoming fan cruise. How accessible will you be to the fans?

Very accessible. On a cruise ship, you can't jump off it. You gotta deal with it. Unless you're gonna be a hermit and stay in your room, you've gotta be out and about.

Are you glad you're not going through fame for the first time now, like Justin Bieber is?

Totally. When we started, it was a great time and era, don't get me wrong. I think the Internet has been an unbelievable tool. But the Internet, with the paparazzi and stuff like that, can shine a negative light on you. There's definitely some excitement that comes with people wanting to know and hear about you. I feel sometimes for people who are just starting out who don't have a good solid foundation. It's easy for them to get lost, or get their feelings hurt.

You [went a long time without touring]. Does your body have a sense memory for the singing and dancing?

It definitely took some time to learn the whole show. Our bodies -- we're definitely a little older than we were, that's for sure. The muscle memory takes a little bit longer now, [and we need to] stretch out to make sure we don't have any injuries. For me, I love it. It's some of the best cardio I get.

By Allison Stewart | June 4, 2010; 12:00 PM ET
Categories: Be specific | Tags: Backstreet Boys

http:///blog.washingtonpost.com/clicktrack/2010/06/be_specific_howie_dorough_on_t.html

misha17

06-07-2010, 08:52 AM

Review of Jun 5 Valdosta concert

LD Discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?5672-Valdosta-Wants-It-Backstreet-s-Way

http://valdostadailytimes.com/bigstory/x1358974109/Valdosta-wants-it-Backstreet-s-way

Backstreet takes Valdosta
Vocal group performs to sold-out crowd
Karah-Leigh Hancock
The Valdosta Daily Times
June 6, 2010

VALDOSTA — A concert review

The Backstreet Boys and their fans took Wild Adventures by storm Saturday evening when the vocal group performed in South Georgia for the first time as a part of the theme park’s 2010 concert series.

Fans from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Waycross, Gainesville and yes, even Canada and Europe, began lining up at 10 a.m. to put their lawn chairs out in the general admission area of the concert stage or wait to be the first inside reserved seating. Die-hard fans tried every way they could think of to sneak backstage and get a glimpse of their favorite member.

Read more:

http://valdostadailytimes.com/bigstory/x1358974109/Valdosta-wants-it-Backstreet-s-way

misha17

06-07-2010, 09:19 AM

Brian intv, Jun 6th Boston Globe - Posted in the thread, New Brian interview "Older, wiser Backstreet Boys are in it for the long hual"
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?5343-New-Brian-interview-quot-Older-wiser-Backstreet-Boys-are-in-it-for-the-long-hual-quot

Older, wiser Backstreet Boys are in it for the long hual

Backstreet’s back.

Well actually, as the Backstreet Boys’ 2005 album pointed out, they were “Never Gone.”

Yes, other boy bands such as ’N Sync, 98 Degrees and - dare we say - O-Town have gone the way of the rotary phone. Meanwhile, scream-worthy dreams such as the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber have risen up the pop ranks and locked down the current teen market.

That hasn’t kept the 30-something Backstreet Boys - the best-selling boy band of all time - from forging ahead. In fact, despite the departure of Kevin Richardson in 2006, remaining members Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean, Nick Carter and Brian Littrell have no plans of stopping. They do have plans to sing Tuesday at their summer tour’s Bank of America Pavilion stop.

“The fans have been loyal to us for many, many years and there’s a future still in the Backstreet Boys,” the 35-year-old Littrell said from his home in Atlanta. “We’re not touring off of nostalgia. We’re touring off of where the Backstreet Boys are headed in the next five, 10 years.”

read more--
http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/20100606older_wiser_backstreet_boys_are_in_it_for_ the_long_hual_men_at_work/srvc=home&position=also

misha17

06-07-2010, 09:20 AM

Review of the Jun 6th Raleigh concert

LD Discussion thread
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?5649-my-review-of-last-night-s-show-in-raleigh-(-photos

maybe this is self-promotion but i need the clicks so my job can justify publishing it in the first place :)

it was a good time!

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/07/519225/fans-sit-in-rain-for-backstreet.html

misha17

06-07-2010, 05:02 PM

A short (but nice!) review of the Valdosta concert by a radio DJ, posted at ValdostaToday.com, emphasis mine:

http://valdostatoday.com/Blogs/Entertainment-Blogs/Backstreets-Back.html

Backstreets Back!
Written by Jim Morgan

Took Betty to Wild Adventures for the Backstreet Boys show Saturday night. Wow. I have to say upfront, the last time I even thought about the Backstreet Boys was when my daughter was like 11 or 12. Boy band right? Whatever. Well, from the opening number, these guys, who are now grown up, had me! I have seldom been as entertained like I was Saturday night. From the opening number to the encore it was an awesome show. Little girls screaming, twenty somethings screaming, thirty somethings screaming! Unbelievable! The audience was mostly girls...very loud girls! As one who appreciates talent in any form though, I was knocked out by the professionalism, the pure singing talent of these guys! I'd go again in a minute! Just don't tell my little Rock 108 buddies! Lol!

misha17

06-08-2010, 04:51 PM

Brian intv, posted Jun 8 at the Danbury (CT) NewsTimes website

Backstreet Boys make Mohegan Sun stop
Scott Gargan, Correspondent
Published: 08:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, 2010

http://www.newstimes.com/entertainment/article/Backstreet-Boys-make-Mohegan-Sun-stop-516349.php

Backstreet's back! Oh wait, they never left.

So says Brian Littrell, 35, a founding member of the mega-successful boy band, the Backstreet Boys.

"There's so many people out there who don't know we're still around," Littrell said during an interview last week from Orlando, Fla., the birthplace of the band. "People say we've been out of the loop -- no, actually, we've been busting our butts."

Indeed, BSB didn't stop (it didn't break up, either) after 1999's smash hit, "Black & Blue." The remaining members -- Littrell, Chris Carter, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough -- kept touring and releasing platinum-selling records, even as the band slipped from the mainstream eye.

There's no doubt about it: BSB is still kicking.

If Connecticut fans need proof, they can catch the band Tuesday at Mohegan Sun, one of the first dates in the North American leg of the band's This Is Us Tour. The year-long, worldwide tour has thus far taken the group across Europe, Asia and Australia, where it still commands a rabid following.

"It's a pretty big ordeal," Littrell said.

In the 90-minute set, BSB performs many of its older hits ("As Long As You Love Me," "Everybody") as well as a newer batch of songs ("Incomplete," "Straight Through My Heart"). Littrell doesn't deny the allure of the group's '90s knockouts -- even the most diehard rockist remembers the words to "I Want It That Way" -- but he also wants to "give fans a new product that will take them into the future.

"The Backstreet Boys catalogue, the sales, the nostalgia -- it all speaks for itself," he continued. "But as a 35-year-old husband and father, I want to move forward with my life. I want to create new memories. I'm sick of the old."

Such is the mantra BSB has followed since the turn of the millennium, following a period of uncertainty that saw the band sue its record company, Zomba Music Group, and fall out with its manager, Lou Pearlman. (It was later discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history).

McLean had also suffered from alcohol and drug problems and, in 2003, he appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss his addiction. The rest of the band surprised him by arriving in person to offer support, marking the first time BSB had appeared together in public in almost two years.

"We've been through a lot of crap," Littrell said, "but we came out smelling like a rose."

In 2004, BSB entered the studio and released its fifth album, the aptly titled "Never Gone." The record, which relied on a more pop/rock sound, debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard chart and eventually sold close to 10 million copies worldwide. The group's next two albums, "Unbreakable" and "This Is Us," both recorded sans longtime member Kevin Richardson, did not fare as well in the United States, but still scaled the charts in Canada and Japan.

If U.S. radio "doesn't play us anymore," as Littrell pointed out, stations in other parts of the world still do. It is a testament to the band's relevance that long after the demise of the boy-band era, BSB still sells out concerts all over the world.

Now, as the group embarks on the North American leg of the This Is Us Tour, it aims to recapture that excitement among the group's American fans -- many of whom are now in their late teens and 20s -- and introduce themselves to a new generation of listeners.

"We have something special," Littrell explained. "We're four very talented guys. We feed off each other. We want to better ourselves."

He added: "When you come to a Backstreet show, you'll remember it."

Mohegan Sun is at 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Tuesday 8 p.m. $40. 888-226-7711, www.mohegansun.com.

Selection from the "This Is Us Tour" setlist:

- "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"

- "We've Got It Goin' On"

- "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)"

- "As Long as You Love Me"

- "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"

- "All I Have to Give"

- "She's a Dream"

- "I'll Never Break Your Heart"

- "The One"

- "Bigger"

- "Shape of My Heart"

- "More Than That"

- "Incomplete"

- "Larger Than Life"

- "All of Your Life (You Need Love)"

- "I Want It That Way"

- "Straight Through My Heart"

misha17

06-09-2010, 02:15 AM

Boston concert review, posted Jun 9 at BostonHerald.com

http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view.bg?articleid=1260383

Boys to men: Backstreet show delights older crowd
By Lauren Carter / Review: Backstreet Boys
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 - Added 4h ago

Last night an overwhelmingly female audience partied like it was 1999 with the Backstreet Boys, the last boy band standing from an era when today’s 20- and 30-somethings were screaming teens.

“Who saw us for the first time when you were, like, 10?” Brian Littrell asked midway through the 100-minute set. Apparently, pretty much everyone.

From the opening salvo of “Oh my God, were back again!” on “Everybody,” the Boys gave a nearly sold-out crowd exactly what it wanted: All of the biggest hits, and a minimum of lesser-known filler.

The now-foursome changed outfits frequently, appearing in suits, sweats, club-ready street gear and threads that could have landed them as extras in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” video. For the high-powered “Larger Than Life,” they took it to outer space, and popped and locked as android dancers.

Weaving the all-important element of romance through the set, the Boys made frequent calls of “I see you, baby girl” to admirers in the audience.

For “I’ll Never Break Your Heart,” they pulled up stools and came bearing roses and promises of forever love.

Mid-set, Howie Dorough thanked the audience for actually being there instead of the Celtics [team stats] game. But in reality, many fans probably would have rescheduled their own weddings to attend the show.

It can be weird when teen pop stars become middle-aged men, but the Backstreet Boys seem to be handling the transition pretty well.

Vocally, the group is still, er, in sync. The night’s best songs were ballads, such as the melancholy “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and midtempo numbers including “Shape of My Heart” and “I Want It That Way,” their first No. 1 hit, which allowed vocal harmonies to shine.

High-powered numbers that demanded extensive choreography seemed off-kilter, as the dancing wasn’t tight enough to justify the compromised vocals. At the beginning of the show, Littrell was frequently a step behind, or forgot the steps altogether.

Some of the song choices suggest that a slight set list revision is in order; supercharged cut “The Call” got a pitifully short one-verse treatment, while the boring “The One” dragged on in its entirety.

The encore’s “Straight Through My Heart,” off their most recent album, “This Is Us,” seemed like an anticlimactic way to end the show.

But the sophisticated, edgy “Undone” off that album was brilliant, and when the Boys broke out “Incomplete,” their wistful hit from 2005, Nick’s scarf waved lazily in the wind, smoke wafted across the stage and it all felt right.

...

misha17

06-09-2010, 02:17 AM

Howie intv, posted June 8 at WashingtonExaminer.com

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/lifestyle/The-Backstreet-Boys-are-back-in-town-95889059.html

The Backstreet Boys are back in town
By: Nancy Dunham
Special to The Examiner
June 9, 2010

Don't be surprised if you see a second-generation Backstreet Boy at the supergroup's upcoming concert.
At a recent concert in Raleigh, N.C., the 7-year old son of a member introduced his dad's band, according to the News & Observer.

"It's a great time for us," member Howie Dorough said. "Each of us is [also] working on individual solo projects and still really enjoying working with the group. I have a new chapter in my life with my family and helping others."

When the Backstreet Boys formed in Orlando during 1993, it quickly gained fans and hits starting with its self-titled 1996 debut. As fans know, the band has sold more than 130 million albums, making it one of the most successful groups in history, according to Billboard.

Of course boy bands and their fan bases grow up, but the Backstreet Boys have maintained popularity. The band's 2009 album, "This is Us," netted the group its seventh consecutive Top 10 album and debuted at No. 9, according to Billboard.

Recent reviews of the group's concerts report that the band is still a hot live ticket, too.

"It is all about the music, we have always said," Dorough said. "You just have to grow with your music and grow with your fans. It's a natural progression, not forced, to do what comes."

What has arguably made the difference for Backstreet Boys versus other boy bands is that the members take their more mature attitude to all aspects of their work. The members have always been involved in A&R (artists and repertoire, which is basically the creative development of a band). That shows in "This is Us," which took the band's music back to the dance-pop that originally carved its success.

"We write some songs ourselves and we definitely accept [songs] from other people," Dorough said. "When choosing the songs, once we record them, then the demo might sound great but it just doesn't work. Other times there are songs that we don't think will work but when we add our vocals to them, they are amazing. The cream does rise to the top."

But don't get the idea that the band members see themselves as elite musicians. The four members of the band see themselves as family entertainers.

"We are who we are," Dorough said. "We put out good, quality albums with good music and a good, entertaining show for families and all ages. For us it's not rocket science. We're not politicians, we're whole entertainers. We do pride ourselves on that."

misha17

06-10-2010, 09:16 AM

AJ intv, PressofAtlantic City.com
aLD discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?6607-New-AJ-interview-with-P.Atlanticcity.com-Talked-about-Kevin-new-label-BSB-s-future

Larger Than life: Boy band? Maybe. Phenomenon? Yes. Backstreet's back

...

Question: Are you still pulling out the dance stops for your live shows?

Answer: It's nonstop dancing from start to finish … We spend a month and half in dance rehearsals really preparing for the show.

Q: How have you adjusted to not having Kevin Richardson in the lineup?

A: At first, going into the studio making the "Unbreakable" CD without Kevin was a little weird. It was a little awkward having to re-block things. When it was five of us, one guy would have the forefront and the four dancing behind us. Now everybody is dancing at all times. Everything is done more as a unit now. :rolleyes:

Q: What's next for the group, now that you've left your longtime label, Jive?

A: There's the possibility of moving to a new label or doing a straight distribution deal. The upside is we have the freedom to do whatever we want, to be much more creative, as artists and as performers. We now have the freedom to do whatever we want. If we go with another label, we may have another outlook on the next 17 years for our career.

A lot of us have been talking about playing instruments again, maybe going the Beatles route. We have always emulated groups such as the Stones, the Beatles and the Eagles.

Who knows what could be the future of the Backstreet Boys? The concepts and ideas are infinitely limitless.

...

read more:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/ats/entertainment/article_f644b6a8-4e51-5e1e-b44a-36af78050f92.html

lonely_tear89

06-10-2010, 12:31 PM

http://qsaltlake.com/2010/06/10/backstreets-back-oh-lord/

23wednesday — Backstreet’s back!” … Oh lord, really?!!?. Nick, AJ and those other two, the Backstreet Boys, are together again touring this great land of ours, and they’re stopping in Salt Lake City to … what? Try and jumpstart their career? They’re not “Larger Than Life” anymore, but they did have some pretty catchy dance tunes back in the day, so it could be a pretty fun concert. Don’t tell anyone I said that!
7:30pm, Energy Solutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple. Tickets $35, 801-467-8499 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 801-467-8499 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or smithstix.com

lonely_tear89

06-11-2010, 03:49 AM

Backstreet Boys still in sync
The Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync boy band battles of the '90s were like the musical showdowns of the '60s between the Temptations, the Four Tops or any high-stepping crooner group that wanted to be the next big thing. Each group tried to top the other — on the music charts, with the best dance moves, in record sales and at selling out concerts. The Backstreet Boys are so over those days, especially since 'N Sync is only slightly represented by Justin Timberlake's solo career and Lance Bass popping up in various gossip storylines. But the quartet of A.J. McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter are still in sync, with the familiar harmonizing sound that won fans over in the '90s — less emphasis on the choreographed steps — a 2009 CD ("This Is Us") that did OK, and sporadic performances that continue to have fans all abuzz. 8 p.m. Thursday at Ravinia Festival, 200-231 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. $50, $27-$32 for lawn; 847-266-5100 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ott-0611-backstreet-boys-burbs-20100611,0,7272145.story

lonely_tear89

06-11-2010, 03:51 AM

Backstreet Boys at Ravinia Thursday

Backstreet Boys will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at Ravinia, Lake-Cook and Green Bay roads, Highland Park. Tickets are $10-$50.

For more than 16 years, Backstreet Boys have delivered the very finest pop music has to offer -- tightly crafted songs, floor-shaking rhythms, and unmistakable harmonies. "This Is Us" showcases their pop mastery with a collection of indelible tracks that rank among their biggest and best hits.

After mastering an organic, more adult contemporary flavor on 2005's "Never Gone" and 2007's "Unbreakable," the new album sees Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and AJ McLean revisiting the groundbreaking dance-pop sound that first made them international superstars. Songs like "PDA," "Bye Bye Love" and the RedOne-produced first single, "Straight Through My Heart" are classic Backstreet Boys, bursting with big hooks, unforgettable melodies, and high-energy rhythms that both highlights the group's classic sound and vision while also placing it squarely in the here and now.

One of the most successful groups in music history, with countless No. 1s, record-setting tours, and worldwide sales in excess of 100 million, Backstreet Boys are also among pops most influential. Turn on the radio and you're certain to hear massive melodies melded with Eurodance grooves, a modern pop style rooted in the group's innovative approach.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/entertainment/2380726,5_1_WA11_BACKSTREET_S1-100611.article

lonely_tear89

06-11-2010, 09:02 AM

Backstreet Boys at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom: Aggressive fans, tears, and, oh yeah, a concert
by Sandra Gonzalez
Anyone doubting the seemingly eternal appeal of the boy band era needed only to scope out the line wrapping around the block outside Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom shortly before 6:30 p.m. last night, hours before a Backstreet Boys show. In the battle of fans’ evolved musical taste vs. nostalgia, nostalgia will always come out on top. The man behind me in line was so bemused by the fans braving the rain for a chance to be eight inches closer to Nick, Howie, A.J., and Brian that he turned to his girlfriend to say, “There are going to be crazy girls, of course. It’s a boy band.”

His statement echoed in my head as I walked ever-so-confidently into the general admission ballroom. Having been to three Backstreet Boys concerts in my youth (if you consider five years ago “my youth”), I felt like I had grown up since those days. I was sure that much of the obnoxiousness, fan bickering, and “crazy girls” I had encountered in the past would be subdued, if not completely absent. I was wrong. It was, in fact, worse than before.

Some of the aggressive fans had morphed into aggressive moms who were intent on protecting their concert-newbie young. Then there were those fans who seemed to have gained not children, but an insatiable thirst for alcohol for since the prime of their Backstreet days. Watching the two crowds together was like watching foamy-mouthed hyenas searching for a stray wildebeest. (I’m not sure which group was which animal in that metaphor.) I witnessed two significant shove- and scream-fests during the show, one of which resulted in tears. Add to that fun the fact that a mom punched me twice in the shoulder as I attempted to flee the ruckus, and you can color me bewildered. I envy not the kind security guards who tried to talk the madness down. For the most part, their threats of ejection from the venue worked, but not without stink-eye exchanges between the battling girls. Perhaps my side (stage right) was particularly aggressive, but I don’t think that was the case. I overheard three other scuffle stories as I walked out of the building at the end of the show. Next time I see the Backstreet Boys, I plan on bringing brass knuckles for my protection.

On to the show itself: The 22-song setlist included mostly old tunes and, I believe, none from 2007′s Unbreakable. At a concert where ticket sales relied on fans from the Boys’ more popular days, this was a smart move. As expected, the four remaining band members (Kevin Richardson left in 2006) were on-point performance-wise. These guys pride themselves on their vocal chops, and when you see them live, it’s easy to figure out why. A.J. McLean, known to the greater public for his 2001 rehab stint, has always had the strongest pipes in the band, and he especially shone last night during “Incomplete.” Few singers I’ve seen can put so much power behind a single note that the veins on their neck pop out, yet still manage to sound musical and well-toned.

I did feel that the band has yet to properly adjust to the smaller venues they find themselves in these days. Their ground-based choreography was often hard to see from most places on the general admission floor. Much of the band’s movement would have been better suited for large stadiums with huge screens on either side of the stage. Yet my guest, a Backstreet concert virgin, told me that she appreciated the Boys’ animated stage presence and interaction. After watching so many concerts and performances from a single group, one sometimes forgets to appreciate the small things that they bring to the stage. There’s still nothing quite like the relationship Backstreet shares with its fans: It’s personal, and it makes you feel less like a member of a crowd and more like a member of a (sometimes violent) club.

I suppose that’s why it was strange to hear McLean howl the kicker phrase to the band’s 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” at the beginning of the show. For many fans, Backstreet never really went anywhere. I imagine the girl on the third floor mezzanine seats who was halfway over the protective railing during much of the concert would agree.

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/06/11/backstreet-boys-hammerstein-concert/

misha17

06-11-2010, 02:59 PM

Hammerstein concert review, VillageVoice blog (my emphasis in red

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2010/06/the_ear-splitti.php

Live: Still Swooning Over The Backstreet Boys (Well, Most Of Them, Anyway) At Hammerstein Ballroom

By Puja Patel, Friday, Jun. 11 2010 @ 12:10PM

Backstreet Boys
Hammerstein Ballroom
Thursday, June 10

The ear-splitting shrieks started about a half-hour before the Backstreet Boys took the stage at Hammerstein Ballroom last night. Hundreds and hundreds of girls squealed every time the lights blinked, curtains moved, or one of their peers screamed, "Nick, we love you!" over the dull roar. The boys (ahem... men) have retained their fan base through the past 17 (!) years and several tarnishes to their adorable, boys-next-door image -- Nick's philandering and unfortunate reality-TV show, AJ's stint in rehab, and (even worse!) Kevin's leaving the band a few years back. Through it all, one thing is certain: As the group gets older, their fans stay the same age. At least the Boys have a good sense of humor about it all.

It was only right that the group opened the sold-out show with "Everybody" (i.e. "Backstreet's Back"), though the audience's sing-a-long drowned out the mics. There's no getting around it -- their huge arsenal of chart-topping hits makes them the biggest boy-band in the world (take that, *NSYNC!), and last night proved that singing along to "Quit Playing Games" and "As Long as You Love Me" is still second nature to those of us who fawned over these pop darlings in our youth. In fact, trying to keep composed ("Act cool, act cool," one girl chanted to herself) was a feat -- especially when the girl next to you begins bawling at the intro chords to every single song. Though I can't blame her: The ten-year-old me was dying to break free, too.

Their age shows, barely, if only through their costume choices. At one point Howie rocked a red-velvet blazer paired with a glittery silver scarf, Brian donned a wide-brim fedora paired with a tucked-in button-down and suspenders, AJ did his usual paint-splattered denim, and Nick's pelvic thrusts were rendered even creepier by his Nike-parody shirt that read, "Just Did It!" Not to mention their matching hoodies emblazoned with a gigantic, glittering "B." But the hits continued -- "Shape of My Heart", "Show Me the Meaning (of Being Lonely)," "The Call" -- with skits at 30-minute intervals.

Yes, the skits. Each was a parody of a popular movie with a band member edited in -- there's pretty much nothing more endearing than superstars making fun of themselves. In a The Fast and the Furious parody, Howie wins a race against Vin Diesel and looks directly into the camera for a deadpan "Backstreet's Back." In the Fight Club spoof (Fan Club), AJ shouts the rules to a rowdy crowd: "Rule #2: Only two guys can sing at a time. Rule #3: Songs go as long as they have to." Brian croons as the too-sappy, romantically charged prince in Enchanted, and Nick channels Neo in The Matrix: "Has it really been ten years since I was one of the most beautiful people in the world?"

Nick's boyish charm was lost on us, though, and not just because he's 30. (Also, the sequin-accented white blazer had nothing to do it.) The man has as much stage presence as a cruise director: Where his pelvic thrusts and other suggestive dance moves once gave tweens everywhere butterflies and dreams of puberty, now we're getting a lot less "sex appeal" and a lot more "sexual predator." Is manhandling the set's prop joystick really necessary? We are not 13 anymore, and neither are you.

As for the group's new tracks (from the new-ish album This Is Us), we were a little less thrilled, though the rest of the audience seemed to be die-hard for it all. To be completely honest, "This Is Us" and "Straight Through the Heart" are bangers live. On record, we like them less, if only because the cheesy '90s boy-band-style chorus stands out a little awkwardly without the off-tune BSB fan next to you to balance it out. Who cares though: "Larger Than Life" and "The One" will live on forever. Good lord, do I love the Backstreet Boys.

misha17

06-12-2010, 12:56 AM

Nick intv, Jun 5 Raleigh News-Observer
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/04/512416/they-still-like-being-backstreet.html

Discussion thread:

New Nick's Interview: "They still like being Backstreet Boys"
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?4948-New-Nick-s-Interview-quot-They-still-like-being-Backstreet-Boys-quot

Don't tell Nick Carter that the Backstreet Boys are back. The lean, lanky pop singer will inform you that the group never went away.

When Carter released his solo album "Now Or Never" in 2002 and his boy-bandmates tried their hand at other projects, ranging from Broadway to parenthood, the Backstreet Boys were never far off the periphery. It was only a matter of time until Backstreet reconnected.

"We never drifted far from each other," Carter says. "We always had [the Backstreet Boys] in our heads. We took a little break, and we're loving every minute of it now that we're doing our thing."

Some boy bands pick it up again (New Kids on the Block) and others move on ('N SYNC). Carter is thrilled to be in the former camp.

"It's so great to do what we do together," he says. "I'm sure there are a lot of people who were part of [boy bands] and gave it up and they wish they were still doing it.

"They moved on in life. Maybe they're happy, but they probably look back and miss it. We don't miss it because we're still doing it. We're doing it like we once did it."

That's not an exaggeration. The Backstreet Boys' latest album, the aptly titled, "This Is Us," works well because the group was wise enough to re-embrace the sound that established the act and led to a staggering 100 million in album sales. The CD is heavy on the rhythm and features the familiar harmonies that smack of the Backstreet Boys' mid-'90s heyday.

...

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/04/512416/they-still-like-being-backstreet.html

THis article was also published on Jun 11 in the Asbury Park (NJ) Press to promote the Atlantic City and Monmouth/MAC concerts:

http://www.app.com/article/20100611/ENT/6110317/Backstreet-Boys-play-the-Shore

Backstreet Boys play the Shore
By ED CONDRAN • CORRESPONDENT • June 11, 2010

Don't tell Nick Carter that the Backstreet Boys are back. The lean, lanky pop singer will inform you that the group never went away.

When Carter released his solo album "Now Or Never" in 2002 and his boy bandmates tried their hand at other projects ranging from Broadway to parenthood, the Backstreet Boys were never far off the periphery. It was only a matter of time until Backstreet reconnected.

...

We're taking what they're giving us," Carter says. "We just want to perform. The show is designed for bigger venues. We played to over 20,000 a night in Europe and Asia. They love their pop there, but we're (fine) with our situation here. Just give us a chance to play — whether it's in front of 20 or 20,000 people."

misha17

06-14-2010, 12:10 PM

Review of the Hammerstein concert, TimeOutNY.com

http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/thevolume/2010/06/live-review-and-photos-backstreet-boys-at-hammerstein-ballroom

Live review and photos: Backstreet Boys at Hammerstein Ballroom
Posted in The Volume by Beatrice Rothbaum on June 14th, 2010 at 2:02 pm

Something seemed weird as I entered the Backstreet Boys concert last Thursday night—there were no screaming preteen girls in sight. I guessed that this age group was now obsessing over the Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber or whoever the reigning princes of corporate pop may be. The audience I observed was 95 percent female, and scarily enough, they all seemed to be around my age.

This should not have come as a surprise. The Backstreet Boys’ self-titled debut was the first CD I ever owned, at age seven—followed closely by the Spice Girls’ Spice. I even remember listening to “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart),” “All I Have to Give” and “As Long as You Love Me” over and over again on a borrowed Discman, following along with the lyrics in the booklet and reading the “Thank You” section to try to decide which band member was my favorite.

But there I was, at age 21, legally sipping my second margarita of the night and remembering what it was like to listen to music before I loved music, and before music gave me a sense of identity. The Backstreet Boys played all of their old hits, and I remembered more lyrics than I’d like to admit.

Believe it or not, this is was no nostalgia show—the Backstreet Boys are still a band. Since the group’s three-year hiatus ended in 2005, the guys have released three albums. The latest, This Is Us, did respectably well on the charts and produced the catchy, dancey single, “Straight Through My Heart.” At the show, the Boys successfully shifted between the new and the old, although I have to say, it was strange to watch 30-year-old men do synchronized dances while wearing sequined jackets, with straight faces.

“So, what’s your favorite Backstreet Boys song?” I asked the girl sitting next to me.

“I don’t know,” she said with a pained look. “I like them all.”

“Have you seen them live before?”

“Yeah, this is my third time. I saw them at Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum. They used to sell-out those places. This is a small place for them.”

“Wow,” I said. When the rest of the world had forgotten this outfit that once seemed larger than life, this girl remained faithful.

“Most of them are married and have kids,” she continued. “They’ve been around for 17 years.”

“Wow.”

“I know—my friend says they should change their name to the Backstreet Men.”

********
Photos: Taso Hountas
http://www.tasohountas.com/
(requires flash)

lonely_tear89

06-14-2010, 12:57 PM

Backstreet's Fanatical Fans Are Back

In 1996, the OJ Simpson was on trial for murder. Princess Diana and Prince Charles were going through a scandalous divorce, Tupak was shot down, and Jon Benet Ramsey went missing. And in 1996, to the deep chagrin of my parents, I bounced around my room to the Backstreet Boy's epic first CD for an entire year. Obsessively clicking repeat, (and occasionally whacking my SONY Disk player as my overworked CD began to skip) I sang along to 'I'll Never Break Your Heart,' attempting to imitate their strangely spastic dance moves, dreaming of spending just one second in the presence of Nick and Brian. Along with one million other prepubescent teenyboppers across America, I promised myself that I would be their biggest fan, like, forever.

Fourteen years later, standing amid two thousand screaming fans, I realized that some girls might have taken this promise a bit more seriously than I did.

On June 10th, the Backstreet Boys graced New York City for their ninth tour, and at Hammerstein Ballroom, it was hard to remember that nearly two decades had gone by since their heyday. Fans lined up as early as 8am to score the closest spots near the stage, unfazed by the frighteningly close view of Nick Carter's aging face or AJ's clearly receding hairline.

By 9pm, the crowd had reached a critical mass of frenzied insanity, chanting "Backstreet Boys" and intermittently screaming out "Nick! I Love You!" Initially, it may have seemed that as their fan base's average age grew from 9 to over-21, the crowds increasingly screechy chants were slightly more vodka-infused than they were in the 90's. And yet Hammerstein's five bars were relatively empty throughout the night, their placement too far from the stage to satisfy any true BSB devotee.

Rather, their fans' epic enthusiasm seemed as naturally hormone-based as always. Huge "Howie Marry Me!" signs hung down from the upper seating levels, faintly reminiscent of the bygone Time Square TRL crowds. Truly, it didn't seem far-fetched to wonder whether these sign-slinging, somewhat aged fans were the same tank-top rocking teeny-bopper teens from those MTV days. One 25-year-old told me she had been to every single one of their tours since 1998, and then absentmindedly rattled off each band member's age, spouse, and various childrens' names, as well as a long-winded, slightly imaginative explanation as to why Kevin, age 39, had left the band.

As AJ, Nick, Brian and Howie finally emerged singing "Everybody" amid ear-splitting screams, the band's two-decade old act immediately showed signs of wear. Or rather, its static, unchanged nature seemed to scream out in a cry for modernization, as they performed their signature New Kids-esque moves, snapping and swaying in perfectly practiced synchronization.

The foursome sang through their most famous songs, interspersing greatest hits like "I'll Never Break Your Heart," "As Long as You Love Me," and "I Want It That Way" with a few newer singles. True to their age-old style, each song, new and old, had less than five unique lines. After just a minute of a new song, the entire audience had picked up on the one line of chorus necessary to sing along, and the crowd was screaming and swaying their camera phones to the beat.

And yet, as I attempted to skeptically judge these die-hard fans and their obsessive, slightly time-warped mentality, I was suddenly struck by a different aspect of their fanatical craze. The Backstreet Boys and their fanatical followers have always been a duo, as inevitable and everlasting a part of the BSB experience as Nick's bleach blond tresses or AJ's slightly creepy hip gyrations.

Today, MTV's musical coverage is as sparse as AJ's head of hair, and Carson Daily has joined Jennifer Love Heweitt and Freddy Prince Jr. in the sad abyss of bygone 90's celebrities. Finding fans that will pay for an album has gone from improbable to idealistic, and bands like Radiohead have merely opted for pay-what-you-like album releases.

Yet amid a dying musical industry, the Backstreet Boys fans are a fantastically fanatical anomaly, happily paying for BSB's shiny, plastic-wrapped CDs (or, alright, perhaps the digital, iTunes-equivalent.) Twenty years after the apex of the music industry, as successful contemporary bands accept the inevitability of fledgling profits and pathetically small album sales, the Backstreet Boys can still headline a sold-out tour with twelve-hour lines outside.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-klein/backstreets-fanatical-fan_b_611498.html

misha17

06-14-2010, 08:50 PM

AJ intv, InThisWeek.com (Salt Lake City concert promotional intv)

LD discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?7561-New-AJ-interview-I-m-not-still-the-bad-boy

Music: Backstreet Boys
Posted 2010-06-14 16:03:08 by Autumn Thatcher

It has been fourteen years since the boy-band phenomenon exploded around the world and teenage girls were lusting after, crying over and fantasizing about the five-member group known as the Backstreet Boys. When BSB broke out with their debut album "Backstreet Boys" in 1996, I was a 16-year-old junior in high school. Though I admitted to lusting after Nick Carter, I was not a fan of their music. I was a skater girl, rocking out to Bush, 311, Nirvana, Reel Big Fish; the list goes on. BSB was not on my list of favorites, they were, however, on my list of guilty pleasures. From '96 to 2000 and when BSB released their massive hit album "Millennium," which I half-listened to, I fully enjoyed the Backstreet Boys. It was impossible not to as these five guys took over the music world and TV sets. As the years went by, the boy-band scene died out, but the Backstreet Boys, though they were no longer the obsession of the public eye, were still carrying on.

Fast-forward to present day, and I am getting ready to do a phone interview with A.J. McLean. Though I am on the verge of turning 30, I cannot help but be excited that I am actually going to talk to a Backstreet Boy. Not only one of the Backstreet Boys, but the "bad boy" himself, A.J.

"I'm not still the 'bad boy,' but I am still the craziest and I always want to push the envelope. I am always going to be different. I will never be normal," says McLean from his Hollywood home where he claims to be "snuggling with the pooches in bed."

After the Backstreet Boys took a few years hiatus, four of the five boys decided that they wanted to rejoin forces, and put a true to life meaning on the BSB lyric, "Backstreet's Back, alright." The group is currently engaging in a massive world tour in order to celebrate their new album "This is Us." Though they are older, when it comes to music, the boys of Backstreet are the same group of guys, minus Kevin Richardson.

I am still a little shocked that I am on the phone with a Backstreet Boy, but I find that McLean is super cool. He is very easy to converse with and there really doesn't seem to be an ounce of that former bad-boy in him. On the phone, McLean talks about the BSB tour, the new album and why Backstreet is better than ever.

read more
http://www.inthisweek.com/view.php?id=2370621

misha17

06-15-2010, 08:33 AM

Blogger's review of the AC concert, with some photos.

I'll just post the headline, first paragraph and link to the article:

Concert Review: Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" Tour
Jun 15, 2010 Kristen Scatton

On June 12, it may have been 2010 outside the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, but inside the Taj's Mark G. Etess Arena, the crowd of 5,000 people at the Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" tour were partying like it was 1999, singing (or rather, screaming) along as the group performed its biggest hit, "I Want It That Way."

.....

Read more at Suite101: Concert Review: Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" Tour http://modern-pop-music.suite101.com/article.cfm/concert-review-backstreet-boys-this-is-us-tour#ixzz0r5TNRW9M

lonely_tear89

06-17-2010, 06:40 AM

Backstreet Boys bring it back in Detroit

— By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | For The Flint Journal
Having performed back-to-back nights on the East Coast, the Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter yawns his way through an interview with The Flint Journal. But he perks up and laughs when he hears a mention of Detroit, a city to which he feels close now.

"I'm on a bus right now — and isn't Kid Rock from Detroit?" he asked rhetorically. "I have Kid Rock's bus. There's a big D everywhere on my bus. It's for Detroit."

The bus pulls into DTE Energy Music Theatre on Friday, when Backstreet Boys, which also includes A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell, perform there.

"Our shows in Detroit have always been really good," Carter said. "We've got a lot of friends up there and people who love us in the area. We can't wait to get up there."

Backstreet Boys are returning to the area in support of their seventh album "This is Us." The collection has spawned two singles. "Straight Through My Heart" premiered on the group's website on Aug. 17 and released to radio the following day. It peaked at No. 18 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The second single, "Bigger," was sent to radio on Feb. 1. But it has yet to crack radio the way previous albums have.

"We feel we came full circle and we feel it best represents the group from old to new," Carter said. "It's a great record overall. It's sad though that people aren't getting the chance to hear it much — but that's cool. All we have to do is go on tour and promote it that way."

The making of "This is Us" marked the reunion of the Backstreet Boys with producer/songwriter Max Martin, who penned the hit "I Want It That Way." Martin was part of a collective of powerhouse producers and songwriters who worked on the album, including rapper T-Pain, RedOne, Soulshock and Karlin, Jim Jonsin, Claude Kelly and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder.

"I mean we definitely learned a lot from Max Martin and a lot from all those producers in the past," Carter said. "We've worked with so many amazing producers from Rodney Jerkins to Mutt Lange to Max Martin to Jim Jonsin to Ryan Tedder. You name it we worked with almost every single big producer on this planet from the pop perspective. We've taken a little bit from every single one of them."

Backstreet Boys are also promoting an environmentally friendly greatest hits CD, "Playlist: The Very Best of the Backstreet Boys." It features 14 remastered hits and is wrapped in a package made of 100-percent recycled paperboard, zero plastic and a digital PDF booklet. Carter explained that while choosing songs for the album, it dawned on him just how many hits the group has.

"It's a little overwhelming at times," he said with a yawn. "You look back and say, 'Wow. We've had seven albums. I personally feel like it's our first album.

"We're having so much fun. I'm always looking forward to the future and not what we've done in the past and reminiscing. I'm not living in the past. I'm always trying to figure out what's next."

What's next for the Backstreet Boys is working on a new album. Carter said the Backstreet Boys are just "a couple songs into it right now." But now is the time to focus on the tour.

"What you can expect is we have four dancers in our show," Carter said. "We have a great, cool production. There's LEDs everywhere. We also have four different movies that we basically superimpose ourselves into. There's acting with all the great songs we've done — 'Quit Playing Games' to 'Backstreet's Back' ('Everybody') to 'As Long as You Love Me.' They are songs that people might know from that area. We're dancing like crazy. It's energetic and a lot of fun."

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/index.ssf/2010/06/backstreet_boys_bring_it_back.html

misha17

06-17-2010, 10:00 AM

AJ intv, Colorado Springs Independent

LD discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?7993-Colorado-Spring-Independent-Sixty-seconds-with-A.J.-McLean

Source:- csindy.com (http://www.csindy.com/colorado/backstreet-boys/Content?oid=1746360)

Backstreet Boys Sixty seconds with A.J. McLean

by Alan Sculley

Indy: Your previous album, Unbreakable, didn't do well for you guys. What went wrong?

McLean: Honestly the reason why it didn't do so well is because the songs weren't that good. That's why we decided to team up with big producers and writers [T-Pain, Claude Kelly, RedOne] on this album [This Is Us]. We want hot music. We want music that we can perform and be proud to perform.

Indy: You went through a much-publicized rehab in 2000. You seem healthy and happy these days, and recently got engaged to Rochelle Deanna Karidis. How are you doing?

McLean: It's always a daily sort of — not a daily struggle — but you've always got to keep it in the back of your mind. You've just got to make sure that you have a balance in your life and not let anything catch up to you. So I think that's what I'm doing. And playing has been a priority to me. I like to go out and have a good time with friends on special occasions, but to me my priorities have changed, and they're all about my physical appearance, the way I look, the way I feel inside and my brain, what I can do from a creative side of things.

Indy: What's the new live show like?

McLean: We feel that we've made music that's going to be really, really entertaining on stage, No. 1, [and] No. 2, we want to step up the production to where it turns into something that's just like visually astounding to people who come to it. So that starts with adding extra dancers on stage. We've got four extra dancers. And production-wise, we're doing like a bunch of different gags and stuff. It's going to be very theatrical, lots of dancing on our part. It's going to be really, really entertaining and cool.

misha17

06-17-2010, 10:05 AM

Nick Carter intv, Soundspike.com

LD Discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?7654-SoundSpike-Q-amp-A-Nick-Carter-of-Backstreet-Boys

Q&A: Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys

Story by Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
SoundSpike Contributor
Published June 15, 2010 09:03 AM
From where Backstreet Boys [ tickets ]' Nick Carter is standing, things are looking pretty good. Concerts on the act's tour -- as well as copies of its greatest-hits collection, "Playlist: The Very Best of Backstreet Boys" -- are selling briskly. Now if he could only persuade radio to play songs from Backstreet Boys' latest album, "This Is Us," everything would be perfect.

"It's sad that people aren't getting the chance to hear it much," Carter said. "But that's cool. All we have to do is go on tour and promote it that way."
Backstreet Boys, who recently joined Korn in boycotting BP oil, are on tour through July in support of the album. During a tour stop in Boston, Carter took the time to talk to SoundSpike about the performances, the upcoming Backstreet Boys cruise and his tour bus.

SoundSpike: How's the tour going so far?

Nick Carter: The tour is going fantastic. We're having a lot of fun. From what we're seeing from the stage, it's kind of sold out. [Laughs] We're kind of excited. Everybody's excited. I'm on a bus right now -- and isn't Kid Rock from Detroit? I have Kid Rock's bus. There's a big D everywhere on my bus for Detroit. [Laughs]

What can we expect from the tour?

What you can expect is we have four dancers in our show. We have a great, cool production. There's LEDs everywhere. We also have four different movies that we basically superimpose ourselves into. There's acting with all the great songs we've done -- "Quit Playing Games" to "Backstreet's Back" to "As Long As You Love Me." They're songs that people might know from that era. We're dancing like crazy. It's energetic and a lot of fun.

I give you credit for being able to dance for hours on end like that.

It is definitely tough at certain times but we're all in good shape. We're in really good shape.

You must be proud of "This is Us." It's a great record.

We're super proud of it. We're super proud. We feel this is a coming of age. It's us back again.

Is that where the name came from?

Basically, yeah. We feel we came full circle and we feel it best represents the group from old to new. It's a great record overall.

It must be tough to know that people aren't hearing it as much on the radio.

Overall, the fact is we're still able to get on stage and enjoy the music that we do and enjoy performing it. We enjoy it just as much as the fans do. It's a great exchange.

Like previous albums, you worked with some great songwriters and producers on "This is Us." Who did you learn the most from?
We definitely learned a lot from Max Martin and a lot from all those producers in the past. We've worked with so many amazing producers -- from Rodney Jerkins to Mutt Lange to Max Martin to Jim Jonsin to [OneRepublic's] Ryan Tedder. You name it, we worked with almost every single big producer on this planet, from the pop perspective. We've taken a little bit from every single one of them.

When you were working on the greatest-hits album, "Playlist: The Very Best of Backstreet Boys," did it surprise you the number of hits Backstreet Boys have produced?

It's a little overwhelming at times. You look back and say, "Wow. We've had seven albums." I personally feel like it's our first album.

Why is that?

Just because. I feel like we're having so much fun. I'm always looking forward to the future and not what we've done in the past and reminiscing. I'm not living in the past. I'm trying to figure out what's next.

Have you started working on new material?

Yes, we have.

How far into the process are you?

We are probably just a couple songs into it right now. The tour's taking up a lot of our time. Once we're done with that, then we'll really put the pedal to the metal.

What can you tell me about the Backstreet Boys Cruise that starts on Dec. 9?

Basically, this cruise that we are doing is -- I think it's [a] Carnival Cruise. You get a chance to buy a ticket and you go on a cruise. You get to see our show on one of the nights. We put on the same show that has taken us all over the world performing to 20,000 seats in London, 50,000 in Japan. It's the same magnitude of show, but on a cruise line.

It must be kind of unnerving knowing that you're going to be with all of your fans on a ship, where there's easier access.

It's definitely a little tense thinking about it. At the end of the day, we've got security, so we're going to be fine.

How do you feel Backstreet Boys have grown musically over the years?

We've grown in so many different aspects as writers and producers, and then also from listening to songs and knowing good songs that we want to put on our album. We know you have to have a good ear to know what you've got to release, in order to keep that career going. There have been so many groups in the past who probably didn't have a lot of success because they didn't know how to A&R their albums.

http://www.soundspike.com/news/feature/tour/121-backstreet_boys_tour_dates_and_tickets_q_amp_a__ni ck_carter_of_backstreet_boys.html

misha17

06-17-2010, 03:21 PM

Nick interview, Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

Backstreet Boys tailors show to fans
By Scott Iwasaki

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010 3:00 p.m. MDT

The Backstreet Boys are back.

The singing quartet — Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean — have sold more than 76 million records worldwide and won a bucketload of MTV Music Awards on both sides of the Atlantic, VH1 Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards and Grammy Nominations.

The group has also seen two of its albums ("Backstreet Boys" and "Millennium") sell more than 10 million copies each.

As recent at 2008, the boys were voted No. 2 and 3 on MTV's TRL list for Top 10 Best Boy Band and Most Iconic Video, respectively, for "I Want It That Way."

Last October, the Backstreet Boys released its ninth CD, "This Is Us."

In addition, the singers are each involved in their own solo careers and other projects.

Carter, calling from the Backstreet Boys stop in Connecticut, said the group's lives rely on priorities.

"The Backstreet Boys takes a lot of time and energy," he said. "And it takes a lot of balance to do what is expected of us and what we need to do." ...

read more (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700041156/Backstreet-Boys-tailors-show-to-fans.html)

misha17

06-18-2010, 05:27 AM

Short Howie intv, Macomb Daily, for the DTE/MI concert

http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2010/06/18/entertainment/srv0000008564112.txt

Backstreet Boys at DTE
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010

By Gary Graff, For The Macomb Daily

The Backstreet Boys don't want it that way anymore.

That is the group's relationship with Jive Records, its longtime label and home during its multi-platinum late '90s run. Even as it tours to promote last year's "This is Us," which debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, the quartet has decided to part ways with Jive, which will release Backstreet Boys' next album in Japan only, and plot its next course of action

"It's a very amicable situation, no hard feelings," noted the group's Howie Dorough. "We're very appreciative of what they've done for us over 15 years, but we all felt it was time to change. We're excited about new opportunities coming around the corner for us."

And those would be? "We're actually in the midst of talking about all that right now," said Dorough, 36, who's also "a little over halfway" finished with a solo album. "We have several options right now to look into, and whatever feels natural and comes to the table and makes the most sense is the direction we'll go.

"Leaving your comfort zone is always a little scary, but it's also very exciting. We're embracing it."

The Boys, meanwhile, are enjoying the embrace of fans during its current tour, which features all the old hits as well as "bells and whistles" such as four female dancers, visual projects and a deejay rather than a full band.

"The music on ('This Is Us') lent itself to a little more electronic kind of sound," Dorough explained. "It's really funny; when you tell people a lot of times there's no band, they're like, 'What? No band? I didn't even miss the band."

"It so goes to show you that when we put on a great show, the focus stays on us. There's no need for distraction, you know?"

*******
LD discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?8190-Short-Howie-intv-for-the-DTE-MI-concert-(mentions-his-solo-CD)

*******
No BSB articles in the Detroit Free Press

lonely_tear89

06-18-2010, 08:32 AM

Concert Review: Backstreet Boys - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT, June 15, 2010

In 1993, when The Backstreet Boys came together as a group in Orlando, Florida, no one could have predicted the scope of their success. Typically, teen pop acts come and go leaving nothing behind but a moldy hit or two and a sprinkling of die-hard fans scattered around the globe. The fact that seventeen years after their inception, The Backstreet Boys are still packing them in says something for their fortitude, the loyalty of their fans and, oh, yeah, their talent.

My daughter has been a fan of the group since the time “The Boys” (as their long-time followers call them) began getting airplay and having entire issues of Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine devoted to them. I followed along at first because I wanted to make my daughter happy, but then something strange happened. I began enjoying those songs with their delicious hooks and well crafted melodies. The group members possessed personality and charm that others of their ilk seemed to lack. It stands to reason that in order to appeal to a wide range of the populace and increase your selling power, you must be likable, and not just to the kids. The Backstreet Boys learned this early on.

I’ve witnessed the band during various phases of their long career: from teetering on the brink of fame to full blown Backstreet-mania, when Times Square had to be shut down for their appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live. For awhile they were the hottest pop band going. But time has a way of controlling the ebb and flow of fame. Eventually their U.S. record sales flagged (although in Europe their recordings still do well). A.J. Mclean went through rehab for drug and alcohol abuse, Kevin Richardson, the band's eldest member, left to spend more time with his family. But now McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, and Brian Littrell are on the road with their “This Is Us” tour and it’s almost like the golden days are upon them again.

Their show is a mix of material both new and old and is as much a production as it can be in these economically challenged times. Yes, the requisite dry ice is present, along with four female dancers, who take over the show when the group is off for another costume change. A screen at the rear of the stage is the entrance point for the guys, who burst through their own images to dance and leap down the stairs on either side of a massive platform.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/concert-review-backstreet-boys-mohegan-sun/

misha17

06-21-2010, 09:58 PM

Not an article - yet - but @MikeOz, a reporter for the Fresno Bee tweeted about an upcoming interview for the paper:

When I said giving my dog pills was the worst part of my day, that was before I had to stay late at work to an interview a Backstreet Boy
about 9 hours ago via web from Huntington, Fresno

@TheSillyCHick i was just trying to be funny. i'm actually just disappointed that I have to stay at work late tonight.
about 9 hours ago via web from Huntington, Fresno in reply to TheSillyCHick

@lexipanda it's gonna be AJ, but not until this evening.
about 9 hours ago via web from Huntington, Fresno in reply to lexipanda

@TheSillyCHick right now, it's with AJ. Probably run a few days before the show.
about 8 hours ago via web from Huntington, Fresno in reply to TheSillyCHick

@TheSillyCHick at first it was supposed to be Nick, then they changed it to AJ, so we'll see if that holds up.
about 8 hours ago via web from Huntington, Fresno in reply to TheSillyCHick

@tsheehan sadly, the backstreet boy will have to wait until morning. got canceled on. so I get to attempt both of them again tomorrow
about 4 hours ago via web from Huntington, Fresno in reply to tsheehan

What's worse than staying at work late to interview a Backstreet Boy? Get canceled on by the Backstreet Boy you stayed late for.
about 4 hours ago via Echofon

@autobotnate guess something came up for him. We're doing it tomorrow during work hours, which is what I originally asked for
about 3 hours ago via Echofon in reply to autobotnate

@geepeecee yep. Oh well. We'll try again tomorrow during work hours
about 3 hours ago via Echofon in reply to geepeecee

misha17

06-22-2010, 08:44 AM

misha17

06-23-2010, 09:34 AM

Small article in the Salt Lake City Tribune, Jun 23:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogs/burger/49813572-53/carter-backstreet-feel-lake.html.csp

Backstreet Boys back tonight
Updated on Jun 23, 2010 10:39AM 0 Comments
You may scoff at the idea of the Backstreet Boys being the Show of the Week, but has there been a more perfect pop song than “I Want It That Way”? The Boys — now four, not five — bring their “This Is Us” tour to NuSkin Theatre in support of their most recent album of the same name, as well as hits that once dominated pop radio. The “young and cute” one, Nick Carter, is now 30, but said he still loves to perform Boys songs to fans young and old. “It excites me to see anyone in the audience, after 17 years in the business,” Carter said. Despite those 17 years, Carter professes his vitality. “Age is just a number,” he said. “I feel like I’m 25. I look better than I’ve ever looked. I feel younger than I’ve ever felt.” Carter doesn’t mind that some see the Backstreet Boys as past their prime. “We’re kind of a red-headed stepchild of the music industry,” he said. And, he added, he and their expensive, tightly choreographed show will prove the nonbelievers wrong. He wants it that way.

When • Tonight, Wednesday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $37 at SmithsTix

Howicitad

06-23-2010, 10:33 AM

Snarky review of the KC/Midland concert from PitchBlog.com (but at least there's good photos)

The Backstreet Boys at the Midland
http://blogs.pitch.com/wayward/2010/06/backstreet_boys_at_the_midland.php

I did not like anything this article, the woman who wrote, spends a lot with Bsb fans and themselves, I think his way of speaking is rude and cruel, besides that everything he says regarding Backstreet Boys is totally false.

Isla

06-23-2010, 11:38 AM

Backstreet Boys: Not Bigger Or Better, But Always Back! (http://thedeadhub.com/backstreet-boys-not-bigger-or-better-but-always-back/)
Think I'll post a discussions thread for this one, it has alot of concert photos etc.

misha17

06-24-2010, 09:27 AM

Couple of things:

1. followup to Isla's post yesterday:

Backstreet Boys: Not Bigger Or Better, But Always Back! (http://thedeadhub.com/backstreet-boys-not-bigger-or-better-but-always-back/)
Think I'll post a discussions thread for this one, it has alot of concert photos etc.
Discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?9037-Backstreet-Boys-Not-Bigger-Or-Better-But-Always-Back!-Ravinia-IL-review-amp-photos

2. Review of the SLC concert in the Salt Lake City Tribune (emphasis and smilies are mine) -

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment/49817967-81/backstreet-arena-playing-stage.html.csp

Backstreet Boys are back, alright?
By david burger

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated 1 hour ago
This may be a man’s, a man’s, a man’s world.

But to a predominantly female audience at EnergySolutions Arena on Wednesday night, it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a Backstreet Boy.

The boy — or should it be “man” — band delivered what a surprisingly large crowd hoped for: more than 90 minutes of highly choreographed dancing accompanied by about 23 songs that all revolved around the general theme of a scorned wholesome man seeking the wholesome love of a wholesome woman.

The Backstreet Boys have lost a member since its creation in Orlando in 1993, but the R&B-lite quartet of Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A. J. McLean and Howie Dorough have outlasted myriad other imitators and its chief rival, ’N Sync, which broke up in 2002.

Many can scoff at a boy band still trying to be relevant and viable 17 years after its formation, but 17 years are a large reason why the Backstreet Boys have continued to be successful. Of course, being good-looking and nonthreatening doesn’t hurt, but the men have perfected harmonies and flamboyant showmanship that showcase vocal melodies that can soar. In addition, carefully crafted puppy-dog love songs such as “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” still sound as if they could be popular on the radio today.:D

With the men’s bathroom largely unoccupied throughout the night, the evening had the feel of a Mommy-Daughter night out, with women in their 40s to tweens. Shrieks and screams filled the arena, especially when the quartet first took the stage, but there was some husky shrieking of mothers coupled with the more high-pitched squeals from the younger set.

While the men sounded sublime, distressing was the lack of live instrumentation. A single D.J. stood at the center of the stage, occasionally playing an electronic drum kit, but he was the only musician in sight.

But no one seemed to mind, as the two-tiered stage was a spectacle of throbbing lights and dry ice, with the men backed by four women dancers who alternated between playing coy and being sultry. Videos of the quartet playing roles in films such as “Fight Club” and “The Fast and the Furious” played on a large screen atop the stage while frequent costume changes were made.

While not as spirited as the women, the four men — ranging in age from 30 to 36 — were still in good shape and were skilled at handling singing along with dancing. It was interesting to see Carter, the baby of the group at age 30, flash his enormous arms after years of weight-lifting, :confused: and when he wore a white tank top he looked more like Stanley Kowalski that the cuddly 13-year-old he was when he began.

But what can you expect? Boys become men, while women can become girls again, if only for an evening.

****

3. The article a gallery of photos:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment/49817967-81/backstreet-arena-playing-stage.html.csp

some of them are of the guys visiting a Boys & Girls club. Here are some videos from the event, credit to "those usual (dependable) sources", and iamskippy on YouTube

BSB talks to kids at the Boys and Girls club of Salt Lake City.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG4X194-wxk
BSB talks to kids at the Boys and Girls club of Salt Lake City.
It's shaky... I know. I'm sorry!!!

BackStreet Boys interview ... j/k they don't stop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiJ26ygUESE
I tried interviewing the BackStreet Boys but their VERY BIG security guys told us no so I just used my small camera to get this.

Backstreet Boys hang with kids from the SLC Boys and Girls club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QcLwHjnhRs
Backstreet Boys take a pic with the kids from the Salt Lake City Boys and Girls club.

Skippy and Back Street Boys SLC
http://www.youtube.com/user/iamskippy#p/u/4/CiJ26ygUESE
Skippy sings with Backstreet Boys... from 20 ft away. I want it that way.

patti

06-24-2010, 11:46 AM

i'll bet nick would love to read about his "enormous arms"
that was funny. i miss the emoticons - there would have to be one for nick's "enormous arms"
nick does look and sound better tha ever though.

misha17

06-24-2010, 01:52 PM

SLC concert review in the Deseret News. Excerpts:

'Backstreet Boys' still 'larger than life' for loyal fans
By Scott Iwasaki

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:28 a.m. MDT

BACKSTREET BOYS, EnergySolutions Arena, June 23

The 45 minutes of slow ballads was supposed to set up the Backstreet Boys rocker "Larger than Life.'

It did, kind of sort of.

When the opening chords of "Larger than Life" pumped out of the sound system, the audience went crazy and hid the imperfections through the screams and sing-a-longs. Unfortunately, the mix was a little unbalanced and the song sounded a bit deflated.

Even the four backup dancers appeared a bit lethargic at times.

It really wasn't the Backstreet Boys' fault.

Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean gave their all and treated adoring fans to a nice evening of nostalgia.

There were no lasers or air surfing this time around. And there was no Kevin Richardson, who left the band a couple of years ago.

In fact, this tour, in support of the album "This Is Us," is the BSB's most economic of their career.

Backed only by a DJ, the singers strutted their stuff to hits such as the fitting opener "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," and new songs such as "PDA (Public Display of Affection)" and "This Is Us."

...
Then again, these guys aren't "Boys" anymore. They've been making music for more than 17 years. And to be able to get on stage, dance and sing as they did takes guts.

McLean's voice is still the strongest, and Carter is still the best dancer.

....

( read more ) (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700042802/)

misha17

06-24-2010, 04:58 PM

Brian intv, North County Times (Pechanga concert), Jun 24
(it seems I've read this intv before for another stop on the tour; the Kevin mention sounds familiar)

CALIFORNIAN MUSIC: Backstreet Boys tour is about 'togetherness'
By HANNAH MANES hmanes@nctimes.com |
Posted: June 24, 2010 2:26 pm

Fans of Backstreet Boys will get more than music at the sold-out concert Friday at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula.

Band member Brian Littrell said fans get to see a new side of the four-member vocal group in concert ---- two-minute films that spoof the movies and the singers themselves ---- while they are backstage changing costumes for their next number.

Howie Dorough spoofs "The Fast and the Furious," AJ McLean does "Fight Club," Nick Carter does "The Matrix" and Littrell spoofs "Enchanted."

"This show is more theatrical," Littrell said in a recent telephone interview, adding that while the films are something new on the "This Is Us" tour, the group's trademark dance moves are here to stay. "There are also four dancers traveling with us; we dance about 80 percent through the show."

These days, the Backstreet Boys are smaller in number. Littrell's cousin, Kevin Richardson, left the group in 2006. Since then, he has acted in a film and composed the soundtrack for an upcoming animated film. He and his wife, Kristen, are also parents to a 3-year-old son.

"I always asked him why. Why would he want to leave?" Littrell said of Richardson.

Littrell said he has his own reasons for staying.

"I just feel like there are more dreams to be fulfilled, more music to be made. There's more to do."

Richardson's split from the group was amicable. He sang at the conclusion of 2008's "Unbreakable" tour, and Littrell said he may be back soon.

"He may come to our show in Los Angeles, depending on his schedule," he said.

Richardson is not the only one who wanted to see what life on his own would be like. Littrell and bandmates Carter and McLean all have solo albums.

Littrell released "Welcome Home" in 2006 and it reached No. 3 on the Christian music charts. Four singles were released from the album, including "Welcome Home (You)," which he performed on 2008's tour.

He said that this tour, however, is different.

"It's all Backstreet Boys music. After all these years, it's about togetherness," he said.

He said he believes that communication and time investment are what have kept the rest of the Backstreet Boys together.

...

( read more ) (http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/music/article_4434f342-7fd7-11df-af5b-001cc4c03286.html
)

Isla

06-25-2010, 01:44 PM

Backstreet Boys still front and center

Aidin Vaziri, Chronicle Pop Music Critic

Friday, June 25, 2010

Even as they make their way across the country playing a string of sold-out concert dates, including two shows at the Warfield tonight and Monday, the members of a Backstreet Boys seem more baffled by their enduring popularity than anyone else.

Or as Nick Carter, 30, checking in from rehearsals just a few days before the launch of the tour, puts it: "We can't believe that we still got it."

The band (which also headlines the San Francisco Pride event at the Civic Center today) may have sold more than 76 million albums and lodged eight albums into the Top 10 over its 17-year career, but these haven't exactly been boom times for the group that, alongside rivals 'N SYNC, dominated the tail end of the '90s music scene with weepy pop hits such as "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" and "I Want It That Way."

Since getting back together in 2005 after stints in rehab and the bottom rungs of the charts with their respective solo albums, Carter and his Backstreet Boys bandmates - A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough (Kevin Richardson left for good in 2006) - have been leading a relatively quiet, sepia-toned comeback effort reflective of a group of men inching into their 30s.

Their songs no longer provide the soundtrack for school dances. Valuable wall space in adolescent bedrooms has been given over to the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber. And their longtime label Jive recently cut them loose.

On the upside, walking through the mall has become a much easier endeavor. "It is a lot easier," Carter admits. "People love us. They just don't know where we went. We get that all the time: 'Hey, what are you guys doing now?' Well, we're doing what we've always done."

At least the fans who used to camp outside the hotels where the Backstreet Boys stayed and obsessively vote for the band's videos on MTV's "Total Request Live" remain just as passionate about the band, even with the distraction of their own careers and children. "They're actually worse now." Carter says. "If they want a kiss, they're going to get it."

And there are a lot of them.

Tickets for the tour in support of the Backstreet Boys' most recent album, "This Is Us," were snatched up almost as soon as they went on sale. "I think we ended up in a position where we should have been in bigger venues," he says.

The greatest-hits collection, "Playlist: The Very Best of Backstreet Boys," released earlier this year, has been selling steadily. There's even a Backstreet Boys cruise, which puts the band members out to sea with its followers on a journey from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, from Dec. 9 to 13 that's totally sold out. "The hard-core fans find us," Carter says.

The Backstreet Boys are only too happy to reciprocate the love. Even though they're playing to smaller rooms, their concerts are still stuffed with lasers, costume changes, video montages and, yes, even full-scale dance routines for all the hits.

"We're not just entertainers anymore," Carter says. "We're part athlete now. We have to be to dance for 2 1/2 hours every night, especially at our age."

While no one expects any more platinum albums to arrive in the mail anytime soon, the band members haven't exactly scaled back their ambitions either. When they perform the hit "Backstreet's Back" every night, they're not merely offering up nostalgia but also hope.

"We look at every day as if it's the beginning of our career," Carter says. "We think that's what it's all about." {sbox}

Backstreet Boys: 8 p.m. today-Mon. $42.25-$62.25. Warfield, 982 Market St., S.F. (800) 745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com.

E-mail Aidin Vaziri at avaziri@sfchronicle.com.

Source:- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/25/PKV81E06TC.DTL

*side note - I guess they published that article a couple of days early as im sure the Gay Pride/first Warfield show is on Sunday, not Friday...its the Temecula concert today (Friday) I believe*

lonely_tear89

06-26-2010, 05:04 AM

Backstreet Boys kept me smiling
So my first ever Backstreet Boys concert is over. They put on a very fun show. Loved the interactive videos playing off the "Too Fast Too Furious" movie, "Fight Club," "Enchanted" and "The Matrix."

I think what impressed me the most was the shameless appeal to the ladies. I'd guess 85 percent of the crowd was female. Ages ranged from about 8 to 70.

I also enjoyed the then and now photos and videos displayed from the mid-90s, a great now-and-then mix. .

They did a lot off all the albums including their first No. 1, "I Want It That Way" and their new single "Bigger."

They performed for nearly two hours, with four great female backup dancers. I really enjoyed the show, but since I'm a Backstreet Boys newcomer, I'd love to hear from the longtime fans. Especially any who might have been at tonight's show. Share your thoughts!

And watch for photos from tonight's show. They'll be up soon!

http://blogs.inlandsocal.com/music/2010/06/backstreet-boys-kept-me-smilin.html

lonely_tear89

06-26-2010, 05:10 AM

My Backstreet Boys Experience

I have to start with an apology to the guy my friends made fun of in junior high for writing "BSB rules!" all over his binder. If you're reading this, I'm sorry dude. I could have stopped it, but actually joined in a couple of times instead. Indifference is truly the epitome of evil, plus the Backstreet is growing on me.

Wednesday, June 23 2010:

I bought my tix the same day they went on sale to surprise my gf, another big fan. We sat three quarters of the way back on the floor level in front of the stage. Just enough for the fem-bots in front of us to block our view, but barely spitting distance from A.J.

The show Wednesday night was the first concert I've ever been to with credits at the end. I wasn't sure if I just saw a movie, a concert or maybe a concert in a movie, but it was a good time.

Trailer-style vids were shown between songs where a band member would take a part in an actual movie: A.J. in Fight Club, Brian in Enchanted, Nick in Matrix and Howie in Fast and Furious.

The vids could have just been an awkward moment in the show, a bad joke:

They were actually really clever, and it was great to see BSB can make fun of themselves. Youtube them, and you might get lucky (I saw a ton of bootlegged versions online, too crappy for this blog).

Couples, teens and college girls made up the majority of the crowd, but I also saw a lot of mothers and daughters. Maybe that Gilmore Girls show isn't so far-fetched. Society seems to be headed in a nice direction where both generations can enjoy the same music and time together.

Not like I thought it was for most moms and daughters:

Opener D.J. LaniAkea was a yawner. Maybe I would have liked him more if I was in a club, but it was like another car blasting U92 at a stop light, except in the EnergySolutions Arena. He played his own mix of pop songs you'd find on any top 40 station. The men, yes...men, sitting in front of us drank too many $7 Bud Lights, and they were grooving. So, ask them and you'll get a more favorable LaniAkea review.

The D.J. also spun for the Backstreet Boys set, which was cool, but not when they'd have him solo during costume changes between songs. Was that really necessary? I did love the wife-beater tanks and gray hoodies with the huge Bs on the back, though.

BSB wrapped most of their older songs into medleys to make room for the new stuff, which is even better than the older songs.

They have been at it for 17 years and know how to hype the crowd, dance 'n' sing and engage both veteran and new fans— holding a single index finger up during The One, pressing their thumbs together and wrapping their other fingers in the same direction to make a heart during Shape of My Heart.

The show ended on Straight Through My Heart (if I had to choose, my personal favorite), and I was awed. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, even the soundboard guy and guest service people. The boys have grown up, but not too much. They still know how to have fun and fist pump. They sound as good as they always have, even without the older brother of the group Kevin.

The original fans got their nostalgic fix. Of course, the band was different back then.

And the new ones just downloaded their new album This Is Us.

The vampire theme may mean Robert Pattinson will be taking Kevin's place, but personally I'd prefer Fatone. He's not doing anything, now. Right?

http://www.saltlakemagazine.com/Blogs/Lounge-Act/June-2010/My-Backstreet-Boys-Experience/

lonely_tear89

06-26-2010, 09:46 AM

Audience swoons as Backstreet Boys croon at Pechanga

Rumor has it that Britney Spears dropped in on the boys backstage before the show, adding to the high-wattage megastar atmosphere of the evening.

Amidst deafening screams, the wildly popular Backstreet Boys blazed onto the stage at Pechanga Resort & Casino’s Showroom Theater, gripped the audience with a heart-pounding version of their 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and didn’t let go until their 90-minute set left guests breathless and wanting more.

The sold-out crowd greeted the performers with a standing ovation at the start of the performance and didn’t sit down – not once — the rest of the night. Instead, there was dancing, arm-waving and singing, lots of singing.

The show is part of the Backstreet Boys’ 2010 This Is Us concert tour that has taken the group all over the world, reviving favorite songs from the 90s and introducing audiences to new sounds, like “Straight Through My Heart.”

Rumor has it that Britney Spears dropped in on the boys backstage before the show, adding to the high-wattage megastar atmosphere of the evening. And, while some may have hoped for a surprise visit to the stage, it was the same sort of thrill the audience felt when the Backstreet Boys came bounding onto the set.

It was electric.

Guests were treated to a flawless stage production of dance and song, with an infusion of contemporary riffs that kept the audience hopping and ears popping. And one thing is for sure – time has not slowed this group’s moves or soured their signature harmonies.

Glowing cell phones snapped open and swayed with emotional performances of “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “The Shape of My Heart,” just as the rousing anthem “Incomplete” and thrilling production of “Larger Than Life” inspired cheers and robust choruses from the crowd.

Special mention goes to the backup dancers – four talented ladies who brought great stage presence and carried the load of some of the bolder dance moves, when vocals demanded more of the group.

And the set was pretty incredible too, featuring a large screen that blasted background video and a super-charged display of lights and graphics.

Ultimately, though, it was the Backstreet Boys – Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, and Brian Littrell – whose showmanship and spark carried the performance.

http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-06-26/concerts-music-clubs/audience-swoons-as-backstreet-boys-croon-at-pechanga

NickzDenverGurl

06-26-2010, 10:13 AM

http://www.denverpost.com/entertainmentlastold/ci_15312142?source=rss

Brian Littrell wants to tell you something about his group, the Backstreet Boys: Backstreet's back, all right — and they're back to stay.

"The thing I want people to focus on is this: There is a future for the Backstreet Boys," Littrell said from his Atlanta home a few weeks ago. "A lot of people get focused on what was — the catalog, the late '90s, the boy-band explosion. And the Backstreet Boys got lost in the mix of how many bands there were just like us.

"But for us there is a future. And I'd like to compare the Backstreet Boys to the Eagles someday, looking at our history and catalog."

It begs an interesting conversation. If the Backsteet Boys were the Eagles, who would be Don Henley? Nick Carter,

"It'll be consistent with our stuff in the past: singalong songs that make you feel happy," says Brian Littrell, far right, of what to expect from the Backstreet Boys' concert. (Big Hassle Media )
probably. Maybe Littrell would be Joe Walsh, the quiet hero?
Regardless, the Backstreet Boys are the pop music cockroach the American public loves to hate — and, if Littrell is telling the truth, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

We spoke with Littrell about Kevin Richardson leaving the band, songs that are "singalongable" and the band's polished world tour, which stops at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield on Tuesday.

Q:You guys have been going pretty steadily since '94. Did you ever break up in that time?A: No, we took a break after the "Black & Blue" record, from 2001 to 2004, and that was the longest break we ever took. But we also have to keep our facts straight. We spent almost two years making the "Never Gone" CD. A lot of people thought we'd disbanded and weren't talking, but for a year and a half, that was us making that record. There has never been a breakup of the Backstreet Boys.

Q:But Kevin left the band?

A: Kevin left the band five years ago. It was the end of the "Never Gone" tour, and that record came out in '05. He came to us at the end of the tour and said he didn't want to do it anymore. I thought he was joking, to be honest, because he's the reason I am a Backstreet Boy.

But we went back in the studio to make "Unbreakable," and that was the first CD without him. But the door's always open. When Kevin's 65, he'll still be a Backstreet Boy.

Q:What will we hear in the new Backstreet Boys songs? A: What you'll find with the stuff we've written is that the Backstreet Boys are happy with who we are. The Backstreet Boys aren't trying to be anything different. We're not trying to continue to follow a trend or to chase what's hot on the radio. It'll be consistent with our stuff in the past: singalong songs that make you feel happy. But it's going to be more adult — we're in our 30s now. We can sing and talk about various experiences in our life, good or bad. The Backstreet Boys are going toward that band sound, mixing the Eagles with Rascal Flatts and some Carrie Underwood thrown in.

Q: Sounds kind of country.

A: Who knows, maybe we'll be doing some country songs. This song "Drowning" off the greatest hits CD, that could be a great country song. I call songs like that "singalongable," even though I know it's not a word.

Q:You're going with the tried- and-true sound, but have you ever been pressured by folks from the outside to change your sound drastically?A: We've felt pressure from record labels to radio executives, fans and management to try something different. But again, our success has been strictly because of the loyal fan base that has grown up with us over the years. We're not trying to sound like Lady Gaga. We're four pretty talented singers that make up a pop band that has been successful for many years.

Q: Why do you think you can still sell out arenas?

A: I don't say this egotistically, but we made a huge impact in pop culture — and that includes the *N Syncs and the New Kids on the Blocks and all the bands who were similar in age and look and sound. And today there are fans out there that want to cling to something they remember. Our music has now transcended generations, and people in today's economical world want something that's stable, something they remember and enjoy.

Q:Do you still dance at your concerts?A: We dance about 75 percent of the show. It's an event. We're not flying out of the ceilings like we did in the "Millennium" tour, but we have dancers and a DJ with us. . . . The dance moves we've had in the past, people wanna see those. And it helps keep me in shape as a 35-year-old husband and father — and pop star.

lonely_tear89

06-27-2010, 12:25 PM

Backstreet Boys still thrill the ladies

Even before Nick, Brian, A.J. and Howie triumphantly sang “Backstreet’s back!” Saturday night, the sold-out Gibson Amphitheatre crowd was already screaming like it was 1999.

There was a time when teenage girls didn’t care for vampires or werewolves, a time when a different matter occupied their adolescent minds -- the choice between Backstreet Boys or ’N Sync. It was impossible to root for both; 10 men was simply too many to love. In one of this show's numerous silly video shorts, Nick Carter, posing as Neo from The Matrix, was asked if he’d ever had “a burning itch” he couldn’t get rid of. Of course, he cheekily replied: “ ’N Sync?”

This elicited roaring laughter from the crowd, whose exuberant enthusiasm suggested that the lasting power of the boy band era should never be doubted. After sitting through two inconsequential opening acts, these fans attempted to pass the time by chanting for the Boys and doing the wave until the Florida foursome (fifth member Kevin Richardson left the band in 2006) finally appeared.

Speaking of opening acts: seeing as Backstreet Boys are one of the biggest-selling groups of all time, couldn’t they have hired someone actually worth watching, rather than the insufferable Christian TV? The Mohawked, shoeless performer had all the consummate professionalism of an average schmo plucked from Universal CityWalk. He went from singing about wanting to be your best friend in one song to wanting to get you naked in the next.

Perhaps, the Boys were trying to set expectations low for their performance to lessen the pressure of delivering, but there really was no need. The quartet fiercely took the stage with an appropriate and in-your-face rendition of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” complete with video montage and an entrance that involved bursting through a screen.

Granted, times have changed since BSB first rose to stardom, so the night was peppered with little attempts to stay hip and relevant, particularly via snippets of Top 40 songs from the White Stripes and Lil Wayne, among others, interspersed in between -- and sometimes even in the middle of -- songs. But one thing has remained constant: Nick’s popularity. Apparently, the heartthrob’s still got it, consistently garnering the loudest screams and cheers.

Another unquestionable fact: these guys definitely aren't boys anymore. The median age of the group is now 35; pretty much all of the members are either engaged or married, with the exception of Nick. (Perhaps that, too, has something to do with the abundant screaming for him.) That knowledge tints the show with a hint of ridiculousness in between the frequent costume changes and choreography. They certainly don’t hit their dance moves as hard as they once did, and they look a tad silly these days in sparkly hoodies and baggie jeans. It’s all a bit too juvenile for them -- but you have to applaud their winning earnestness.

They really do seem to care about their longtime loyal fans, keeping aware of them at all times throughout the set. Somehow, in the midst of their glossy pop, they still create a personal, intimate environment, as if everyone in the audience is part of one big Backstreet club -- obliging fans with little waves and winks, giving away merchandise and even going into the crazed crowd itself. That last action was a security nightmare: Howie Dorough made his way back to the stage all right but Nick returned with his shirt unbuttoned and without the scarf he wore when he first walked on.

The one big problem of the night, however, was the poor distribution of hits. Although the group has a recent album (September's This is Us, their seventh effort) to promote, clearly everyone came to hear decade-old smashes such as “Quit Playing Games with My Heart” and “As Long as You Love Me.” Yet those two songs were put together into a single brief performance. It was even worse for fans of “The Call”; they got only an unsatisfying 45-second clip of that tune.

They also didn’t leave many favorites for the end of the show, so when the night wound down into encores, the only really well-known song remaining was “I Want It That Way,” offered right away. The second encore, which we knew was coming since the house lights were still off, ended with a so-so handling of “Straight Through My Heart” from their latest disc.

Ultimately, though, none of that really matters. Sure, Backstreet Boys may not dance quite as well as they used to, their new album is full of snoozers like “She’s a Dream,” and this show’s low budget was evident in its minimal set design. Yet highlights like the high-energy “Larger Than Life” remind us why we still love this bunch. Their songs are just as infectiously catchy as ever, and their pipes are still in fine form. I’d like to see ’N Sync top that.

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/backstreet-255255-boys-larger.html

misha17

06-28-2010, 11:01 PM

Review of the Jun27 SF concert, SpinningPlatters.com

Show Review: The Backstreet Boys with Christian TV at The Warfield, 6/27/10
by Dakin Hardwick on June 28, 2010

There is something to be said about the survivors of a trend. No matter who you are, what trend you come from, it’s hard to disrespect anyone that doesn’t give up. The Backstreet Boys are one of those acts. Much like Sonic Youth, REM, Madonna, and Neil Young, The Backstreet Boys have consistently put out records since their inception. These days, of course, are the days of The Backstreet Boys on the commercial wane. Gone are they days of playing arenas and selling 1.1 million records in a single week. So, how does the sole survivor of the late 90′s boy band movement fare with their move to the small stage?

...

After a brief set tear down, the stage hands began teasing the crowd from behind a curtain. They danced, adjusted symbols, and make some lewd gestures with the mike stands that were pretty funny. Then, of course, the group opened with the only song that they could open with, “Backstreet’s Back.” The foursome (Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006) came out all smiles and energy. The beginning of the show was entirely fast, driving dance numbers. I was more than surprised by the energy that these guys had put into this show.

To compensate for the smaller stage, instead of cluttering the stage with musicians, they opted to focus on the visual performance, and reduced the musical accompaniment to a DJ/Percussionist. They also had a platform, a video screen that doubled as a a spare curtain. They were also fleshed out by four female dancers, which seemed to annoy the largely female audience base.

One of the best things about this group, possibly the only reason they’ve stayed together for so long, is the fact that they don’t seem to have a front person. There were virtually no egos within the group. Everyone had equal stage time, nobody dominated the microphone, they all seemed very fair. Everybody was also allowed to be themselves. Nobody seemed to be forcing anything. I will admit that Brian Littrell seemed to be the goofiest member, but they all had their moments of silliness.

...

( ... read more ... ) (http://spinningplatters.com/2010/06/28/show-review-the-backstreet-boys-with-christian-tv-at-the-warfield-62710/)

lonely_tear89

06-29-2010, 10:08 AM

Backstreet’s Back, Alright!

The year was 1999. The Backstreet Boys ruled the airwaves and MTV with their #1 hit “I Want It That Way.” They set little girl’s hearts on fire and sold-out stadiums world wide. Fast forward to 2010, and the “boys” are still at it, even though their fans and the boys themselves (the youngest BSB, Nick Carter, is now 30) have grown up. However, as much as think you have “grown up,” you’ll be surprised how quickly you revert to teeny-booper status the moment you hear the the guys sing the phrase, “Backstreet’s Back…Alright!!!” Or at least…..that’s how it goes for me.

I became a BSB fan back in ‘99, the very first time I heard their songs played on a boom-box at a birthday party. I wish I could show you of photo of my bedroom from back then, from the floor to the ceiling my walls were covered in the faces of the BSB. And whereas with time, many fans “outgrew” the Backstreet Boys, I didn’t. Although, fear not, my walls don’t look like that anymore.

The Backstreet Boys are incredibly resilient. The guys have weathered stints in rehab, DUI’s, open heart surgery, marriage, children, death of family members, solo projects, the departure of a band member and even Nick Carter’s stint with Paris Hilton (yep, I just went there). Through it all the guys are still standing strong and recently celebrated 17 years together as a group.

Now I know what you’re thinking - the Backstreet Boys are still around? Yes, they are. Since their return to the music world in 2005 the boys have recorded three studio albums and embarked upon three successful world tours - one of which they are currently on right now.

Last week, the Backstreet Boys appropriately titled “This Is Us” tour stopped in Washington, D.C. and I had the chance to bask in the presence of Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean.

Judging by the near sold-out show at the Wolf Trap Filene Center, the Backstreet Boys still have quite a strong and diverse fan base. The crowd was filled with grown women, teen girls, twenty-somethings, Dad’s and even little girls who weren’t even born when BSB was in their hey-day.

I’ve seen quite a few Backstreet shows in my day and “This Is Us” is definitely the best tour I’ve seen them do. Let me tell you something, the Backstreet Boys put on one heck of a show and never disappoint! The guys danced non-stop for nearly 2 hours, literally only taking a break to do a few quick wardrobe changes. How they get the energy to perform on stage night after night, I will never know. Put them up against any other artist 10 years their junior, and without a doubt the BSB would run circles around them.

Why? There’s no question about it: The Backstreet Boys enjoy their job.

In a recent interview with Sound Spike, Nick said,

“We enjoy it just as much as the fans do. It’s a great exchange.”

That vibe wholeheartedly comes across in their live shows. Signing along to all the songs, you truly get the feeling that the guys still love being there just as much as the fans do. They guys did an excellent job of mixing the new songs with the good ole Backstreet classics. Go to a Backstreet show and you’ll still hear “I Want It That Way,” “Backstreet’s Back” and “Shape of My Heart” - but with a new fresh twist. Be prepared to hear a little mix of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes in the middle of “Larger Than Life.”

Let the critics say what they may, but the Backstreet Boys are incredibly timeless. Whereas every other “boy band” has fallen by the waist side, the Backstreet Boys have reinvented themselves time and time again without losing the true heart of who they are. Something tells me these guys aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I’m pretty sure I’ll be taking my grandchildren with me to Backstreet concerts 40 years down the road. Hey, if the Rolling Stones can do it, why not the Backstreet Boys?

http://thepopfix.com/2010/06/28/5457/

misha17

06-29-2010, 10:40 AM

Found via Google - Review of the Universal/Gibson concert, with photos

http://www.examiner.com/x-31863-LA-Music-News-Examiner~y2010m6d28-As-Long-As-You-Love-Them-Backstreet-Boys-Will-Be-Back

As Long As You Love Them, Backstreet Boys Will Be Back
June 28, 9:53 PM
LA Music News Examiner
Lauren Taylor

When the Backstreet Boys recorded "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" in 1997, it's a safe bet they never dreamed they'd be opening a concert with it in 2010. But that's exactly what they did on Saturday evening at the Gibson Amphitheatre in front of a packed audience.

Granted, the boys--men--aren't performing to sold-out stadiums full of hysterical preteens any more, but that doesn't mean they don't have a solid fan base of loyal fans, many who have been fans of the group since the beginning. Which explains why members AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Howie Dorough make sure to include a lot of their older hits into their performances. In between plugging songs from their latest album--This is Us, released in October 2009--the group worked in "Quit Playin' Games with My Heart," "As Long As You Love Me," "More Than That," "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely," "The One," "Larger Than Life," and "The Call." There were even callbacks to old videos, with futuristic costumes donned for "Larger than Life" and the video for "I'll Never Break Your Heart" playing on the back screen while the Boys sang to the audience and threw roses.

This tour marked somewhat of a return to the high-energy shows of the Boys' past--almost every song featured choreography, some even had female backup dancers wearing tiny outfits. The group pounded the stage for over an hour and a half, with only a few short breaks for costume changes. The energy stayed high throughout the entire show, keeping fans on their feet screaming and dancing the entire time.

Though they've been performing a lot of the same songs for over a decade, the Boys still appear to enjoy thrilling their fans time and again, peppering the audience with waves, winks, and coy smiles--even venturing into the audience for some face-time with fans (which resulted in Nick losing his scarf and nearly his shirt). And the female fans still enjoy indulging in a heavy dose of nostalgia and remembering the days when an attractive pop star could make them swoon.

However, most of the Backstreet Boys are married now--Brian's son, Baylee, even came on stage before the show to introduce the group--as are many of the fans. But although time has changed the lives and appearance of everyone involved, the solid harmonies, fun songs, and genuine connection with the fans are still there.

*******
Link to gallery w/11photos:

http://www.examiner.com/examinerslideshow.html?entryid=1397687

misha17

06-29-2010, 11:12 AM

Not a review, per se, but a very upbeat (and amusing) blog review of the 1st SF show. Language is a little PG-13 or R, but you gotta appreciate her enthusiasm.

In Which Backstreet’s Back, Alright & I’m A 14 Year Old Teeny Bopper Again
http://www.alifeintranslation.com/2010/06/backstreets-back/

lonely_tear89

06-29-2010, 11:46 AM

As Long As You Love Them, Backstreet Boys Will Be Back

When the Backstreet Boys recorded "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" in 1997, it's a safe bet they never dreamed they'd be opening a concert with it in 2010. But that's exactly what they did on Saturday evening at the Gibson Amphitheatre in front of a packed audience.

Granted, the boys--men--aren't performing to sold-out stadiums full of hysterical preteens any more, but that doesn't mean they don't have a solid fan base of loyal fans, many who have been fans of the group since the beginning. Which explains why members AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Howie Dorough make sure to include a lot of their older hits into their performances. In between plugging songs from their latest album--This is Us, released in October 2009--the group worked in "Quit Playin' Games with My Heart," "As Long As You Love Me," "More Than That," "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely," "The One," "Larger Than Life," and "The Call." There were even callbacks to old videos, with futuristic costumes donned for "Larger than Life" and the video for "I'll Never Break Your Heart" playing on the back screen while the Boys sang to the audience and threw roses.
This tour marked somewhat of a return to the high-energy shows of the Boys' past--almost every song featured choreography, some even had female backup dancers wearing tiny outfits. The group pounded the stage for over an hour and a half, with only a few short breaks for costume changes. The energy stayed high throughout the entire show, keeping fans on their feet screaming and dancing the entire time.
Though they've been performing a lot of the same songs for over a decade, the Boys still appear to enjoy thrilling their fans time and again, peppering the audience with waves, winks, and coy smiles--even venturing into the audience for some face-time with fans (which resulted in Nick losing his scarf and nearly his shirt). And the female fans still enjoy indulging in a heavy dose of nostalgia and remembering the days when an attractive pop star could make them swoon.
However, most of the Backstreet Boys are married now--Brian's son, Baylee, even came on stage before the show to introduce the group--as are many of the fans. But although time has changed the lives and appearance of everyone involved, the solid harmonies, fun songs, and genuine connection with the fans are still there.

http://www.examiner.com/x-31863-LA-Music-News-Examiner~y2010m6d28-As-Long-As-You-Love-Them-Backstreet-Boys-Will-Be-Back

misha17

06-30-2010, 09:13 AM

AJ intv, Fresno Bee via California Chronicle

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/146832485

Link to the article at the Fresno Bee website:

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/29/1989503/backstreet-boys-returning-to-fresno.html#storylink=misearch

Backstreet Boys returning to Fresno
By Mike Osegueda, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

June 29--If you ask the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean, he and his all-grown-up boy band aren't that different from current pop prince Justin Bieber and those heartthrob Jonas Brothers.

"Pop music to me, and to all of us, goes in cycles," says McLean, 32, whose group stops at Save Mart Center on July 1.

"It goes in one giant circle. If you go back 15 years, when things really kinda hit for us, it was really the big grunge and hip-hop scene."

Then their debut album struck gold, casting a spell over teen girls around the world with songs like "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long As You Love Me."

Soon, they were selling 14 million albums and leading the biggest pop music trend since the days of New Kids on the Block.

Next came 'N Sync, Britney Spears and many others whose names are only footnotes in the boy-band history books. (O-Town, you out there anywhere?)

"That opened this huge floodgate of pop music," McLean says. "That's happening all over again. It seems to happen every 10 years. Pop has changed where it's [artists like] Chris Brown and Rihanna, and that's still pop. It's definitely huge right now and it's opening up floodgates again."

The pre-teen girls these days are shrieking over Bieber and the Jo Bros, but the hype also leads to a renewal of interest in the teen icons of the previous generation.

New Kids on the Block, for instance, have enjoyed a revival in the past couple years. Like Backstreet Boys, they played a Save Mart Center date last summer.

In fact, the two groups recently teamed up for a concert in New York City, which got people talking about the possibility of the two teaming up for a tour.

McLean is a tease, saying only, "there's been talk about all kind of things."

But if you watch the video online of the two groups performing together, you'd know that boy-band hysteria is still alive and well -- just aged.

"Honestly, I think it needed to happen," McLean says about the boy resurgence of the past few years. "Music on the radio is all over the place. There's no consistency. There's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Things are going a little too left field. There's no more good melody, There's no more good lyrics. It's all the same beat, it's all the same producer."

Some might scoff at the idea of a boy-band member condemning bad music, but McLean is nothing if not passionate about pop music.

"Bring back the actual pop music," he says. "Songs that you can actually sing along to, and dance to, and songs that become memorable. That's something we pride ourselves on -- songs that are timeless."

But he's not just living in the past, re-treading those same songs that made them famous years ago. Backstreet Boys' most recent album, "This Is Us," released in September, was pretty well received.

Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Considering these guys' combined age, the result is surprisingly unembarrassing."

And McLean has a bold statement of his own: "Any song, in my opinion, is equally comparable to anything that Bieber's got. You can dance along with them. They get stuck in your head."

The reporter can be reached at mosegueda@fresno bee.com or (559) 441-6479. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.

-----

To see more of The Fresno Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fresnobee.com

misha17

06-30-2010, 09:18 AM

(Nice) Review of the DTE concert on a blogsite (it ranked 4 lipstick kisses, lol)

http://vimmagazine.blogspot.com/2010/06/concert-review-backstreet-boys.html

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Concert Review: Backstreet Boys

A Backstreet Boys concert never fails to disappoint whether one is an old fan, a fan who never left or not really all that much of a fan at all. The boys' No. 1 worldwide hit "I Want It That Way" along with all 12 of the other radio-friendly songs released by the band in the 1990s and early 2000s provide enough entertainment for any audience. Regardless of the fact that you may not prefer pop music, there is no denying that its harmonies are infectious. Backstreet never fails to play all of their hits in some way, shape or form - though on this particular show they forewent performing the infamous hat dance during "All I Have to Give" for the first time ever. A special treat on the "This Is Us" tour came in the form of pre-recorded videos played during costume changes. For these, each Backstreet Boy re-created a movie trailer of one of their favorite films, turning them into "Backstreet" stories with their music as the soundtrack: The Fast and the Furious (Howie), Fight Club (AJ), Enchanted (Brian) and The Matrix (Nick).

Location: DTE Energy Center, 18 June 2010

Favorite Number: Opener "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" catered to the audience with excellent video typography graphics.

misha17

06-30-2010, 12:03 PM

Kinda long Howie intv, posted Jun30 at the website of the Reno Gazette-Journal. It's 3 webpages long; I'll just post the first page.

Older, wiser Boys evolve with the music industry
By Mark Earnest • June 30, 2010

Pop is not a musical style that thrives on longevity, as groups come and go every decade or so. Some pop groups persist, though, and even continue success at some level. That's the juncture that the Backstreet Boys finds itself in as the vocal group continues to tour for their latest album, "This Is Us."

"As artists, we constantly try to evolve, and I feel like the way to do that is to constantly let the music grow -- and let it truly be about making good music," said Backstreet Boys singer Howie Dorough from a mid-June tour stop in Detroit. "That's something that we are able to pride ourselves on -- all of our records have been better than the ones we made before."

Dorough acknowledged that even today's top-selling acts are selling a fraction of what his band and others in that style sold in the late '90s.

"We're definitely not selling like we were in our heyday, but we are still doing well," Dorough said. "We're able to go out and tour around the world, and in good venues. It's just a new chapter in our lives."

The Backstreet Boys are returning to Reno, this time in a theater setting on June 30 at Grand Sierra Resort. Dorough is joined by fellow singers Nick Carter, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean.

"This Is Us," released last October, marks a change in direction toward more upbeat material, with similarities to the band's '90s heyday. That change includes use of modern pop or hip-hop producers such as RedOne (who produced some Lady Gaga tracks), techno-rap artist T-Pain and Ryan Tedder (known for his work with pop-rock band OneRepublic).

"We had the idea to go back to our signature sound: good pop tracks, always up-tempo, a semi-electronic feel," Dorough said.

At the same time, there is a pronounced R&B influence on the new album, both in a modern way and one that harkens back to the vocal-led classics of the genre in the '70s and '80s. Dorough said that, too, was an artistic choice this time.

"The songs with a more pop/R&B feel are what we are able to lend our harmonies to property, and they have the best melodies," he said.

...

... read more ... (http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20106300377)

ILoveBSB2010

06-30-2010, 04:52 PM

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2010/06/bsb_yo.php

Review of the June 28th show!

Backstreet Boys

Christian TV

June 29, 2010

@The Warfield

Better than: The $40 shirts on sale. And, possibly, *NSYNC.

Reliving the nineties -- by attending a Backstreet Boys concert and having an awesome night -- doesn't compromise your music taste in the least. In fact, it makes you that much cooler, for being unashamed of your still-soft spot for old-school pop ballads. At least that's what I told myself as I was "rocking my body" to "Everybody" last night at the boy band's third S.F. concert of the week (they played there the night before, and at the Pride Parade).

The composition of the crowd was expected: enthusiastic girls in their early twenties wearing matching BSB tour t-shirts and taking group shots in front of the bar (both photos and alcohol), middle-aged women (who were questionably without their all-grown-up children), and the occasional male.

Opening the show was Christian TV, a male pop performer accompanied by a DJ, whose performance was probably the most awkward opening act I have ever witnessed. I was suspicious as to why a regal band like BSB would hire such a laughable performer. I hoped that BSB hadn't chosen him for his pedophilic song "When She Turns 18" to express anticipation for their fanbase to become legal. Then it dawned on me that I must have accidentally showed up to BSB tribute concert.

But that first scene was in no way a precursor of what was to come. Christian TV's stunt thankfully ended quickly, and soon the red curtains fell to reveal a two-tiered stage and a large video screen showing the four Backstreet Boys walking like true MVPs along what appeared to be the side of a concert venue. Just when you thought it was a live stream, the boys jumped through the screen itself.

The performance that ensued aimed to be a tribute and a comeback tour. The group succeeded in both ways.

That they were older made them that much better, probably because we ladies (and gentlemen!) are old enough to truly appreciate -- and respond to -- their sexualized, edgy attitudes. You don't need to be 14 and in the '90s to shamelessly dance along with the Backstreet Boys' music. Their new style is slowly moving into the new century, with stylized haircuts, neon-accentuated Nike jumpsuits, and Gaga-esque space-robot/Power-Ranger outfits that were donned for a pop-tech tune. During water breaks and costume changes, the DJ spun hip-hop hits "You're a Jerk" by New Boyz, Lil' Jon's "Snap Yo' Fingers," and Lil' Wayne's "A Milli." A genre juxtaposition, but an endearing attempt to draw in an older crowd that is now "grinding."

But the Backstreet Boys satisfied the crowd with old hits and a truly quintessential boy-band performance. They played blast-from-the-past photo and music video montages, danced to simple, synchronized choreographs (mostly kick-ball changes, side-to-side slides, and window-washing arm movements), and flirtatiously engaged the crowd by flashing their grins and singing passionately to selected audience members.

The audience responded on cue. A bra, per usual, and even a classy scarf were thrown onto the stage. (A.J. unfortunately took the bra, swung it around his head like a lasso and flung it a few feet off-stage -- a move that degraded his once pseudo-mature, bad-boy sex appeal.) For most of the concert, the audience swayed its arms sentimentally, fist-pumped to the beat, and clapped overhead during A capella bridges. Oh, and the crowd sang, word-by-word, along with every single song.

There were a few lapses in judgment, though, when the guys did foolish things that they are clearly too old for. One of them was performing the song "PDA." The use of the squeamish high school acronym was embarrassing enough, but the group truly demoted itself from its already shaky man-band status when members yelled to the crowd, "When I say PDA, you say PDA!" At first I lost myself and cheered along, until I stepped back and realized exactly what I was saying.

Otherwise, the show really was a success. It was in no way a pathetic, sad dive into the past by a washed-up nineties band, or a one last stab at banking off the boy band craze. The boys performed with such energy and throat-bulging vocal effort that l'm convinced they might, in fact, be "back."

Though their voices were pitchy and hoarse at times, for the most part they sounded just as good, if not more mature, as they do on albums. Nick still has that sweet baby voice; AJ brought The Rasp; Howie showed off his perfect pitch and rich timbre; and Brian topped it all off with a thunderous force. Their harmonies were almost impeccable, and they still are capable of hitting those high notes.

Not to mention: They are still completely sexy, if not sexier than they used to be. Walking to the edge of the stage, or even beginning a solo, was enough to get the crowd hollering.

So the boys really have pushed their way into the new millenium. But just in case you weren't convinced, AJ roared, just before his final exit from the stage, "We love you -- and guess what? BACKSTREETS BACK!"

Critic's Notebook

Personal bias: Nick might have been the babe back then, but Howie is definitely the most attractive one in the group now. Who would have thought these years would do him so much good? With a subtle, gelled mohawk and black zip-up with a sequined-silver hoodie, Howie has won me over. He also might be the band's most talented singer -- the guy needs to put out a solo album.

AJ, however, is not cool anymore. Even with a tattoo sleeve, he looks middle-aged and huggable; at the very most he could be a really cool uncle that takes you on motorcycle rides and gives you mediocre advice about guys. So when he did a few pelvic thrusts, it was just uncomfortable. This observation was confirmed when he said "I friggin' love you guys."

Random detail: At one point Nick took a stage prop that resembled a stick-shift, lowered it to his crotch, and swung the silver-glittery shaft to and fro. Ew.

The members wore matching outfits. My favorite was a grey hoodie with BSB written on the breast pocket in glittery red. I want one.

Set List
1. Everybody
2. We've Got it Going On
3. PDA
4. Quit Playing Games with My Heart
5. As Long as You Love Me
6. This Is Us
7. Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely
8. All I Have to Give
9. She's a Dream
10. I'll Never Break Your Heart
11. The Call
12. I'll Be the One
13. Bigger
14. Shape of My Heart
15. I Will Love you More than that
16. Undone
17. Incomplete
18. Larger Than Life
19. You Need Love
20. Bye Bye Love
21. I Want It That Way
22. Straight Through My Heart

lonely_tear89

07-01-2010, 11:45 AM

LAURA ZOOCHI: Backstreet Boys return to the scene as men

Backstreet’s back, all right!

The band returned to the Detroit area for a concert for its “This Is Us” tour Friday at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston.

I was lucky enough to attend the concert with my mother, my sister and her boyfriend. Also, I met up with two high school friends who were at there.

We sat on the lawn, bought snacks from the concessions and waited for the opening band to come out. The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., but the opening band did not come out until 20 minutes later.

That band, Mindless Behavior, consisted of four boys between the ages of 12 and 14. They danced and sang hip-hop music while engaging the crowd in their music. I had never heard of the group, but it was entertaining, and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. They played for about 20 minutes.

After a 15-minute break between the bands, the Backstreet Boys finally took the stage. They introduced the four band members on a screen on stage, through which they emerged in a quick, jumping fashion.

After two songs, Brian Littrell, one of the band members, spoke to the crowd. He opened up by saying, “What’s up Chi-Town?” — which was followed by boos from the crowd.

Clearly, he had forgotten where he was! After somebody told him he was in the Detroit area, he quickly corrected himself.

From then on, the screams hardly died down through the show.

After opening with their hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” band members sang numerous songs from their old and new albums. In between two or three older songs, they sang some of their new music, which fans were not as familiar with.

After closing with “Incomplete,” the band took a break before the encore performance. However, I left during that break time.

Southeastern Michigan was in a severe thunderstorm warning, and we had been monitoring the radar updates on our cell phones. We realized the storm was just about to hit, so we gathered up our chairs and blankets and headed for the car.

At this time, some other people were heading out, as well, but the majority stayed until after the storm began.

Rachel Dee, a Brownstown Township resident, said later that it began to pour and there was a “mass herd” about five minutes after we left the venue.

The drive home was an adventure, with the wind gusting over 40 mph and moving our car as we proceeded south on I-75.

The Backstreet Boys, who formed in 1993, went on hiatus for two years from 2002 and 2004, and eventually began touring again in 2005.

I also attended their comeback concert April 5, 2005, at the State Theatre in Detroit. At that time, the fifth band member, Kevin, was still with the group. He left in June 2006 to pursue other interests.

At that concert, the boys sang most of their old songs from their first three CDs, while including two or three new songs from their new album at the time, “Never Gone.”

That concert was indoors, and it was very hot in the venue. I ended up sitting next to the opened emergency exit door with a security guard because I was so warm I felt like passing out.

Overall, both concerts were entertaining, and well-worth attending. Hopefully, the band will decide to tour again next year, and you bet I will be going!

http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2010/07/01/news/doc4c2ce7b38fb02889690028.txt

lonely_tear89

07-01-2010, 11:47 AM

Backstreet Boys got it going on

Performing as much of a production show as a concert, the Backstreet Boys took the stage Wednesday night at Grand Sierra Resort as part of their “This Is Us” tour with perfectly choreographed moves and high-tech features

Band members Nick Carter, 30; A.J. McLean, 32; Brian Littrell, 35 and Howie Dorough, 36, made their initial on-stage appearance busting through a hanging video projection screen that was showing their pictures.

Fans, predominately teens and women who seemed younger than the band members, greeted them and made their best efforts to interact with the performers.

The group opened with “Backstreet’s Back” and “We’ve Got It Going On.” The band then engaged the crowd in “PDA,” which made security guards on alert to control excited fans.

Backstreet Boys, who changed clothes several times, also had four female dancers. One of the most interesting routines was during “Larger than Life,” when performers dressed as robots and effects included computerized features on the projection screen.

Other songs during the 100-minute show included “Shape of My Heart,” “Quit Playing Games,” “As Long as You Love Me” and “I’ll Never Break Your Heart.”

The encore was “Straight Through My Heart.”

Even though they’ve grown up since the band’s formation in 1993, members still have strong voices and are able to rev up a crowd. The unison performing and technology make them even better.

In other words, I enjoyed this concert much more than I thought I would, even though band members mispronounced Nevada.

The Backstreet Boys positive performance made up for the 20-minute odd opener by Christian Berishaj, formerly of Love Arcade.

Berishaj, who ironically calls himself “Christian TV,” had a thick Mohawk hairstyle and wore blue jeans, a low-cut pink undershirt and a leopard-print sweater. He sang songs, such as “When She Turns 18.” Other lyrics had to do with not wanting to be alone at 2 a.m., trying to get someone naked and calling 9-1-1.

Maybe he was intending to strike fear into the hearts of parents in the crowd. But regardless, Berishaj had a decent voice and was somehow able to attract plenty of noise. People even gathered around him for pictures following the concert.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20100701/ENT02/100701012/-1/CARSON/Review-Backstreet-Boys-got-it-going-on

lonely_tear89

07-01-2010, 11:48 AM

Katie Stevens looks ahead to home-state show

Katie Stevens is eager to start the American Idols Live tour tonight.

"I can't even picture all those seats with people in them," she said before Wednesday night's dress rehearsal.

But Katie's especially excited about performing in her home state of Connecticut in a couple weeks, when the tour stops at the Mohegan Sun Arena, where she's seen a lot of concerts from the audience perspective.

"I've been telling everybody else, 'I could tell you every seat I sat in!' " says the 17-year-old singer.

"I saw the Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood show, which was amazing. And I saw the Backstreet Boys, which was, like, the funnest concert. It was, like, every age you could possibly imagine was at that concert -- mothers with their daughters, teenagers. There was an old lady sitting two rows behind me.

"I saw Duran Duran. And Evanescence. The Jonas Brothers. It's the place I've always gone to see concerts.

"I remember looking at the stage and going, 'I wish that was me; I want to be up there.'

"And now I get the chance."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2010/07/katie-stevens-looks-ahead-to-home-state-show/1

lonely_tear89

07-02-2010, 08:24 AM

Backstreet Boys bring comeback to Fresno

The all-grown-up Backstreet Boys were at Save Mart Center on Thursday night, serenading fans like it was 1999 again.

The group sold more than 100 million records during the height of its boy-band hysteria.

Backstreet Boys are best known for hits such as "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "I Want It That Way" and led the biggest pop music trend since the days of New Kids on the Block.

The group's latest album is 2009's "This is Us," which was released in September and has been pretty well received.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/01/1992781/backstreet-boys-bring-comeback.html

lonely_tear89

07-24-2010, 01:00 AM

Backstreet’s Back, All Right!
By Whirl, on July 23rd, 2010

Wearing my hair crimped and a cheetah print top, I screamed with joy at an unnaturally high pitch. I was at my very first concert (with my mom, of course), and as the boys in the band danced around the stage, I swore that they were looking right at me! They were my musical idols and the pinnacle of my early adolescence. They were the Backstreet Boys.

Back then, I would have given a limb to utter one drooling syllable in front of the Backstreet Boys. Needless to say, when I heard that the band would be returning to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, August 25, at the Trib Total Media Amphitheater to promote a new CD, This is Us, I elicited a similarly high (yet this time, internal) scream of joy.

“We’re really excited to release this new album and know that our fans are excited too,” says Nick Carter. (Sigh. Nick, your photo was on my wall). “We worked with a group of amazing artists and producers that we’ve never worked with before, exploring new sounds and territory and know the final product turned out incredible.”

Their new album proves the band of 17 years, now made up of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and AJ McClean, has shed its boy band status to continue iadvancing and developing its pop influence. The band laid the groundwork for the pop genre in Europe and America, selling more than 130 million records worldwide and becoming one of the highest selling groups of all time.

Rising to fame in the mid ‘90s, with hits like “I Want it That Way” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” on their platinum albums, Backstreet Boys and Millennium, the group’s seventh and most recent album, This is Us, continues the band’s masterful harmonies and powerful melodies that fans have come to know and love.

“We made a conscious effort to go back to being ourselves,” says Brian Littrell. “It’s important for the fans to remember what was, but it’s also important for them to know where we’re headed.”

Well this August, the band is headed to Pittsburgh, where I will relive my childhood boy band adulation and watch the Backstreet Boys in awe (minus the crimped hair, thank goodness).

By Jessie Cadle

http://whirlmagazine.com/?p=7149

misha17

07-30-2010, 01:13 AM

AJ interview, Tacoma News Tribune, posted July 30th. Reporter's questions are in bold

Staying power

ERNEST A. JASMIN; Staff writer
Published: 07/30/1012:05 am

Once upon a time, before the Jonas Brothers, when Justin Bieber was still slurping on a juice box and trying to color inside the lines, boy bands ruled supreme. You couldn’t turn on “TRL” without seeing some group of hunky dudes doing choreographed dances and teenage girls having conniption fits. Eeek! We all wanna have your baby, Nick Carter!

And then there was one. The Backstreet Boys, the last boy band standing, will headline Kent’s ShoWare Center next Thursday. And last week, A.J. McLean checked in to ponder why his crew still inspires uncontrollable screaming. And puking. And not just from the haters.

I’m gonna run an idea by you that’s time might have come: Changing your name to the Backstreet Men.

People have actually asked us if we’re gonna go to Backstreet Men or just Backstreet or BSB. But we’re a brand. Backstreet Boys have been Backstreet Boys for almost 18 years. And when you look back at groups like the Pet Shop Boys, the Beastie Boys, the Oakridge Boys, the Beach Boys, they’ve kept their name and that’s who they are.

I guess if it’s good enough for the Beasties ...
Absolutely, if the Beasties can do it, Backstreet can do it.

I remember when I first covered you at the height of Backstreet mania. I don’t know if you remember this, but it was at an international meet and greet at the Tacoma Dome (in 2001) with fans from Japan and Israel crying and ...
I do remember that, actually, yes.

Do you still have that effect on fans?
Even though our fans have grown up with us and they’re a little bit older now, they still have that same reaction.

Just recently, we were in San Francisco. Nick (Carter), unfortunately, had to take care of his girlfriend. She was in the hospital, and Nick couldn’t make our sound-check party. And when the head of our fan club made the announcement, some girl went from zero to 60: tears, and then I guess she threw up. She really, really freaked out.

I was actually tweeting with this girl a couple of days ago, and she said, “I promise I’ll see you guys at your first show in Washington, and I promise at the sound-check party I won’t vomit this time.”

Wow!
So, you know, I guess we still kind of have it.

... ( read more ) ... (http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/30/1282727/staying-power.html)

*****
The newspaper also has an audio of part of the interview:

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/2010/07/30/what-the-backstreet-boys-have-in-store-for-you/

What the Backstreet Boys have in store for you next week
Posted By Ernest Jasmin on July 30, 2010 at 1:51 am

The copy of GO that will land on some of your porches in just a few hours includes my recent interview with A.J. McLean, who will appear with his fellow Backstreet Boys next Thursday at the Showare Center in Kent. Until then, I thought a few of you BSB fans might enjoy this clip of McLean talking about the live setup for the current tour. Check back in the next few days and I'll have clips of him talking about why they haven't switched to "Backstreet Men," Paula Abdul and puking fans.

Link to audio:
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/07/aj-mclean-on-the-live-show.mp3

misha17

08-02-2010, 09:36 AM

Brian interview in the Toronto Globe and Mail, posted by Tony in the thread,

[New Interview] Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys talks about going back on tour

Great interview!

Perspectives on a Phenomenon
Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys talks about going back on tour

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/perspective-on-a-phenomenon/article1659014/

:D

Discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?12926-New-Interview-Brian-Littrell-of-the-Backstreet-Boys-talks-about-going-back-on-tour

misha17

08-02-2010, 03:40 PM

Nick intv, Kent (WA) Reporter, Jul 30

Backstreet Boys to deliver a 'show in the fullest form'
By STEVE HUNTER
Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter
Jul 30 2010, 8:14 PM · UPDATED

Nick Carter has noticed a few similarities as well as changes in the crowd during his current Backstreet Boys tour compared to when the group first toured in the 1990s.

“The crowds are just as hyped,” Carter said during a July 22 phone interview from Los Angeles, where the group had just performed a taping for the George Lopez show. “Some (fans) are a little older, but they’re bringing younger ones. There is fresh blood for the Backstreet Boys.”

The popular boy band of the 1990s performs at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

Band members certainly are a little older. Carter, 30, is the youngest. Howie Dorough is 36, Brian Littrell 35 and AJ McLean 32.

“The years are adding up, but it doesn’t feel like it,” Carter said. “We’re always looking to the future and not living in the past.”

Fans, however, can expect to hear many of the hit songs from the past.

“A lot of people come to hear the old songs,” Carter said. “We give them all of the top hits. They will hear ‘I Want It That Way.’”

Fans can also expect to hear “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart),” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “All I Have To Give” and many others from the past 17 years.

Carter understands the crowd wants to hear the hits.

“If you go to a Prince concert you want to hear ‘1999’ and ‘Raspberry Beret,’” he said.

Thousands of women and girls are expected to check out the Backstreet Boys at the ShoWare Center.

( ... read more ... ) (http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/entertainment/99673289.html)

misha17

08-04-2010, 10:02 AM

AJ interview, Tacoma News Tribune, posted July 30th. Reporter's questions are in bold

Staying power

ERNEST A. JASMIN; Staff writer
Published: 07/30/1012:05 am

Once upon a time, before the Jonas Brothers, when Justin Bieber was still slurping on a juice box and trying to color inside the lines, boy bands ruled supreme. You couldn't turn on "TRL" without seeing some group of hunky dudes doing choreographed dances and teenage girls having conniption fits. Eeek! We all wanna have your baby, Nick Carter!

And then there was one. The Backstreet Boys, the last boy band standing, will headline Kent’s ShoWare Center next Thursday. And last week, A.J. McLean checked in to ponder why his crew still inspires uncontrollable screaming. And puking. And not just from the haters.

I’m gonna run an idea by you that’s time might have come: Changing your name to the Backstreet Men.

People have actually asked us if we’re gonna go to Backstreet Men or just Backstreet or BSB. But we’re a brand. Backstreet Boys have been Backstreet Boys for almost 18 years. And when you look back at groups like the Pet Shop Boys, the Beastie Boys, the Oakridge Boys, the Beach Boys, they’ve kept their name and that’s who they are.

... ( read more ) ... (http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/30/1282727/staying-power.html)

*****
The newspaper also has an audio of part of the interview:

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/2010/07/30/what-the-backstreet-boys-have-in-store-for-you/

What the Backstreet Boys have in store for you next week
Posted By Ernest Jasmin on July 30, 2010 at 1:51 am

The copy of GO that will land on some of your porches in just a few hours includes my recent interview with A.J. McLean, who will appear with his fellow Backstreet Boys next Thursday at the Showare Center in Kent. Until then, I thought a few of you BSB fans might enjoy this clip of McLean talking about the live setup for the current tour. Check back in the next few days and I'll have clips of him talking about why they haven't switched to "Backstreet Men," Paula Abdul and puking fans.

Link to audio:
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/07/aj-mclean-on-the-live-show.mp3

More of the audio has been posted

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/2010/08/03/backstreet-boys-the-pearl-jam-of-boy-bands-audio/

Backstreet Boys: The Pearl Jam of boy bands (audio)
Posted By Ernest Jasmin on August 3, 2010 at 6:37 pm

Finally got a few minutes to edit some more clips from the interview with Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean. The last one is here with him talking about what he, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough have in store for fans Thursday night at Kent's Showare Center. Meanwhile, here's more of what Mr. AJ had to say.

Audio clips:

* More like "Backstreet Men"
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/backstreet-men.mp3

* I love you Nick Carter! BLEAAARRRRRGHHH!!!! (And something about Paula Abdul.)
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/puking-fans-and-paula.mp3

* The Pearl Jam of boy bands
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/the-pearl-jam-of-boy-bands.mp3

* What happened to that Kevin guy?
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/what-happened-to-kevin.mp3

* Balancing the life of a pop star and maintaining sobriety.
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/maintaining-sobriety.mp3

********
The same article was posted at WenatcheeWorld.com

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/aug/03/staying-power/

AngelgirlDorough

08-04-2010, 05:19 PM

lonely_tear89

08-05-2010, 04:28 AM

Boys prove they are Unbreakable
Group sticks it out through lawsuits, surgery, addiction and death to make it back

Maybe it's long overdue to give credit to the Backstreet Boys for staying together.

In their 17 years, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A.J. McLean and the erstwhile Kevin Richardson have made the transition from boys to men almost as brothers.

They've faced lawsuits against their first manager, Lou Pearlman, and against their record label, Jive. They've lived through surgery (Littrell's open-heart operation), addictions (McLean's), death (Richardson's father, alluded to in the video of "Incomplete"), a three-year hiatus, the 2006 departure of Richardson and the challenge of selling records in the face of new technology and the simple fact Backstreet isn't as wildly popular as it once was.

These things might have broken a group apart. Instead, they brought the four survivors together.

"Totally," Dorough agrees. "We support each other. As friends, solo artists. It's a family; we're like brothers."

When the band started performing in the mid-'90s, it had to pad its show with solo spots, such as Carter's drum solo, because it had so little new material. As the hits came and the members grew, their individuality began to show, such as Dorough's Latin music heritage, and the nature of the solo spots changed. Backstreet Boys had matured and have modified their life accordingly.

"It all developed really quickly," Dorough says, recalling the mania that engulfed Backstreet before the five had a chance to prepare for it.

"I think in the very initial stages, we had to figure out our strengths and weaknesses. Once we figured that out, our roles within the group got stronger. Right now, we're comfortable with each other.

"But we've always allowed each other to spread their wings."

The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Fla., the catalyst being a want ad in a local paper placed by Pearlman, who was attempting to put together a "boy band." This probably accounts for the suspicion that Backstreet Boys was put together as a coldly calculated and synthetic model. However, several of them already were friends and they could sing.

At first, Backstreet Boys were a success in Europe, then Canada, but by the time of its Millenium album, which was the best-selling album of 1999, Backstreet was the hottest band in America.

Subsequent pressures, such as those lawsuits, led to a hiatus in 2000, but a series of albums titled Never Gone, Unbreakable and This Is Us tell their own story. In a way, they are a comment on Backstreet's history since 2005.

"When we came back, we all had to realize that we were coming back to a scene that was totally different," Dorough says. "But we're very lucky that we have a loyal fan base and we can tour around the world."

It doesn't hurt that the group is big enough to let its members be who they are and small enough for them to find themselves.

"There are no egos in this group," Dorough says. "We realize each other's strengths."

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Boys+prove+they+Unbreakable/3362044/story.html

misha17

08-05-2010, 09:42 AM

steph_iag

08-05-2010, 09:53 AM

Backstreet Boy Littrell grows up
By DARRYL STERDAN, QMI AGENCY
Last Updated: August 5, 2010 1:42pm

The rest of Backstreet Boys may want it that way -- but Brian Littrell prefers it this way.

The 35-year-old Texan says life in BSB is far more satisfying now than it was a decade ago during the teen-pop boy band's outrageously gigantic heyday.

"Outrageously gigantic -- I like those two words," laughs Littrell from a tour stop in California. "But yes, it's much more enjoyable now, because it's much more manageable now.

"Years ago, when we were on the Millennium tour or the Black and Blue tour, it was difficult because things were so large. Our success was at an insane level. You couldn't do anything, you couldn't go anywhere. It was hard to have a life outside of being a Backstreet Boy. But yeah, now it's definitely much more manageable from a fan standpoint, from a show standpoint, and from an organizational standpoint. We know what to expect. And I think we value it more. It's just more fun."

And just as much work. Littrell and the other Boys -- Nick Carter, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough -- have been on the road since last October, taking their This is Us tour to Europe, Asia and Australia, before hitting North America this summer. With the "neverending" trek finally crossing Canada this month, Littrell called up to chat about keeping it real, moving forward and what he would say to some kid named Justin:

It's been a tough year for a lot of touring bands. How are you guys making out?

We're getting more people than anticipated, to be honest. When we first started talking to promoters, they were not that interested. Then we played some shows and they saw the turnout. So now our managers are getting calls from promoters who want to book more shows. So it's been good. But I know there are a lot of artists out there who put a tour together and their eyes get too big. They say, 'I won't take less than this amount and we won't play in a venue that has less than this many seats.' But when you're looking to fill 10,000 seats and only 2,500 show up, that's a bad sign.

It sounds like you have a more realistic viewpoint.

Very much so. In the highest of highs during our career, we played multiple nights in stadiums all around the world. But times are different. And there's no ego with us -- we'll play a place that holds 1,800 people if that's what it takes to nurture the fan base. And if we do that, it will turn into 2,800 the next time. But you have to be realistic and rational in terms of what you can pull in. And there has to be growth in the future. That's what we're aiming for.

Talking about the future, are you thinking about a new album yet?

We're already talking about going back into the studio after the Canadian run with some producers we're reaching out to right now. I've already called Max Martin, who's worked with us on many of our hits. He's like the fifth Backstreet Boy. He gets us. He understands our sound and how we work. And he has a great projection of where we're headed. All of us know where we want to go. We'd like to reintroduce the band sound versus the dance-pop that's all sequenced on a drum machine. We'd like to bring back big songs like I Want it That Way and Shape of My Heart -- you know, real songs. Dance songs only live for so long, but the timeless songs we've had in the past, they're still playing in elevators (laughs).

When you see Justin Bieber and where he's headed, do you just want to call him up and say, 'I know what people are telling you, but here's the truth.'

Yeah, I think that every day.

What would you tell him?

Well, I've never met him. But I would tell him about something we witnessed with Lady Gaga. We were on tour in New Zealand and she was coming into the country. And she had her entire production staff staying at our hotel for about a week; they were just waiting for her. What that told me is that she's just wasting money. She doesn't have people around her to say, 'Let's cut down on these costs and put more money in your pocket.' We didn't have that either. We had managers who saw dollar signs and then at the end of the tour, we would make X amount of dollars though we were promised 10 times that. That's frustrating. And what Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber probably don't know is they're the last ones to get paid. They're paying the production staff, the security, the dancers, the stage, the lights, the buses, the trucks, the catering -- the list goes on and on. And at the end, there might not be anything left for you. That's the thing. This is show business. And while you're doing the show, your business is walking out the back door. So I would urge every young artist out there to have the right people around -- people who are thinking about them and not thinking about getting paid. You have to get control. You have to remember you are the boss. And you have to be meticulous about it. It comes down to details. And a lot of times you get big and you want to forget the details. And that's when all hell breaks loose. People are spending your money. And they don't care that it's your money. We learned that the hard way. We haven't done everything right. We aren't perfect. But we're still here.

darryl.sterdan@sunmedia.ca

http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/music/2010/08/05/14931831.html

Apparently Brian is from Texas LOL... Either way the article is a nice read.

Lt.Dallas

08-05-2010, 10:06 AM

Backstreet Boys the Pearl Jam of boy bands? (http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/2010/08/03/backstreet-boys-the-pearl-jam-of-boy-bands-audio/)

It's audio.

AngelgirlDorough

08-05-2010, 07:42 PM

For some reason, it's no longer available at the Reno Gazette Journal, or is it in the RGJ archives.

You can still find the first page as a GOOGLE cache, but I couldn't get the other pages.

I did find an alternate site with the article:

http://www.news10.net/life/entertainment/reno-tahoe/story.aspx?storyid=84804

It's also posted at the BacsktreetPress blogsite:

http://backstreetpress.net/?p=972#more-972

Thanks Mike:)

misha17

08-05-2010, 09:15 PM

Brian intv, Aug 5th Vancouver Sun - posted by Isla in the thread, Interesting article - Backstreet Boys defy law of disposability

See:-
Backstreet Boys defy law of disposability
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Backstreet+Boys+defy+disposability/3362170/story.html

(its got a copyright notice on it so I don't wanna risk getting in trouble for copying and pasting some of it here).

I thought that was a particularly good, interesting article.I would have just added it to the TIU articles thread, only its not really specifically about the tour but if mods want to add this to that thread then obviously go ahead.

I like how positive this article is :nod: im guessing the writer is a fan/closet fan lol :) its nice that he believes they have a shot at getting another top 10 single/record.

Discussion thread:

http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?13274-Interesting-article-Backstreet-Boys-defy-law-of-disposability

misha17

08-05-2010, 09:24 PM

Brian intv, Aug 4 Vancouver Sun Posted by lonely_tear89 in the the thread, New Interview - Backstreet Boys are back, alright!

Backstreet Boys are back, alright!
Boy band takes the stage Friday night to a crowd of screaming (mostly female) fans

VANCOUVER -- Backstreet’s back, again. Okay, so it’s not like the Backstreet Boys went anywhere. Well, one did: Kevin Richardson bailed in 2006 to pursue other interests, endeavours that no doubt excluded being chased down the street by screaming hordes of tweens.

But 17 years after the quintet formed in Florida and 13 years after they burst onto North American charts with their eponymous debut, the remaining Boys — now a quartet of 30-something men — continue to defy pop music’s inherent law of disposability (see Blackstreet, No Mercy, Ace of Base).

“It comes down to the material,” says B-Boy Brian Littrell. “If you look at our catalogue over the years, we’ve had some amazing songwriters and amazing producers we’ve been able to work with. The songs we’ve sung have staying power.

“It’s the songs and the dedication from the fans that has enabled us to stay relevant.”

Littrell also points to the fact people seem drawn to feel-good pop music, particularly in trying times.

“In sad times, the economy’s not doing so great, the world’s trying to rebound, and I think people are looking for stability in their lives.

“They can find that with our music, and I hope they can continue to find that.”

...

( read more ) (http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Backstreet+Boys+back+alright/3359366/story.html)

Discussion thread:

http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?13186-New-Interview-Backstreet-Boys-are-back-alright!

(the full article is posted in the thread)

misha17

08-06-2010, 08:55 AM

Review of the Aug 5 Kent WA show, posted Aug 6 in Tacoma Times Tribune. Blog link:
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/backstreet-keegan-480x320.jpg

"Men in the Backyard" thrill former teenyboppers in Kent

By Keegan Prosser
Staff writer

I remember the days of pop music like they were yesterday. There I am, sitting in my living room, when mom walks in and tells me about some song she heard on the radio.

“It’s by this group called Boys in the Backyard,” she said.

Oh mother, how dare you call them that.

Yes, I admit. I was the 12-year-old who loved everything pop and found no embarrassment in writing “Mrs. AJ McLean” all over my school notebooks.

I even attended the “Black & Blue” concert in 2001.

So, when E.J. offered me the chance to cover last night’s Backstreet Boys “This Is Us” concert at the ShoWare Center in Kent, I had only this response:

“Hell yes.”

...

( read more ) (http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/2010/08/06/backstreet-boys-review-and-set-list/)

Direct link to photo:

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tacomarockcity/files/2010/08/backstreet-keegan-480x320.jpg

lonely_tear89

08-07-2010, 07:17 AM

Backstreet's back, and as good as ever

Nick, Brian, A.J. and Howie take screaming, crying fans on trip down memory lane

The Backstreet Boys still got it goin' on.

The boy band -- all grown up but still baby-faced -- sweated and crooned their way straight into fans' hearts Friday night at a packed Rogers Arena. The quartet (fifth member Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006 to start a family), proved that they've still got the sex appeal that revved up every female teenager's hormones back in 1996 when they released their self-titled debut.

It's quite amazing, really: Fourteen years later, and all of those preteen and teenaged girls that pinned up Tiger Beat posters of Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough (can't forget Richardson) on their walls have stayed true to the Boys.

The 20-something-year-old female fans were there in full support. Dressed to the nines, in sparkly shirts and stilettos, they brought their lungs and their tears.

OK, well the tears weren't of the waterfall variety that we see from Justin Bieber fans today. But they were there, waving from the corners of black-lined and mascara-coated eyes.

The group dazzled the audience for nearly two hours, playing all the hits to the audience's delight, as well as new material from their 2009 release This Is Us.

They opened with (Everybody) Backstreet's Back from 1997's Backstreet's Back album after jumping through a giant screen onto the stage. The boys pulled out some slick moves to welcome the arena. The screams were deafening.

The audience sang along to every single word. The lyrics to We've Got It Goin' On re-emerged from their collective unconscious. It was like riding a bike.

"Who's been to a Backstreet Boys show before?" Littrell asked the audience. He was answered by a million decibels of noise.

"Is it OK if we go back in time so you can help us sing some songs?" he continued, jumping into Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) and then As Long As You Love Me.

Even though they're one man down and a little rougher around the edges, the Backstreet Boys' voices haven't changed one bit.

They have grown with their audience, though. The concert matched the maturity of the audience, giving fans a trip down memory lane without being too cheesy.

The production values and visual candy have been stripped down since the Backstreet Boys concerts of yore. They threw out the excessive pyrotechnics and intricate choreography for toned-down dance numbers and a more mature, music-centric approach.

They performed each song harmony for harmony, lyric for lyric. It was like listening to their album. Nothing different. But that's what the fans wanted.

Although the members will probably never be able to shake their '90s boy band persona a la Justin Timberlake and rise to the same heights of success as they did ten years ago, the Backstreet Boys showed that they've got a love for their music and their fans, and they'll keep on singing Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely as long as the music world will let them.

I remember my dad once chuckling at my teenaged obsession over the Backstreet Boys in 1997. "They'll never last that long," he told me.

Um, Dad? I think they have.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Backstreet+back+good+ever/3371326/story.html

misha17

08-07-2010, 03:22 PM

Short report from the Kent concert in the Kent Reporter, (with photos)

Backstreet Boys belt out tunes in Kent
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/lifestyle/100164184.html

It says the photos on on his Flickr account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kentreporter

misha17

08-07-2010, 03:54 PM

Nick interview, Gay Calgary and Edmonton Magazine

This is BSB
Backstreet Boy Nick Carter on Fame, the Road, and his Gay Connection
Celebrity Interview by Jason Clevett
From August 2010 (Page 42)

At one point in time The Backstreet Boys were arguably the biggest band on the planet. Thousands of infatuated women and gay men flocked to concerts and bought albums, leading to 10 top ten singles in Canada. Like them or not, they were a big part of pop culture.

They may not be selling out 50,000 seat stadiums anymore, but The Backstreet Boys are survivors. Both AJ Mclean and Nick Carter have had stints in rehab, original member Kevin Richardson left the band in 2006, and they have all had their own struggles professionally and personally. They released This Is Us in October 2009. O-Town, 98 Degrees, and *NSYNC are no longer together, leaving BSB as the last boys standing from that era.

“I guess everyone else has quit, you know? We don’t quit. We are all highly competitive people that believe that what we did and what we want to do will happen. That is what makes the difference. Everyone else didn’t believe in what they did, and we do completely 100% believe it. We love the music that we are doing,” Nick Carter told GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine.

I chatted with Carter on a rare day off, in the midst of their current tour which brings them to the Saddledome in Calgary August 8th and Edmonton’s Rexall Place August 9th - four-packs of tickets are just $99! There was a time when a Backstreet Boys concert was a spectacle: hoverboards, pyrotechnics, meteor showers, giant walkways through the audience. The most recent tours – Unbreakable in 2008 and Never Gone in 2005 - saw the shows a little stripped down. According to Carter, the current tour is a return to the spectacle that made their concerts so much fun in the past.
“We want to get it back to a production where it is really entertaining. We stepped this one up and made the production a lot better. We have brought four dancers out and you can tell by people’s faces that they are in shock. With the economy, everything that has been going on and people not coming to Backstreet Boys shows the way they used to, and the backlash and all that stuff - now that it is gone people are coming back and seeing one hell of a show, even better than before.”
The connection with the audience is what has kept the boys alive. On the Never Gone tour, Carter actually went into the audience to shake hands and high five fans, much to security’s dismay.
“This show is eye catching, that is what it is all about now. We wanted to step it up to where we don’t just have to wave and go in the audience to do something. People are paying to see a show and be entertained, that is our job to be entertaining. The relationship with the fans is a natural part of what we do. We make them feel like we know them and they know us.”

With 8 albums under their belt another challenge is in balancing out their set list between songs going back to their 1996 debut, and promoting their current album This Is Us.

“It is challenging. We definitely have to make sure we don’t become one of those artists that perform for themselves and forget about the stuff that people love. We have to put our hits in there, we just do. A majority of them everyone has heard and it takes people back. There is a definite mixture with the old stuff which fits really well with the new stuff. We have a DJ and four dancers, it is just highly entertaining and gives people what they want.”

...

( read more ) (http://gaycalgary.com/Magazine.aspx?id=82&article=1804)

San

08-09-2010, 06:34 AM

Calgary Sun review of Calgary concert Sunday, August 8th.

http://www.calgarysun.com/entertainment/2010/08/09/14964181.html

Two and a half stars

Attendance: 5,500

If you thought the reunification of the Backstreet Boys on its Kevin Richardson-less Unbreakable tour in 2008 would finally be the end of the last ’90s “Boy Band” standing, well ... you’d be wrong.

Although the Orlando-based pop sensations of years gone by are as musically valid in 2010 as The Doodlebops, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and AJ McLean (the bad one) are still on the road and still doing reasonable concert business.

At best, the current This Is Us world tour, which made a stop at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary on Sunday night, is a harmless, nostalgic walk down memory lane for women now entering middle age as quickly as the Backstreet Boys themselves.

At worst, it’s the much smaller-scale re-emergence of a cash-grab and pop novelty act that just won’t go away.

There was no need for the soccer mom references synonymous with each Bon Jovi tour stop as the Boys broke through a giant video screen in the middle of the stage and launched into Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) to the loud, yet much lower-pitched squeals of delight that marked the massive performances and production values during the group’s heyday prior to the new millennium.

Accompanied by only a DJ-percussionist-keyboardist, the sound was crystal clear during the group’s 100-minute set, but that may have had something to do with natural reverberation ringing off all the empty seats.

The assembled throng of around 5,500 at the Dome on Sunday evening was still almost exclusively female, 15 years older, but just as appreciative as ever when the quartet broke into We’ve Got It Goin’ On, PDA, (from last year’s This Is Us ) and the one-two saccharine pop punch of Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) and As Long As You Love Me.

The latter pair of sugar bombs are both excellent examples of a ’90s movement that produced untold numbers of teen-pop contenders and even more pretenders.

Oddly enough, both are easier to appreciate in 2010 only because just when you thought the ’90s would go down in music history as the worst decade ever, the new millennium brought us the age of disposable music and the American Idol model which, in a twisted and unlikely turn of events, kind of makes you long for the artistic integrity of N’Sync, 98 Degrees and, indeed, the Backstreet Boys. Weird.

It was easy for the Pengrowth Saddledome faithful to pick their poison.

They stood, they screamed, they danced, they sang and they may have laughed at the idea that 15 years ago there was no greater concern in their lives than who was cuter: Brian or Nick?

The swooning and swaying of the crowd through the harmonies of Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely and the lads trademark half-baked dance routines still make it a toss-up.

Longevity doesn’t always equate to greatness, but the Backstreet Boys have been around long enough to sport greying hair while belting out the songs that made the ’90s, er, the second worst decade in music history. Maybe there’s something to be said for that.

The group’s main set had yet to conclude at press time, however most performances on the current tour have included Shape Of My Heart, Larger Than Life, set-closer and show-stopper I Want It That Way and an encore of Straight Through My Heart.

Opening the show was Toronto R&B popster Shawn Desman.

The Juno Award-winner had his work cut out for him trying to bring something new and fresh to a crowd waiting for something old and dated, but the 27-year-old singer took full advantage of his opportunity with a 30-minute set which included hits such as Shiver (from his current Fresh release) as well as Shook and Get Ready from his 2002 self-titled debut.

Before that was a quick 25-minute set of passable dance pop from Dal Talevski. It appears obvious the young lad is chasing his dreams of stardom, on the road eating baloney sandwiches in the back of a tour van. He received a fair share of squeals (considering he was third on the bill of a show that was two thirds empty). Good luck, kid.

San

08-09-2010, 06:37 AM

Calgary Herald review of concert Sunday, August 8th

http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Backstreet+Boys+give+devoted+fans/3376430/story.html?tab=PHOT

And they've still got a devoted fanbase of young females screaming at every note they utter and every move they make.

Mind you, as seen at the 'Dome, a lot of those screamers aren't little girls anymore, but rather, grown women who screamed at the group in their heyday.

Either way, Brian, Nick, A.J and Howie (Kevin split a few years back) gave those fans something to excitedly shriek at Sunday night.

The first we saw of the well groomed foursome was on the big screen, the group walking down a dark alley looking pouty and ready for action. Running toward the camera, the stars then bounded from out of the curtain-like screen walls in the flesh for a high energy version of their mega-hit Everybody (Backstreet's Back).

The concert was almost entirely focused on the Backstreet Boys' slick pop vocals and tightly choreographed dance moves. Sexy female dancers interacted with the group and a percussionist/DJ/programmer grooved away in a background booth. Beyond that, who knows what consisted of pre-recorded musical tracks and what was actually being played live (behind the stage). Who knows who was lip-syncing what and who was actually singing?

It really doesn't matter much with the Backstreet Boys.

Their gig is more about their prevailing prettiness, the honeyed sweetness of their pop hooks and the flashiness of their overall presentation.

All of that was fairly in order at the 'Dome as the group ran through slick versions of crowd favourites like Quit Playing Games With My Heart, As Long As You Love Me, Larger Than Life and I Want It That Way.

The show also featured an ongoing movie theme, which was goofy but crowd-winning, with each Backstreeter imposed into actual footage of four hit movies.

Howie Dorough raced hotrods with Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious and A.J. McLean, taking Brad Pitt's place, taunted Edward Norton in Fight Club. Brian Littrell camped it up in Enchanted and former Paris Hilton flame Nick Carter spoofed Keanu Reeves in The Matrix.

Even the band's detractors would be hard pressed to say the Backstreet Boys didn't deliver an all-out, big budget, Vegas-ready spectacle. The bang for the buck is there.

That said though, the group's actual musical performance wasn't quite the sugar buzz it's been in the past, nor was the crowd's giddiness as off-the-hook as in years gone by.

Maybe everybody involved is finally growing out of it. Maybe the Backstreet Boys will have to deliver more than just spectacle in the future if they want to stay at the arena level.

The night's opening acts included Dan Talevski, a 23-year-old Ontario lad who scored himself a record deal (and mentoring from Backstreet Boy Howie) after homemade videos he posted online garnered a huge following.

Musically Talevski seems to be reaching for a Michael Jackson vibe, but at the 'Dome the results were a lot closer to that of a junior Backstreet Boy.

Juno Award winning Shawn Desman from Toronto was second on the bill revving up the crowd with his contemporary R&B hits.

The problem with Desman is that his urban lover-man vibes aren't half as sexy as they're meant to be. Like way too many modern R&B artists, the package is so slick and manicured that the soul has literally been polished away.

But Desman does have his moves down to a science and the crowd was certainly buying the grooves he was selling.

And, truthfully, that sets the tone just right for a night with the Backstreet Boys.

misha17

08-09-2010, 11:45 AM

Backstreet Boys are back, alright!
Boy band takes the stage Friday night to a crowd of screaming (mostly female) fans

VANCOUVER -- Backstreet’s back, again. Okay, so it’s not like the Backstreet Boys went anywhere. Well, one did: Kevin Richardson bailed in 2006 to pursue other interests, endeavours that no doubt excluded being chased down the street by screaming hordes of tweens.

But 17 years after the quintet formed in Florida and 13 years after they burst onto North American charts with their eponymous debut, the remaining Boys — now a quartet of 30-something men — continue to defy pop music’s inherent law of disposability (see Blackstreet, No Mercy, Ace of Base).

“It comes down to the material,” says B-Boy Brian Littrell. “If you look at our catalogue over the years, we’ve had some amazing songwriters and amazing producers we’ve been able to work with. The songs we’ve sung have staying power.

...

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Backstreet+Boys+back+alright/3359366/story.html

Same article but with a different headline, in the Montreal Gazette:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/grown+still+boys/3370943/story.html

All grown up, but still boys to us
The Backstreet Boys have managed to survive and thrive on a steady diet of pop

By GRAEME MCRANOR, Postmedia News August 7, 2010
Backstreet's back - again.

Okay, so it's not like the Backstreet Boys went anywhere. Well, one did, actually: Kevin Richardson bailed in 2006 to pursue other interests, endeavours that no doubt excluded being chased down the street by screaming hordes of tweens.

But 17 years after the quintet formed in Florida and 13 years after they burst on to American charts with their eponymous debut, the remaining Boys -now a quartet of 30-something men - continue to defy pop music's inherent Law of Disposability (see Blackstreet, No Mercy, Ace of Base).

"I think it comes down to the material," says B-Boy Brian Littrell. "If you look at our catalogue over the years, we've had some amazing songwriters and amazing producers that we've been able to work with in our career. The songs that we've sung in the past have staying power.

...

******

Same article from the Montreal Gazette (incl headlines) is in the Ottawa Citizen:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/grown+still+boys/3370943/story.html

misha17

08-09-2010, 12:05 PM

Review of the Vancouver show, with photos

Backstreet Boys Brought Out My Inner Feminine In Vancouver
Written by Dan Savoie on Sunday, 08 August 2010 18:19

Last night I discovered my Inner Feminine. I think her name is Alyssa and I’ve never met her before. She came out and had a great time at the Vancouver Backstreet Boys concert at Rogers Arena on Friday. Alyssa loved the flashy stage, fancy lights and especially the four crooners that make up BSB. She knew all the lyrics, clapped her hands and swayed to the beat. And she was just like all the other girls, young ladies and women that comprised the audience.

BSB gave the ladies like Alyssa lots to cheer about. They’re attractive men and they sing great harmony vocals that are in tune and easy to sing along to. The music critic in me was fighting tooth and nail to argue with Alyssa, but she couldn’t care less. She wanted to watch Brian, Nick, AJ and Howie dance across the stage while belting out such popular songs as Backstreet’s Back, I’ll Never Break Your Heart, As Long As You Love Me and I Want It That Way.

Alyssa seemed to really enjoy the short faux movie trailers that were used during the show as well. It was a clever display with each of the “boys” taking the lead role in comedic trailers for movies such as Fast & Furious, The Fight Club, Enchanted and The Matrix. After each trailer, the quartet emerged through the screen and were dressed in different attire. The flashiest costumes being the futuristic ones used during Larger Than Life, a song which was seemingly written for the fans.

As hard as I wanted to say that this show was rubbish, Alyssa would have none of it. She cooed as the boys sang hit after hit and she anxiously awaited the wardrobe changes so she could see each member show off a bit more of their personality. Like many there, her favourite member is Nick, but she seemed quite happy that I said I enjoyed AJ’s voice better.

( read more ) (http://www.rockstarweekly.com/backstreet-boys-brought-out-my-inner-feminine-in-vancouver.html)

*********

( Reviewer's rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars )

misha17

08-09-2010, 12:31 PM

Review of the (Aug 6) Vancouver concert, with a couple of photos

Backstreets Back
August 7, 2010 7:42 pm

Backstreet Boys
Aug 6, 2010
Rogers Arena
By Pam Lim

It’s been 17 years since the Backstreet Boys broke into the music industry, but 17 years later… they’ve still got it goin’ on.

At the height of their fame the Backstreet Boys were unstoppable. They burst onto the boy band scene in 1993 paving the way for countless other bands that followed. Releasing hit after hit, the band racked up numerous awards, remained within the top 10 on Billboard’s hot 100, and couldn’t go anywhere without being mobbed by crazed teenage girls.

Now, with seven studio albums under their belts, the seasoned vets have become one of the most successful groups of all time selling over 130 million records worldwide.

All this and they and can still – almost two decades later – make thousands of girls scream at the drop of a dime.

Backstreet Boys live at Rogers Arena Aug 6, 2010.
The Backstreet Boys kicked off their Canadian leg of their This is Us tour to a nearly sold out crowd in Vancouver Friday night. Greeted by a chorus of high-pitched screams and smiling faces, the boys burst through a giant white projection screen before launching into “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”.

From the moment the band opened their mouths the echo of supporters singing along held strong for almost the entire show. The boys filled their set will a number of hits off all seven records including, “We’re Got it Going On”, “Quit Playing Games with My Heart”, “As Long as You Love me”, “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”, “All I have to Give”, “She’s a Dream”, and “The Call”.

( read more ) (http://popcounterculture.ca/index.php/backstreet-boys/)

misha17

08-09-2010, 12:38 PM

* Short review (no pics) of the (Aug 6) Vancouver show; credit to @DanTalevski for the link

Backstreet Boys Take Fans Down Memory Lane
http://popyoularity.com/Blog/?p=8931

Rogers Arena (GM Place)- Vancouver, BC

The bond that the Backstreet Boys have with their fans is un-breakable and they still have the ability to entertain and create hysteria; the evening of sing-a-longs proved their longevity. Perhaps this is why the tour was aptly titled “This Is Us,” as the BSB showcased exactly where they have been and what they have become.

Littrell’s 7-year-old son Baylee introduced the BSB before running off stage and the BSB jumping through the video screen, starting the show with “Everybody (Backstreets Back).”

Friday night found the BSB dancing and singing hard, giving fans exactly what they wanted. This may also be why most songs sung were their older, well-known tracks, some in shorter multiple-song medley form, such as “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” “As Long as You Love Me,” and “All I Have to Give.”
The stage set-up was rather simple, with only one video screen, a raised platform and staircase off of each side. The video screen was used as the entrance and exit for each costume change, as well as a drum playing DJ who was set up center stage to entertain during quick breaks. The only disappointment was the projection screens that should have been on each side of the stage. I’m not sure how anyone in the back could tell who was who, or what was really going on.

Videos showed the BSB inserted into movies such as The Fast and the Furious (Howie), Fight Club (AJ), Enchanted (Brian), and The Matrix (Nick), which were also used as costume change entertainment. “Larger Than Life” had the BSB change into robot costumes.

Apparently the BSB also thought that they “[Couldn’t] think of a better starting point [for the Canadian leg of their tour] than Vancouver, as “Without [their fans], [they] would be “Incomplete,” which was also the next track that was performed.

“PDA” from “This Is Us,” left the fans at their calmest throughout the entire evening. The current single “Bigger,” and new track “Bye Bye Love,” also couldn’t compare to the hits. “I Want It That Way,” was definitely one of the loudest sing-a-longs of the evening. Other notable “older” tracks performed were “Shape of My Heart,” “More Than That,” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,” All I Have to Give,” and “The Call.”

Ending the show with “Straight to the Heart,” AJ exclaimed “We’re the BSB and guess what? Backstreet’s Back!” before they ran off stage.

...

Dan Talevski was the first opener, with an introduction from Howie of the BSB, as Howie is Talevski’s co-manager. He definitely had a great voice, with dance moves to match. Black-Eyed Peas’ will.i.am. produced and raps on “Do It Again,” Talevski’s first single. ““Can’t Look Away” was a notable, well-received song. Talevski has received over 27 million youtube views and clearly has more than enough talent to become a success in the Pop/R&B music world.

+Debbie Fettback

misha17

08-10-2010, 12:11 AM

Review of the Aug 9 Edmonton concert w/pics, Edmonton Journal

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/Concert+review+Backstreet+Boys/3380185/story.html

Concert review: Backstreet Boys

By Fawnda Mithrush, edmontonjournal.com August 10, 2010 1:53 AM

EDMONTON — It may have been a thunderous night in the sky outside, but if the Backstreet Boys proved anything at Monday’s show at Rexall Place, it’s that 5,000 screaming girls can drown out pretty much anything.

When the sound got knocked out mid-song for a few moments, the Boys’ fans just kept chirping right along — every single lyric, too — even as Nick Carter nearly stopped dancing and confusedly tapped on his earpiece monitor.

It was a momentary snag in the well-oiled machine that is Backstreet’s This Is Us tour, and was soon forgotten as the guys realized they only had to flash their pearly whites bigger and jump a little higher to thank the gaggles of tweens and their barely legal counterparts for sticking out the technical trouble.

Though they’ve been steadily releasing new albums since 2005, the Boys’ set list kept to a lot of the late ‘90s favourites from their Millenium and Black and Blue records. Really, it just wouldn’t be a Backstreet Boys show if they didn’t lay down “I Want It That Way” and “Larger Than Life” at some point. They opened with “Everybody/Backstreet’s Back,” and even played their very first single, “We’ve Got it Goin’ On,” too.

Supported by a foursome of female dancers/set-movers, the Boys don’t give any indication that they’re going through the motions, either. You actually get the sense that they’re still enjoying themselves and can even poke fun at their oddly unflappable stardom, as they did during the concert’s costume breaks with a series of film re-makes, one featuring each singer edited into a role from a hit movie. Imagine Nick getting dropped into The Matrix and asking Trinity why Morpheus keeps talking about ‘N Sync — you get the idea.

After playing this boy-band game for 17 years, Brian Litrell, Howie Dourough, the aforementioned Nick and A.J. MacLean (Kevin Richardson left a few years back) may have slowed down a wee bit — after all, they’re actually men now. Like, 30 year olds. The dance moves aren’t quite as sharp or polished as they were back in the “Backstreet’s Back” days, and the higher notes in the cheesy love tunes have been replaced with more characteristic poppy harmonies or lower, shorter solo notes — not that anyone in the audience seemed to mind. The crowd was singing as hard as they could, too.

********

Couple more photos from EdmontonJournal.com:

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/Review+Backstreet+Boys/3378725/story.html

********

4 pics at MetroNews.ca

http://www.metronews.ca/edmonton/local/article/598896--in-pictures-backstreet-boys-at-the-rexall-place

misha17

08-10-2010, 12:32 AM

Review of the (Aug 6) Vancouver concert. Despite the reviewer's best efforts to be harsh, she was won over by the guys' performance :)

*********

August 7, 2010
Backstreet’s Back…and Balding!

Signs of monetary constraints, 17 years of touring combined with the curses of aging were definitely prominent on stage.

By Holly Millar

Honestly, I thought the Backstreet Boys were dead.

Well, if not literally extinct then at least metaphorically. All theories aside, four of the five original members are very much alive and graced the Rogers Arena on Friday night with a mildly epic reunion.

A sea of 20-ish-year-old screaming girls witnessed the resurrection of Howie, A.J., Brian and Nick as they kicked off the Canadian leg of the “This Is Us” tour.

The boys began by jumping out of a giant screen onto the stage and launched right into the obvious opener, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”. But the first five minutes had me wondering, where were all the pyrotechnics? Where was the notoriously silent fifth member Kevin Richardson? And where did all of A.J.’s hair go?

Signs of monetary constraints, 17 years of touring combined with the curses of aging were definitely prominent on stage.

...

( read more ) (http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2010/08/07/pf-14953546.html)

...

Once my nostalgic boy band idealizations of the 00’s had passed, it became clear that the Backstreet Boys could still rock the faces off thousands of squealing girls. With their unique concoction of cheesy integrity, these boys/men are simply eternal. At least until they all go bald.

Backstreets back, alright!

misha17

08-10-2010, 12:52 AM

Review of the Vancouver concert, posted on the concert venue's website:

THEY'VE STILL GOT IT

By Janelle Kidd
August 6, 2010

Before Justin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers captured the hearts and dominated the music players of millions of tween and teenage girls, the Backstreet Boys reigned supreme.

Friday night the celebrated boy band, a little older and a little wiser, brought their classic harmonized pop melodies to their devotees packed into Rogers Arena.

The stadium erupted as the red curtain fell, the first notes of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" sent fans into an uncontrollable frenzy that escalated to near riot when the band burst through a giant screen.

When AJ McLean requested that the crowd throw their hands up in the air, he didn't have to ask twice, the sea of waving arms was at his beck and call.

The choreographed routines were polished and energetic. Dressed in black and white with some sequins for good measure the group kept the stadium on their feet, singing along for most of the almost two hour set.

...

( read more ) (http://www.rogersarena.ca/news--reviews/concert-reviews/backstreet-boys)

lonely_tear89

08-10-2010, 01:15 AM

Backstreet Boys never grew up

Thank heaven for little girls, they grow up in the most delightful way.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the Backstreet Boys. Seventeen years later and they’re still doing exactly the same thing — singing fluff, dancing dirty and making their (slightly older) female fans scream in their jeans.

They’ve since added nothing to this particular pop music canon that was fairly impoverished to begin with. What happened to “artistic growth?” These Backstreet Men are still too young to be a nostalgia act, but that’s exactly what Monday night’s show at Rexall Place was. Next stop: Vegas.

It was beyond sad, not just because only 5,000 fans showed up. A.J. McLean — he’s the bad one, and the bald one — is still a sub-par rapper. Nick Carter is still a pitchy singer. Brian Littrell can still make a grown man gag. Howie Dorough is still the “cute one.” Or was that Nick?

read more (http://www.edmontonsun.com/entertainment/columnists/mike_ross/2010/08/10/14974506.html)

misha17

08-10-2010, 09:51 AM

^ 18 photos from The Edmonton Sun

http://www.edmontonsun.com/entertainment/music/2010/08/10/14978816.html

lonely_tear89

08-12-2010, 05:55 AM

Backstreet's back and fans still can't get enough of them

This is us, now: another year and nine months older, inching closer to 30 and still ready to scream.
Concert Review
Backstreet Boys
August 11
MTS Centre
Attendance: 6,000
4 out of 5 stars

This is them, now: another year and nine months older, inching closer to 40 and still larger than life.
And in a year when top-selling artists struggle to sell any concert tickets, the Backstreet Boys -- two years and another flopped album later -- danced back into the MTS Centre last night and played to a crowd only slightly smaller than their last visit. And they drove that crowd absolutely wild. Again.
If you're not among the Backstreet faithful, you don't get it. You're scratching your head. You're checking the calendar -- yep, it's 2010, not 1999. You're asking: "How does a quartet of 30-somethings who haven't had a true hit album in almost a decade... still get all these CHICKS?"
I'll let you in on a little secret: this isn't just cheesecake, not anymore. Somewhere along the way -- sometime between Nick Carter's burnout and the Boys' 2005 comeback album, Never Gone -- the Boys were elevated from aging boy-band to something more like a cult. This is like a Rocky Horror Picture Show for 20-somethings in Steve Madden wedges and their eager little sisters. Always the same. Always a party. Wave your arms like this, scream your head off like that, catch a hint of Nick's abs like this...
And so last night, the crowd and the band made this show together, just like they did in 2008.
The instant the Boys-men stepped onstage just after 9 p.m., the audience lost their minds. They threw their arms in the air, waved them in oddly uniform fits of glee, and unleashed a shocking, eardrum-rending storm of squeals at all the appropriate moments, such as the second an introductory pic of Carter flashed on the screen, or the instant Carter purred "am I sexual" in the verse to opener Everybody (Backstreet's Back).
And when the four Boys -- Carter, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough - stood at the edge of the stage and ordered the audience to yell the title of their bouncy new tune PDA, the thunderous chant that came back to them sounded like something bellowed from the parade square of a fascist dictatorship of bloodthirsty warrior women.
I like these girls. I also like these Boys. True, there's nothing new here -- the earnest breast-clutching, the fancy footwork, the pledges of eternal love, that's all been done before. Mostly by them. But you can't fake their energy, nor their explosive onstage charisma. This tour is less gimmicky than the last -- there was no boxing ring, for starters, and no draggy solo performances from each Boy -- but even singing straight on a straight-up stage, the Boys left no penny of the audience's money wasted.
For starters, they revived their positively ancient breakthrough hit, We've Got It Goin' On, to a zanily positive reception; after that, it was full-stage press. Barely stopping for a break, they piled on the hits (and, um, six tunes from This Is Us), and the audience piled on them too. Lining up with the microphones at the end of Shape of My Heart, they waved their arms and 6,000 arms waved right back. Two quick video interludes to change clothes -- from sparkly blazers to sparkly hoodies, basically -- and then it was eight feet pounding the stage floor again. Not a second left without someone crooning to the crowd, sliding their heels across the floor, or hugging a little girl lifted from the front row. Frankly, if every musical artist respected their fans enough to deliver a show this satisfying every time, the concert industry might be in better shape.
At press time, the Boys were working through their cheesy (sorry, department of redundancy department checked in there) 2005 comeback hit, Incomplete, with four songs left in the kitty before heading to Mystique for a rumoured after-party.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/backstreets-back-and-fans-still-cant-get-enough-of-them-100513699.html

lonely_tear89

08-12-2010, 05:59 AM

Backstreet: Back, all right

Backstreet Boys

Aug. 11, MTS Centre

With Dan Talevski, Shawn Desman

Sun Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Attention, Justin Bieber fans: This is your future.

One day, hard as it is to believe right now, you will be old. Way old. Like 25. Seriously. But even though you will be near death at that point, you will very likely end up dragging your ancient, withered carcass to a cyberstadiaplex (or whatever they call them in the future) to see a comeback tour simulcast by Justin and his latest high-tech toupee.

And you can only hope he and his German-engineered wig make you feel the same way Backstreet Boys made 6,000 female fans feel Wednesday night at MTS Centre.

OK, the crowd wasn't totally women — the actual female-to-male ration was likely only about 59: 1. But I am fairly certain I was the only straight guy there without a date or a daughter. Which is a long way of saying that I am clearly not in the BSB fan club. In fact, I would prefer going to the dentist than a Backstreet Boys show.

But even I have to admit, they give the ladies what they want. They work pretty hard. And they put on enough of a show to keep you reasonably interested even if you didn't grow up with pictures of Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson on your bedroom wall.

These days, of course, they're just a quartet — Richardson bowed out in 2006. That isn't the only way they've downsized. Their current tour in support of their third comeback album This Is Us is a smaller-scale, more economical affair than the big-budget, stadium-sized extravaganzas of their late-’90s boy-band heyday. Instead of a band, they had a DJ who also handled keyboards and electronic drums (and probably drives their bus). Instead of a massive stage, they had a compact but effective set with a couple of curved staircases, plenty of decorative trusses and a raised platform at the rear. Instead of wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling video, they had one small front-projection screen and a handful of smaller LED units showing generic graphics, old videos and some cute faux-movie trailers that inserted the singers into footage from The Matrix (Nick), Fight Club (A.J.), The Fast & The Furious (Howie) and, um, Enchanted (Brian). Instead of a zillion lasers and effects, they had a restrained but stylish light show. Instead of legions of dancers, they had four women. Instead of roadies, the Boys (and those dancers) carted microphone stands and stools onstage and off themselves. Instead of elaborate outfits, most of their costumes seemed more or less like BeDazzled regular clothes (except for some silly padding and mirrors they donned for Larger Than Life).

But really, none of that stuff appeared to matter very much to the females of all ages who screamed, shrieked and squealed their way through the Boys' 100-minute set, which kicked off with fittingly energetic versions of Everybody (Backstreet's Back), We've Got it Goin' On and PDA — after the band was introduced by Littrell's young son (awwwwwww).

The first thing you noticed: They still sounded pretty good. Their harmonies were strong and on the money, and while they were sometimes overwhelmed by the bass-heavy mix, it sure didn't seem like they were lip-synching or being AutoTuned.

The second thing you noticed: For four ancient dudes in their 30s, they could dance OK. Granted, their moves fall into two basic categories: 1) On the slower songs like As Long as You Love Me, they would glide, slide and gesture like The Pips, The Four Tops or The Temptations (ask your grandpa); 2) On the faster songs, they would jump, bounce and flail like something you'd see on a late-night exercise-video infomercial. But hey, give them credit — they were moving up there, and their choreography was as tight as their vocals. And pairing them with those female dancers not only makes the whole thing seem a lot less light in the loafers, it also gives the handful of guys in the audience something to watch.

The third thing you noticed: They could do no wrong with fans. Nearly every song was greeted with an ear-piercing ovation and accompanied by a singalong from the crowd, who spent most of the night on their high-heeled feet. A few lucky ladies even snagged long-stemmed roses tossed out during I'll Never Break Your Heart, and one young tot ended up onstage to help sing Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) and got a hug for her performance.

The fourth thing you noticed: The Boys didn't take their audience for granted. Each of them repeatedly thanked and praised fans for supporting them for 17 years, and one of them — I think it was Howie — asked: "Do you think we can get 17 more years?" Judging by the reaction, they can.

Justin should be so lucky.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/entertainment/music/2010/08/12/14997681.html

kimasabe

08-12-2010, 03:25 PM

Published Thursday August 12th, 2010

The Backstreet Boys soldier on ......

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=558868&size=0x400

Before the Jonas Brothers, before Justin Bieber, even before Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - all the way back to the days when the Simpsons were still relevant, reality TV was practically unheard of, and CDs were still selling-there was a boy band that rocked the world.

That band was ... New Kids on the Block - but hey, The Backstreet Boys were pretty huge, too.
And by god, they're back again.

Now minus one Boy (Kevin Richardson, goatee guy), the pop quartet of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and (eee!) Nick Carter are set for a cross-Canada tour that hits Saint John's Harbour Station August 19.

Littrell - now married and with a healthy Christian contemporary music career on the side - said he'll be doing this until he is a Backstreet Old Man.

"We're in a better place in our lives today than we were 10 years ago; we see eye to eye. I see another 17 years to come: new songs, new records, new memories," he said.

Formed in 1993, the Backstreet Boys were one of the first and biggest boy bands to dominate the airwaves - and the hearts of starry-eyed tweenaged girls. Smash singles like We've Got It Goin' On, Everybody, and Quit Playin' Games With My Heart fuelled album sales that eventually reached the 130 million mark.

Every shooting star eventually crashes; the Backstreet Boys were slowly torn asunder by the usual problems: addictions, rehab, waning sales, solo careers, falling-outs and, uh ... well, one of them got pretty fat for awhile there.

It took a surprise reunion on Oprah to finally get the guys back together and speaking again - and though they may never hit the same heights as they did in the 90s, Littrell said the tough life lessons have made them stronger and better than ever before.

"My philosophy is: when you get to the top you have to look over the side to where you're falling down. You have to land like a tiny little butterfly with sore feet," he said.

As analogies go, that's pretty weak. Good thing someone else wrote most of their songs. At least they still look good in tight jeans.Before the Jonas Brothers, before Justin Bieber, even before Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - all the way back to the days when the Simpsons were still relevant, reality TV was practically unheard of, and CDs were still selling - there was a boy band that rocked the world.

That band was ... New Kids on the Block - but hey, The Backstreet Boys were pretty huge, too.
And by god, they're back again.

Now minus one Boy (Kevin Richardson, goatee guy), the pop quartet of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and (eee!) Nick Carter are set for a cross-Canada tour that hits Saint John's Harbour Station August 19.

Littrell - now married and with a healthy Christian contemporary music career on the side - said he'll be doing this until he is a Backstreet Old Man.

"We're in a better place in our lives today than we were 10 years ago; we see eye to eye.
"I see another 17 years to come: new songs, new records, new memories," he said.

Formed in 1993, the Backstreet Boys were one of the first and biggest boy bands to dominate the airwaves - and the hearts of starry-eyed tweenaged girls. Smash singles like We've Got It Goin' On, Everybody, and Quit Playin' Games With My Heart fuelled album sales that eventually reached the 130 million mark.

Every shooting star eventually crashes; the Backstreet Boys were slowly torn asunder by the usual problems: addictions, rehab, waning sales, solo careers, falling-outs and, uh ... well, one of them got pretty fat for awhile there.

It took a surprise reunion on Oprah to finally get the guys back together and speaking again - and though they may never hit the same heights as they did in the 90s, Littrell said the tough life lessons have made them stronger and better than ever before.

"My philosophy is: when you get to the top you have to look over the side to where you're falling down. You have to land like a tiny little butterfly with sore feet," he said.

As analogies go, that's pretty weak. Good thing someone else wrote most of their songs. At least they still look good in tight jeans.

http://herenb.canadaeast.com/music/article/1172625

misha17

08-12-2010, 08:34 PM

Short Brian intv - but so good they printed it twice, lol
;) :p

From HereNB/CanadaEast, posted Aug 12

http://herenb.canadaeast.com/rss/article/1172625

Boys to men
Published Thursday August 12th, 2010

Before the Jonas Brothers, before Justin Bieber, even before Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - all the way back to the days when the Simpsons were still relevant, reality TV was practically unheard of, and CDs were still selling-there was a boy band that rocked the world.

That band was ... New Kids on the Block - but hey, The Backstreet Boys were pretty huge, too.

And by god, they're back again.

Now minus one Boy (Kevin Richardson, goatee guy), the pop quartet of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and (eee!) Nick Carter are set for a cross-Canada tour that hits Saint John's Harbour Station August 19.

Littrell - now married and with a healthy Christian contemporary music career on the side - said he'll be doing this until he is a Backstreet Old Man.

"We're in a better place in our lives today than we were 10 years ago; we see eye to eye. I see another 17 years to come: new songs, new records, new memories," he said.

Formed in 1993, the Backstreet Boys were one of the first and biggest boy bands to dominate the airwaves - and the hearts of starry-eyed tweenaged girls. Smash singles like We've Got It Goin' On, Everybody, and Quit Playin' Games With My Heart fuelled album sales that eventually reached the 130 million mark.

Every shooting star eventually crashes; the Backstreet Boys were slowly torn asunder by the usual problems: addictions, rehab, waning sales, solo careers, falling-outs and, uh ... well, one of them got pretty fat for awhile there.

It took a surprise reunion on Oprah to finally get the guys back together and speaking again - and though they may never hit the same heights as they did in the 90s, Littrell said the tough life lessons have made them stronger and better than ever before.

"My philosophy is: when you get to the top you have to look over the side to where you're falling down. You have to land like a tiny little butterfly with sore feet," he said.

As analogies go, that's pretty weak. Good thing someone else wrote most of their songs. At least they still look good in tight jeans.

lonely_tear89

08-13-2010, 01:04 AM

Leaving the '90s behind: Moving beyond the Backstreet Boys | Review

Third grade wasn’t over for me until last Thursday.

Sure, I had moved on to fourth, learning long division and other vital life skills, and had even made it to college. But my heart wasn’t in it. Someone was playing games with it, and I didn’t really want them to quit.

A few days before the concert, my mom recommended I go see the Backstreet Boys at the Kent ShoWare Center. Like any good mother of a ’90s child, she knew my dream of hearing Brian Littrel sing “As Long As You Love Me” directly to me hadn’t ever died, but rather grown stronger with age. The tickets for the waning boy band’s “This is Us” tour, which they were “practically giving away,” just fit into my meager intern’s budget, a feat for the summer. No one would stop me seeing Brian’s shining, frosted hair in person. No one.

Like me, as soon as they found out BSB was coming to Kent, two of my friends jumped at the chance to go. “Should we make T-shirts?” one asked. We didn’t, but only because we didn’t have time to craft a design worthy of the reinvigorated heartthrobs on such short notice.

Clusters of girls around our age thronged the restaurants at Kent Station a few hours before the show. Moving from Duke’s 40-minute wait to The Ram’s hour, and, finally, to a small sushi joint, we identified each group of patrons as “BSB” or “Irrelevant.”

The girls we saw wore heels and sequined skirts, fake tans and too much eyeliner. I was surprised, though I had no reason to be. I had taken an hour out of my day to get ready for the show, and I was probably wearing too much eyeliner.

Were we really the crowd who once nestled next to Nick Carter’s face on our Backstreet Boys brand pillowcases? Who kept furtive lists of elementary school crushes in Millennium spiral notebooks? What had happened in the years since we started watching PG-13 movies and the Backstreet Boys stopped making hits?

Naturally, the first song after their absence, lit up on-screen in bright, jarring letters, was “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).” The women of my generation, well represented in the crowd, collectively squealed. And the words came to us.

I glanced across to my best friend since first grade, who I had shared many an after-school dance party with, sketching out new choreography to boy band numbers, and a newer best friend, clearly far more loyal a fan, if her precise knowledge of every line in each song told me anything. We sang along as we once did, but we weren’t kids anymore. We had grown out of not only the Backstreet Boys, but childhood as well.

It was difficult to come to terms. Graduating from high school and moving away to college should have inured me to my own adultness already. Yet these milestones lacked the prowess of the wistful string of Top-40 songs I internalized at the concert. They hit all at once, and as my childhood passed by, I wondered why it had taken so long to feel it.

Because, after all, I should have known from the start.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/aub/entertainment/100488214.html

lonely_tear89

08-17-2010, 01:08 AM

Review: Backstreet Boys never fail their fans

Boy band excites 11,500 screaming fans at Bell Centre
MONTREAL - If the popularity of a group can be measured by the decibel levels of its screaming fans, Backstreet Boys are as big as they ever were.

The grown-up boy-band took the stage before an audience of 11,500 female fans, from teenagers to 30-somethings, Monday night at the Bell Centre.

The broad demographic reflected the band's uncanny ability to hold onto their old fans while reeling in new ones - not bad for a bunch of adult men reliving the pop-star days of their youth.

Brian Littrell's Habs-jersey sporting, 6-year-old son Baylee came out first, presumably introducing his dad's band, although his words were unintelligible above the ear-piercing shrieks.

It's been two years since their last visit to the same venue, where they performed to a crowd almost exactly the same size. This time the Boys were back in town to promote their seventh album, This Is Us, released last year.

But it was 1997 all over again as the night began with old favourite Everybody (Backstreet's Back). A sea of cellphone cameras went up to greet the elder Littrell and bandmates Howie Dorough, Nick Carter and A.J. McLean, who appeared at the top of a two-sided staircase. They descended in tandem and proceeded to bust out their old moves over the frozen-in-time synth-funk backtrack (beefed up by a live drummer).

The clock turned back even farther with 1995's We've Got It Goin' On, featuring four female dancers and kaleidoscopic images flashing on the big screen behind them.

They finally broke out a new song with PDA, which had a more contemporary R&B feel. But it wasn't long before they were digging into the back catalogue again.

Ballads Quit Playing Games With My Heart, Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely, All I Have to Give and I'll Never Break Your Heart (dedicated to "all the sexy ladies in the house tonight") earned enthusiastic singalongs.

Shape of My Heart had the entire audience belting out the chorus, arms waving back and forth in time to the beat while the band led the charge in four-part harmony.

Between-song video segments had individual band-members cast in hit films. Carter was plopped into the Matrix, Dorough faced off against Vin Diesel in the Fast and the Furious and their bandmates earned parts in Fight Club and Enchanted. While the references might have been lost on the band's younger fans, they were probably bang-on for most.

Not much changes with Backstreet Boys, and that's the way their fans like it. It takes very little to make everyone very happy. A few well-timed twists, clenched fists, synchronized spins and impassioned stares and you're on your way.

Larger Than Life had them executing a basic choreography around a row of big red blocks, while Undone needed only a simple shuffle step as the four lined the front of the stage. Power-ballad Incomplete was strong enough to shine on its own merits, the Boys delivering their parts from different ends of the stage, passing the melody around as they led the fans in song.

Just when you thought it was going to be one big slow jam, they returned with the charged dance-pop of Larger Than Life, All Of Your Life and Bye Bye Love. It all wrapped up in the encore with trademark hits I Want It That Way and Straight Through My Heart.

The only complaint a diehard fan might have had is that the Boys' images weren't projected on the big screen - perhaps so that fans couldn't see their wrinkles - preventing an important bonding element.

But judging by the crowd's already over-the-top reaction, perhaps it was better that way.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Review+Backstreet+Boys+never+fail+their+fans/3406543/story.html

misha17

08-17-2010, 09:20 AM

Brian intv, Aug 17 Halifax Chronicle-Herald

The Boys are back in town
Backstreet Boys defy the past and embrace the future with This is Us tour

BACKSTREET’S back in Halifax for a concert at the Metro Centre on Wednesday. But don’t expect a mere greatest hits show.

Brian Littrell says he and his fellow Backstreet Boys — Nick Carter, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough — don’t rely on their past catalogue.

"We want to create new memories," says Littrell by phone from his home in Atlanta, Ga., his voice rich with his Southern drawl.

"I love Quit Playing Games and I love Backstreet’s Back and I love I’ll Never Break Your Heart and I Want it That Way, the list goes on and on, but there needs to be something new, something that’s continuing to inspire fans to want to grow with us. I don’t want people to grow away from us, I want them to grow back to us."

The 24-song set will span all the iconic dance-pop group’s tunes from its greatest hits CD and eight songs off its latest album, This Is Us, released in September 2009.

"I’m a competitor, I like to defeat the odds and prove people wrong," muses Littrell, at 35 the second-oldest band member. Dorough is 36, McLean is 32 and Carter is 30.

"Being a Backstreet Boy for longer than 17 years, everyone in the world was calling us a boy band and boy bands don’t exist for very long. They put out two, maybe three records if they’re lucky. They have three or four years to capitalize on their success and they break up and move on.

...

( read more ) (http://thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1197228.html)

LD thread:
Brian interview - "Backstreet Boys are never going to stop"

http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?14295-Brian-interview-quot-Backstreet-Boys-are-never-going-to-stop-quot
(The article is posted in its entirety in the thread)

misha17

08-17-2010, 09:25 AM

This blogger interview AJ and Brian on separate days.

*****

* AJ intv, posted Aug 13th
Backstreet Boys' AJ Mclean in Toronto
http://mrwillw.blogspot.com/2010/08/backstreet-boys-aj-mclean-in-toronto.html

If this were ten years ago, the situation would have played out much differently and I just might not have made it out alive from the hoard of violent screaming girls. Backstreet Boys, or four out of its five original members since 2007, are back in town and they are slated to play a show at Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto this Saturday. It's seems though that being one if the biggest selling Boy Bands (130 million worldwide) in history in itself has become a side project as its members have begun focusing on projects of their own.

A.J. McLean, or as he prefers to be called now Alex, was seen around Yorkville last night with an Entourage which included his girlfriend Rochelle Karidis ... Toronto's own Dallas Green (City and Colour) also met up with the group for a bit.

One of his bandmates Nick Carter is promoting his directorial debut The Pendant with a screening at The Royal tonight, and it might be assumed we can expect at least some of Backstreet Boys in attendance? The film is 15 minutes long, followed by a Meet-and-Greet for paying fans.

When asked about what he has down-the-pipe, McLean told us, between puffs of his Cigarette, that he is working on new material with a group named Death of Adam, which he could describe as "like Black Eyed Peas... but much raunchier". He indicated we can expect to hear its debut single January. But why a dark name like Death of Adam, you ask? "I can't really explain out of courtesy to the Ladies here". Intriguing enough. But not quite as intriguing as his intricately painted fingernails.

Maclean was all accommodating, greeting a small group of eight fans, myself included and took time to pose for pictures. He signed and personalized my copy of the band's The Hits-Chapter One, which is definitely an honour. Love them or not, Backstreet Boys will hold a place as one of the most important acts in Pop Music history. And above that, he's always been my favourite one. Other than that cutie Brian Littrell, of course!

Backstreet Boys are touring in support of their eighth studio album This Is Us, released last

LD discussion thread:
AJ intv w/comments about his new band (w/pics of AJ)
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?14052-AJ-intv-w-comments-about-his-new-band-(w-pics-of-AJ)

******

* Brian intv, credit to nickscdngirl for the link

http://mrwillw.blogspot.com/2010/08/backstreey-boy-brian-littrell-and.html

Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and Family out in Toronto's Yorkville
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell (aka one of my top two favourites) was seen with his wife Leighanne and adorable son Bailey out and about in Yorkville tonight, heading out for a late dinner at Café MoRoCo. Littrell, in town for a concert at Molson Amphitheatre tonight with his band mates has been in-town since Thursday night and made some time today to do a bit of Golfing.

He Tweeted to his fans that he was enjoying S'mores, challenging fans to find him. This alarmed a slew of fans to arrive at the restaurant's doorstep. Upon leaving Café MoRoCo with bags filled with their specialty Macarons and Truffles, his Security Guard ushered fans back to his Hotel where they were lined up and took photos with Littrell one-by-one. Generosity incarnate. And he looked thrilled actually to be greeting his fans.

Leighanne appeared fatigued, heading back to their Room first, although their son Bailey was all smiles at the Hotel's entrance, playing with a Sobieski Vodka Keychain Light (the same ones handed out at last night's Bruce Willis party), shining it on fans waiting on his famous Daddy.

Littrell has stirred up quite a bit of controversy of late, having built a solo career as a Christian artist. Earlier this year, Backstreet Boys appeared as the Grand Marshals of the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, which led to his music ridiculously being pulled from Christian Radio Stations. In addition, any products relating to him being removed from Christian-themed stores. Hey - what ever happened to "love thy neighbour"? Get with the times, people!

LD discussion thread:
newsarticle : Backstreet Boys Brian Littrell Out in Yorkville with Family
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?14189-newsarticle-Backstreet-Boys-Brian-Littrell-Out-in-Yorkville-with-Family

misha17

08-17-2010, 12:17 PM

review of Montreal concert, w/pics

http://www.livenloudmagazine.com/magazine.php?id=1063

Backstreet's Back Alright!
17.08.10 Photos Updates by Claudia Matteau

You definitely had to be at the corner of De la Gauchetiere and Drummond street in Montreal last night to understand that... The Backstreet Boys were in town. "In town" as in "the town that gave them the success". In fact, it all started in our province for them, and today, still the city where they sold-out 15 000 seats arenas.

From one side of the street, a group of girls were signing out loud the lyrics from "Get Down" and on the other side, tons of tickets resaler trying to make their best deal of the summer with 300$ a ticket. For the first few rows seats, you had to give out a little more of your pocket.

I personally thought the Backstreet Boys was a girl thing... but guys wearing "BSB"'s shirt were all over the place. That was quite impressing.

I admit I got a little excited to know I was going to photograph the Backstreet Boys, remembering the many nights I starred at the television screen watching the video for "We've Got It Going On" at my parent's basement at the age of 13.

Last night was just a really huge flashback from the highschool days, and to hear what the fans had to say about, I concluded it was all about the same reason: they loved the Backstreet Boys and they are here to find back the feeling they had when they were younger.

Everybody (Backstreet's Back) started the night at the Bell Centre, followed by "We've ot it Going on". Probably 2 of the greatest success of the band. Then came the "I'll never break your heart" as well as "Quit Playing Game". I know you know what I'm talking about!

On my way back home, I heard girls talking about the Backstreet Boys in the bus until almost the other side of the city!

Crazy, but what a feeling!

Link to gallery, 30 Photos:
http://livenloudmagazine.com/photos.php?groupe=687&album=1036&letter=

misha17

08-18-2010, 01:15 PM

intv from the Red Carpet of the (Aug 6) Vancouver after party:

A (text) interview from the after party:

http://www.urban-vibe.ca/people-story/boys-will-be-boys/

Wednesday - Aug. 18, 2010
Boys Will Be Boys!

Exclusive Encounter with the Backstreet Boys
The line up for the official Backstreet Boys after party was a blur. The night was heavy with anticipation. Catchy beats resonated from within the club, but the only thing that stood out from that line up was one question: “When will they be here?”

At 11:30pm sharp, a sleek black Escalade pulled up and came to a screeching halt in front of Boss Nightclub on Richards St. The murmur of 600 something fans exploded into deafening shrieks as three figures emerged. Nobody cared that Nick Carter has wrinkled, that A.J. McLean grew a belly and that Howie Dorough has aged with a chubbier face. Nobody cared that their superstars were almost unrecognizable in their plain T-shirts, jeans and shorts. Nobody cared that the fourth Backstreet Boys, Brian Litrell, was not in sight. Loyal fans screamed out their love and sang hits like “I Want it That Way” as they pushed against the velvet ropes.

Somewhat shyly, the down-to-earth trio made their way down the red carpet. With cameras, voice recorder and iPads in hand, Urban Vibe was ready to welcome their guests. Though now in their mid-30’s and should be more appropriately called the “Backstreet Gentlemen”, the Backstreet Boys were still engaging with youthful humor and energy.

Nick: Oh wow, iPads?
A.J.: You’ve got the iPad now, don’t you?
Urban Vibe: Yes. Have you played with it before?
A.J.: I did. I have one, and it’s sitting on my bus, yes.

Urban Vibe: So Backstreet Boys, welcome to Vancouver. We are reporting from Urban Vibe. This is our newspaper – it’s new, it’s small and it’s close to the people of Vancouver. We are a free, full-colored weekly that concentrates on local news and the heartwarming stories of our 2.3 million Vancouver population.
The boys: Nice!

Urban Vibe: Congratulations on your great performance tonight. Did you guys enjoy it?
A.J.: Absolutely, awesome crowd.
Nick: We had a lot of fun!

Urban Vibe: So what do you think of Vancouver?
Howie: It’s beautiful here, the weather’s great.
Nick: I like the people, it’s a very nice place –
A.J.: It’s a little bit like Canada and LA to me.
Howie: (Stares at AJ) It is Canada.
- The Boys burst into laughter -
A.J.: I said it’s a bit of Canada and LA mixed together!
Urban Vibe: Well I guess Vancouver is a lot like LA, both lie along the West coast.
A.J.: Exactly! I like palm trees, beaches… I mean, it’s beautiful here.

Urban Vibe: Allow me to say, you boys are like wine. Anyone know why?
A Fan: You guys are intoxicating!
- The Boys burst into laughter -
Howie: Ha-ha. I was going to say we look better as we age.
Urban Vibe: And how do you keep looking so young? What is your secret?
A.J.: Plastic surgery.
Howie: Botox.
A.J.: Having a fun life.
Urban Vibe: You can’t be serious.
- The Boys burst into laughter -
Nick: No, no, you know we have got it all natural.
A.J.: Yes, yes, au naturel.

Urban Vibe: Ok, every girl wants to know, are you guys single?
A.J.: I am getting married next year, and he is married.
Howie: I am married.
A.J.: And he’s seeing someone.
Nick: I got a girl friend.
A.J.: So no, no – and no. Sorry!

Urban Vibe: Do you think we have pretty girls in Vancouver?
The Boys: Yeah, definitely. (looks at the crowd) Oh yes.
Howie: And if I weren’t married I’d say you’re one of them. (chuckles)

Urban Vibe: What do you look for in a woman?
Nick: She needs to play golf –
Howie: She needs to be… (evil chuckle)
A.J.: Dark hair, tattoos, does make up – like my finance!

Urban Vibe: A lot of your fans grew up listening to you. 17 years in this industry is a long time. How do you guys keep the group so tight?
- Pause -
Howie: Communication…
A.J.: Communication.
Nick: And yeah… we all love what we do.
A.J.: It’s like any good relationships, you’ve got to keep things honest and work together as a team.

Urban Vibe: Do you have cute little hidden habits that you want to share with your fans?
The Boys: Ah… well…
A.J.: I don’t know if they are cute. I twirl and stretch on my clothes when I am nervous. I always do this, it looks very dumb. (demonstrates)
Nick + Howie: That is cute.
A.J.: I do it all the time… I guess I am nervous all the time!

Urban Vibe: Thank you for your time, you guys have been great. Enjoy the rest of the night!

lonely_tear89

08-19-2010, 08:04 AM

Backstreet Boys back again for Cleveland show
CLEVELAND -- Time to break back out the giant Brian Littrell button and the "I love Nick Carter" T-shirt.
On Aug. 27, former teen heartthrobs The Backstreet Boys will perform at the Nautica Pavilion in Cleveland.

The band, formed in Orlando, Fla., in 1993, originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. In 2006, Richardson left the group to pursue other interests. The band continued as a four-piece.

McLean said finding a replacement was never even considered.

"We always said that if someone left the group, there was no one else that could replace him," McLean said. "We are the Backstreet Boys. If we lost one more, then we'd continue with just three. None of us can be replaced."

Life has never exactly been "normal," but McLean said he hasn't minded.

"I never got to go to high school because we were on the road constantly, but I got to experience things that a lot of other students didn't," he said. "I was seeing a lot of the things I was learning about, like Shakespeare's house in London."

Their families also do their best to accommodate the band.

"It helps to keep our spirits up when we have family on the road with us," McLean said. "Brian's wife is with us for this whole tour, my fiance was just out. Nick's got a girlfriend who comes out. There is life outside of the Backstreet Boys -- or else you'd go cuckoo."

Despite all the changes, their passion for music hasn't gone anywhere.

In September, the boys plan to head into the studio to work on their next album.

"Right now, we're talking about who we want to work with as far as writers go," McLean said.

In the meantime, touring is where it's at.

"Fans are going to hear about 75 percent of our Greatest Hits album and about three-fourths of our newest album," McLean said of "This is Us," released last year. "For a lot of the old songs, we'll put a twist on them so people aren't hearing the same old boring thing."
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100819/ENTERTAINMENT/8190329

lonely_tear89

08-20-2010, 05:13 AM

Backstreet is back, all right!

SAINT JOHN - When Kevin Richardson, known to many fans as the tall, dark and quiet Backstreet Boy, pulled 14-year old Katie Killen on stage in 2001, she was ecstatic.
Killen won wristbands in a phone-in contest to see the Backstreet Boys speak and perform at the MuchMusic headquarters in Toronto. One month before their appearance, she set to work on an outfit to ensure she wouldn't be "just another face in the crowd."

For weeks, Killen worked on her outfit and appeared on the MuchMusic telecast in full Backstreet Boys regalia; pants, a shirt, a jacket and a hat plastered with the five faces of the boy band.

"I remember it just being surreal. I'd watched so many Backstreet Boys fans getting to meet the Backstreet Boys and all this that I expected to burst into tears or something. I was really just so excited and couldn't believe it was happening," she recalled.

Now, almost 10 years later, Killen, 24, got her second shot at seeing the pop powerhouses live.

Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A.J. MacLean and Howie Dorough took the Harbour Station stage on Thursday night in their first-ever Saint John appearance. Richardson left the band in 2006 to pursue other interests.

In preparation for their show, Killen made another Backstreet-themed outfit, this time a simple cotton dressed covered in the Boys faces, their smiles sealed in with packing tape.

The original outfit from 2001 will not be making an appearance at the show, but Killen still has it.

"My mom said 'Oh, it would be so funny if you wore that outfit again' and I actually did wear that outfit as a Halloween costume a couple years ago. I decided to go as a Backstreet Boys fan," she said, adding that the costume is now in Prince Edward Island where Killen lives the rest of the year.

"The solution that we came up with was that I could make another outfit. So I went to the basement and dug out all my Backstreet Boys pictures last night (Wednesday), which I, of course, have not had the heart to dispose of."

Killen said the dress was much easier to make than the full boy band garb and undeniably less warm.

Though the Backstreet Boys aren't at the top of Killen's playlist these days, she said she still enjoys their music when it comes on.

She made last night's concert a family affair with her mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and a few cousins.

When she first heard the band would be making an appearance in the Port City, the first emotion to register was shock.

"I couldn't actually believe they were making the trip all the way to the eastest of the east coast," she said. "I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to make it to the concert, but when it came down to it, it was too hard to pass it up," she said.

"Backstreet Boys finally in my hometown, 10 years after the big event, it was pretty much meant to be."

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/1183639

misha17

08-20-2010, 06:19 PM

Review, with pics, of the June12th Atlantic City concert. The review is good/favorable, but the photos look like they were taken with a cellphone camera:

Concert Review: Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" Tour
Jun 15, 2010 Kristen Scatton

On June 12, it may have been 2010 outside the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, but inside the Taj's Mark G. Etess Arena, the crowd of 5,000 people at the Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" tour were partying like it was 1999, singing (or rather, screaming) along as the group performed its biggest hit, "I Want It That Way."

While musical acts such as Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus may currently be the biggest draws in pop music, the Backstreet Boys proved that they've still got the sound and the moves to entertain, and induce hysteria in the process. Seventeen years after the group formed in Orlando, Fla., the Boys - Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Howie Dorough (fifth member Kevin Richardson amicably left the group in 2006) - held the audience in their thrall for nearly two hours as they performed their biggest hits and latest material, with a few surprises thrown in.

"This Is Us" Tour Takes Fans on a Trip Down Memory Lane
After being introduced by Littrell's 7-year-old son Baylee (showing South Jersey pride by donning a Phillies baseball cap), the Backstreet Boys kicked off the show with arguably their second biggest hit, "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" from their 1997 debut album.

While the familiar choreography from the song's haunted house-themed music video was absent, the group's enthusiasm for performing was not as they high-fived front row audience members and gave shout-outs to all the "Jersey ladies" in the audience. They kept the crowd on its feet with another oldie-but-goodie, "We've Got It Goin' On," the group's first single from 1995, followed by new song "PDA" from This Is Us, at which point the group was joined by four female back-up dancers who appeared onstage throughout the concert.

Following a brief exit from the stage, Littrell reappeared to welcome the audience and thank them for coming as McLean snapped photos of the audience for the band's web site. The trip down memory lane continued with renditions of "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," "As Long as You Love Me," and "All I Have to Give," with a segue into Spandau Ballet's "True" thrown in for good measure.

...

( read more ) (http://modern-pop-music.suite101.com/article.cfm/concert-review-backstreet-boys-this-is-us-tour)

In the end, This Is Us is an appropriate title for both this tour, as it showcases exactly what the Backstreet Boys are - a band with a long history, immense talent, and loyal fans who are always willing to sing along.

misha17

08-23-2010, 01:32 PM

article, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug 23

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10235/1081721-388.stm

Backstreet Boys are all grown up now
Music preview
Monday, August 23, 2010
By Sara Bauknecht, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Before there was Bieber, there was Backstreet.

The pop group that skyrocketed to stardom more than a decade ago during the heyday of boy bands with hits such as "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" and "I Want It That Way" is bringing its "This Is Us" tour to the Trib Amphitheater on Wednesday.

The show will mark the Backstreet Boys' return to Pittsburgh for the first time in five years -- and the first time without eldest member Kevin Richardson, who left the group in 2006 to start a family. He is married and has a 3-year-old son.

Current group members Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough also are married and have sons. But they, along with band mates Nick Carter and AJ McLean, -- all now in their 30s -- haven't let manhood take them away from being Backstreet Boys. The foursome is on the road promoting its seventh studio album, which bears the same name as the tour and hit stores last fall.

"This record here, we reached back into what made us who we are -- that's great pop melodies, great harmonies -- and made it current and relevant," Mr. Dorough said in a press release.

The album's attempt to be current and relevant is reflected in the Euro-dance beats of "Straight Through My Heart," the record's first single, and collaborations with producers behind some of Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson's hits.

"We really wanted to push the envelope with this record," Mr. Dorough said. "We wanted to reach out to some writers that people wouldn't have expected us to reach out to."

Despite its efforts to make "This Is Us" more mature and less bubblegum, BSB did not abandon its pop and R&B roots.

"We made a conscious effort to go back to being ourselves," Mr. Littrell said in a release. "It's important for the fans to remember what was, but it's also important for them to know where we're headed."

The tour is a similar blend of old and new. Fans who have followed the group since its inception more than 15 years ago will think they've stepped back into the '90s when the group performs renditions of BSB classics such as the ballad "All I Have to Give" from the debut album or "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," which could arguably be called the group's anthem. Newer material, brief talks from the boys and film clips starring the band will be sprinkled throughout the show.

Unlike the concerts of the band's "Into the Millennium" tour days, which featured lots of high-energy dance routines, dazzling pyrotechnics and the boys soaring through the air on surfboards, the "This Is Us" tour is more mellow, with less dancing and fewer stunts. The scaled-back structure aims to allow the band to focus more on the vocals that helped it sell more than 76 million albums worldwide and outlive other boy bands from its era.

misha17

08-23-2010, 01:35 PM

Photo review/summary of the Baltimore MixFest show, Baltimore Sun blogsite.

The '90s were alive at MixFest (aka Why Backstreet Boys made my night)

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/blog/2010/08/the_90s_were_alive_at_mixfest.html

misha17

08-25-2010, 12:08 PM

Nick intv, NorthJersey.com. I can't view the page, maybe it has video on it?

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter checks in ahead of their New York show
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/101448509_Backstreet_Boys_sound__17_years_in__is_e volving_.html

kimasabe

08-25-2010, 12:25 PM

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/101448509_Backstreet_Boys_sound__17_years_in__is_e volving_.html

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter checks in ahead of their New York show

WHO: Backstreet Boys.
WHAT: Pop.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday.
WHERE: Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St., Manhattan. 212-279-7740 or ticketmaster.com
.
HOW MUCH: $52.50, $62.50 and $72.50.
FOR MORE INFO: www.backstreetboys.com (http://www.backstreetboys.com)

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks – and maybe you shouldn't. With a return to the sound that shot them to success, Backstreet's back. But word is they never really left.
The Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" tour hits New York City on Thursday, and while the tracks and the collaborations are new, the feel is vintage – with a kick. A quartet since the departure of Kevin Richardson in 2006, they released their seventh album, "This Is Us," last October, and, according to Nick Carter, there's no chance they're stopping anytime soon.

"This is who the group is now," says Carter by phone before hitting the stage at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. "It was a little weird in the beginning, but it is comfortable now. We love him, but you know, we can't change his mind, but we all still hang out with him. … It's cool."

While it's been 17 years since the band's beginnings – Carter was 13 at the time, truly a Backstreet "Boy" – and the name may no longer fit industry veterans Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean (two of whom are fathers), they have a bond that hasn't changed, along with a love of the music they write and perform.

"It's definitely family out here," says Carter, whose favorite BSB songs are "Shape of My Heart," "Siberia" and "I Want It That Way." "We have a family vibe with each other, and getting onstage and performing Backstreet Boys music is definitely great. It's such good music, [our fans] never get tired of it, so we don't either.

"We feel that we're really good at what we do and we're really strong, stronger than ever as a group," he adds.

That explains why, despite the ever-evolving music industry, the Backstreet Boys are back in the groove and feeling more comfortable than ever – something they don't take for granted. Carter even gets defiant when it comes to the way the industry looks at them now. "The radio isn't playing our music as much, but that's, like, whatever; we go on tour and our fans come to see us," Carter says. "Even if the industry has been trying to shut us down, we've found ways and outlets to put our music out there. We've always created good music, but I feel like … once [the industry is] over something or don't want to hear it anymore, they don't want to put it out. We're a little more conservative in the States, with not as much promotion as other countries in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and all Asia. The entire rest of the world is cool with us, but it is what it is.
"We're the Backstreet Boys – not the coolest thing in the world, but we don't care," he says. "It's unfortunate we have a stamp on us, almost like a tattoo on us that doesn't reflect who we are or what our music is."

Their music, of course, has had to progress, but the boys haven't deviated from the feel-good pop sound they're known for. "Our sound has to evolve, which is perfectly fine, but we also have to stay within our realm as well, do what we do best and not go too far, which is why I think fans trust us," says Carter. "Our shows and our music are dependable, and we're kind of pretty good. Our fans know that when they go to Backstreet Boys, [the group will] perform their ass off."

They're working on another album in September that should be ready by next year, according to Carter, who is also busy recording a follow-up to his 2002 solo album, "Now orNever," as well as giving the actor/director/writer hats a try with a short film called "The Pendant."
"It's a gory horror movie, a psychological thriller," says Carter of the 15-minute film. "It's my first little initiation into the acting world from behind the scenes."

Even as he continues to pursue a film career (he's already working on another script), Carter and the "boys" are, as he says, "always writing, and when we're done, we submit [the songs] to each other and record that, or other people's songs as well. We take control of what we want to do."
Utilizing their collective creativity is something the band most likely never imagined they'd be able to do, but then again, their longevity is something they never saw coming.

"I don't think anyone ever thought we'd get this far," Carter confesses. "All we cared about was what we did next, looking toward the future and … going forward. We keep trying to outdo ourselves and continue to do what we do, because we love what we stand for."

kimasabe

08-25-2010, 12:27 PM

only seeing article below VVVVVVVVVVVVV

Nick intv, NorthJersey.com. I can't view the page, maybe it has video on it?

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter checks in ahead of their New York show
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/101448509_Backstreet_Boys_sound__17_years_in__is_e volving_.html

misha17

08-25-2010, 06:09 PM

Brian intv, Washington County (PA) Observer-Reporter, Aug 25
*credit to KaosOnline for the link*

Backstreet's back

Dust off those old Backstreet Boys T-shirts from the '90s.
The Boys are back in town and coming to the Trib Total Media Amphitheater at Station Square on Aug. 25 on the "This is Us" tour, with special guests Tino Coury. Get ready to sing along to all the old fan favorites like “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” and “I Want It That Way.”

“You can’t miss this show,” said group member Brian Littrell, 35.

“This show is action packed, lots of fun from start to finish and you’ll hear all the old songs from when you were in second grade, or kindergarten or college, or wherever you were when you were introduced to the Backstreet Boys. There’s going to be a lot of great dancing, high energy and four feature films during the show. It’s a great memory and a great time to go into the past and see the future and where we’re heading as a group.”

It’s hard to believe it’s been about 17 years since the Backstreet Boys first hit the airwaves, invading teenage girls' hearts with their pop music, dancing and good looks. But now those boys, who were only teenagers themselves when the group started, have turned to men and with their age can a natural evolution in their music. Their most recent album, “Unbreakable,” is a take on a more contemporary style of music, and an attempt to distancing themselves from the pop boy band era.
But don’t worry, fans, as Littrell assured me, there will be plenty of old favorites played during the show.

...

( read more ) (http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/hayleystory/08-24-2010-hayley-backstreet-boys)

misha17

08-25-2010, 06:15 PM

Howie intv, AMNewYork.com, Aug 25
*credit to AJsSkulleez on twitter for the link*

Going from Boys to men: Is it the dawn of a new (older) age of Backstreet Boys?
6:47 PM By Christina Doka

http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/going-from-boys-to-men-is-it-the-dawn-of-a-new-older-age-of-backstreet-boys-1.2236953

The Backstreet Boys are back again. And even though they’re in their 30s, they don’t care whether you label them a “boy band,” a “man band” or anything else.

The group, reduced to four of the five original members when Kevin Richardson left in 2006, are traveling around the world on a mega-tour promoting the band’s seventh studio album, “This Is Us.”

Along with the band, the tour will feature four female dancers and a DJ spinning pre-programmed mixes.

amNewYork spoke with 37-year-old “Boy” Howie Dorough.

Do you still consider yourselves a “boy band”? We never put the title on ourselves. We felt we were more what we called a vocal harmony group. … Just put us on the radio; we don’t care what you call us. Just play our music.

How do you make the transition from a “boy band” into a group of seasoned performers? It’s all about the music. You just have to be able to evolve with time and with the music and we’ve been able to do that, thank God.

What advice would you give to today’s younger boy bands? All the looks and the glitz and glamour and cars and all that stuff are just extra icing on the cake, but the cake really has to be about the talent. So I would definitely tell them to wisely craft their music.

Why did the band choose the title “This Is Us”? This is the album that we feel represents the Backstreet Boys. It has the elements of the old, what people have known of us and our biggest hits: the good pop melodies and good lyrics and wholesome, feel-good music. At the same time, [it’s] more modernized.

This is the first time since the “Black & Blue” tour you’ve featured dancers. Why the change? Each album dictates the tour. … [Also] we’re probably seeing, more than ever, a lot more guys at our concerts than in the past, and it gives them a little eye candy.

misha17

08-27-2010, 12:19 PM

(favorable) Review of the (Aug 25) Pittsburgh concert in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Fans welcome back Backstreet Boys
Concert review
Friday, August 27, 2010
By Sara Bauknecht, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For the first time in five years, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean brought Backstreet back to the 'Burgh with the "This Is Us" tour.

The Wednesday evening concert at the Trib Amphitheatre at Station Square marked the first time the band performed here without eldest member Kevin Richardson, who left the group in 2006 to start a family.

The concert's turnout and venue also were much different from those in the early 2000s. Gone are the hordes of screaming teenage girls filling 20,000-plus capacity arenas, such as when the band's singles dominated airwaves and topped the countdown of MTV's now-defunct "Total Request Live." Wednesday's show brought out children, younger adults and senior citizens -- male and female -- to the modest-sized, more simplistic outdoor space, with its folding chairs, asphalt surface and carnival-like food vendors.

Pop singer and Pittsburgh-native Tino Coury opened the show at 7 p.m. with a six-song set. Highlights included the upbeat "Boys Lie" and "Diary," which brought audience members to their feet. He showed off his guitar skills during the slower "Memory."

A lengthy lull followed but fans forgot about the wait and the weather after Mr. Littrell's 7-year-old son, Baylee, took the stage to introduce his father and his band mates, who kicked off the roughly two-hour performance with the classic "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."

More old-school Backstreet tunes followed including "We've Got It Goin' On," "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" and "I'll Never Break Your Heart" from the debut album; "I Want It That Way" from the "Millennium" album; and "The Call" and "Shape of My Heart" from 2000's "Black and Blue." Fans danced and sang along to the older songs, but many sat in silence during the newer ones, from the group's latest album, "This Is Us," which dropped last fall.

Time has treated BSB well. The vocals were strong, and the choreography just as energetic and precise as in past tours. Many songs were colored with hip-hop moves, while ballads often featured more Temptations-style routines with the boys remaining stationary except for some hand gestures or tilts of microphone stands. Four women accompanied the group in some dance numbers.

...

( read more ) (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10239/1082979-388.stm)

misha17

08-27-2010, 03:12 PM

Review of the Pittsburgh concert, Beaver County Times, w/pic:

Thursday August 26, 2010

Backstreet Boys review and Pittsburgh setlist
Beaver County Times

PITTSBURGH — Backstreet Boys were back in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and suddenly 1997 seemed quaint.

Was life really so simple then, that a generation of girls would become smitten by five ballad-belting young men busting cleverly choreographed, PG-rated dance moves?

There are just four Backstreet Boys now — Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Brian Littrell, whose young son, Baylee, was first on stage Wednesday, cutely greeting a few thousand predominantly female fans. Seriously, I haven’t seen the men’s room at a concert so sparsely occupied since 1997, at Lilith Fair.

The Backstreet Boys kicked off their one-hour-50-minute set with their chunkiest, funkiest, hardest-driving tune, 1997’s “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

Joined on stage by a lone instrumentalist — a drummer/DJ — the multi-million-selling Boys-turned-men proved early on they’ve still got solid voices and slick dance moves.

McLean added a slice of hip-hop to the second selection, “We’ve Got It Going On.”

Alas, this was a night dedicated to sugary love ballads. To someone who wasn’t a fan back in the day, those songs sounded dated, but spectators ate it up, singing along on many tunes.

For humorous intent, and to pass time between costume changes, a video screen showed each individual Backstreet Boy inserted into real-life movie scenes. McLean hammed it up alongside Edward Norton in “Fight Club,” Dorough took the pedal to the metal in “The Fast and the Furious,” and Littrell interacted with Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams in “Enchanted.”

...

( read more ) (http://www.timesonline.com/entertainment/entertainment_details/article/1406/2010/august/26/backstreet-boys-back-in-town/print.html?type=98&cHash=a15805ff9f50d94167a126b95cb92d2e)

TTB

08-30-2010, 07:02 AM

Cincinnati Review from 8/28/10:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20100829/ENT03/308290004/

Backstreet Boys are back, if a little dated
By Chris Varias • Enquirer contributor • August 29, 2010

It was boy-band mania, in miniature.

The Backstreet Boys are back, to use their turn-of-phrase. The late-‘90s superstars released a new CD last October called “This is Us,” and since then they have been touring in support of it.

But back isn’t really all-the-way back. Gone are the arenas and the radio hits, at least in this part of the world. The vocal quartet came to PNC Pavilion Saturday night for the final stop on this leg of the tour. It’d be a stretch, but the show could be called a homecoming for Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell.

“Some of you know I grew up a little south of here,” said Littrell, who was born in Lexington, Ky. He acknowledged the presence of his parents in the audience and got in an obligatory University of Kentucky cheer. “Don’t hate me, but go Big Blue.”

The Backstreet Boys came fairly close to filling up the pavilion with a crowd of women ranging in age from teens to grandmas. The ladies sang and screamed as if 2010 were 2000, and the enthusiasm was rewarded with an hour-and-40-minute show that rated highly in essential boy-band categories such as dancing, smiling, hair, costume changes, audience interaction and song selections.

The only musical backing was provided by the prerecorded offerings of a DJ, so all the band could fall back on were their voices and their dance moves, and they were served well by both. The routines usually involved the accompaniment of four female dancers, and between the eight of them, there were enough bodies moving around the stage to keep things interesting.

Littrell and partners Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean took turns singing lead throughout a set that hit upon most of the key tunes in the Backstreet Boys catalog, as well as some lesser-known songs from the latest record. (Original member Kevin Richardson quit the band in 2006 and wasn’t replaced.)

“This is Us” selections included a pair of singles which failed to perform on the U.S. charts but are decent tunes in terms of pop music: “Bigger,” which segued into a snippet of Spandau Ballet’s “True,” and “Straight Through My Heart.” The latter was the last song of the evening, and McLean marked the occasion by coming to the stage dressed in yellow knee-high socks and orange short-shorts.

The best-received performances were of the decade-old hits. A few songs after the show-opening “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” came a medley of “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)”/“As Long As You Love Me,” with Littrell on lead.

Although those up-tempo moments provided a measure of mindless fun, the crowd might have enjoyed the ballads more. “All I Have to Give” was among the favorites. After all, nobody can deny Dorough, master of poetic meter and soulful come-on: “Tell me your problems,” he crooned. “I'll try my best to kiss them all away.”

It was no surprise that the best performance was of the best song of the boy-band era. Take the whole ‘NSync song book – stack “God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You” on top of “Bye Bye Bye” and so on – and it doesn’t measure up to “I Want It That Way.” Unlike some material from that era that hasn’t aged well, it’s a timeless pop song that makes neither a Backstreet Boy nor a Backstreet Man look ridiculous.

TB

misha17

09-02-2010, 10:28 AM

Nick/AJ intv, Montreal Aug16, ControntMagazine.com.

Pics posted Aug 17, intv posted Sept 1st

Some concert pics were posted in this entry:

Backstreet’s Back Alright!
August 17th, 2010 - Written by sophie

The Backstreet Boys took Montreal’s Bell Centre by storm last night, where 11 500 seats were filled by undying fans of the pop sensation that is now in its 17th year of career. Here are a few pictures CONFRONT took during the show. Stay tuned for a lot lot more! In the meantime, keep the Backstreet pride alive!

http://www.confrontmagazine.com/web/2010/08/17/backstreets-back-alright/

******

The interview was posted yesterday, with a few more photos:

Promo Hecticness – An evening with The Backstreet Boys
September 1st, 2010 - Written by Angel

There are certain perks that come with doing what we do here at CONFRONT Magazine: going to see tons of great concerts, meeting high profile people, working in our chosen fields – be it journalism, administration or photography. And once in a while, we are lucky enough to have some of our dreams come true. For me, this has happened twice, the first being on the day of my 29th birthday when I got to interview 30 Seconds to Mars front man, Jared Leto, but that’s a story for another time.

I’m sure you’ll agree with me that incidents of dreams coming true don’t occur on a regular basis. So you can imagine my surprise when our friends at Evenko sent me an e-mail confirming that our interview request with the ultimate boyband, The Backstreet boys, had been approved.

I knew at a really young age that I wanted to be a writer. At first I wanted to be a novelist, an art form I still dabble in in my spare time, but it was when I signed up for the school newspaper as part of my extra-curricular activities, that I quickly fell in love with Journalism and focused on becoming a reporter.

During an exercise in my journalism class in college, we were asked to put together a Q&A package for a celebrity we would like to interview and without having to think too hard, I picked The Backstreet Boys. I don’t remember exactly what it is I had put together, however I do remember thinking that if I ever got to ask them those questions, it would mean that I had made it as an entertainment reporter.

Now not only an entertainment journalist but also the editor of a magazine, you’d expect that I would have taken the news of our approval calmly and with grace, but you’d be wrong. Suddenly, I was 18 years old again and jumping around my living room, dancing to Backstreet’s Back in my head. You can imagine my reaction when we were also granted special access to the band’s interview sessions of that day, being permitted to sit in while Nick, AJ, Brian and Howie did interviews with big television media, so that we could experience what it is the group goes through on a daily basis to promote themselves, their latest album, This Is Us, and their tour.

( read more, w/pics ) (http://www.confrontmagazine.com/web/2010/09/01/promo-hecticness-%e2%80%93-an-evening-with-the-backstreet-boys/)

... MORE live shots from their show in Montreal soon!"

LD discussion thread:
http://www.afterld.com/showthread.php?15626-Nick-AJ-intv-quot-Promo-Hecticness-–-An-evening-with-The-Backstreet-Boys-quot-Sep01-(w-pics)&p=478981#post478981