Howie D. for Sarah CD launch

Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys was in Manila recently to join Sarah Geronimo in promoting “I’ll Be There,” the first single from her latest album Just Me which was produced by Christian de Walden of Hollywood.

Howie recorded a duet with the local Pop Princess for the CD. The song, a new original, is titled “I’ll Be There.” It is a composition by Al Taweel and Pamela Philips-Oland, the same team that did one of the most successful duets in pop music history, “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” by Johnny Mathis and Denice Williams.

Sarah was very excited about Howie’s visit. “I feel so honored that he agreed to come here for the launch of my CD,” says Sarah. “Sikat na sikat kasi sya. He is one of the Backstreet Boys. I used to just listen to them or watch them but now ay ka-duet ko na sya.”

Sarah and Howie are scheduled to shoot the music video of “I’ll Be There.” He joined Sarah in Asap 08. This was followed by a performance at the Music Hall of Mall of Asia where they greeted fans and signed autographs. Howie also appeared in MYX with Sarah as the music channel’s celebrity VJs for October.

Howie D reached worldwide fame as a member of the BSB along with AJ Mclean, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter. They have sold 75 million records worldwide and won multiple awards from Billboard, MTV VMA, American Music and People’s Choice Awards, while also consistently selling out concert venues all over the world.

He is the youngest in a family of five who started performing as a kid in Orlando, Florida. He was 19 years old when he auditioned for a musical group that became the Backstreet Boys.

Howie is best known for his falsetto singing which is easily recognizable in hits like “I Want It That Way,” “Drowning,” “The Answer to Our Life,” “The Perfect Fan” and “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.” He is the lead singer in the songs “Spanish Eyes,” “What Makes You Different Makes You Beautiful,” and “How Did I Fall in Love with You.”

Howie is also an actor who has appeared in commercials, TV series, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Roswell, and feature films like Parenthood, Cop and a Half and others. He also served as music supervisor in one of the latter, the acclaimed independent film Constellation. He has also lent his voice to animated shows like Arthur and Dora the Explorer.

While writing and producing Backstreet Boys projects, Dorough manages other artists. Along with his sister Pollyanna whose debut effort is the Christian crossover album Wings of Hope, his clients include George Nozuka, a Canadian artist with the CD Believe and American Idol Juniors finalist Katelyn Tarver.

Howie has also teamed with his brother John in Sweet D Inc., a real estate development venture whose properties, from six condominiums to their first hotel, the Country Inn & Suites in Cape Canaveral, focus on waterfront property along the east coast of Florida.

He serves as a board member of the Grammy Association’s Florida chapter, where he devotes much time and energy to the Dorough Lupus Foundation, created in memory of his sister Caroline who died of the disease in 1998.

Meanwhile, the release of Just Me is another feather in the cap of popular singing champion, Sarah Geronimo. The CD comes on the heels of the success of the movie A Very Special Love starring Sarah and John Lloyd Cruz, which is one of the year’s biggest box-office hits.

SOURCE: Manila Standard

BACKSTREET BOYS: Backstreet’s back

Former teen-pop group to play MTS Centre

You want it that way? You got it that way.

Former teen-pop sensations the Backstreet Boys are back, and they're bringing their Unbreakable tour to Winnipeg this winter.
The Florida foursome (now comprised of Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean; former fifth member Kevin Richardson dropped out two years ago) play MTS Centre on Nov. 12, as part of a Canadian tour that'll likely be jam-packed with hits like Larger Than Life, I Want It That Way and Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).

Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10 a.m., for $39.50, $55.50 and $75 through Ticketmaster (call 780-3333).

SOURCE: Winnipeg Sun

BACKSTREETBOYS:... Coming

Come on everybody, can't you see, can't you see, one of the biggest boy-bands in history is coming to P.G.

The Backstreet Boys have reformed and they bring their tight vocals and dazzling choreography to CN Centre on Nov. 16.
Backstreet Boys arrived just when pop radio and television was in between boy bands. New Kids On The Block had faded, Boys II Men were also fading and weren't really the same kind of group in the first place, and 'N Sync hadn't come along yet. The time was ripe for Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A. J. McLean and Kevin Richardson to break out, and no group of their ilk has ever done it more powerfully.

Backstreet Boys have sold more than 100 million albums and according to some industry charts are the best selling boy group of all time. They were launched in 1993 and did not cease dominating the airwaves until 2002, when they took a hiatus. Carter released a solo album in that time. The group's quiet was broken in 2005 when they came out with the album Never Gone which did not excite the critics but shot up to platinum at the cash registers.

At the same time Littrell released his solo all-Christian album which, like Carters, also did well on its own merits.

The group shrank to four when, in 2006, Richardson left the band on friendly terms to focus on his new family life. The band responded by sticking together as a quartet and releasing their most recent album Unbreakable which has yielded the singles Helpless When She Smiles and Inconsolable. They go along with past massive hits Shape Of My Heart, I Want It That Way, Larger Than Life, Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and many more.

It is the Unbreakable tour that brings them to Prince George. Ticket sales go public on Saturday at 10 a.m. available at the CN Centre box office and Studio 2880.

Music fans are also reminded that tickets to see country music icon Kenny Rogers in Prince George on Nov. 19 go on sale Friday.

SOURCE: Prince George Citizen

Howie D in town for Sarah CD launch

SOUNDS FAMILIAR By Baby A. Gil
Friday, September 26, 2008

Howie Dorough planed in from Los Angeles very early in the morning of Sept. 23. “There was nobody at the airport,” he recalls. It turns out the PAL flight arrived one hour ahead of schedule. “But it was OK,” he counters, “I didn’t mind. I already liked the place. It reminds me so much of Puerto Rico and we had this great snack on the plane of chicken in rice porridge. It was delicious.”

This is Howie’s third time to visit the Philippines and all those previous ones were with his group, the biggest selling boy band of recent times, The Backstreet Boys (BSB). The first one was during the Asian promo tour for the launch of their first album right before they exploded as a worldwide phenomenon. The others were for concerts, with the most recent one only three years ago.

Howie or Howie D, though is on his own this time around. He is on one of his occasional sabbaticals from the BSB. “I will literally start climbing walls if I do not have anything to do back home.” In Howie’s case, something to do means performing or recording or anything that concerns being a singer or an actor. So in between his stints with the group, he indulges his passion for music with solo efforts or duets with other artists. “This is something I love to do. It is not just a job. I cannot think of doing anything else.”

Howie was born in Florida of an Irish/Scottish/American, father, Hoke Dorough and a Puerto Rican mother, Paula Flores. The Irish and the Scott only come out when he does not shave his beard or when he drinks beer. The Puerto Rican is there all the time and that must be why he is considered the Latin heartthrob of the BSB. He sings most of the ballads and has a gorgeous falsetto which you can hear in Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely and I Want It That Way.

He was already into performing even as a child, most notably in an Orlando production of The Wizard of Oz and as the Little Drummer Boy in the Christmas Belen at Disneyworld in Florida where he grew up. He was a teenager when he and some friends auditioned for a “manufactured” boy group. They say “manufactured” when a band is not like The Beatles, who started together as a band, but are like the Monkees wherein the members were sourced from auditions and then told they were a group.

Howie though had two friends who also made the BSB, AJ McLean and Nick Carter. There were two other guys, but things were not working out well for them as a group. They were replaced by Kevin Richardson, who was discovered through the auditions and then it was Kevin who brought in his cousin, Brian Littrell. That happened way back in 1992 and they have been the Backstreet Boys ever since, with over a hundred million albums sold and with some solo efforts on the side.

And that is why Howie is in town. The Backstreet Boy graciously agreed to do a duet with Sarah Geronimo for her new album Just Me titled I’ll Be There. Produced by Christian de Walden of Hollywood, the new original is a composition by Al Taveel and Pamela Philips-Oland, the same team that did one of the most successful duets in pop music history, Too Much, Too Little, Too Late by Johnny Mathis and Denice Williams.

“I do something like this whenever I have the time,” continues Howie. “I also recorded with the Gospels. So when I was asked to sing with Sarah I said yes.” Howie met Sarah for the first time last Tuesday. They recorded I’ll Be There separately. De Walden did Sarah’s vocals in LA, then he hopped a plane to Florida where Howie did his. The result is now the first single out of Sarah’s album.

“I liked Sarah instantly,” says Howie. “She seems to be very sweet and humble and she did a good job with the song. I am looking forward to working with her.” Work with Sarah means meeting the local media and doing interviews, shooting a music video for I’ll Be There, taping some spots for MYX, performing the song on A.S.A.P. ‘08 on Sunday and then following this up with an appearance at the SM Mall of Asia’s Music Hall.

It seems like a lot of work but not for Howie who just adores performing and helping newer artists like Sarah. Besides, this trip also allows him to give vent to his other passion, traveling. “I didn’t get to see much of the Philippines the times I was here,” says Howie who has always been curious about this country. His mother’s best friend and his godmother is Filipino. “So I might be able to do that this time.”

It is also a honeymoon of sorts for Howie and his bride, the lovely Leigh Boniello. They were married last December but Howie had to tour with the BSB for seven months. They also suffered through the death of his father last June. So Manila, despite some work to do is an overdue vacation. “We are looking forward to enjoying ourselves here,” he says. The prospect that they will looks good.

SOURCE: Philippine Star

Sarah Geronimo meets Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/25/2008 2:55 PM

Popular young singer Sarah Geronimo met one of her idols Howie Dorough of the US boy band Backstreet Boys who arrived in Manila, Tuesday, September 23rd. He is in town to record a music video with her and promote her newest album entitled "Just Me."

In an interview with the two, Geronimo and Dorough revealed that it was their first time to meet since they recorded their song “I'll Be There” separately.

"Actually this is the first time I got to meet Howie. We didn't record together," Geronimo said.

"Unfortunately that time I was in between Backstreet Boys tours and I had a very short time to do it. So, Christian de Walden actually came to me in Orlando where I was back home with my family for a couple days off and I recorded my vocals there. I already heard her sing on it and I was already singing with her on the demo," Dorough said.

Dorough said that he is very happy to do a project with Geronimo.

"She's a lovely lady. When I was asked about doing a project with her about four or five months ago by Christian de Walden I was very honored. I went online and I checked out on the internet and realized that she's a huge superstar here and around the world," he said.

"I was in Canada for Backstreet Boys on tour just a month ago in two different areas. I was at a different place where I bumped into some people from the Philippines and I said I was going to the Philippines they said 'ah for vacation' and I said 'I'm actually working with a girl name Sarah Geronimno' and they said 'Oh Sarah Geronimo!'. She's very popular, very, very famous around the world," said Dorough.

The male singer said that he finds Geronimo to be a very humble and sweet girl, while Geronimo confirmed her admiration for the Backstreet Boy.

"I'm a big, big fan super. Very happy. Isn't it obvious that I'm very happy. Happy and honored to work with you Howie Dorough," said Geronimo.

She said that it's actually another dream come true for her to be working with Dorough.

"I can't believe before I'm just listening to my walkman.... 'I want it that way'. Another dream comes true. I've only daydreamed about this and I never thought this would happen," Geronimo said.

Geronimo asked Dorough to try and eat the best Filipino dishes like chicken adobo, pork adobo, sinigang and kare-kare.

Dorough who just got married said that he will take time to try the dishes with his lovely wife. He said he hopes that he could go back to the country for another project.

"You have beautiful islands and people. We're here last time for our tour two or three years ago. I would love to come here and do more projects in the future," he said.

Before the interview ended Geronimo and Dorough invited the people to grab a copy of "Just Me."

"I think this album is a great album. It has original songs and I'm hoping everybody will get a copy of 'Just me,'" Geronimo said.

Geronimo and Dorough will have a music video of their song "I'll Be There."

On Sunday they will be together for autograph signing and a show at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Geronimo, who started her career by joining a singing contest on television, has her next concert dubbed as "The Next One" set on November 8.

"The Next One" is directed by Johnny Manahan with Louie Ocampo as the musical director.

Aside from her weekly performances on the entertainment show, ASAP ’08, viewers can also watch Geronimo in her out-of-town shows.

as of 09/25/2008 3:55 PM

SOURCE: ABS-CBN

Howie D Comes To Manila for Sarah

HOWIE D, the Backstreet Boys member who did a duet of “I’ll BeThere” with Sarah Geronimo, was born in Orlando, Florida on August 22, 1973. Standing 5’7", his full name is Howard Dwaine Dorough and is the fifth and youngest child of Hoke (Irish) and Paula (Puerto Rican) Dorough. His older siblings include Pollyanna who is also a singer, and Caroline Dorough-Cochran, who unfortunately passed away at the age of 38 in 1998. He’s known for his humanitarian efforts with the Dorough Lupus Foundation, created in honor of his late sister.

In 1992, at the age of 19, as Howie was struggling to find work as an actor, he kept running into two younger men on the audition circuit: Alexander James “A.J.” Mclean, and Nickolas Gene “Nick” Carter. The three young men came up with the idea to form a singing group, but decided that they needed at least one more member. It was through auditions that the boys found Kevin Scott Richardson, who would become the oldest member of the Backstreet Boys. Kevin made the suggestion of adding his cousin Brian Littrell to the group, as Brian himself was a phenomenal singer, and in 1993, the group known as the Backstreet Boys was born.

Howie is in town to shoot the music video of “I’ll Be There” with Sarah and promote the song in “ASAP” and the SM Mall of Asia this Sunday. He was presented by Viva Records to the press last Tuesday after he just came in from California.

He came with his wife, Leigh Boniello, a webmaster from N.J. She did their website in 2000, they became friends and went steady for six years before getting married last December. While here, they’ll visit Boracay. Howie has also tried acting and appeared in films like “Parenthood” and “Constellation”. On TV, he acted in “Roswell” and “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch”.

So how’s married life? “It’s been great,” says Howie. “We’re on an extended honeymoon.”

We asked Leigh what Howie’s most endearing traits are? “He’s such a sweet, kind person and a good husband,” she says. “He’s so family-oriented and has a very big heart. He has teamed up with his brother, John, to put up six condos and their first hotel, Country Inn Suites in Cape Canaveral on the waterfront of the east coast of Florida.”

We asked Howie how is it working with Sarah? “She’s great. It’s my first time to meet her as I recorded my part of our song in Orlando while she recorded hers here. I heard so much about her from Christian de Walden, producer of our song, and he’s right, she’s very talented. This is my first time to collaborate with a Filipino singer and I’m excited to sing with her in our show at the Mall of Asia this Sunday.”

And how does Sarah feel singing with Howie? “I’m honored and flattered that I’m the one chosen to sing with him kasi fan talaga ako ng Backstreet Boys, (because I'm really a fan of the Backstreet Boys)” she says. “Nagulat nga siya kasi (He was surprised because) I sang all their hit songs to him. They’ve sold 75 million records but despite their success, he’s very down to earth pa rin.”

Source: Journal Online

Info about the New Album

Emilia/Matt/LtnUltiHaxer/MissAugust gathered a very interesting list of Producers/Songs for the upcoming Backstreet boys album. The boys have said that this album be more Pop and RnB. The list below is not 100% confirmed.

Songs
Undone
Ryan Tedder/Josh Hoge song - You can checkout the demo at Youtube
Contradiction
Howie/Ryan Tedder song
Shadows
AJ/Ryan Tedder song - Matt has heard a little demo of this and thinks this is a step in the right direction
Stay Like This
Emanuel Kiriakou (Inconsolable)/ Thom Leonard (Safest Place to Hide), Lindy Robbins (Part of Dan Muckala's trio)
Scream
Nick/Josh Hoge song could be either BSB or Nick song
Show Me How To Love Again
Nick/Desmond Child song could either be a BSB song or Nick

Producers
Max Martin
Rami Yacoub - Matt has had "close" contact with him and lets just say the sound is going to be very interesting
Jeffrey Steele - Writing for both BSB and Nick, best known for writing What Hurts The Most for Rascall Flats/Cascada
Desmond Child - Writing both for BSB and Nick
Akon - Nick and AJ have both mentioned working with him in 2 different interviews
Polow da Don - Brian mentioned him during the Star Shine Magazine Interview, behind Chris Brown's Forever and Usher's Love In This Club
Ryan Tedder - Hit in 2007 with Apologize, hit with Bleeding Love, hopefully 2009 they release one of his songs for the guys
Josh Hoge - Co-wrote and produced Undone, Scream
Rodney Jerkins "Darkchild" - AJ mentioned working with him in NYC to fans, also produced Shining Star
Rihanna - AJ mentioned to fans they were working with her but maybe its the producers she has worked with like Stargate
Jazze Pha - Nick mentioned working with him in his myspace video.

Miss August @ LD asked one of the admins of the official fan club and got this piece of info.
When asked about Max, the reply was "it's a possibility"
When asked I asked about Rami, Dr Luke, T-Pain, Akon. The answer she got back was "all people we are hoping to make work".
Also:
One of the admin's over at the fanclub said she is getting ready to schedule all their recording sessions, meeting with producers and there will be behind the scenes footage.

Rocky review

Calgary Herald

Published: Sunday, September 07, 2008

Re: "Boys thrill fans with walk down Backstreet; Pop band works hard for screaming fans," Sept. 3.

I was disappointed with the review you gave the Backstreet Boys concert. I felt it was biased and unfair. If the reviewer doesn't like that genre of music, then the Calgary Herald should have sent another reporter instead of some 40-something who believes boy bands should just go into a hole and disappear. What is the Herald going to do next? Send a bluegrass-loving grandpa to the Alice Cooper concert? Or a punk-rock lover to review Elton John?

I thought reporters were supposed to have an open mind not a closed one.

Amanda Miller, Strathmore, AB.

© The Calgary Herald 2008

Reviewer no fan of Backstreet Boys

Posted 2 days ago

Aug. 27. I read the review by Angela Scappatura on the Backstreet Boys concert. What type of concert did she expect to be reviewing? It's not a Michael Buble concert.

The Backstreet Boys are a boy band that will appeal to the fans that were at the concert. She should have interviewed the fans and quoted them accordingly. I really don't care what she thought of the concert because her opinion is not what matters.

I am a 48-year-old fan and I expected to be entertained by this awesome group -- and boy did they entertain! These guys have been selling out at every venue on their worldwide tour and that's what counts -- they are giving THEIR fans what THEIR fans are expecting.

It's apparent that Scappatura is not a fan.

Laura Ritchie Sudbury

comment:

Laura, Thank you for your comments on the review of the Backstreet concert done on Angela Scappatura. I also thought she was very unfair. I am 46, a mom of two and married to 25 years and have loved the boys and supported them for the last 10 years. I have been able to go to every tour except this one and yes the boys are always putting on a great show. The only reason I'm unable to go to this show is I live in AZ and they are not even coming close to here though I did try to get to the WA concert. Angela needs to be a more opened minded and if you see the crowd into it and singing to every song really enjoying themselves then that is what it should be about. I've have seen ALL the You Tube videos and as usual it looks like EVERYONE in the crowds are have a great time. BOO to Angela. Thanks to Laura (I welcome comments)

Post #1 By karen booboo,

SOURCE

Review: Backstreet Boys at Marymoor (really)

Posted today at 12:00 am by Erika Hobart

Photo credit: Denille Gatchalian

A couple of overpriced glasses of wine into the night, I turned to my girlfriend. “I have something embarrassing to tell you,” I whispered. “I’m like, kind of nervous.” She gasped. “Oh my god! Me too. I have butterflies in my stomach!” We both giggled. But in a weird, jittery sort of way. Sort of like the meth addict that hangs out outside my apartment complex every evening.

It’s bizarre what happens when two 23-year-old women go to a Backstreet Boys concert. You automatically return to your awkward 12-year-old self. We spent the entire afternoon before the show listening to BSB songs and making signs that read “I heart Nick” and “I heart Brian.” For good measure, we also threw a liter of orange juice and Andre’s champagne into the backseat of my girlfriend’s car. Then, at the very last minute, we ditched the signs. “What if we’re the only people with signs?” I asked anxiously. “I don’t want to be lame.” (As if I wasn’t already.)

As expected, Saturday night’s audience consisted almost entirely of women. There were also some fairly disgruntled looking men who, because they have sex with these women, were succumbed to spending an evening with BSB. “My girlfriend’s somewhere over there,” one such heroic guy told me, waving toward the stage. “I’m just gonna chill here and drink beer until she’s done.”

Add another couple glasses of overpriced wine to the ones we’d already had, and we began to seriously reconsider our decision to ditch our signs. How the hell were Nick and Brian going to spot us if we didn’t have them?! Shit. But, it turns out, it’d been a good move on our part. An entire two people at Marymoor had signs. The second they put them up, women turned into rabid animals foaming at the mouth. “PUT THAT SHIT DOWN!” “YOU BITCH! LOSE THE FUCKING SIGN!” “YOU SUCK!” (Last one—courtesy of me.)

Here’s the thing about seeing BSB in concert in the year 2008—it’s a lot more about the nostalgia than it is about the music. Yes, they were good. But not that good. They were older, sweatier, and reduced to a quartet. Howie is like, four feet tall in real life. Between BSB songs, each member of the band would take the stage individually to promote their solo projects—which we squealed about in the moment, but instantly forgot post-show. Sorry, but I just can’t get that riled up about a Brian Littrell debut album.

BUT I’m saying all of this in retrospect. That’s because I’m 23 again. Bu that night I digressed 10 years. Hence, at the time, BSB were gods that could do no wrong. They opened with “Larger than Life” and then launched into their no. 1 hit “I Want It That Way.” We screamed for two hours straight. Then—this is pretty fucking embarrassing and I don’t remember doing it—I CRIED. Then my girlfriend cried. We hugged and declared that this could very well be the best night of our lives. Then we went home and passed out in prepubescent drunken bliss.

Lest I forget—let me mention the merchandise. A goddamn BSB shirt for $40?!? Yikes. Even more ridiculous was the WWND shirt on sale. “What Would Nick Do?” it read with a photo of the BSB’s prime hottie posed in a Jesus-like manner. I didn’t buy one because I wanted Nick to see me as a potential date, not a crazed fan. Sadly he never glanced at me once and I felt a slight sting. I don't know what he would do, but I certainly know what he didn't: Me.

SIGH.

SOURCE

Backstreet's bond with fans unbreakable

By Tom Harrison, The Province

Published: Friday, September 05, 2008

BACKSTREET BOYS

When and where: Thursday night at GM Place

Grade: B

- - - - - -

The Backstreet Boys at GM Place Thursday: Choreography is so integral to their music, a live album is a virtual impossibility.

Ric Ernst - The Province

Is a statement being made here?

Backstreet Boys have called their last two albums Never Gone and Unbreakable. This implies longevity.

They've enjoyed huge success and taken a few risks. They've seen a dip in record sales but they have endured.

Despite a hiatus, Backstreet Boys have never gone. Despite some inner upheavals, they remain unbreakable.

Thus, they returned to GM Place Thursday night not as victors but as survivors.

After an excited but impatient audience of about 10,000 chanted "Backstreet Boys," Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean, Brian Litrell and Nick Carter appeared, preceded by a child who sang their introduction and then ran off.

The Boys entered wearing silk boxing robes and jumped into a boxing ring for their first song, "Larger Than Life." Did anyone miss the message?

They were backed by a tight and efficient quartet, while a video screen was about as elaborate as the staging got.

Howie, A.J., Brian and Nick concentrated on their dance moves and the hits, saving individual moments for solo spots -- such as Dorough's in which he displayed his Latin roots and flashed a little Jackie Wilson.

The thought occurred that the choreography is so intrinsic to a Backstreet Boys show that they couldn't successfully make a live album. DVDs were made for them.

The Backstreet Boys of today seem an honest presentation of who they are and what they've become. They're not as obsessed with image or being a contrived package.

A song such as "Incomplete" packs an emotional wallop -- not too hard but not calculating either.

When the audience sings "I Want it That Way" with them, it's confirmation that there is a lasting bond there -- never gone and unbreakable.

The concert started shrilly with Girlicious -- wirrr -- who have made an album --weeee -- of danceable but shallow pop -- bang.

In concert they are no more than choreographed lap dancers -- wirrr. The four women are just meat -- zing -- neatly arranged on a conveyer belt -- zip -- in which the wheels are louder than the music -- zing.

tharrison@theprovince.com

© The Vancouver Province 2008

The legacy of the Backstreet Boys--yes, they have one

By: Amy Shaunette, Arts Editor

Media Credit: www.thebackstreetboys.com The Backstreet Boys, now in their 30s, are still lookin' fly.

In the grand scheme of things, one might argue that '90s boy-band the Backstreet Boys matter little to the history of music. Their preteen fans are now adults, or trying to be, and you'd be hard pressed to name even three bands that were heavily influenced by Backstreet. But the faux-tan, baby-faced men of the Backstreet Boys are still the reigning kings of bubblegum pop, or at least they were for two solid hours at the Minnesota State Fair on August 23.

It's tempting to feel sorry for the Backstreet Boys, to label them as washed-up pop stars with shattered dreams and sex lives that revolve around underage groupies, or worse yet, their nostalgic mothers. But when the boys hit the stage at the fair, it was clear that even ten years after their peak, there was nothing humiliating to A.J., Brian, Nick and Howie about being a Backstreet Boy.

What stood out most were the similarities and differences between a BSB show then and a BSB show now. Things had changed for the better. The audience remained mostly female, but the pimply sixth graders were gone. Instead, the fans were loud college girls with beer in plastic cups and big breasts. The mothers were still there, but, recognizing the absurdity of the situation, weren't afraid to shake it. And best of all, the show was way more sexual than it was in 1999. The boys executed electrifying pelvic thrusts, and large screens flanking the stage showed close-up crotch shots. The ladies shrieked and screamed. We puffed up our cleavage and hollered out the names of our favorite boys, breaking a sweat each time the camera zoomed in on their pants region.

Of course, there were startling changes. Kevin, the tall, dark, silent one with the sexiest voice, had quit the band to raise a family. After years of drug use, A.J. looked older, and bright-eyed, blonde-haired Nick was trying to look tough with his new tattoos. Most of the boys sang songs from upcoming solo albums, sadly unaware that only seriously deranged fans cared, and a third of the set was from their newest album-yes, the Backstreet Boys have a new album. And perhaps most startling was the boys' new rap fixation. Nick performed his own rendition of the Kanye West-Daft Punk mash-up "Stronger," and the boys even sang a bit of Aerosmith and Run DMC's "Walk this Way."

But when it mattered, the boys delivered exactly what we'd all paid our $27 for. There were costume changes, elaborate sets, props and, of course, all the promises they'd made us. I believed them as much as I'd believed them when I was ten when they crooned "I'll Never Break Your Heart," and I knew that when Nick Carter sang "The One," he really meant it-after all these years, I was still the one for him. He'd find me.

The Backstreet Boys' current tour is in support of their 2007 release, "Unbreakable." It's an appropriately named album. The boys just won't quit. The secret of the Backstreet Boys is their irresistibility. I would like to think that since elementary school I have matured a bit in my musical taste, that my position as Arts Editor perhaps says something about my cultural choices. But there I was, shrieking the words to nearly every BSB song, almost forgetting that I'd ever heard anything better. For a minute I believed maybe I hadn't - after all, they are one of the best selling boy bands of all time for a reason.

SOURCE

Backstreet Boys woo the Garage girls

By HOSEA CHEUNG, 24 HOURS

The buzz: Backstreet was back alright, albeit one man short. The four-singer "boy" group revived the late '90s at GM Place Thursday night with a set list meant to show Vancouver why the Backstreet Boys were on top of the music world at one point in time.

Cute beginnings: When you start off the show with Brian Littrell's five-year-old son Baylee coming on stage to aww the female contingent with a cute rendition of "Are you ready for the Backstreet Boys?", you know you're off to a great start - in terms of making hearts melt.

Tatted up with wrong: The songs coming out of A.J. McLean definitely did not match his appearance to start off with, as the rocker-like outfit along with his full arm tattoos mirrored characters out of West Coast Choppers as opposed to a heart-throbbing boy band member. Oh, there were also "Queen Tour '75" and "Black Sabbath" T-shirts amongst the other singers to go with the leather jackets. Wrong genre.

Ear drums shattering: I've heard loud. Heck, I've heard Chinese-restaurant loud. But the shrilling cacophony of high-pitched girls made the Hansons seem manly. My head hurts.

Night of estrogen: On the same note, about 80 per cent of concert attendees were women, but it wasn't difficult to find men amongst the throng of female fans. They were either attached to their girlfriends/wives, with their daughters/nieces, or terribly lost. Oh, and of course, there was a lone 24 hours journalist somewhere amongst the gender minority of the night.

Target audience: The much older Backstreet Boys did not fail to disappoint when it came to wooing fans, since entering the crowd to give kisses and hugs to adoring fans sure helped their cause.

Loudest sing-along: It had to be a tie between "I Want It That Way" and "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely". Seven women miraculously got pregnant the moment those first notes played. It was that good.

Self promo: Of course, all members had previously spent time exploring their own solo careers, so each had a turn at singing their own song. Howie Dorough bombed, I don't even remember A.J.'s, and Nick Carter looked out of sorts. It was probably Littrell who actually showed some talent.

Man amongst boys: Speaking of Littrell - who happened to draw a close resemblance to Canadian comedian Gerry Dee - he was the only one amongst the four who actually looked grown up. His maturity definitely showed, as did his musical talent through his solo single "Welcome Home (You)". Throughout the night, the family man and devout Christian seemed more real, for a lack of a better word; he stood out.

Synthesizing solo: Seriously, still? When Carter's voice sounds like a raspy male version of Britney Spears, then it's pretty obvious as to who went with synthesizer help. I guess he needs all the false boost he can get. Now if only they could do something about his dancing.

Stage and props: With the most creative display during the opening where the singers "fought" in a boxing ring, props were prominent throughout the show. From chairs to cellphones to a poker table, the stage presence was utilized somewhat effectively. Don't forget the improvisation prop known as a run-away bra which Carter used to put on his face. What's with Vancouver fans and throwing bras? Not that I'm complaining.

Lights: Honestly, if it weren't part of my job to pay attention to lighting, I wouldn't have even realized any change from the plain blue/purple hue they had on for most of the night. It was nothing spectacular.

Encore: BSB started strong and ended strong, and with a pretty upbeat version of "Shape of my Heart" to close out the night, plenty of fans definitely went home happy. Also, gotta love the confetti.

Grade: C+ - Although I'm not the biggest supporter of boy bands, the overwhelming roar of approval all concert long definitely revived the popularity of BSB in Vancouver, even if it's just for one night only. However, the four singers have their past to thank for the outcome because if a group of unknowns did the exact same act, it would have been just another Thursday night.

SOURCE

Backstreet Boys perform a manly magic

Amy O'Brian, Vancouver Sun

Published: Friday, September 05, 2008

VANCOUVER - Never underestimate the power of the boy band.

They can take punch after punch from critics and nay sayers. They can wrinkle and grow bellies and lose some hair. But the girls who loved them at their peak are a loyal bunch, and will evidently hold onto that love as if it was their first.

Thousands of such fans descended - wearing spiky heels and tiny skirts - on GM Place Thursday night to witness the Backstreet Boys in all their carefully choreographed and well-groomed glory.

They didn't care that their beloved boy band is no longer made up of boys, or that there are now just four, rather than five Backstreet Boys. The screams during the pre-show sound check were piercing proof that this boy band will be able to get girls screaming into their 40s and 50s - or as long as the boys can still dance.

The show kicked off with the group - Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Litrell and tattooed bad boy A.J. McLean - draped in hooded boxing robes, throwing warm-up punches as their vital stats, including their astrological signs, which were flashed up on the jumbotrons. The introductions were unnecessary considering the level of adoration among the fans, but they served to quickly identify the best-loved member of the band when the screams for Nick Carter outdid those for the others. (Carter's the one who developed a bit of a belly a few years ago, but he was looking tremendously fit Thursday as he pounded through the physically demanding dance sequences.)

The boys worked through a choreographed boxing round as they belted out an unbelievably loud version of Larger than Life, one of the mega-hits off their 1999 album, Millennium.

It was a combative, but appropriate opener for a band that's always been on the defensive regarding their authenticity and ability, but has continuously managed to land on top.

The 10,000 or so fans in the nearly sold-out crowd waved their arms in unison and sang along to any song they could. (And that was most of them. The Backstreet Boys have had 13 top 40 hits and have sold more than 100 million albums.)

SOUCE: aobrian@vancouversun.com

Backstreet Boys review was too nasty in column

Posted 2 days ago

Aug. 27

I very much enjoyed the Backstreet Boys concert and appreciated their visit to Sudbury.

I find it insulting to be referred to as a "boy band fanatic" and a "squealing teenager bounding around the arena." What's wrong with being excited and cheering for a band that has been together for 15 years? It almost sounded like I was being criticized. But the criticism I received, along with much of Sudbury's teenage population which also attended the concert, was nothing compared to the insults and put-downs that were written about the Backstreet Boys themselves.

Yes, it is true that their dance moves were a bit nostalgic at times, but it wooed the audience and showed everyone a good time. Their dances were far from overly sexual. It was for our entertainment. Would it have been better if the audience stood there silently throughout the entire show, waiting for it to end? I think not. If BSB's style is not your taste, then simply don't attend their concert, much less ridicule them in the newspaper.

Sudbury is yet to become a very well-known major city, and it amazes me that an ultra famous pop band such as BSB would ever come here to perform. Therefore, after watching such an energetic and unforgettable performance, I find it bewildering to read such a mocking article. Sudbury should be honoured, instead of practically shooing them away. If I were a member of the Backstreet Boys, I would never return to Sudbury after being so belittled in an article.

I am very disappointed to see that one person's negative opinion represented the entire city of Sudbury. Being a member of the audience at the concert, I saw with my own eyes how entertaining BSB was, and I think 99 per cent of the crowd would agree with me that it was sensational. The band was well deserving of the 10-minute long standing ovation.

Everyone has the right to their opinion, but I believe that a respectable newspaper such as The Sudbury Star should have more regard for the entertainment interests of its people. It should be more supportive of such a superior pop band, and keep in mind its ethics when judging one.

Sarah Kaelas Grade 10 student Sudbury

SOURCE

Rash of changes turn Boys to men

Backstreet has come through 15 years together 'stronger than ever'

Tom Harrison, The Province

Published: Thursday, September 04, 2008

IN CONCERT

Backstreet Boys

Where: GM Place

They aren't called the Backstreet Men, but the Backstreet Boys have grown up. They've weathered lawsuits, dodgy management, personal troubles, a self-imposed hiatus, shed a member and likely the growing pains aren't over. But the group of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Brian Litrell from Florida carry on.

"I feel that we're stronger than ever," Dorough says. "We're stronger and tighter. We've taken control of our writing and production."

They haven't been in a cocoon, protected from the outside world though it might seem that way. The Backstreet Boys were a pre-fabricated group assembled by disgraced manager Lou Pearlman and appeared to be an instant international success. Pearlman subsequently went to jail while Backstreet went on to sell 100-million records. They took a chance by going on hiatus in 2002 but bounced back with the album Never Gone in 2005. Inevitably, personalities started to emerge. There were solo albums as Carter came first and Litrell made a Christian-pop record. Dorough established his foundation for lupus research after his sister died of the disease, and McLean made headlines when his drug and alcohol addiction went public. Fifth member Kevin Richardson quit the group in 2006, significantly to start a family. Indeed, the boys had grown up.

"It's definitely been an adjustment," Dorough reflects. "We'd been together 15 years.

"Bringing in another guy would have been weird. It wouldn't sit well with us."

The Backstreet Boys have come a long way since releasing its first album in 1996 and appearing in Vancouver shortly thereafter with a show that was generously padded to give each member a short time in the spotlight whether they were ready for it or not.

"We've given each other space to do more," notes Dorough. "In the early years we kind of held each other back. Now, we embrace each other's individuality. We're adults now. We're more seasoned."

As proof, Dorough and McLean are working on solo albums. Dorough has been encouraged to write more since he had a couple of songs on Backstreet's Black and Blue. As each member has grown more secure they simultaneously have branched out -- Litrell's gospel career is an example -- while understanding the group better. The last album, 2007's Incomplete, taught them what they do best. Incomplete was different for Backstreet Boys but didn't sell as well.

"Looking at it in hindsight, we made a great record," says Dorough. "But we wanted to go back to our roots. The next record will be more pop whereas our last album was more pop-rock."

tharrison@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Province 2008

Boys thrill fans with walk down Backstreet

Pop band works hard for screaming fans

Heath McCoy, Calgary Herald

Published: Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Backstreet Boys, Tuesday at Pengrowth Saddledome. Attendance 9,000.

- - -

A boxing ring!

To the strains of the hit Larger Than Life, the Backstreet Boys threw choreographed punches, their fists taped up for combat, Tuesday night during their Pengrowth Saddledome show.

I'm not kidding here. That's what the Backstreet Boys kicked off their show in on Tuesday night at the Saddledome. Nick, Brian, Howie and A.J. (minus Kevin who split a couple of years back) doing a kind of tough guy dance while decked out in fancy boxing robes.

To the strains of the hit Larger Than Life the lads threw choreographed punches, their fists taped up for combat as they sang that gushing pop jingle in perfect harmony.

It was a move as bold as it was embarrassing.

It was bold because, as ridiculous as the spectacle was, it immediately sent a message. It was a well-planted uppercut to the collective jaw of all the skeptics out there -- and I'm one of them -- who have been writing the group off from day one.

Backstreet's not supposed to be back! Not a decade after their heyday. Their audience of little girls was supposed to grow out of their music and forget about them. They were supposed to go away like David and Shaun Cassidy went away in decades past.

But they didn't. They're still here, and even though they're not selling CDs by the multi-millions the way they used to, there was still enough buzz to attract 9,000 people to the 'Dome on Tuesday night, most of them screaming, giddy females. There were those who screamed for the Boys 10 years ago, and a new generation who screamed every bit as loud as their big sisters.

And the hard-working Backstreeters earned every one of those screams, from the sugar pop explosion of Everybody and the synthetic funk of Any Other Way to a massive version of I Want It That Way.

Ever the showmen, the Boys even walked out into the front rows to plant a few kisses on their hysterical fans.

Even if you didn't dig their music -- and there was a few eye-rolling dudes out there who were certainly dragged to the 'Dome by their dates -- you had to admit, it was the sort of world-class display of kiddy pop that the American Idol types would kill to match.

But back to the boxing ring and the embarrassing bit.

For one, anybody who saw this spectacle not moved to screams of excitement had to have been moved instead to a fit of the snickers.

With their sappy sweet love ballads and the slick, soulless R&B of their bubblegum pop, not to mention their pouty pinup boy posing, the Backstreet Boys are the complete opposite of rugged.

And while they may fuel romantic fantasies for females all around the world, you'd be hard pressed to describe the Backstreeters as sexy. They're more like cuddly, non-threatening Ken dolls.

But the thought of them duking it out in the ring is about as absurd as Michael Jackson playing the part of a gang member, as he did in the Beat It and Bad videos.

Then again, Michael left a crater-sized imprint on the pop culture landscape with those videos, and maybe, just maybe, the Backstreet Boys have left a lasting mark too.

Tuesday night at the 'Dome suggested as much.

Oh, the horror.

Opening for the Backstreet Boys was Girlicious, a four-piece outfit that seemed like a bargain basement Pussycat Dolls, which is exactly what they are.

The group was created on a reality TV series, (The Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious), by the same fellow that manufactured the Pussycats.

And if you thought that guy's vision had its limitations the first time around, steer clear of Girlicious at all costs because their bubble-headed pop and unimpressive cheerleader-cum-stripper dance moves make the Pussycats look and sound like The Supremes.

That didn't matter a bit though. All the ladies in the house were there for one thing only -- a thrilling walk down Backstreet, and that's exactly what the Boys gave 'em.

hmccoy@theherald.canwest.com

© The Calgary Herald 2008

Backstreet Boys back, for good

By Deena Cox

The conundrum of boy bands is that they grow up. No matter how many number one hits they’ve had and millions of records they’ve sold, boy banders and their handlers cannot stop bankable, childish good looks from fading into facial hair and midsection flab.

That doesn’t stop the music industry from trotting out a new boy-band model every 10 years or so. From the Monkees to the Bay City Rollers to New Kids on the Block to the Backstreet Boys, it’s been proven time and time again that nothing sells to teens and tweens like squeaky-clean, prefab pop.

Now, with the 10-year music-industry itch upon us yet again, another crop of chest-hair-less, odourless, hypoallergenic dorks is singing and dancing its way into the bedrooms of poster-worshipping pubescents everywhere. Even as this most recent resurrection of boy-band mania reaches its height with the Jonas Brothers owning multiple spots at the top of the charts, the best-selling boy band of all time remains the Backstreet Boys.

The four remaining BSB members—Nick Carter, A. J. McLean, Brian Littrell, and Howie Dorough—have dusted off the cobwebs, cleaned the skeletons out of their closets, and re-emerged as a fully fledged man band, bearing the battle scars of a lifetime spent climbing the charts and then fending for themselves when suddenly no one gave a shit.

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” says McLean, on the phone from a tour stop in St. John’s, Newfoundland. “I’ve gone to rehab, Nick’s been arrested, we’ve lost people in our families, Brian has had open-heart surgery, we lost a member. There’s been so much that we’ve been through, and we’re still here because we’re fighters and because we believe in the Backstreet Boys.”

Love them or loathe them, the men of the Boys understand the music business like few others. “Every 10 years, there seems to be a big cycle that comes full circle and it’s all about pop music again,” McLean explains. “I think it’s about getting good music back on the radio that’s not talking about how many cars you drive or what kind of necklace you wear or how many girls you’ve slept with. It’s feel-good music.”

Unbreakable, the band’s latest release, is just that: formula-perfect tunes that are just superficial enough to appeal to Hannah Montana disciples, and just catchy enough to grab some airtime from those nostalgia-seeking late-20-somethings who feel like pervs for having a favourite Jonas brother and think the guys in Good Charlotte are just a bit too punky. According to McLean, the vibe of the record and the industry in general is a response to an increasingly agitated Joe Public.

“It’s like music is such an outlet for everybody, no matter what,” he surmises. “It’s good to be able to say, you know, ‘I just spent $90 filling up my tank, so I’m going to turn this song up and I’m going to forget about it, and I’m going to rock out to “Incomplete” or I’m going to rock out to “The Right Stuff”, ’ or whatever you’re going to listen to. You’re going to get completely lost in that song.”

Getting lost in the music is a step in the right direction for McLean, whose public struggle with drugs and alcohol nearly destroyed the biggest boy band in history. “I went through the phase of having my tour manager go into my room before I’d check in to take all the alcohol out of my minibar,” says McLean, who has been clean for six years.

Keeping the band together after his meltdown wasn’t as easy as minding the minibar. Between 2000’s Black & Blue and 2005’s Never Gone, the boys took a much-needed break from the band—and from each other.

“We were fried and we were not having fun,” admits McLean. “I had just got out of rehab and there were fights all the time and, like, arguing and bickering. If we had continued right after that, all of us think we probably would have self-destructed.”

The Backstreet Boys play GM Place tonight (September 4).

SOURCE: Straight.Com

Boy band "can't give them enough"

The Backstreet Boys continue to draw positive reviews

Mike Devlin, Canwest News Service

Published: Thursday, September 04, 2008

BACKSTREET BOYS

GM PLACE Tonight

SAVE-ON MEMORIAL CENTRE

Backstreet Boys perform at Montreal's Bell Center on Tuesday.

The Backstreet Boys were the fresh-scrubbed face of music nine years ago, jostling for pop supremacy with Britney Spears and *NSYNC and becoming trivia question footnotes along the way (Q: What is the only group in history to have three consecutive albums certified for sales of over one million units in Canada? A: Backstreet Boys.)

Aside from ex-*NSYNC heartthrob Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys -- now men, some with boys of their own -- are the only ones working with any consistency. The band's current tour featured 13 Canadian stops (Vancouver tonight and Victoria on Friday are the last two Canadian dates), and while the dates haven't caused traffic jams or heart attacks, as they once did, Backstreet's back and drawing some positive notices for its live show.

"I don't think we can ever give them enough,'' said singer Howie Dorough, the day following the first of two concerts in St. John's, N.L. "The energy on stage, the energy in the audience -- everything was 10-plus. The fans walked away, hopefully, feeling they got a truly entertaining show that was worth waiting for.''

The group took a five-year break from the studio following 2000's Black & Blue and toured only once between 2001 and 2005. The momentum of Backstreetmania was dislodged. In terms of sales, the group has never recovered.

Its legacy of a decade ago remains intact. At the turn of the millennium, its members graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine three times during an 18-month span, helping the group sell upwards of 100 million CDs worldwide, while its videos for I Want it That Way, Shape of My Heart and Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely were blazed upon MuchMusic and MTV at a clip rarely seen before or since.

The group, and its grip on all forms of media, is less omnipresent nowadays. But the lower profile is met with relief by its four members, one of whom has children and two of whom are married.

When we informed Dorough that his outfit's 1999 blockbuster, Millennium, recently ascended to No. 13 position on the list of the best-selling albums of all-time, with 35 million copies sold, he seemed genuinely surprised. No matter how many times he relives his group's more fantastic moments, the former theme park performer from Orlando, Fla., appears unable to fully comprehend his legacy.

"We just celebrated 15 years together, and to hear of accomplishments like that is unbelievable,'' said Dorough, 34. "Whether it was a bit of fate, whether it was a bit of luck, or hopefully, a lot of talent, we're blessed to be where we are. It goes back to our upbringings, having good wholesome families. We've helped each other out, making sure that nobody got too big for their britches. We've made sure that everybody kept their feet on the ground. We've always been about what's best for the group, and not what's best for the individual.''

Two years ago, prior to the recording of the group's 2007 album, Unbreakable, group member Kevin Richardson split amicably from the band, which not only depleted Backstreet's ranks but robbed the group of its eldest member and steadiest presence.

He was an integral part of the group, Dorough said, but no one begrudged him for wanting to start a family and pursue other musical projects. Richardson may one day return to the lineup, but for the time being Backstreet Boys are a quartet, Dorough said.

"In the early days, none of us had any ties to anything. It was go, go, go -- let's get this roller-coaster rolling and ride it. But now that we're older, I think we're more in control. It's more about a healthy balance between our career and having time for ourselves. We try to make everyone happy, and for those who want to have time off to spend with their family they can do that. We have the space to do whatever makes everyone happy.''

Time away has produced plenty of new music, not all of which falls under the Backstreet Boys banner.

Dorough, whose mother is Puerto Rican, is working on a Latin-tinged solo album, while A.J. McLean is pursuing material of the funk-rock variety. Brian Littrell and Nick Carter have already issued solo efforts, something which Dorough feels is healthy for the group. "We have individual fans that we've been able to bring in to the Backstreet Boys because of [their solo work]. Each of us came from solo backgrounds, and each of us have always had aspirations of a solo career. Now, more than ever, our fans are ready for that.''

The four friends, who range in age from 28 to 34, are spending more and more time apart these days. No more 18-month world tours for Backstreet Boys, Dorough said. The band's recent tour of Europe lasted eight weeks; its current trek through North America will be capped off at six. Time away or at home pursuing other interests is more valuable than ever for the band, whose members all own houses in California, with secondary residences in Florida (McLean and Dorough), Nashville (Carter) and Atlanta (Littrell).

Work is well underway on the band's sixth album. Dorough figures the current tour of Canada will affect the direction, primarily because the group is back to doing what it does best for the Unbreakable Tour: singing and dancing.

Backstreet's tour for 2005's Never Gone -- Richardson's last studio recording with the group -- was harder edged, and less reliant on the dance moves of early singles Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) and Everybody (Backstreet's Back) -- monster hits which made the group a household name and poster-boy idols.

"We made a conscious effort with Unbreakable to get back to that,'' Dorough said. "The music scene has changed, and we couldn't come out with the same sound, but when we put the album into a stage show, it didn't really lend itself to choreography, and that's who we really are. When we made this last record, we wanted to make songs that could really translate well to the stage.''

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

From boys to men

The punchy Backstreet Boys come out swinging for screaming fans at Rexall Place last night. (Jordan Verlage, Sun Media)

I was recently threatened by a grown woman, "You'd better not bash my Backstreet Boys!"

You shouldn't take this sort of thing lightly. One veteran Sun photographer told me that he has never feared for his life more than when he shot the Backstreet Boys. Not fires, not murder scenes, not gangsta rap concerts, but a boy band whose average fan weighed 80 pounds soaking wet. Wow.

All these years later, can these Backstreet Fully Grown Men still generate such feminine hysteria?

Which one is missing? Is it the one who had a successful solo career pretending to be black or the one who turned out to be gay? Or was that the other boy band? Have they aged to the point that they've changed their hit song to Everybody (Backstreet's ... Ow, My Back)? Will cheap jokes like this get me ripped to shreds by a mob of enraged 23-year-old women? (Well, a man can dream.)

These were just some of the questions I had coming into last night's show at Rexall Place.

Hysteria? Check. More than 9,000 little girls who grew up in the most delightful ways screamed their lungs out, just at a slightly lower pitch than one might have heard a decade ago.

They screamed when the boys made their entrance in boxing attire - group members Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter introduced as fighters (Kevin Richardson left the group two years ago) - with snips from Eye of the Tiger turning into the big opener Larger Than Life.

They screamed when the leather jackets came off for the first gooey love ballad, and for all the gooey love ballads that followed, including a new one, Inconsolable (which went No. 1 in Japan, if that means anything).

They screamed to the familiar strains of I Want It That Way. (What way? That way.) They screamed when Howie did a hip-swivelling tango in his Latin-flavoured solo tune, and when A.J. did his solo rocking out thing.

They screamed when the Backstreet Boys sang Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely while they sat around a table playing cards. And the women especially screamed when told they each would get a "big juicy kiss" if time permitted it. So, yes, they still got "it."

There was nothing to find fault with in this theatrical show. The choreography was flawless without looking forced. The pacing was perfect: dance song, rocker, ballad, another ballad, a bit of witty patter, repeat.

They performed as if they meant every sweet romantic nothing sung thousands of times before to millions of other screaming women. They went for it until they dripped with sweat.

They were gracious and charismatic, each showing their strengths and drawing screams in their own way.

They sang their own vocals - the odd bad note infinitely preferable to canned perfection - and had a real band back them up, one that tried its best to rock.

Of course, for all their talent and showmanship, they were still doing Backstreet Boys songs. Let's try to keep things in perspective here.

Opening acts are supposed to make the headliner look good - and Girlicious sure did the trick.

A karaoke set from this quartet of reality show winners was so obnoxious and contrived that they made the Backstreet Boys look like the Travelling Wilburys.

But sexy? You bet! Tight choreography designed to showcase tight booties was the order of the day, even if the music was horrible. The single is called Stupid S***. I think that says it all.

One thing: who exactly were they being sexy for in an arena full of women? Are they lesbians or just dumb? It's terribly confusing.

I never got to see the Backstreet Boys at the height of their popularity, when they played Commonwealth Stadium in 1998.

Some numbskull rear-ended me on the way to the show and I had a very relaxing ride in the ambulance thinking how lucky I was not to be at the Backstreet Boys concert.

And yet, a small part of me regretted missing such a momentous occasion that long decade ago. I hope last night's experience made up for it.

Happy now, world's biggest Backstreet Boys fan?

SOUNDCHECK

MAIN EVENT

Backstreet Boys

IN THE SEATS

9,400 in Rexall

NOTE PERFECT

Boy band turns to man band with pleasing results for thousands of screaming girls ... sorry, women.

RATING

4 out of 5

SOURCE: Edmontonsun.Com