SO.

As reported in my previous thread, Backstreet Boys performed tonight (Sept. 4th) at GM Place here in Vancouver. Here be my report.

Read or don't as you please.


First things first:

-No, it did not suck. And yes they are, surprise surprise, all but one in their 30's. Imagine that shit.




-The best friend and I headed straight for the booze bars on arrival. What better way to celebrate Nick and AJ's sobriety than to get schmammered at a show?

-Holy sweet Lord, do Girlicious suck. They were, sadly, the opening act. I knew they were shit, but the full extent of their shittiness hadn't hit me until tonight. The best friend and I spent the entire opening gig alternating between trying to scope better seats, and trying to pick out which Girl was nailing which Boy, because just like Our Hero Prince, that's how they pick their supporting performers. Gurgh....

-Backstreet Babies! Brian's 6 year old son was brought out onstage before the crowd and handed a mike to introduce his daddy's group before they went on. Sweetest. Thing. Ever.

-Holy homoerotica, Batman! Jay-zuz! The more time goes by, the more innapropriate they get in public. Me likey. And don't think I minded one bit that impromptu, onstage shower.

-After everyone told me you hardly notice the missing man, Kevin's absence really is noticable. It doesn't look right with only 4 people up there.

-What the fuck was up with that boxing ring/homeless/Adidas motif? Who is picking out these stage outfits? And, Run BSB? I'm not sure if that was meant to make fun of the Boys or Run DMC, or both.

-One thing I always respected about the Boys is their use of live music. A lot of boybands just kind of do their thing to a canned soundtrack. But these guys did, as they always have, used a live band for everything and took the time to introduce and thank the band members for their contribution. Howie called them the most important part of the show. But I still miss Obie Morant's keyboards and sax. The band just sounds off without him. We miss you, Obie. Please come back.

-They played a good mix of old and new music, and the transition to cover Kevin's missing vocals was smoother than expected. Though I'm not sure I'd have picked Howie's tenor to pick up Kevin's bass, but



AND....

-They announced once the tour is done they're heading directly back into the studio for a new album. That makes album # 8, kids.

All in all, a good God damned show.

now I know why people snickered when the 80's icons were still touring in the 90's....

alphastreet said:

The show was awesome. Higher quality than certain "real" bands I've regretted having paid money for.

Is there a reason you think they should quit? Their albums still sell extremely well worldwide, and their tours still sell out. Who the hell quits when they're still raking in the $$$ ?
[Edited 9/5/08 10:23am]

Seriously, that show was damn near sold out. Nothing to sneeze at.

As for that, er, shower. Thank you, dears. You made the slash fan in me very, very happy.

Had me thinking some awfully naughty thoughts.

I'm not really into them. Sure they had the looks and catchy songs but I didn't go ga-ga for them in the 90's at all.

I enjoyed it a great deal. I went with straight best friend (he's the one that wanted to go! ) even though I'm the one that used to be a fan.

Had a great time. But I was really drunk by the time they came out, so who knows....

errant said:

You were at the Van show, or another one? What kind of seating did you have?

Yeah, the best friend and I were half-cut by the time the Boys walked out onstage. Made us feel almost (almost!) the tiniest bit guilty when AJ made a point of announcing his 7 years sobriety.

alphastreet said:

Well, you missed out. With the passage of time and the loosening of the ever-so-strict boyband behaviour coda, they've turned into a lot of fun. No way in hell would certain elements of their current act have been allowed during the pop glory days of the late 90's.




Does anybody else think it's about time AJ kicked some Good Charlotte/Fall Out Boy ass for blatant public image infringement? They've got this whole "we're a serious band because we've got tattoos and wear eyeliner" schtick happening, and Senior Drunkypants has been doing that for years.

meow85 said:

Bloomington. Seating was alright. But it's not the kind of venue where there is actually a bad seat, really.

errant said:

Ours either. Anywhere else we probably would have bitched about getting nosebleed seats, but GM Place is organized in such a way that you get a great view for concerts no matter where you sit.

The Backstreet Junior, Baylee. What a brill little MC.


[Edited 9/6/08 2:57am]

meow85 said:

I didn't miss anything, I knew all their singles and saw bits of the tour, I had enough BSB fan friends for that and like them, but I'm not OMG for them, I just don't get it. Now when I hear their stuff on the radio, I don't mind it so much cause it makes me think of my teen years, even if I wasn't one of those bsb fanatics.

alphastreet said:

Fair enough.

I never "got" *N SYNC. I didn't have the all out hatred for them a lot of Backstreet fans did. But knowing the whole backstory to how they were formed and why, I could never bring myself to see them as anything but a pale version2.0


While we're on the topic (and this is on topic) Fuck Lou Pearlman. I'd say I'd hope he gets his fat pedophile ass raped while he's in prison, but he'd probably enjoy that.

yeah he should not be roaming the streets

I liked quit playing games, as long as you love me, i want it that way, show me the meaning, shape of my heart and the call (something about this song was so george michael), and one track off the backstreet's back album that sounded very mj/prince to me-If you want it to be good girl (in Canada their first US album was called backstreet's back, cause it was our second album, the hype started here and Europe first in 1996) but honestly a lot of their songs sounded so alike to me and weren't really diverse
[Edited 9/7/08 7:10am]

alphastreet said:

Well they are a boyband. It comes with the territory.

Their musical style has shifted over the years. It's less synthy bubblegum pop now and more, almost, country-esque.

alphastreet said:

As for If You Want it To Be Good, Girl -they've stopped performing it, because they thought it was embarassing as shit. Yes, it does have a vaguely Prince/MJ-ish sound to it, but not in a good way.

Also the fact that lyrically, it's actually about coded rape I'm sure had to do with their decision to drop the song entirely. I can't imagine for a second they miss back in the day when they had their songs chosen for them.