Backstreet boys move beyond pop culture
By Paige Gilbert
September 07, 2005
Chico Enterprise Record

MARYSVILLE -- The Backstreet Boys' performance at Sleep Train Amphitheatre Aug. 31 proved the boy band is here to stay. It was a night composed of memories, pop-culture and plenty of screaming.

Nearly a decade after the release of their first album, and following a three-year break, the Backstreet Boys are on tour again promoting their latest album "Never Gone."

Anticipating the entrance of the five singers -- Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson -- the audience geared up by listening to hard rock music from the '80s and reading text messages sent to the Backstreet Boys from fans. As the messages "Marry Me Nick" and "I love you AJ" scrolled by on three large screens, the energy and cheering in the amphitheater felt like a high school football game.

The crowd of mostly female teenagers, moms reliving their teen-idol memories and the occasional dad with his ear plugs in, erupted with screaming as the amphitheater went dark and green neon lights flashed on. The Backstreet Boys rose up from underneath the stage to the sounds of synthesizers and the song "The Call" from their third record.

The performance progressed as their career has. It only got better. As the audience watched clips from each of the four Backstreet Boys tours, a feeling of nostalgia emerged. Except for the occasional muffled sound and too-loud bass, the vocals of the band harmonized in unison. Their dancing was flawless and in sync, modified for AJ's injured foot, caused by slipping on a glow stick a crazed fan threw on stage in Las Vegas.

The Backstreet Boys reflected on their song "Larger than Life" as they performed it to snow falling on stage and steam rising from underground. As they closed the show with a colorful strobe light effect, they thanked the audience for their support and blessings. The stage went pitch black, leaving nothing for the eye except the brightest stars seen from the amphitheater. Devoted fans didn't let the boy band get off easy. They cheered and chanted, receiving an encore performance of the song "I Just Want You to Know," complete with raining fire and sparklers.

The Backstreet Boys seem to successfully be moving beyond their pop idol reputation. They continue to grow with their audience and stay true to themselves by composing songs that reflect each of their lives.