Jingle Bell Bash features Backstreet Boys reunion
By Ernest A. Jasmin
December 05, 2005
The news tribune

Curse you, Oprah!

Sure, you give people free cars and stuff. But in one fell swoop you also single-handedly squashed the peace of mind of the boy band-loathing masses – people content to believe that trend to be deader than three-day-old road kill.

That meddling Oprah breathed new life into the Backstreet Boys juggernaut late last year when she had AJ McClean (the one with the tattoos) on her show to talk about his stints in rehab.

Surprise! The other BSBs walked on set. Reunion talk ensued. A new album, “Never Gone,” was ready and wrapped in cellophane by June. And – voila! – the Back Street Boys were back on stage Sunday night at the Tacoma Dome as the main attraction at the Jingle Bell Bash, the annual holiday gala put on by KBKS-FM (Kiss, 106.1).

Noooooooooo!!! That means ‘N Sync and O-town can’t be far behind.

But what does this cynical reviewer know? The crowd may have been a little bit smaller than it was last time the Backstreet Boys stopped in Tacoma – about 8,000 strong this time – but it was every bit as enthusiastic, letting loose with shrill approval and singing along during a short, six-song set.

The crowd has already grooved and waved its glow sticks to Frankie J, Pussycat Dolls, Lifehouse, Chris Brown, the Click Five, Natasha Bedingfield, Rihanna, the Veronicas and Tyler Hilton. And the noise level jumped several notches as Nick Carter (the hunky one) strolled on stage by himself with a guitar slung over his shoulder.

Hey, guys in boy bands aren’t supposed to play instruments! And why was he dressed in a simple, yellow t-shirt instead of one of those silly matching outfits from previous tours?

Could it be? Had the Boys evolved and become an honest to goodness man band?

Still, fans were thrilled as Carter sang the first few lines of “Just Want You to Know.” A four-piece backing band and the rest of the man band – also Brian Littrell (the wholesome one), Kevin Richardson (the old one) and Howie Dorough (the, uh, other one) – joined in for the chorus.

The new album’s sound is more soft rock than bubblegum R&B, with less vocal harmonizing. And Littrell – sporting a shirt that read “Jesus is my No. 1 fan” – took turns singing lead on “Crawling Back to You.”

Next, fans sang along with “I Want It That Way,” the ultra-catchy hit from 1999’s “Millennium.” But there was something missing.

That something became apparent during a soul-inflected version of “As Long As You Love Me,” which sounded as if it had been spliced with a Marvin Gaye number. Before that song, the Backstreet Men had merely pranced around the stage or sat down on a set of stools as they sang. But by mid-song they’d dusted off a few synchro dance moves. Granted, they weren’t nearly as aerobic as the moves the band exhibited in its heyday; probably a good thing since, at Richardson’s age, you’re just as likely to bust your britches as bust a move.

Richardson sat down at a piano as his mates gathered ‘round for “Incomplete.” Carter drew big cheers as she soared to a finale with an arm outstretched.

He was also the one that announced that if fans went to iTunes and downloaed “Crawling Back to You” they would also get the final number, “Weird World,” and that proceeds would benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Carter jumped off stage and delivered part of the song to a few lucky fans in the front row. Other fans surged toward the stage as Littrell went down to the floor.

Then – bam! – it was over, just like that. No “Everybody,” no “Larger Than Life.” But it was a radio showcase, after all. And those are notorious for hit-and-run deliveries.

The Backstreet Boys were the main attractions but technically not the evening’s headliners. Kiss-FM DJ’s encouraged fans to stick around after their set, and about half did to catch Ball Flaggs, a joke band that featured members of the morning show singing badly.

The collective lived down to its debut at Kiss-FM’s Big Freakin’ Deal show this summer. And this reviewer made it through off-key send-ups of New Kids on the Block’s “Hangin’ Tough,” Hanson’s “MMMBop” and ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” before bailing with the other fans trickling out.

A little girl was overheard giving her two cents as she left. “That was stupid,” she said. Indeed. But its doubtful that we've heard the last of Ball Flaggs.

Backstreet Boys set list: Just Want You to Know; Crawling Back to You; I Want It That Way; As Long As You Love Me; Incomplete; Weird World