After four years, five bring the house down
By George A. Paul
August 27, 2005
The OC Register

Backstreet's back. But are they still alright?

On Thursday night, the pop vocal quintet (using the term "boy band" is pointless, considering members are now 25-33 years old) returned to Orange County for the first time in four years and brought the house down.

Although Backstreet Boys can't pack 'em in like they used to (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater was only about three-quarters full and the lawn was empty, despite this being the group's only Southern California appearance), fans who turned up were wildly enthusiastic.

The female-centric crowd was dominated by tweens, teenage girls who sported identical homemade T-shirts and waved glow sticks, older mothers and their college-age daughters and young women who dragged their boyfriends along (one guy behind me sat forlornly in his seat as the entire row was standing). Loud shrieking continued throughout the 1 hour, 45-minute concert.

Some things never change - just like the critical derision that has followed Backstreet Boys over the past decade. Yes, the lyrics can be clunky. Still, given the choice of listening to Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync, I'd choose the former, whose catalog stands up better.

The latest Backstreet disc, "Never Gone," is actually decent and a few tunes are just as infectious as the group's biggest smashes. People continue to pay attention: the album has been certified platinum, while the singles "Just Want You To Know" (a highlight in Irvine) and sweeping "Incomplete" are both among the top 40 at pop and adult contemporary stations.

A burst of fireworks signaled the Backstreet Boys' arrival on stage. All five members marched down a lighted staircase to open the 21-song show with "The Call." AJ McLean (the rebellious one), was shaky on lead-off vocals, but recovered once his bandmates joined in. He and Nick Carter (the young one, who tires out the quickest) were awkward during the lurching R&B strains of "My Beautiful Woman" - the first of eight selections from "Never Gone."

Brian Littrell (the spiritual one) started most ballads before trading off with the others. He helped propel "Climbing the Walls" to an impressive dramatic crescendo while Carter played guitar. Carter often picked up an acoustic or electric, trying to portray himself as a rocker. It didn't work.

However, the five-piece backing band's fresh arrangements on several tunes sure did.

The strong "Shape of My Heart" was given a harder edge, a smooth "I Want It That Way" used Human League's "Human" as its basis, "Larger Than Life" got more funky with a slammin' Prince groove and a snatch of Zapp, the romantic "As Long as You Love Me" was built around The Spinners' "I'll Be Around" and discofied "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" was injected with a bit of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." All came across like cool mash-ups, only without the original lyrics.

Fans were treated to everything off "The Hits - Chapter One," well-choreographed dance routines (the most memorable, featuring the guys in fedoras and dress jackets, began during "All I Have to Give"), clip montages during costume changes and a faux snowstorm amid "Siberia." For the most part, Backstreet Boys - Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson in particular - were in fine vocal form and had fun. By the end, Backstreet Boys proved solid harmonic interplay never goes out of style. Pop music history is littered with teen icons unable to bridge the gap to adult popularity, from David Cassidy and Leif Garrett to New Kids on the Block.

Hoping to avoid that trend, this year the Backstreet Boys Nick Carter, 25; Howie Dorough, 32; Brian Littrell, 30; A.J. McLean, 27; and Kevin Richardson, 33 reunited to release their first album in five years, June's "Never Gone."

Chase said his station carefully considered whether to add leadoff track "Incomplete" to its rotation.

"This is a rhythmic-slash-rock market. Pop has been struggling here for a long time. So there was a little resistance because it's a pop record," Chase said.

"And the fact that it was Backstreet Boys was also a consideration. Are we gonna look like we're selling out playing the Backstreet Boys? And how is that gonna flow right next to a Papa Roach song or a Nickelback song or a Green Day song? Is it gonna sound like a train wreck?"

Mix 94.1 added the song on Aug. 5, and response has been mostly positive, Chase said.

"We're getting requests from all spectrums of the demo. We're getting teenage requests and we're getting requests from women that are a little older," Chase said. "I even get men who say, 'I don't want to admit it ... but I really like this song.' So it's appealing to a wide audience."

Thomas didn't have to ponder over whether to play the latest Destiny's Child single on KLUC. The group Knowles, 23; Kelly Rowland, 23; and Michelle Williams, 24 has remained popular in the Southern Nevada market since achieving stardom during the late 1990s.

"I think their appeal is pretty broad," Thomas said. "When you've got people like Beyonce, who are idolized and not only doing videos and music, but also doing movies and red carpets ... I think that has a lot to do with it."

The three women reunited to record and tour behind November's "Destiny Fulfilled." The trio have announced that the project, their first new studio effort since 2001, will be their last group effort, with all three moving on to pursue the solo careers they launched during the Destiny's Child hiatus.

Thomas said Destiny's Child's skillful transition from pre-pubescent performers to adult superstars separates them from most teen pop idols.

"When you look at history -- whether it's been the Osmonds, the New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys or 'NSync -- their biggest challenges were that they became so large with such a small portion of the audience who really drives record sales and drives the passion, and as they grew older they kind of outgrew them," Thomas said.

"Whereas, Destiny's Child and artists like that have an opportunity to morph. Whitney Houston and Madonna were huge teen artists when they first came out, but they were able to change their sound as their listeners dictated and stay relevant with the younger audience but still keep their fans who've grown up with them."

But ultimately, for many young musicians, maturing might just mean coming to terms with the next phase of life, one that might not include long-term stardom.

"The record labels aren't looking to sign your Luther Vandrosses, the older artists. They're looking for the younger artist, 17 to about 22 years old, and a three- or four-album longevity," Flowers said.

"And by the time you've gone through that third or fourth album, you could be looking at seven years in the business. So if you've got seven years out, you've done wonderfully." Three costume-change interludes -- during which the Backstreet Boys departed and showed salad-day video highlights -- killed momentum and indicated that the quintet is suffering from an identity crisis. Yet, when the band slipped on its dancing shoes and flashed its winking smiles, girls shrieked and legs moved. Albeit sappy, the older Top 40 smashes had the mid-tempo grooves, innocent hooks, new-jack smoothness and hand-clapping beats the dull new material desperately needed.

Even though they garnered the biggest responses, the "classics" composed just half of the 110-minute set. Inexplicably saved for last, "Everybody" served as an instant party-starter, briefly providing the rush of guilty-pleasure fun and dance-floor excitement fans thirsted for all evening.