Backstreet Boys are still 'Larger Than Life'
Boy band concert included old hits, new sounds and plenty of special effects
By Erin Semler
August 21, 2005
Staten Island Advance

Surrounded by an audience of screaming, mostly female, fans of all ages, the Backstreet Boys proved that they still "Got It Goin On" during their two-hour musical extravaganza of their "Never Gone" tour, last Saturday night at the Tweeter Center in New Jersey.

After the five years of silence that separated the release of their third and fourth albums, the Boys were greeted with almost as much enthusiasm as they themselves seemed to share.

The success of the Backstreet re-emergence into the musical world is largely based on the musical shift their sound has made. Knowledgeable enough to realize their fan base has matured, the Boys' new album contains more emotional songs, like "Siberia," "Just Want You to Know," and of course their chart-topping single, "Incomplete," -- all of which reach out to a more mature audience.

However, even if their fans aren't teenyboppers anymore, that doesn't mean they didn't want to hear the Backstreet classics -- "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)," "The Call" and "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely," along with their many other radio hits.

Though the maturity level of their music and performance has undeniably increased, the boys proved that they still knew how to get a party started. The show was filled with not only a superb musical experience, but with tons of special effects, such as lasers, artificial snow, fireworks, video clips and the amazing choreography, which made them the kings of the '90s boy band era, and a legendary part of music history.