During the sold-out afternoon concert, one member of the teen idol band, Alexander A.J. McLean, apparently suffered a torn ligament in his leg.
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital early yesterday evening, where he was kept overnight for treatment.
The other four heartthrobs carried on for the evening show. But for those who missed him at Sun's exclusive poster on Pages 38-39 showing him performing in the afternoon show.
"We believe he hurt his leg during the afternoon show," said Cam Carpenter of BMG Records. "He will stay in the hospital while we wait on a specialist."
A spokesman for Mount Sinai assured McLean's mother and manager that he will be back on his feet in time for the popular band's next gig in Montreal.
Some 16,000 fans who packed the Molson Amphitheatre waited in ignorant bliss for the concert to begin.
For the afternoon show, it was a Backstreet bonanza for mainly pre-teen and adolescent girls.
'They're amazing'
Sitting on concrete with the sun blazing down on them, Lucy Messore, 16, and Amber Decaria, 17, both of Etobicoke, waited in line for more than eight hours to snag good lawn seats for the 8 p.m. show.
"They're amazing - like, everything they sing is amazing," said Decaria.
"And they're so good-looking, especially Brian," Messore piped in.
Inside the stadium, the piercing shrieks of hyped-up fans, many wearing the requisite Backstreet Boys shirts, nearly overpowered the music. Girls waved hands and signs professing their love for group members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, McLean, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. Those who saw the afternoon concert at 2:30 p.m. were hoarse from screaming so much.
"It was so awesome," said Rose Lipton, 12, of Newmarket. "I screamed, I cried a lot - it was a happy crying." Littrell is Lipton's fave.
"He's so hot and funny and sweet and nice," she said. She and a friend are proud owners of loads of Backstreet merchandise, from T-shirts to posters and pens. "It's an obsession," Lipton said.
August 23, 1998