After the autograph session, we trooped over to the Winnipeg Convention Center to get into another line. Oh yes, much more fun awaited us! First of all there was two lines, they both went to the same place, but we were split up at different ends of the Center. Since the concert was rush seating (never again will I go to anywhere like this!!!), we had to do this, and we had to wait in line for about 3 hours, standing, again.

We waited and waited and stood again, with pre-teens who seemed to mulitply by the minute as their "friends" kept joining them. The lines became long and the crowd became very tired, again. We couldn't sit on the ground, it was VERY dirty. So we either crouched or stood, and wondered hy in the world were we doing this? Finally at 6:30, the gates were opened. But at the other end of the center (across from us), it seemed their gates were opening faster! So there was a mad rush at both ends, and once again we became packed sardines, but were squeezed and pushed much more! (It's those rowdy parents I tell you!)

Suddenly our end was stopped from entering because we were going too fast and pushing too much. so as they made us wait for nothing, the other end got to go in! Finall, finally, we got to go in and rush up the stairs... to see.... this big room. It was the "main" Convention Center Room, but it had no seats, like we thought. And it also didn't have the bleachers at the side, like we thought as well. Instead the bleachers were far at the back, and it was standing room only.

We sat down on the floor, which was cleaner, and drank tons of water and just relaxed. Though other fans that were closer to the stage would not sit down, and the officials kept yelling at them for about 20 minutes to sit, or else. Well finally we all stood up, protesting them I guess, and a local DJ came to thank us for coming and to ask us if we had any presents to throw them now on the stage. Well of course a flood of flowers, notes, stuffed animals, and who knows what else (I really don't want to know), came pouring onto the stage, and then a group of guys came and swept it all up, putting it into plastic bags, making us feel really reassured that BSB would be getting everything... right.

The opening act started first (of course), but all the fans wanted was BSB, myself included. So any motion or movement from the upcoming opening act was accompanied by ecstatic cheers and screeches from the crowd... "Oh my god!!! It's somebody's shadow! AAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!" (you get the point). Glenn Lewis was BSB's opening act and he was fine. But all I wanted to see was my Boyz! He seemed to take forever, but finally he was done!!!

All the lights turned off at about 8:00 PM and soon the BSB names were shown on a huge screen above the stage! It first had their names and then pictures of the boys, starting from infants... to the babes they are now. And suddenly, they appeared! The memories of the autograph session vanished, and all I concentrated on was them! They were wearing snowsuits... sort of. Big and bulky, but of course cool. Nick and Howie were wearing white... Pillsbury Dough Boy anyone ;) Kevin and AJ were wearing red, and Brian in blue. They came up to the front of the stage (we were at stage right), and started dancing around. The first song was of course "We've Got It Going On", which was a faster dance version. I was so shocked at seeing them, like this! They were sort of all glamourous and stuff. After that hyped up number, they all took off their jackets to reveal very toned bodies. Everyone but Nick, (hey babe! you've got a nice body!) had tank tops on. Then they sand "Let's Have A Party", which is on Groove Station 3 and the UK version of the CD. It was an okay song, but not one of my faves.

Then at the end of this song they all went behind the stage and then each of them came out and said a little "personalized" message to the crowd. I didn't know if I should laugh, or not laugh I guess... it was kinda cheesy. They all sort of said; We love you, Winnipeg, (they kept saying where we were from as if we forgot!), we love you fans (or I love you guys!! (Thanks Nick)), and how thankful that we were there... and yada yada hey. Then they all came out as a group, sat on stools and did an acapella section. First they started off with Colour Me Badd ("I Adore, Me Amor"), then Boyz II Men ("End of the Road"), and started off on a song from their second album. But then Brian had to interupt them (BRIAN!!!!) and said that they shouldn't finished, cause we should wait for the second album... SIGH! This was one of the better parts, since we really got to see and hear how good they were. It also brought back memories of that Montreal tape they did, when they sang acapella to a certain song... something along the lines of "Baby I'm Yours"... now who was it by? Anyways, then they finished off with "I'll Never Break Your Heart", though I don't remember Kevin doing his lovely intro.

Then came their individual parts, again. First was Kevin, this is when I truely, madly, and deeply started freaking out. Christy can back me up on this, cause she was the one who was right next to me as I jumped up and down, screaming at Kevin. And do you know why? It was because he looked so gorgeous! He had on a dark blue suit, with a white shirt underneath, but only one button done up. Yes, I had to continue stop drooling. He sang the most sweetest song, though of course with us having the Canadian CD, his song, "Nobody But You", wasn't on it, and we didn't recognize it. All I knew is that Kevin is highly underated, and is a excellent singer and has great talent... (so to Kevin, sing some more!!!).

Then out came Howie in a purple suit. He sang Betcha By Golly Wow, ( I think he likes Prince's songs.) It was okay, but not my fave. Though he did take his jacket AND shirt off, causeing the crowd to become very loud and his singing became drowned out

Brian came out next, causing me to start jumping up and down again, he had on a suit, sort of a "Honey, I'm home from work" look. There was a table and a picture of some girl, and he had to act about... whatever. He sang "One Last Call" (this I am told... I never recognized the song). When I found out what song he COULD have been singing, I was SO mad!!!! He could have sang (he did in Toronto!!!) "How Deep Is Your Love", by the Bee Gees and re-done by Take That (of course I have my dedication site to them...!). Next time if he does sing it, I will die right there and then and be totally fullfilled!

Last, but not least, was A.J. He came out in a red outfit, with a black hat, and a cane as a prop. He sang a Mark Morrison song, I think. I can't quite remember, but at the end, the rest of the boyz came out and joined in. They also introduced all the band members at this point, and some of the boyz took the instruments and started playing. Then half of them came to one side of the stage, and the other half went to the other side and they sang "Darlin'", with one side of the room singing "Darlin'" and the rest of the room singing "tell me what to do to make things right". I think Kevin did his intro for that one.

Then came the part that I've seen before... but only on tapes! Nick and Kevin came out for a duet!!! It was so fabulous. Nick is such an excellent drummer, what talent! He sings as good as he drums, he's almost a better drummer! And Kevin! On the piano, he could have melted the coldest heart, any day. Kevin showed us what an awesome voice he had, by singing "Ten Thousand Promises" (on the next album, of course!). It kinda reminded me of "One Million Love Songs", by Take That. But the "bad" part was, they had a camera pointed at Nick for some parts (wherever the camera was, a huge screen broadcasted the images), the crowd went into a frenzee!!! You couldn't hear a thing. Of course Nick was getting all the attention (which he loves), and poor Kevin... well he was getting drowned out!

At the end of that part, they all came out and sang "Anywhere For You", which AGAIN is not on the Canadian album, but we know it from the BSB video and we sang along anyways. They went back again later for anothe costume change

This time they came out in Tommy Hilfiger clothing, though I'm sure the clothes before were Hilfiger, just didn't have the TH45 logo or "Tommy Hilfiger" on it. Brian had a band around his neck saying "Tommy Hilfiger". He stayed by our side the entire time and even jumped off the stage... he was SO close!!! Almost two or three feet away, but then he jumped back up! They sang "I Wanna Be With You", which was excellent. Finally they took off their jackets and sang "Get Down", and I started jumping around again! Talk about a workout! Everytime Brian or Kevin would come over to our side, I'd start jumping and screaming again. Heck, they were about 10 feet away!

After that, they came back for an encore.... "Quit Playing Games With My Heart"! One of my faves!!! Of course everyone must know that this is the famous "wet video", and Nick sure made it wet, when he took a bottle of water and poured it over himself... very nice indeed. I'm sure some young ladies had their hearts pumping like mad! Then it was over, all too soon! The lights came on, and we almost dropped dead, either from excitement at the concert or from sheer exhastion, 16 hours in contacts is not fun.

One thing is for sure, they made up for the autograph session many, many times over. It was one of the best concerts I've been too, if only it hadn't been rush seating. Many people did have to be "taken over the lines", about 150, either from fainting or passing out... or things like that. It was over too soon, and wasn't long enough, though of course with one album, what can you expect. It was a fast paced concert, with them always singing, dancing, and moving about. Though of course the Winnipeg Newspapers didn't think that. They gave them awful reviews, with the Winnipeg Free Press giving them 2 out of 5 stars, and the Winnipeg Sun giving them 5 out of 5, but to remove one star for each year over 14 you happen to be. The reviewers criticised the boys for singing to some pre-taped vocals... hello? If those stupid reviewers ever tried dancing and moving and jumping and THEN singing... I don't think they could pull it off. They were compared to all the other pre-teen acts... NKOTB for example.. but I won't go there.

And I'm so glad that I live in Winnipeg... (I'm being sarcastic here), because this city, out of all the other Canadian cities (and all the other tour stops here), was the ONLY place to give them bad reviews. Uhh... thanks to John Lyons and Bartley Kives for that great Winnipeg accomplishment.

Sure the Boyz are good looking, duh! But they CAN sing, they wouldn't have sold 600,000 copies of their album in Canada if they couldn't. Good looks do help, and those boys do have them, but their voices are what makes their career.... and their future. So when they come back... (Oh, please, PLEASE!!!) Winnipeg will hopefully do a much, MUCH, better job at supporting them and showing them what a "Friendly" (yeah, it's on our license plates) province this is, and how hospitible we can be. But just in case I'll keep my fingers crossed and say that the Backstreet Boys can not be beat!