My Day With The Backstreet Boys - September 28, 2001

Tonight was my first time ever seeing the Backstreet Boys in concert, and it was an experience I'll never forget. They finally came back to Edmonton. The first time in three years.

My friend Laura came with me. We got to Skyreach around 5:30 pm and walked around the venue outside to see what was going on and maybe a glimpse of something exciting like say, the Boys entering the building.

No such luck. We met a couple girls who were sitting along the fence by the backstage entrance. We thought they looked interesting in their silver and blue sequined cowboy hats, and these amazing long coats they made out of iron-on BSB photos! We had to ask them how long those took to make. They said about six months. Like, woah.

They told us they had gone to see the Boys in Calgary already and came up to see them. They also met Brian that morning who came over to visit them. They made Brian a sequined hat too. Leighanne came outside to see them too and told them she had just finished making Brian a grilled cheese sandwich (aaawww, how romantic) They also said the Boys were staying at the Westin Hotel downtown. Supposedly Kevin and Howie went to the Silvercity IMAX theatre in West Edmonton Mall earlier in the day.

We found our seats, which were pretty decent. Thank goodness I bought the fan club membership the day before they went on sale! We were on the side of the stage, row 15. Very nice. The pictures I took weren't that good but oh well!

Sisqo opened the show with what seemed like a short set of maybe 4 or 5 songs, the last one being the infamous "Thong Song". He did a decent job as the warmup act. He was hosting an after party that night at The Joint nightclub so we figured we'd check that out later.

Before the BSB came out they got a hyped response from the crowd by showing a Polaroid commercial featuring the Boys on the big screens. Then a couple young ladies came out onstage to annouce some contest winners for Polaroid. One girl had one of the Boys' half-eaten pop tart in her hand and offered to throw it into the crowd, but never did. They gave away a Polaroid camera with a picture taken on it of the BSB backstage, and all 5 Boys signed the camera. Nice prize.

The lights went down and we went nuts! They opened the show with the big screen showing a series of meteors hitting the earth, and big pyro flame bursts went off with each hit. Then these dancers in shredded Ewok costumes (don't know what else to call them!) were on both sides of the stage. The Boys finally rose from below the stage on giant pillars. Finally! I was really overjoyed to see them live in concert after being a fan for a few years now.

THE SET LIST (not in particular order)
Everyone
Larger Than Life
The Call
Shape Of My Heart
Get Another Boyfriend
Shining Star
Yes I Will
Not For Me
Answer To Our Life
Time
More Than That
How Did I Fall In Love With You
What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful)
If You Stay
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
As Long As You Love Me
All I Have To Give
Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
I Want It That Way
Show Me The Meaning (Of Being Lonely)
Don't Want You Back
The One
Drowning

HIGHLIGHTS

Nick getting off his stool and tripping, then dropping the mic. I think that's what happened. He kinda looked at the crowd like "....what??" and shrugged.

When Kevin was speaking to the audience, the other 4 Boys were sitting on a stair-like structure. Nick pointed at A.J.'s eye or face like there was something on it. Then proceeded to pick it off. The things they do when they think no one's paying attention.

A.J.'s thanks for the fans' support and announcing his 68th day of sobriety.

Nick hyping up the crowd with the usual "which side is the loudest?" contest. Always fun.

The Oiler's jerseys. The best moment. And Bri ripped the arms off his. They wore them for at least 3 songs. Oilers' captain Jason Smith gave them to the BSB before the show.

Kevin's cornrows.

Howie's haircut. And getting to sing many leads.

Nick doing a lot of new embellishment with his singing that I have never heard him do before. Many times he went for the high notes. Being a singer, I was impressed. I said "Nice!" out loud even. Too bad the sound in the coliseum is not so impressive.

Brian doing a lot of waving and smiling as usual.

The video sequence - flash forward in time to the year 2050. Where are the Boys now? With a lot of makeup and wearing frilly blue suits, the Boys are transformed into old men. Brian looking the most amusing in a wheelchair, holding a basketball. Nick cracked me up, looking goofy and his comments. Then shaking his butt.

Nick decides to tell the other "fellas" about his idea. Changing on stage. Well of course the crowd goes psycho. A big wardrobe case is brought on stage. So Brian jumps into it and disapears first. Then Nick. Howie makes and "eeew" face and says to Nick down inside "you stink!" AJ goes next and makes a fart noise going down. Kevin is now alone with the crowd and sings a little song he says he's been working on. It goes, "Sitting here looking at the girl in the first row...etc.." and then stops cuz he's just playin'. Kevin enters last and the case is closed. The arena goes dark, and on to the next video sequence. The Boys below the stage, showing their changing area off. Goofing off, singing "Just To Be Close" acapella, fighting for rights to check themselves out in the mirror, etc..

Then they suddenly appear across the arena on a small stage set up so that the fans at the back get a chance to see them close up. What a nice idea. The sang "Show Me The Meaning" out there and "How Did I Fall". SMTM was dedicated to tour carpenter Daniel Lee, who died on a plane that crashed into the WTC when he was on his way to L.A. to see his wife give birth to their first child. Daniel's photo was projected on the big screen. A nice dedication.

A large walkway that spanned across Skyreach, over the crowd, was lowered from the ceiling so the Boys could walk across back to the main stage. They sang "Time" as they made their way over it. AJ practicaly hung off it at one point. I think someone threw pink panties at them.

I love it when they say "Edmonton".

Nick was on our side of the stage most of the show...woohoo! My lucky friend Lis in front row must have had him in front of her most of the night! That was sweet.

My camera ran out of film before Nick and Brian came to our side of the stage in their Oilers' jerseys AND before A.J. came and visited us shirt-over-head, tattoos showing and all. ACK! Frustration.

A fan made AJ a nice banner on a towel/cloth that said AJ! YOU DID IT! And threw it up to him. He really liked it and looked happy to receive it.

Nick came to our side of the stage, then looked like he was about to slip and fall on his way back.

Nick likes to point out certain fans to the other Boys.

AJ and Nick played drums, Brian played guitar, and Howie played some impressive cowbell during "Answer To Our Life".

Nick grabbed the cables that held up the end of the stage on our side and looked like he was gonna get as close to the crowd as possible! Still not as close to me as I would hope.

Nick went nuts when introducing the band. Especially during the drum solo.
I seem to have noticed A LOT of things Nick did. hmmmm....

Near the end, while the Boys still had their Oilers' gear on, the dancers came out with Canadian and American flags and celebrated the unity with their dancing. It was a nice touch. During the final bow they held them as well. But it wasn't exactly the final bow.

The end of the show, so sad to see them leave! I thought they couldn't possibly do an encore because they sang everything that was a hit... then they came back up through the stage floor with "Drowning". Ahhh, I was pleased.

So when it was all over, we made a mad rush to get out there and to my car. We were headed to Sisqo's afterparty, but decided to take a chance and go to the hotel.

There seemed to be about 15 girls outside the hotel, hoping to meet a Boy. The great thing about BSB fans is how nice they are and willing to help out other BSB fans. The girls we met lent me a pen (which I forgot to give back, I felt bad about that) in case the Boys signed autographs. I only had my ticket stub, but that would be a nice thing to have signed. Plus my camera had run out of film during the show. I didn't imagine we'd be there at the hotel afterwards and I might need some film! Oops.

A bus pulls up. We go nuts wondering who it is. Security is around and they are trying to bring in luggage off the bus, as well as clear space for the bus passengers to get through the hotel doors. It's GOT to be a BSB.

After a good 10 minutes, the bus door opens, and WOAH! I think my heart stopped. Nick Carter was getting off the bus.

It was a bit of a blur, but I think he was wearing a black wifebeater and track pants, carrying a bag over his shoulder. He didn't smile, he looked tired and disinterested in the idea of greeting fans at that particular moment. He didn't look mean or anything, but you could tell he just wanted to go to his room.

I cannot believe Nick Carter was a foot away from me. He looks amazing in person. Pictures don't do these Boys justice. As he walked by, all I could do was stare. I remember him saying "Hi" to somebody, maybe he said more, I can't recall. Then a guard said to let him through, he would come downstairs later and sign autographs. So we watched him enter the hotel and go who-knows-where.

I couldn't believe our luck! I also couldn't believe I was out of film. I asked a girl if we actually got to take pictures with him if she would take the picture and I would pay her for it. Like I said, BSB fans are nice. She said it was no problem.

So I am on Laura's cell calling my friend to tell him what was going on, and next thing I know, AJ McLean is standing in front of me, surrounded by girls and a bodyguard holding people away from AJ so he can get through.

"AJ's here! Gotta go, bye." I hang up on my friend.

He is a little shorter than I expected, but seemed really friendly and took a short amount of time to greet fans. I heard many give him props for his sobriety and he was grateful. Then he said he could only sign 2 more. I was near him then! I stuck out my ticket stub, and I can't believe he actually grabbed it! He had a black marker. He signed it RIGHT in front of me (man did he make me feel tall). I didn't know what to say to him, so I just opened my mouth and uttered "Congratulations." He said "Thankyou very much". Then he was gone. I still find it hard to believe I spoke to him, even if it was only one word, not a real conversation. Laura touched his back. Boy, am I glad we went to the hotel.

So everyone is still waiting for Nick to come downstairs. Waiting for a LONG time. Some of us are wondering whether we should leave and go to Sisqo's party, maybe they were there. Maybe Nick wasn't coming down. Maybe he snuck out the back door. Some people said a cab driver reported the BSB were at Nashville's nightclub. So we called there. No, now they're supposed to be at the Joint partying with Sisqo. One lady told me AJ had been trying to use the bank machine at the hotel but it wasn't working so he went out to the Royal Bank. That's were he was heading when he met us. So were are all confused and don't want to leave in case we miss Nick.

Well soon the hotel security made that decision easier for us when they kicked us out of the hotel. They said no Backstreet Boy is coming down to sign autographs. They're all staying upstairs. Time to leave.

Now we go to the Joint, wait half an hour in a lineup. I have never seen it so packed in there! You could barely walk anywhere. Lots of pushing going on. Now if the Boys were there at all, no fans could see them anyways, because anyone famous would be in the VIP room upstairs. At least we saw Sisqo again for a little bit. After we got sick of seeing girls showing their thongs and being squished, we left.
That was my Backstreet experience here in Edmonton. I am really grateful that I got a chance to see them as well as meet AJ. Even if some consider them just another boyband, they are an incredibly talented group of singers who deserve credit for leading the pop resurgence and giving their all to their fans. They are more than just an average factory-packaged production. Sure, their stage show is something of a phenomenon, but behind the spectacle that follows them wherever they go, it takes true heart to go on that stage night after night and give so much to so many. They have worked hard for years and deserve the success they achieved. I hope they remain as music makers well into the years and outlast the cynicism of the music industry. With every note and every outpour of emotion, the Backstreet Boys prove why they are a cut above the rest. ~Naomi