The Backstreet Boys took the stage promptly at 9 p.m., igniting a bonfire of primal, adolescent squeals (imagine the screech of 10,000 whistles)--a sound that waned only slightly over the next 75 minutes.

When it comes to keeping a crowd stoked, the Boys know all the tricks. Every time things got a bit quiet, someone on stage bared a shoulder or chest, or flexed, shook or wiggled something--a leg, an arm, the hips (especially the hips)--and the noise erupted again, volcanically.

Performing before a six-piece band, the Boys delivered a boisterous set of radio-ready pop funk tunes, embellishing each with some lively but unpolished dance routines. The sometimes clunky dancing is forgivable, though, because the group's undeniable strength is its vocals: four-and five-part harmonies that easily rival Boyz II Men's.

The crowd got what it wanted: nearly every tune from the blockbuster "Backstreet Boys" record, including, "Anywhere For You", the megahit "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)" and the wild gala that closed the show, "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."