'N Sync uses all bells and whistles
By Michael Mehle - Rocky Mountain News
News Popular Music Writer
'N Sync's second headlining show at McNichols Arena came just seven months after its first, a short break by music industry standards, but nearly an eternity for an 8-year-old.
It's called striking while the iron is hot, and few acts are burning brighter in 1999 than 'N Sync -- at least when it comes to the nation's growing pre-teen concert crowd.
Monday's sold-out show started with a lengthy video skit starring the 'N Sync fivesome as Mission: Impossible daredevils out to thwart an evil killjoy who has taken control of the arena. On cue, the group descended onto the stage, dangled by ropes (no WWF accident here) and kicked off with Here We Go.
That set the tone for an 80-minute spectacle that was a bit grander, theatrical and slicker than the group's first McNichols effort back in January.
Mind you, the main elements were all the same. It's hard to tinker with the Florida quintet's suburbanized R&B and smooth ballads, and there are only so many dance steps to be choreographed.
The evening's biggest new wrinkle included a video and song extravaganza that walked fans through the decades. For the '60s, the quintet acted like the Fab Five, bouncing their heads (and playing instruments!) for That Thing You Do -- a song not from the '60s, but actually from a movie about the '60s.
For the '70s, 'N Sync made like a white Jackson Five for a medley of tunes while decked out in predictably garish thrift store rejects. For the '80s, the group looked suspiciously like New Kids on the Block wearing baggy suits and hats while singing Kool and the Gang's Celebrate.
And for the '90s? 'N Sync gave a tip of the hat to -- 'N Sync. Ignoring the decade's first nine years, the group performed its own Crazy for You in front of a video montage of all the fan pandemonium of the past year.
In the end, the whole "decades" production chewed up nearly half the show, and the video portion smacked of concert filler. But then what's a band to do when it has only one album?
The group also used all its other tricks, including pulling female fans on stage for For the Girl Who Has Everything, starting I Drive Myself Crazy with a slick a cappella intro and toying with the audience before finally finishing God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You.
In the end, no one could accuse the group of not putting on a show, given 'N Sync used all the bells and whistles available to a boys' band with a young following.
And help is on the way when it comes to the thin song-list. Thankfully, the group will have more material soon. The quintet has taken a few dates off on this tour to finish work on its second album, which should be out this fall.
Opening act Jordan Knight showed that even an old kid on the block can play the same game, wowing the crowd with a combination of slick dance moves, pre-programmed beats and safe R&B grooves.
Boy Crazy
'N Sync receives a raucous response to an entertaining mix of song, dance
BY CANDACE MURPHY
Mercury News Pop Music Writer
LEST YOU think 'N Sync appeals only to the ladies, think again.
Sure, most of the sold-out crowd at Shoreline Saturday evening was teeming with teenage girls uniformed in halter tops, backless blouses and tube tops. They carried signs like the polygamist plea to ``Marry me 'N Sync!'' and the Jessie Jacksonseque ``The moves he be bustin' Julie's lustin' Justin.''
But there were also the guys in the crowd who dug J.C., Joey, Lance, Chris and the obvious crowd favorite, Justin. And the most entertaining fan was the fellow who arrived at the Mountain View amphitheater with ``'N Sync'' scrawled in red paint on his left jowl. In his hands he clutched a handmade sign that read ``Hi Justin from Scott'' on one side and ``I drive myself crazy for 'N Sync'' on the other. He wore a white sweatshirt that read ``'N Sync wants you back.'' On the baggy white hospital scrubs he wore for pants, he had crudely written the first names of all the 'N Sync boys in red. it was enough to make you wonder if the guy had recently escaped from the 'N Sane Asylum.
But this is what happens when hysteria meets pop music. And this summer, more than any other in recent history, a bevy of boy groups has paraded across the national stage, singing a little, dancing a lot, and raking in babysitting money by the truckload.
Saturday's concert alone, whose $35 tickets sold out in hours, commanded scalped ticket prices of more than $100. Pretty heady stuff for 'N Sync, a group that emerged from Orlando, Fla., just three years ago and has since scored major hits like ``I Want You Back'' and ``Tearing at My Heart,'' songs that the boys sang as an encore.
While not worth a C-note, Saturday's concert was definitely worth the face value that most fans paid. 'N Sync's 90-minute set was entertaining, albeit vocally underwhelming, and supporting act Jordan Knight was positively enchanting as both a dancer and modestly talented singer. Also on the bill were Third Storee, a hip-hop flavored foursome out of Los Angeles, and Shanice, best known for her 1990 hit, ``I Love Your Smile.''
The evening really hit its groove when Knight, a falsetto who served, for all practical purposes, as the lead singer of the New Kids on the Block, appeared on stage. Put plainly, little Jordan is all grown up.
Dressed in snazzy black cargo pants, a black shirt (we found out later it was sleeveless, all the better to show off his biceps and triceps) and hip-length black jacket, Knight appeared to be some sort of hybrid of George Michael, Donny Osmond, and that jet-black-haired bad boy you dated briefly but had to dump when your parents threatened to disinherit you.
Without removing his black wraparound sunglasses, Knight and six backup dancers went straight into ``A Different Party,'' a funky urban soul-styled number that lifts a riff from Sugarloaf's ``Green Eyed Lady.'' He was suave, debonair, and man, could he move.
But then, he talked. ``California! How you feelin' out theh?'' asked Knight in a thick Boston accent. ``I tell you, it feels good to be heah!''
Thankfully, the Boston accent wasn't audible when Knight sang. Kind of like how the English accent that Steve Harwell of Smashmouth has when he sings disappears while he speaks. In Knight's case, that made for thoroughly enjoyable deliveries of ``Give It To You'' and ``Close My Eyes,'' which samples from Kansas' ``Dust in the Wind.''
In the shadows It was a perfect warm-up act for 'N Sync, who the crowd had waited not-so-patiently to see. Throughout the evening, the slightest backstage shadow that could have been J.C., Joey, Lance, Chris or Justin elicited screeches only audible to the ears of a canine. But you almost felt sorry for the maniacal crowd, especially when some impish backstage hands strolled behind a see-through mesh portion of the curtain on the right side of the stage, pretended to be 'N Sync and caused numerous heart palpitations. Hopefully the fawning supporters realized it wasn't the quintet when 'N Sync actually came on stage and the impostors remained where they were.
But that moment didn't come until 9:25 p.m., when the lights finally dimmed. The boys took the stage in the opulent style so typical of these boy groups. This time it was a video of a crazy man who said he had taken over the amphitheater, had blocked the exits, was holding the crowd hostage and said 'N Sync wouldn't perform.
Of course no one can stop 'N Sync, and ultimately, after some blinding explosions that actually made your heart stop, and some fake helicopter sounds and lights, 'N Sync rappelled from the rafters and onto the stage. Dressed in black plastic jumpsuits, they sang and aerobicized to ``Here We Go,'' ``You Got It,'' and ``For the Girl Who Has Everything,'' the evening's token folding chair dance routine.
Perhaps the night's most interesting moments came next, when the boys exited the stage and a pseudo-documentary about the '60s aired on a giant screen. When it ended, the guys were all there in red jackets, behind instruments, yes, you read that right, and proceeded to cover ``That Thing You Do.'' Who cares that the song and movie are from 1996? At least we saw the boys doing something besides Dallas Cheerleader-like choreography.
Jackson Five medley
The '70s followed, with the boys wearing Afros and singing a medley of Jackson Five tunes, then the '80s with a cover of ``Celebration.'' And the '90s, duh, were all about 'N Sync. The evening was pretty predictable after that, with ``Crazy For You'' and ``I Drive Myself Crazy.'' After that came ``I Just Wanna Be With You,'' which also has a lyric about going crazy, making it official that 'N Sync uses the word ``crazy'' more often than any other band in the universe.
But given the evening's 'N Sanity for 'N Sync, it was all too fitting.
Contact Candace Murphy at [email protected] or (408) 920-5046.
N SYNC shows they've come into their own as a song-and-dance band
By KIERAN GRANT
Toronto Sun
TORONTO -- The name of 'N SYNC's upcoming new album is No Strings Attached. And there couldn't have been a more fitting pronouncement than that for the five-man pop group's performance at the Molson Amphitheatre last night. Okay, so every one of the 16,000 screaming fans in attendance at the sold-out show would likely tell you in a fluttering heartbeat that these guys are not pop marionettes.
But like their Orlando cross-town rivals The Backstreet Boys before them, 'N SYNC seemed determined to prove that they've come into their own as a song-and-dance band, on this, the last night of their year-long tour.
Well, mission accomplished.
If the Backstreet Boys upped the ante with their recent album of worthy Top 40 fluff that showed they can write a tune, 'N SYNC's prowess is their knack for pure concert spectacle.
As per teen-scream usual, the music took a backseat last night. Let's face it, those tinkling neo-R&B numbers barely sailed past the lip of the stage before being swallowed up by the roar of the crowd. No biggie, in this case, because the real show here lay in the action. This was karaoke, yeah, but karaoke as staged by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The curtain had barely swung open by the time the 'N SYNC crew had laid the foundation for a show-within-a-show: Appearing on a jumbo screen above the stage, a mad scientist -- didn't catch his name, but with his turtleneck and horn-rimmed specs he looked for all the world like one of us critics, fancy that -- informed the crowd that he had sealed off the entrances and exits. There would be none of "that dreadful noise you call fun music."
The sound of chopper blades, and the 'N SYNC boys' voices on walkie-talkies, informed us otherwise. Sparks indicated that the 'N SYNC-able five were blasting their way in through the roof. Enter JC, Justin, Joey, Lance, and Chris, rappelling down to the stage floor via ropes.
After making entrance like that, the band could hardly top it.
But even at their most cliched moments, the group managed to put a twist on things.
A dozen or so girls and some dude in a gorilla costume (?) were invited on stage for what JC called "the first looooove song of the night," For The Girl Who Has Everything. (Hey, the gorilla was the only one to get a lap dance from Justin.)
The band also used rather icky video projections and songs to run through the past four decades.
The '60s saw the band suited up Beatle-style for the token boy-band-takes-over-the-backing-band's-instruments routine. Their take on the movie theme That Thing You Do was loose and almost thrashy, but fresh. Jackson 5 medley
The '70s featured a Jackson 5 medley complete with Afro wigs (though, fortunately, 'N SYNC left the blackface at home).
The '80s had them dressed up and dancing like forebearers New Kids On The Block; and as for the '90s, well, that was all them, singing their hit Tearin' Out My Heart.
It's probably a good thing 'N SYNC are entertainers and not history professors. But as their own teachers might have told them, they get extra marks for effort.
'N Sync appears in perfect harmony
August 15, 1999
By RICK MITCHELL
Copyright 1999 Houston Chronicle
Midway through their sold-out show Friday night at the Woodlands Pavilion, 'N Sync decided to give the band's young fans a history lesson.
Between newsreel footage of the cultural highlights of the past four decades, the members appeared in costumes representing the most influential groups of past eras.
For the '60s, they impersonated a British Invasion rock band, while singing That Thing You Do. For the '70s, it was the Jackson 5 and their single I Want You Back. For the '80s, Kool and the Gang's Celebrate. And for the '90s, 'N Sync's definitive group of the decade was ... 'N Sync performing Crazy for You.
Despite 6 million sales of the group's self-titled debut album, that would be a bit of a stretch. 'N Sync isn't even the most popular of the current crop of boy-pop vocal groups, a title held by arch rivals the Backstreet Boys.
You wouldn't have guessed that Friday night, though. Anyone taking a decibel test at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion would have a hard time imagining that any current pop act could elicit louder screams from the 13,000 fans -- predominantly female teens and preteens.
They screamed during every song, and they screamed each time one of the members -- who range in age from 18 to 27 -- spoke to the crowd.
They chanted "Justin! Justin!" for 'N Sync's youngest member, Justin Timberlake.
They even screamed at the video images of the group that appeared on the big screens when the members would disappear for another costume change.
Not that there's anything wrong with screaming at pop concerts.
'N Sync puts on a more than credible performance -- within the limits of the bubblegum-pop formula. The group members took the stage by lowering themselves on ropes like members of a SWAT team to the strains of the Mission Impossible theme. Clad in matching in athletic jerseys, they danced in hip-hop formations and took turns on the lead vocals.
Although you can't help but wonder how much is live and how much is on Memorex, the vocal harmonies are creamy-smooth on their signature ballads -- the best of which Friday was God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You. And the choreographed dance steps on the up-tempo, funky tunes -- like For the Girl Who Has Everything -- are, as they say, pretty fly for a bunch of white guys.
Perhaps the sweetest moment of the show was when Timberlake serenaded a preteen fan while holding her hand onstage. The dreamy smile on her face summed up the appeal of bubblegum boy-pop.
At the close of a decade in which rockers competed to see who could sound the most miserable and rappers threatened to kill each other on record, 'N Sync and its brethren offer a nonthreatening introduction to a new generation of pop fans.
Like the sticky stuff for which this music genre is named, the flavor will eventually fade, and the bubble will inevitably burst. But it's fun enough while it lasts.
Former New Kid On the Block Jordan Knight preceded 'N Sync to the stage. At 28, Knight is now an Old Kid compared to the headliners. But he elicited his share of screams by showing off some stylish moves with his company of dancers. He also delivered a surprisingly soulful version of Prince's ballad I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, the latest single from his debut solo album.
From the Houston Chronicle
'N Masse
Quintet unites fans in audible adoration
August 15, 1999
By: Tom Maurstad / The Dallas Morning News
Forget nuclear power; forget solar power. If scientists could figure out a way to harness the power of a little girl's scream, the world's energy problems would be forever solved.
There were 35,000 girls - give or take a few thousand dragged-along parents - at Texas Stadium for the 'N Sync concert Saturday night. And if the stadium's roof didn't already have a giant hole, the concussive force of all those adoring shrieks would have blown one in it.
A two-week streak of oppressive heat couldn't dampen the spirit of 'N Sync's young fans. The stadium floor felt like a giant steam bath. But as all the pre- and mid-adolescent bodies jumped, ran and skipped about, the place looked more like a playground at recess. Parents, of course, were a different story. They were easy to spot, slumped in their seats. A woman with a small battery-powered fan was the envy of all around her.
"Someone already offered me a hundred dollars for it," said Susan Rogers, who brought her 13-year-old daughter and two of her friends. "Not a chance. But I might trade someone for a pair of earplugs."
That sort of consumer spirit proved an essential component of the 'N Sync concert experience - hardly surprising for a tour with several corporate sponsors. Commercials for an herbal shampoo played on the huge video screens before the group took the stage, and a breakfast-cereal giant had a stand where fans lined up to get a picture taken in front of everybody's favorite cartoon tiger. Long lines also formed at the numerous souvenir stands, where $25
T-shirts and $6 glow sticks flew off the makeshift shelves.
The only place there weren't long lines - in an up-is-down reversal for Texas Stadium events - was at the beer stands. As it turns out, selling beer at a teeny-bopper concert is like selling corn on the cob at a denture convention.
"Our goal is 250," said Col. Bill White, keeping the cup tally at a beer stand operated by an ROTC booster club. With 225 sold as 'N Sync's performance neared its conclusion, he gave a slight shrug. "We might make it." And what about a typical Cowboys game? "We'd sell that much before the first quarter was over. We usually sell at least 900."
After five opening acts, 'N Sync took the stage at 9:20 p.m. Their entrance was an elaborate spectacle involving lots of sound effects and prerecorded video footage - as was most of the quintet's 80-minute show. In this way, 'N Sync's performance was a vivid demonstration of the ever-evolving multimedia events concerts have become.
Rock 'n' roll may never die, but rock concerts are another story. With all the costume changes (their first coming within a minute of taking the stage) and videos and other non-live-performance content, a good name for this tour's Web address would be filler.com. Existing somewhere between a Broadway show and an episode of H.R. Pufnstuf, 'N Sync demonstrated just what a dated phrase "live in concert" really is.
As the five singers worked through a set combining songs from their platinum-selling self-titled album and a series of decade-themed covers, the show occurred as a procession of "live" videos. The result was an extravaganza designed for the audience (save for those in the first few rows) to experience by watching not the stage but the giant screens. And judging by all the shrieks and screams, that is just what the fans wanted.
Oh, those screams. Like the Spice Girls' concert last year, Saturday night was a celebration of girl power. In fact, the Spice Boys added a twist to the Spice Girls experience. Texas Stadium wasn't exactly a male-free zone. But while all the girls partied, all the boys in attendance were working, either behind the concession stands or up onstage. Talk about girl power.
MUSIC REVIEW
A (sorta) love letter to the boys of 'N Sync
By Joan Anderman, Globe Correspondent, 07/26/99
Dear 'N Sync: I'm very sorry for all the times I've made fun of you for being a corporate-conceived, prefabricated boy band with mediocre songs and passable harmonies. Your concert was a tour de force. Well, not really, but it was chock full of entertainment value and some actual musical value, too, especially the part where you dressed up in red suits and played ''That Thing You Do'' - on real instruments! I don't think the Backstreet Boys can do
that. In fact, that whole flashback sequence, where you showed film clips from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s and then came out in period costumes to perform music that defined those decades, was really fun. Even though Chris doesn't have much personality outside of those wacky dreadlocks, he sang in a first-rate falsetto during the '70s Jackson Five medley. And that downpour of rainbow confetti during ''Celebrate'' (you guys totally get Kool and the Gang and the '80s) was a real spirit lifter.
Of course, the whole sequence culminated in the presentation of your own band as the voice of the '90s, even though something along the lines of Nirvana's ''Smells Like Teen Spirit'' might possibly have been a more accurate - not to mention well-titled - summation of this musical decade. No matter. ''Crazy for You'' is a very pleasant song, much like ''Here We Go'' and ''For the Girl Who Has Everything'' and ''I Want You Back'' and the other
R&B-flavored dance tunes and ballads you performed. Your five-part harmonies were tight, and each of you sang strong, soulful lead vocals. The accompanying video footage of hysterical fans, though, was a bit like preaching to the converted and seemed sort of conceited, too.
This may sound strange, but the fact that you guys aren't really great dancers was a good thing. So many of the copycat boy bands just seem like well-choreographed gymnasts who took a few voice lessons. I now realize that for 'N Sync the music comes first. The part where you reminisced about the early days (has it already been three years?) - when the five of you used to sit around singing a cappella - was quite persuasive. Those lone, perfectly meshed voices on ''I Drive Myself Crazy'' were really something special. So was your big hit, ''God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You.'' Every girl in that crammed-to-capacity venue thrilled to your unique blend of religion and romance.
And at the end, when you all were lifted by state-of-the-art suspension systems toward the heavens and flew out over the crowd in your all-white outfits singing Christopher Cross's ''Sailing'' while images of your angelic faces in the clouds played on the video screen? You really delivered this crowd to a higher ground.
The point is you guys worked hard to entertain us and did a good job. In the future, I'm going to keep my humorous remarks at your expense to a minimum. Love, Joan.
P.S. Your choice of opening acts is to be commended. Jordan Knight's upbeat R&B tunes supplied fine accompaniment to his six incredible dancers, who were mind-bogglingly edgy and graceful. Sugar Hill Gang is way past its prime, but 1979's ''Rapper's Delight'' was the first rap single to crack the mainstream Top 40, and the group deserved a tip of the hat just for changing the rules. And we should have seen a group like 3rd Storee coming from a mile away. Thanks, 'N Sync, for introducing us to the urban teen band.
P.P.S. Justin, next time you bring your girlfriend, Britney Spears, to a show, don't let her sit at the mixing board. She caused all kinds of foot traffic.
This story ran on page C10 of the Boston Globe on 07/26/99.
© Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.
'N Sync takes New York
By Dina Sansing
'N LUV WITH 'N SYNC: As an intern for seventeen, I've gotten to do a lot of amazing stuff -- like go on model shoots and make gift packages for underprivileged teens -- but none of it compares to last Friday night. Along with seventeen's resident beauty babe Laura, I scored tickets to the 'N Sync concert at Jones Beach, New York. (Tour sponsor Clairol Herbal Essences is launching a brand-new website, www.herbalessences.com, which is why us beauty types got the perk).
The concert was great from the word go: with the salt air blowing and the golden sun setting, 'N Sync appeared to the Mission: Impossible theme. A helicopter even flew above the crowd! The entire show was filled with enormous amounts of energy from the guys and heartfelt love songs that left the crowd yearning for more. Okay, I admit it, I was hooked, too.
But even seventeen beauty editors weren't allowed backstage. So with all the stealth of a couple of FBI agents, we somehow finagled our way in. Backstage, it was only us and the crew, so we tried to look like we knew what we were doing. Someone directed us over to some picnic tables ... and when we sat down, we realized that Joey was sitting at the table next to us. All of a sudden, Lance, Chris, and Justin were there, too! Expecting to see tons of screaming girls bombarding them, I was surprised to see them lounging around, talking to their families and friends. And then I realized, 'N Sync are just five normal guys who happen to sing and break records -- like being the first group ever to sell out at Jones Beach four nights in a row. And then it all came together. Their concert not only reflected their talents, but their morals as well. At what other concert would you find the MC shouting, "We are all a family here! Turn to three people you don't know and introduce yourself"? Needless to say, Laura and I are now 'NSYNC converts. Can you blame us? -- Cristina Wismann
from seventeen.com
*N SYNC
-----Friday July 9, 1999------
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.-- Pop hearthrobs 'N Sync were in effect at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheatre Wednesday night (3 stars out of 4) in the early stages of a tour ending in mid-September.
Music Review- by Steve Jones
The group's high-tech show which began with a descent from the ceiling climaxed with the group dangling above the crowd, went smoothly, but only after Mother Nature delayed the show 30 min. with some effects of her own.
Heavy thunderstorms drenched the sell-out crowd of 20,000 (12,500 of whom sat on the lawn while lightning danced across the sky) but didn't dampen its spirits as the Orlando quintet worked through slickly staged routines.
Jordan Knight, formerly of New Kids on the Block, earlier helped the crowd get over its anxieties about the show going on. His tightly choreographed, though abreviated, set included a soulful cover of Prince's "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" and the edgy funk of "Give It to You".
But thats just whetted the crowd's appetite for 'N Sync, who after being introduced via a "Mission: Impossible"- inspired video and landing onstage, immediately launched into the bouncy jams "Here We Go" and "You Got It". Next, about a dozen fans, from pre-adolescents to teens, were brought onstage while the group crooned "For the Girl Who Has Everything".
'N Sync then gave the audience an artfully truncated 40-year history lesson, with the help of newsreel footage from each decade starting eith the '60s, plus costume changes and cover songs to go with the times. The five started the set in the guise of an early rock band, donned Afros and became the Jackson 5 to represent the '70s, then treated the crowd to a confetti blizzard and Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" for the '80s.
By the '90s they were back to themselves, awash in screeches as they sang most of the material from their self-titled debut album, including the syrupy "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You".
Christopher Cross' "Sailing" followed not long after that and with the help of cables, they left the stage and actually sailed back and forth above their adoring fans, who wanted to soar right along with them.
USA Today
Quintet, quartet - still 'N Sync
By CURTIS ROSS/Tampa Tribune Music Critic
TAMPA - It makes sense that 'N Sync is from Orlando, and that the quintet came together while two of the five were performers at one of the city's theme parks.
Because the group's show, before for a sold-out crowd of 18,332 Friday night at the Ice Palace, was more thrill ride than concert: pyrotechnics, props, costume changes and set pieces were all part of a show in which the music sometimes seemed incidental.
And what's a trip to a theme park without one of the rides being closed? Lance Bass was ill and did not perform, making 'N Sync a quartet for the evening.
Fans groaned when the announcement was made, but their disappointment seemed forgotten once the fab five-minus-one hit the stage.
Woe be to anyone without earplugs at that point. The shrieks began early in the evening, before the house lights went down, when MTV personality Jesse Camp roamed through the crowd signing autographs. But the noise that built steadily through opening sets by the trio Blaque and singer Tatyana Ali seemed like a dull roar compared with the shrill waves that greeted 'N Sync.
'N Sync's audience is primarily teenage girls, so when J.C. Chasez introduced a song as ``one for the ladies,'' one had to wonder to whom the rest of the tunes had been directed.
But that's quibbling with a show that was designed not to have any letup. Something happened constantly, whether it was a flash pot exploding or a batch of girls being brought onstage for some up-close serenading.
The show offered movie-of-the- week quality history lessons through videos hitting the high and low points of the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. The clips set up spots for 'N Sync to perform numbers in costume from those decades - although the '60s number was actually ``That Thing You Do!'' from the 1996 film of the same name.
But historical accuracy isn't the point at theme parks or 'N Sync concerts - entertainment is. And the group and its fans wouldn't have it any other way.
TEARIN UP THEIR HEARTS
Fresh new moves keep 'N Sync a step ahead of the rest 'N SYNC. Whipped cream for teens. With the Sugar Hill Gang. Friday night at Nassau Coliseum.
by Letta Tayler
Two friends with pre-adolescent children were recently debating who was better, the BackStreet Boys or 'N Sync. This is akin to comparing the Toyota Corolla to the Honda Civic.
The bands, which have each sold millions of records worldwide and have spent months in the Top 10, are virtually interchangeable.Graduates of the same Florida boot camp that manufactures teen heartthrob bands,they use identical techniques to capture young listeners' hearts and pocketmoney.
Each is a white vocal quintet that uses bubblegum soul with a few shadings of rap to gush about God and romance. Each combines New Kidson the Block's close harmonies and snappy, modified break-dancing (including an occasional pelvic thrust that's titillating but never threatening).Each has one performer who is the youngest and the blondest ('N Sync's Justin Timberlake and the BackStreet Boys' Nick Carter) and who gets the loudest squeals from delirious teenage and preadolescent girls. Each undergoes numerous changes in costume, most of them variations on baggy hip-hop garb.
Still, 'N Sync put on a slightly better show at the Coliseum than the BackStreet Boys did recently at the same venue. 'N Sync sounded fresher, perhaps because it hasn't been around so long. Its members, who range in age from 18 to 27, are probably less tired of pretending to harbor nothing but chaste thoughts for their fans.
Its act was also more polished that that of the BackStreet Boys, in a same way that a manufacturer may succeed in improving a particular care in subsequent models. The choreography was snappier, the gestures were a little less trite (the 'N Sync lads got down on their knees a lot, but they didn't remove their shirts or throw flowers) and the special effects, from the smoke to fireworks to real flames shooting from the stage, were flashier.
During the encores, the guys, dressed in angelic white and sang Christopher Cross' "Sailing," soared over the audience on cables attached to pulleys that let them descend and touch the outstretched hands of their adoring fans. Like the moments in which they pointed at audience members while singing lines like, "i just wanna be with you," the gimmick suggested to listeners that their idols really were attainable.
Backed by a five-piece band, the group performed hits from the eponymous album including the upbeat "Tearin' Up My Heart" and the gooey "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You." During a mini-set, a giant screen showed footage of key events from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, while'N Sync covered songs from each decade.
In addition to padding the set, the aim of the film clips, which ended with a shot of 'N Sync and the words, "history in the making," apparently was to elevate the group's social significance to that off the Vietnam War, Woodstock, or the Jackson Five (whom 'N Sync mimicked, in gigantic Afro wigs, during a motown medley).
For fans Friday night, 'N Sync clearly had assumed that stature, making it far more significant than the Sugar Hill Gang, the group that made history in 1979 with "Rappers Delight," the first rap recording. Though the Sugar Hill Gang's boisterous opening set was well-received, the rise in the decibel level when the paunchy Gang members exited and the lithe 'NSync members entered underscored that for these girls, what mattered most was puppy love.
NSYNC at the Rosemont Horizon
Who knew that the 'NSYNC crowd would be familiar with the Beatles much less the Sugar Hill Gang? But when photos of the former were flashed on a screen above the stage Friday night at the Rosemont Horizon, the young crowd gave a knowledgeable ovation to the Fab Four.
And when the superb hip-hop troupe from another generation preceded 'NSYNC's 90 minute set, I dismiss the members-whose average age is 38- as the Over-the-hill Gang. But even though the audience seemed a little confused at the sight og the trio-which doesn't include a cuite in it's fold-they recognoized the intro to the "Rapper's Delight" and grooved along to the Gang's hot beats.
And lest you think this was a crown that would cheer for anything, the audience hissed and gave a loud, collective boo when photos of President Clinton flashed on the screen montage that was supposed to represent the 1990's.
NSYNC's popularity is at it's peak. The current tour-including two-night stand at the Horizon that concluded Saturday-is completely sold out.
The latest in the line of popular biy groups, NSYNC has something going for it that works to their advantage live: Fronted by lead singers Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, each of the five members can actually duplicate what he does on the bands self titled debut album, which has sold more than six million copies in the United States.
Veterens of touring aged 18-27- also know how to turn in a good show. unlike some of their peers who appear uncomfortable with their choreographed steps, there's not a klutz in this bunch. They're athletic, too, executing neat back flips on a whim.
Besides the obligatory boy group a capella session, NSYNC's concert also included a video montage of several decades. Dressed in appropriate costumes, the band members came out and sang songs represented each era. For the 60's the group ironically enough selected to perform the theme to Tom Hanks' 90's film "That Thing You Do" which was set in the 60's, rather than an actual song from that era.
No matter. As each member of the group took his one turn at playing instruments that night, Chasez matched the delicious giddiness of the Oscar-nominated song. Actually, that song, whis is less emotional that the rest of the band's numbers, was one of the evenings highlights. Chasez might want to consider adding few more pop-rock songs such as that into the repertory.
Like most boy groups, NSYNC doesn't play its own instruments or write its own songs. And in concert, the six man backup band is discreetly placed at the back of the stage so as not get in the way of the Fab Five gently gyrating for thier fans.
They are critically slammed for all of this, but are dismissed primarily for their unapologetically hopeful pop songs.
But I'll tell you what. When my 16-year old niece-who had never heard the NSYNC album-and I left the Horizon, we were both humming "Tearin' Up My Heart" a song that neither of us thought we knew.
from the Chicago Suntimes March 29, 1999 Showcase
'N Sync
@ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, 3/12/99
'N Sync: they sweat. You get yourself an 'N Sync ticket and you're guaranteed an hour-and-a-half of unbridled sweat action. Which, to us, seemed rather odd. You'd think that the guys would just half-ass it, knowing that the girls would go home hoarse and happy anyway. But not only do they sweat; they dance like nobody's business, they play to the crowd, they crank it out hi-NRG, and they don't stop till the lights come up. 'N Sync actually wants to win you over, or at least make it look like they're trying.
During a speedy, snappy set which made the Backstreet Boys' recent Tour O' Slow Jams look like the concert equivalent of Seconal, 'N Sync proved themselves to be nothing short of upbeat, fun, and slickly professional, even if the fivesome's collective technical accuracy was so sharply delineated that it led one to believe there may be a cyborg or two lurking in its ranks. Justin (the Monchichi-like blond one) barely batted an eye when he got pegged with a slew of Beanie Babies during "For the Girl Who Has Everything," and J.C. (the cheekboned one) was showboating so hard by the end of "I Drive Myself Crazy" that we temporarily feared he was having a heart attack. But he just kept on going, and like true suckers, we giddily went along.
From "Here We Go" to the final encore of "Tearin' Up My Heart," the 'N Sync machine motored along with precision, secure in the knowledge that following up a slow number like "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" with any less of a jam than "I Want You Back" would spell disaster. 'N Sync's stage presentation, however, is half pure entertainment and half huh?, from the 30-foot-tall pop-lockin' body-rockin' electric boogaloo loincloth-garbed gargoyle to the dayglo Kabuki fencing outfits the guys wore while twirling around giant fluorescent pixie sticks... oh, did we happen to mention this all happens before the show even starts?
And while the segment during which 'N Sync traveled back in time to perform covers was an adorable idea, the execution was amusing for all the wrong reasons. OK, watching the guys play instruments was cute (though shaky) for the '60s segment, but the Wonders' "That Thing You Do"... well, it's safe to say that song doesn't quite qualify for "back in the day" status. A Jackson 5 medley for the '70s made far more sense, but the Afro wigs troubled us a bit, not to mention the introductory "educational film" which told us that while kids were getting killed at Kent State and in Vietnam, the Jackson 5 were riiiding hiiigh on the charts. (Um… hooray?) The concept master behind this segment has either a truly perverse sense of humor or no brain. It's anyone's call.
Still, 'N Sync's chops managed to escape the more circus-like productions unscathed, and when they came out to perform their cover of Christopher Cross' "Sailing," harnesses sent all five guys up to the ceiling and flying over the crowd. It came out of nowhere, it whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and it was darn classy on top of that. Of course, compared to some of the things we'd seen, maybe that's not saying much. But the gimmick sent everyone home happy -- something that's not all that easy to come by.
Confounded by 'N Sync's success? So were we. But after this show, it makes a weird kind of sense. We're pleasantly surprised... and at the same time, downright terrified.
-- Kim Stitzel
'N Sync satisfies fantasies of teen fans
Tuesday, March 09, 1999
By John Young, for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Keep the home videos and letters coming! Look for the new CD this fall! Check out our Web site! The reason you're such a great audience is that God must have spent a little more time on you (and that's the name of our hit ballad, too)!
Everything about the 'N Sync show at the Civic Arena last night was about selling something to teen-age girls. To some, that might appear to be crass commercialism. To the girls themselves, it was simply the patter of an innocent and joyous fantasy.
Describing 'N Sync's JC Chasez, Upper St. Clair eighth-grader Kristen Stout said, "Every word that comes out of his mouth is beautiful. He's an awesome dancer and singer." Lest the other 'N Sync boys take offense, Stout added that every one of the five band members is "really hot."
Based on shouting volume, Justin Timberlake was actually the overall fan favorite, with Chasez a close second. The two handled most of the lead singing for the vocal group and drew near-continuous cheers. Timberlake tackled "I Just Wanna Be With You" with vigor, while Chasez illicited raves on the slow song, "For The Girl Who Has Everything."
Everything about the show worked to convince those in attendance that their onstage heroes were within their reach. The philosophy was demonstrated literally when the band members, attached to harnesses, "flew" halfway out over the arena floor and descended to within inches of the outstretched hands of fans. The 'N Syncsters managed a solid take of "Sailing" while drifting somewhat awkwardly in midair.
During "Girl Who Has Everything," the group invited 10 women to sit with them on stage for the performance. Dressed in baggy Adidas-wear, the 'N Sync guys looked like attainable suburban hipsters.
Perhaps as a concession to older fans and parents in attendance, 'N Sync offered a musical tribute to the '60s, '70s and '80s.
The '60s entry was "That Thing You Do," the faux '60s song from the Tom Hanks movie. The guys played all the instruments themselves for the tune and made a strong case for why they bring along a backing band for the rest of the show. 'N Sync dressed up like the Jackson 5, complete with Afro wigs, for the '70s segment and dragged out the Kool and the Gang warhorse "Celebration" in honor of the '80s.
Though often derivative, the band's own material sounded best. "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You" is actually a hearty ballad in the Boyz II Men vein, and "Here We Go" is upbeat pop rap a la Montel Jordan. Hits like "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart" turned audience screaming into loud sing alongs.
Sounding like a less lively version of the Spice Girls, the Irish quartet B Witched opened the show. They sang their video hit "C'est La Vie" to pre-recorded music in an appropriately brief four-song opening set.
Former "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" cast member Tatyana Ali was next, crooning through a 20-minute performance of mostly mid-tempo R&B.
Nothing life-changing happened at last night's concert. Most fans didn't care that their glowing 'N Sync wands will soon grow dull, that their concert T-shirts will soon be relegated for use as sleepwear. For one night, the fans of 'N Sync were entertained and cherished by some smiling, fresh-faced guys the memories should sustain them until the next big boy thing rolls into town.
N Sync takes a fresh, lavish approach
By ANDY SMITH
Journal Pop Music Writer
Take five amiable young men with just enough talent, add a lot of special effects, put them in an arena with thousands of screaming teenage girls,and you've got yourself an 'N Sync concert.
The fivesome packed them into the Providence Civic Center last night.
'N Sync is the latest pop group to win the hearts of the teen pop audience, following closely in the footsteps of The Backstreet Boys. If interviews at last night's show mean anything, 'N Sync and The Backstreet Boys are akin to The Red Sox and The Yankees: if you like one, you hate the other.
In truth, you need to be a 13-year-old fan to really see much difference.
Both are based in Orlando, Fla., where until recently they shared a manager and a recording studio. Both have a cute, boyish lead singer and offer a mix of watered-down, danceable R & B and sugary romantic ballads.
When I saw The Backstreet Boys, also at the Civic Center, they seemed weary, as though they had been making the same moves to the same songs a little too long.
Last night 'N Sync was fresher, more energetic and appeared to be having a better time.
Certainly the show was lavish enough. The opening alone included a video, fireworks, a giant puppet-like ``monster'' and 'N Sync dancing in fluorescent body suits. And that was before the first song started.
'N Sync showed off some slick dance moves on ``You Got It,'' then turned on the romance with ``For the Girl Who Has Everything.'' JC Chasez, the best singer of the five, and Justin Timberlake shared lead vocals as screams from the audience reached the approximate level of a 747 takeoff.
Then came an odd segment as the video screens showed mini-documentaries of the decades since the '60s in which Madonna and Ronald Reagan got equal time. After each decade, 'N Sync came out to do a cover song, including a Jackson 5 medley and Kool & The Gang's``Celebration.'' The '90s, needless to say, belonged to 'N Sync itself.
``God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You'' was another ballad that had female fans hyperventilating.
'N Sync came out dancing for ``I Want You Back,'' then attached themselves to harnesses and floated out over the audience while crooning the Christopher Cross hit ``Sailing.'' It was like a weird production of Peter Pan .
They finished off with their own hit ``Tearin' Up My Heart,'' complete with fireworks and one more 'N Syncopated flight over the crowd.
Of course, 'N Sync was creating excitement in downtown Providence even before the show. One group of young fans waiting outside the Biltmore hotel yesterday afternoon saw 'N Sync come out the front door.
And they actually managed to touch 'N Sync's luggage.
Afterward, they were so excited they could hardly breathe.
``Their clothes were actually in there. In the luggage. We touched it. It's so amazing!'' said Kelly Donnelly, 16, who had come down from Maine to see the show.
``Lance [Bass] looked so good,'' reported Elizabeth Sides, 16, of Foxboro. ``Lance and JC looked so good . . . they smiled and waved.Those winning smiles. They're so perfect. Say it's perfect. Say it's awesome. Say it's amazing.''
Of course, not everyone was quite so enthused. Bonnie Burnard had driven her 12-year-old daughter from Needham, Mass., to see the show.
``This is all I've been hearing about for the last three weeks, 200 times a day,'' she said. ``I'm going nuts.''
