*NSYNC Barbie — She's With The Band
(05.31) Source - MTV: While millions of females claim to be *NSYNC's biggest fan, only one can claim to be their smallest.
Barbie, the middle-aged blond beauty who first graced toy shelves in 1959, is now available in the *NSYNC #1 Fan edition. And she won't be the only doll decked out in *NSYNC garb. Her friends Teresa and Christie are also available in *NSYNC #1 Fan editions.
Each of the dolls, which gyrate to music, includes a CD with an exclusive remix of a different *NSYNC single. Barbie comes with "Bye Bye Bye," Teresa with "This I Promise You" and Christie with "It's Gonna Be Me." Two different *NSYNC trading cards are also included with each doll.
Barbie and her friends are dressed in denim jeans and tie-dye *NSYNC T-shirts. Accessories include an "I love *NSYNC" banner, autograph book and tiny magazines.
"Music celebrities, especially pop stars, have created quite a craze in girls' lives, and no one knows girls better than Barbie," Barbie/Mattel vice president Jamie Cygielman said in a press release. "Mattel's partnership with *NSYNC is yet another way the Barbie brand continues to remain in tune with girls, providing relevant ways for them to play out their fantasies and aspirations."
Mattel also recently released the Totally Talkin' Electronic CD Case, an interactive container that matches voices with stickers, including several from the guys in *NSYNC.
*NSYNC's new album, Celebrity, is due July 24.
*NSYNC Finds Its Number One Fan In Barbie
(05.31) Source - Launch: *NSYNC has teamed up with toy-manufacturer Mattel for its latest releases - the *NSYNC Number One Fan Barbie and the Totally Talkin' Electronic CD Case. The *NSYNC Number One Fan Barbie and her friends Christine and Teresa may be *NSYNC's smallest fans ever - measuring in at just several inches tall.
Each doll comes wearing *NSYNC fashions. Barbie waves an "I Love *NSYNC" banner, and moves to the band's music, while sporting denim jeans and tie-dye *NSYNC T-shirt. Each doll also includes two different exclusive Mattel *NSYNC trading cards, an *NSYNC sign, an autograph book and three tiny magazines. The dolls also come with a special CD containing a remixed *NSYNC single.
Jamie Cygielman, vice president of Mattel said in a statement, "Mattel's partnership with *NSYNC is yet another way the Barbie Brand continues to remain in tune with girls, providing relevant ways for them to play out their fantasies and aspirations."
*NSYNC is also featured on Mattel's new Totally Talkin' Electronic CD Case, which allows consumers to store and personalize up to 10 of their favorite CDs in new, high-tech way. It comes with seven sheets of talking stickers, two of which feature *NSYNC's pictures and voices. All of the stickers have hidden messages, sounds and words that can only be revealed with the case's secret scanner pen. Girls can also plug in a CD player into the portable unit's jack and listen to their favorite tunes. Fans of the band can also mix and match up to 20 beats from the scanned stickers to create their own songs.
*NSYNC's Timberlake & Britney Spears Form MathNMusic Club
(05.31) Source - Launch: *NSYNC singer Justin Timberlake announced that he and girlfriend Britney Spears have teamed up with math website MathMystery.com to teach kids about the relationship between music and math. Timberlake and his bandmates are currently in the Boston area to perform at Foxboro Stadium tonight (May 31) and tomorrow (June 1).
The MathNMusic Club, which is a partnership with MathMastery and The Giving Back Fund, is scheduled to go online at mathmastery.com on June 5. At cost of about $20.00 for a six-month subscription, the website will teach children mathematical concepts such as fractions and decimals through the use of music. A portion of the proceeds from the MathNMusic Club subscriptions will benefit the Justin Timberlake Foundation and the Britney Spears Foundation, both of which are part of The Giving Back Fund. The Justin Timberlake Foundation provides assistance and funding to create music education programs in schools.
Harry Hagerty, president & CEO of MathMastery said in a statement: "We're excited that Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC and Britney Spears have joined with MathMastery to form the MathNMusic Club. As career professionals and role models for today's youth, they bring their commitment to excellence to MathMastery. We're pleased that they are willing to spread positive messages about mathematics to their fans and the public at large."
*NSYNC, Britney Spears, Faith Hill To Help Pope Spread The Good Word
(05.30) Source - MTV: *NSYNC will go from "Pop" to the Pope when they appear along with Britney Spears and Faith Hill on a spoken word CD featuring some of the Pontiff's favorite prayers set for Christmas season release.
The disc, which will see *NSYNC, Spears and Hill reading prayers, will serve as a companion to the seven-volume "The Private Prayer Books of Pope John Paul II," according to the Associated Press. A video and DVD showcasing the making of the CD will come out at the same time.
*NSYNC filmed an elaborate video for "Pop," the first single from their upcoming Celebrity album, earlier this month.
There's no word yet on whether other musicians will be featured on the as-yet-untitled CD.
No Pain, No Gain On Set of *NSYNC's 'Pop' Video
(05.29) Source - MTV: When Justin Timberlake tires of being one-fifth of the world's premiere pop group, he might find a successful career in infomercials, if his role in *NSYNC's "Pop" video is any indication.
As a TV pitchman, the cropped-top Timberlake invites a girl bored with real life to a Wonderland-like dance club, where much of the clip is set. Throughout the surreal excursion, each of the *NSYNC members appear in extravagant scenarios representing pop fads and fashions as actual art.
"It's the biggest thing I've ever worked on," said Wayne Isham, who's helmed some 150 videos since 1983, including *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me," from No Strings Attached.
"That's what the guys wanted," Isham said. "They wanted something with size, scope, scale and fun."
After getting a rudimentary idea for the treatment from the band in New Orleans, where they were rehearsing for the tour to support their third album, Celebrity, *NSYNC's wishes were Isham's command.
On the heels of completing the video for 98°'s "The Way You Want Me To," the director and his A Band Apart production company crew assembled three sets at Los Angeles' Sony Studios: a reality set, where the opening scene would be shot; the multi-tiered fantasy club set; and the green screen, which allows the group to appear in the many computer-generated sequences. Filming was scheduled for only three days, May 13 to 15, on the same lot where another fantastic journey, "The Wizard of Oz," was shot more than 60 years ago.
Production of the massive undertaking needed to take place almost simultaneously, to take advantage of the limited time *NSYNC's stuffed schedule permitted for the clip. With the time constraint as his only admitted snag, Isham met the challenge with grand aplomb.
"I couldn't wait to get the guys on the set to see their faces when they climbed up this 40-foot ramp of neon, up to this 35-foot-high sculpted stage that they're on top of," he said. "Some of the dancers we had to safety-wire to the ceiling so they wouldn't fall off."
Having worked with Isham before, the group knew it was in for a grueling experience, complete with 12-hour days and Isham sometimes sleeping right on set. Hence, the quintet derived the motto: "No Wayne, no pain."
For Joey Fatone, the saying was a bit too literal for his liking. A few days prior to filming, Fatone injured his leg in tour rehearsal and showed up at the set on crutches. Although a lookalike was used for some shots, Fatone toughed it out and did as much as he could, despite his painful injury.
"It was initially a potential problem," Isham said, "but he rose to the occasion. When he saw the energy and got up there on top of the stage, he just went for it. You could see that it hurt — [his leg] was cut up, stitched, [and] he potentially could have done some damage. But that's one of the reasons why I dig these guys. People don't realize the discipline and work that these guys do."
*NSYNC's Challenge For The Children Benefit Set For July
(05.29) Source - Launch: *NSYNC's third annual Challenge For The Children (CFTC) charity event is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on July 27, 28, and 29 at the University Of Nevada's Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets are slated to go on sale during the second week in June. This year's event is a three-day, fun-filled weekend kicking off with *NSYNC's concert at Sam Boyd Stadium on July 27 and culminating with a celebrity basketball game on July 29.
CFTC was founded by the members of *NSYNC in 1999 to offer financial support to children's programs and charities throughout the country. *NSYNC singer JC Chasez said of the annual benefit, "What better way to celebrate children than by playing a game? It is our privilege to bring a good time and a smile to all for a good cause. Isn't that what charity is all about? Feeling good and helping others feel good. Our foundation is doing just that with your help."
Some of the stars invited to attend this year's event include Destiny's Child, Britney Spears, Ben Stiller, Lil' Bow Wow, Usher, Dream, and Ludacris, among others. A list of confirmed participants will be announced at a later date. This year, *NSYNC and their celebrity friends will battle it out at a "Celebrity Skills Challenge," in which they will compete in games like Sumo wrestling, the Shaq Shoe Race, an obstacle course, and more.
*NSYNC raised more than $700,000 last year for CFTC, with a charity basketball game featuring Pink, Beverly Mitchell (7th Heaven),Stephon Marbury, Isiah Thomas, and Jordan Knight, among others.
Britney And Justin Hope To Produce Smart Kids
(05.29) Source - MTV: Showing that they have hearts of gold (or, um, platinum), teen idols Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears are spreading the message to young fans that if you want to follow in their footsteps, you need math skills to count all your money and all those millions of albums you sell.
In Boston on Tuesday, Timberlake announced a joint venture with MathMastery.com and the Giving Back Fund to kick off the MathNMusic Club for Youth on June 5. According to a spokesperson for the Giving Back Fund, the MathNMusic Club will be part of Mathmastery.com and will incorporate music to help children learn about the world of numbers.
Although the creative end is not yet finalized, the spokesperson said kids will be able to visit the Web site and see a drawn likeness of both Timberlake and Spears. Voiceovers and jingles may be added. No plans have been made to play *NSYNC or Spears songs on the site.
After paying a fee to enroll in the MathNMusic Club, members will receive Justin and Britney paraphernalia, such as posters. Portions of the MathNMusic Club's earnings will go to the Justin Timberlake Foundation and the Britney Spears Foundation, which both work in conjunction with the Giving Back Fund to donate money toward music education in schools.
*NSYNC Tour Opener: Dirty Pop And Matching Chaps
(05.24) Source - MTV: JACKSONVILLE, Florida — *NSYNC have found themselves in a pickle. The group's forthcoming album, Celebrity, has been shelved until mid summer. The Backstreet Boys' most recent record, a bellwether for Celebrity if ever there was one, wasn't quite the huge success the Boys' previous two were, causing some observers to even decree teen pop dead. And come to think of it, no one in *NSYNC is even a teen any more.
What's a boy band to do? Well, creating the largest musical production in concert history is one solution.
The PopOdyssey Tour began Wednesday in Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium with a video montage chronicling the history of *NSYNC to date: here's how they met, here's how they started, here's how they sued for control of their careers and here's how they became celebrities.
After the video, the five song-and-dance superstars emerged from a translucent pod at the center of the stadium. From there they pranced down a catwalk and ascended their stage, a metallic fortress replete with video screens, conveyor belts and elevators.
They opened with "Pop," the first single from Celebrity. It's the latest in a long line of *NSYNC rave-ups, noteworthy for a couple of reasons. Fans call the song "Dirty Pop," in reference to the much-repeated refrain. Thing is, it's no dirtier than many of the old, vaguely suggestive *NSYNC songs. By keeping the word "dirty" out of the title, the song stays parent-friendly, but by keeping the word "dirty" in the lyrics, it makes the group seem edgier. A nice example of having it both ways.
"Pop" also represents Justin Timberlake's unofficial ascension to group leader. In addition to singing all the verses, he remained the focal point for *NSYNC's high-concept dance choreography throughout the song. Come to think of it, he was center-stage throughout just about every song. He's always been a fan favorite, but it looks like his bandmates are finally giving him a larger share of the spotlight.
After "Pop" came a brisk spin through "Tearin' Up My Heart," and soon after that member Lance Bass addressed the crowd. "Tonight is very special for us," he said, "because you're going to get to hear most of our upcoming album, Celebrity, before anyone else in the world."
And with that, they dove into..."God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," from their 1998 debut album.
Later in the show the band actually did reveal some of Celebrity, to the shrill delight of the young female audience. The songs tend to borrow from the accessible end of electronica, co-opting the basic principles of two-step or drum and bass, then sanitizing them and making them a little more pop-friendly.
They're certainly catchy — this is *NSYNC we're talking about — and the audience loved them, a good sign for the folks back at Jive.
The show featured a number of costume changes, presumably intended to represent the different faces of celebrity. The band became everything from Prohibition-era dandies to cowboys in matching chaps.
During "Space Cowboy (Yippie-Yi-Yay)," the guys rode five silver mechanical bulls, which lovingly bucked them as they waved their arms above their heads. Afterward, it was hard to tell whether member Chris Kirkpatrick was kidding when he ripped off his chaps and said, "These are the most ridiculous things I've ever seen in my life."
Every so often, another video would roll. Once it was a silent film parody, another time it was JC fighting with his gold-digging girlfriend. And at various points fireworks exploded, smoke poured, lasers flashed and *NSYNC glided across the stadium on a rip cord.
Part commentary on fame, part multimedia indulgence, the concert certainly proved *NSYNC's resolve. They're not ready to quit, and they're determined to turn their third record into a hit. By the time the tour is over, we'll know if they succeeded.
Tom Waits, Savage Garden, Modest Mouse Honored At ASCAP Pop Awards
(05.23) Source - Allstar: Singer-songwriter Tom Waits took home the Founders Award at the 18th Annual ASCAP Pop Awards Tuesday (May 22) night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The artist - who received kind words from both Keith Richards via a video message and Nicholas Cage, who was on hand in person - also performed a brief, four-song set.
Aside from Waits' special award, the night's top honor, the Song of the Year award, went to Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You" (written by the group's Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones). The Swedish pop songwriting duo of Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson were named Songwriters of the Year for their hits with *NSYNC ("It's Gonna Be Me") and the Backstreet Boys ("I Want It That Way"). Martin was also honored for penning Celine Dion's "That's the Way It Is," while Carlsson was also honored for *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye."
Meanwhile, indie rock band Modest Mouse grabbed the College Radio Award for garnering the most radio airplay at college radio stations nationwide for songs from Building Nothing Out of Something.
Other honorees included Brian McKnight, Marc Anthony, the Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Rzeznik, Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell, Filter's Richard Patrick, TLC's T-Boz, Phil Collins, Lenny Kravitz, Timbaland, Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, and non-performing songwriters Diane Warren and Desmond Child, among others.
*NSYNC Video Game Calls On Fans, Literally
(05.23) Source - MTV: They've been bowling fans over with their irresistible pop for years — now *NSYNC buffs are getting a chance to return the favor.
The *NSYNC Hotline Fantasy Phone and CD-ROM for PC computers invites players ages 8-12 to compete for a virtual backstage pass by successfully completing five short games, including a bowling segment that features JC, Lance, Justin, Chris and Joey's talking heads atop pins literally begging to be knocked down.
The key component of the game, developed by Stunt Puppy Entertainment, is the Fantasy Phone, a device that acts as a controller when plugged into a PC's gameport. When it's not plugged in, it rings the user with personalized updates in the form of text messages and sound bites. For example, fans can receive a birthday message from Lance or be reminded of an appointment.
Other challenges, each hosted by a different *NSYNC member, include the memory-dependent Quick Change, the mimicking Make-a-Move, Trivia and Charity Challenge, a scenario that finds the guys in a kissing booth. Overcoming each game in order reveals an autographed backstage pass, a congratulatory video message and backstage photos.
The game, which debuted at last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, is slated to hit stores in September.
Songwriters Behind *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys Hits Win Big At ASCAP Pop Awards
(05.23) Source - MTV: The big-print names on the charts might be *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and Celine Dion, but when Swedish composers Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson each took home a piece of the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award, it was a reminder that it's both the singer and the song that makes for a hit.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers held its 18th annual ASCAP Pop Awards Tuesday in Los Angeles, where other big winners were Savage Garden, Tom Waits and Modest Mouse.
Martin penned the Backstreet Boys' smash "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" while Carlsson wrote *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye." Together, the two were responsible for the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," *NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" and Dion's "That's the Way It Is."
ASCAP honored Savage Garden's Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones with Song of the Year for their "I Knew I Loved You," which is #14 on the Billboard adult contemporary singles chart.
Waits, whose almost 30-year career has seen him mutate from grizzled blues-jazz singer to avant-garde rocker and theatrical composer, received ASCAP's Founders Award for his body of work. On Waits' latest disc, 1999's Mule Variations, he collaborated with his wife, Kathleen Brennan, on an album of twisted lyrics and sonic experimentation.
Waits and Savage Garden performed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel event, along with the Goo Goo Dolls and Holly Lamar, who co-wrote Faith Hill's #1 hit "Breathe." Lamar's collaborator, Stephanie Bentley, took home Song of the Year honors at last week's BMI Pop Awards, handed out by rival songwriters' organization BMI.
Modest Mouse picked up the College Radio Award for the ASCAP artist whose body of work collectively garnered the most college radio airplay. The group released Building Nothing Out of Something in 2000, and dropped the rarities collection Sad Sappy Sucker in April.
*NSYNC's PopOdyssey 2001 Tour Kicks Off Today
(05.23) Source - Launch: *NSYNC kicks off its PopOdyssey 2001 tour tonight (May 23) at 7:30 PM ET at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. British trio BBMak and 18-year-old Cuban-American pop singer Christina Milian are the night's opening acts.
BBMak members Christian Burns and Ste McNally told launch that they looking forward to playing their first U.S. shows since their sold-out headlining club tour late last year in support of their album, Sooner Or Later.
"It's going to be a great chance for us to make a lot of new fans," Burns said. McNally added, "If we're doing like three or four gigs a week, you know, it's like 50-60,000 people hearing our songs. Even if 10 percent of them went and bought the album, we'd be really happy."
However, BBMak's Mark Barry and Burns explained that they would prefer not to be labeled as a "boy band." Barry explained, "You know, at the end of the day, we're three young lads and the fact that we play, we write our own material, and whenever we do sing, it's live on stage." Burns added, "And we don't dance. I think the only comparison that we have with a lot of boy bands is that we're young and we wear gel in our hair. That's it - that's as far as it goes, I think."
*NSYNC's PopOdyssey Tour is considered by many in the music industry to be the biggest live concert production ever, requiring more than 80 trucks to transport the group's multilevel steel staging from venue to venue.
At each concert, one-time use cameras bearing the likeness of the *NSYNC members will be available for fans to purchase. During each show, the group will ask the audience to photograph them as they perform the title track from their upcoming album Celebrity (due July 24). The thousands of cameras flashing in unison will create a paparazzi effect as *NSYNC struts down a red carpet set-up on the stage. In addition, 20 lucky fans at each performance will be given the opportunity to join *NSYNC on stage and photograph them up close.
One dollar from every one-time-use camera sold will be donated to *NSYNC's Challenge For The Children Foundation. *NSYNC hopes to raise $1 million for their foundation, which provides financial support to children's programs and other charities around the country.
*NSYNC has also promised fans a preview of several of the tracks from Celebrity, including the first single from the album, "Pop," which has already taken radio by storm. BBMak's Burns said they will share more than just hair gel in common with *NSYNC tonight. "I mean 'Pop' stands for popular, so hopefully the music will be popular," he said.
*NSYNC is scheduled to perform "Pop" on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on June 5 and on NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on July 23.
*NSYNC PopOdyssey 2001 tour dates: (subject to change):
May 23 - Jacksonville, FL - Alltel Stadium (w/BBMak)
May 26, 28 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium (w/BBMak)
May 31 - Foxboro, MA - Foxboro Stadium (w/BBMak)
June 1 - Foxboro, MA - Foxboro Stadium (w/BBMak)
June 3, 4, 5 - East Rutherford, NJ - Giants Stadium (w/BBMak)
June 8 - Cincinnati, OH - Cinergy Field
June 10 - Buffalo, NY - Ralph Wilson Stadium (w/BBMak)
June 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Veterans Stadium (w/BBMak)
June 16, 17 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field (w/BBMak)
June 19 - Toronto, ON - Toronto Skydome
June 21, 22 - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland Browns Stadium
June 24 - Minneapolis, MN - HHH Metrodome
June 26 - Milwaukee, WI - Miller Park
June 29, 30 - Detroit, MI - Comerica Park
July 2 - St. Louis, MO - Trans World Dome
July 4 - Little Rock, AR - War Memorial Stadium
July 6 - Houston, TX - Reliant Astrodome
July 8 - Dallas, TX - Texas Stadium
July 10 - Kansas City, MO - Arrowhead Stadium
July 13 - Denver, CO - Mile High Stadium
July 16 - San Diego, CA - Qualcomm Stadium
July 18 - Phoenix, AZ - Bank One Ballpark
July 21, 22, 24 - Oakland, CA - Network Associates Coliseum
July 27 - Las Vegas, NV - Sam Boyd Stadium
July 31 - Tampa, FL - Raymond James Stadium
August 2 - Miami, FL - Pro Player Stadium
August 5 - San Antonio, TX - Alamodome
August 7 - Birmingham, AL - Legion Field
August 9 - Louisville, KY - Cardinal Stadium
August 11 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia Dome
August 13 - Washington, DC - RFK Stadium
August 16 - Indianapolis, IN - RCA Dome
August 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - New Steeler Stadium
August 22 - New Orleans, LA - Louisiana Superdome
August 24 - Jackson, MS - Veterans Memorial Stadium
*NSYNC Appears In Anti-Drug Media Campaign
(05.22) Source - Launch: *NSYNC has teamed up with the Office Of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to help prevent drug use among young people in the U.S. When *NSYNC's 2001 PopOdyssey tour kicks off Wednesday (May 23) in Jacksonville, Florida, the group will unveil a new National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign public-service announcement (PSA).
The PSA features Lance Bass, J.C. Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake talking about their "anti-drugs" - the people and things that stand between them and drugs. The PSA will be shown at all of the *NSYNC concerts in more than 40 U.S. cities this summer. The PSA will also appear on *NSYNC's official website, nsync.com.
Acting ONDCP Director Edward H. Jurith said in a statement, "There probably isn't any pop group today more relevant to our early teen audience than *NSYNC. We think having them as part of our youth anti-drug campaign team is really going to raise the volume on our message to kids. I congratulate them on their commitment to this effort."
The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is the largest and most comprehensive public-health media campaign ever undertaken by the federal government. For more information on the ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, visit mediacampaign.org, freevibe.com, or theantidrug.com.
*NSYNC Tour Secrets: Multiple Stages, Red Carpet And More
(05.22) Source - MTV: *NSYNC fans had to wait an extra five days for the PopOdyssey tour to kick off Wednesday, and the group promises to make it worthwhile with an elaborate stage setup and the chance for audience members to join the band onstage.
In addition to a five-story-high main stage, several smaller stages will be set up throughout each venue. There won't be a bad seat in the house, according to an *NSYNC publicist.
Originally set to begin May 12 in Miami, opening night was pushed back to May 18 and then to May 23 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Calling it one of the biggest pop tours ever mounted, the publicist said that a total of 88 trucks would be transporting two separate, complete concert setups from town to town. While *NSYNC are playing in one city, a crew will already be setting up in the next city. The group's 2000 tour only needed 19 trucks, the publicist added.
At the shows, *NSYNC will treat fans to songs from their upcoming album, Celebrity, due July 24. During the title song, 20 randomly selected fans will join the group onstage to take pictures as the guys walk down a red carpet.
Souvenir stands will be selling *NSYNC single-use cameras, and the group will ask audience members to shoot away during "Celebrity," with the hope that thousands of flashes will create a "paparazzi" effect. One dollar from each camera sold will go to *NSYNC's Challenge for the Children Foundation, which raises money for kids' programs and other charities throughout the United States.
During its shows, the group will also run a public service announcement for the Office of National Drug Control Policy featuring the group members talking about their "anti-drugs," the people and things they see as healthy, creative alternatives to drugs.
After postponing the tour launch twice and canceling a May 30 show in Foxboro, Massachusetts, because crews wouldn't have enough time to set up the stages, the group suffered a scare at rehearsals in New Orleans last week when Joey Fatone suffered a cut on his leg after misjudging a trapdoor opening. The injury was minor, however, and Fatone rejoined the group for recording sessions in Los Angeles over the weekend, the publicist said.
*NSYNC tour dates, according to the group's publicist:
5/23 - Jacksonville, FL @ Alltel Stadium
5/26 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
5/28 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
5/31 - Foxboro, MA @ Foxboro Stadium
6/01 - Foxboro, MA @ Foxboro Stadium
6/03 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium
6/04 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium
6/05 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium
6/08 - Cincinnati, OH @ Cinergy Field
6/10 - Buffalo, NY @ Ralph Wilson Stadium
6/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Veterans Stadium
6/16 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
6/17 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
6/19 - Toronto, ON @ Toronto Skydome
6/21 - Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Browns Stadium
6/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Browns Stadium
6/24 - Minneapolis, MN @ HHH Metrodome
6/26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Miller Park
6/29 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
6/30 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
7/02 - St. Louis, MO @ Trans World Dome
7/04 - Little Rock, AR @ War Memorial Stadium
7/06 - Houston, TX @ Reliant Astrodome
7/08 - Dallas, TX @ Texas Stadium
7/10 - Kansas City, MO @ Arrowhead Stadium
7/13 - Denver, CO @ Mile High Stadium
7/16 - San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium
7/18 - Phoenix, AZ @ Bank One Ballpark
7/21 - Oakland, CA @ Network Associates Coliseum
7/22 - Oakland, CA @ Network Associates Coliseum
7/24 - Pasadena, CA @ Rose Bowl
7/27 - Las Vegas, NV @ Sam Boyd Stadium
7/31 - Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
8/02 - Miami, FL @ Pro Player Stadium
8/05 - San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome
8/07 - Birmingham, AL @ Legion Field
8/09 - Louisville, KY @ Cardinal Stadium
8/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Georgia Dome
8/13 - Washington, DC @ RFK Stadium
8/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ RCA Dome
8/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ New Steeler Stadium
8/22 - New Orleans, LA @ Louisiana Superdome
8/24 - Jackson, MS @ Veterans Memorial Stadium
*NSYNC's Kirkpatrick To Appear At N.Y.C. Bloomingdale's
(05.21) Source - Launch: Chris Kirkpatrick, *NSYNC member and the founder/CEO of Fu Man Skeeto, Inc., is scheduled to make an in-store appearance at Bloomingdale's on 59th Street in New York City this Thursday (May 24) at 7:30 PM ET to celebrate the launch of his Fu Man Skeeto summer clothing line. The stop is part of what Kirkpatrick has dubbed the Fu Man Skeeto Summer Store Invasion Tour, which has him visiting the various retailers that carry his clothing line.
Kirkpatrick spoke to Launch recently about the Fu Man Skeet line. "We're kind of going with an oriental-type theme a bit. We want to stay innovative. We've got a lot of calligraphy right now. On the women's side, we're using a lot of what we call 'Fu-cabulary.' We're using the term 'Fu' in a lot of what we do. We've got Fu-love, Fu-poetry, and things like that on the actual clothes." Fu Man Skeeto clothing can currently be purchased in Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Von Maur, and Eatons department stores throughout North America.
In other news, *NSYNC's new album Celebrity is due out July 25 and the group's PopOdyssey tour kicks off Wednesday (May 23) at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Eighty semitrailers will be used to haul the band's massive steel staging as the tour travels from city to city this summer.