Audience swoons as Backstreet Boys croon at Pechanga
Amidst deafening screams, the wildly popular Backstreet Boys blazed onto the stage at Pechanga Resort & Casino’s Showroom Theater, gripped the audience with a heart-pounding version of their 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and didn’t let go until their 90-minute set left guests breathless and wanting more.
The sold-out crowd greeted the performers with a standing ovation at the start of the performance and didn’t sit down – not once — the rest of the night. Instead, there was dancing, arm-waving and singing, lots of singing.
The show is part of the Backstreet Boys’ 2010 This Is Us concert tour that has taken the group all over the world, reviving favorite songs from the 90s and introducing audiences to new sounds, like “Straight Through My Heart.”
Rumor has it that Britney Spears dropped in on the boys backstage before the show, adding to the high-wattage megastar atmosphere of the evening. And, while some may have hoped for a surprise visit to the stage, it was the same sort of thrill the audience felt when the Backstreet Boys came bounding onto the set.
It was electric.
Guests were treated to a flawless stage production of dance and song, with an infusion of contemporary riffs that kept the audience hopping and ears popping. And one thing is for sure – time has not slowed this group’s moves or soured their signature harmonies.
Glowing cell phones snapped open and swayed with emotional performances of “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “The Shape of My Heart,” just as the rousing anthem “Incomplete” and thrilling production of “Larger Than Life” inspired cheers and robust choruses from the crowd.
Special mention goes to the backup dancers – four talented ladies who brought great stage presence and carried the load of some of the bolder dance moves, when vocals demanded more of the group.
And the set was pretty incredible too, featuring a large screen that blasted background video and a super-charged display of lights and graphics.
Ultimately, though, it was the Backstreet Boys – Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, and Brian Littrell – whose showmanship and spark carried the performance.
By Kerri S. Mabee
June 26, 2010
SWRNN