Sunday, January 4, 1998

The Boys have got the beat

Despite plenty of gaps in their show, the Backstreet Boys know how to thrill

 Kids love 'em. Critics love to hate 'em. Parents tolerate them.

And, if you listen to the Backstreet Boys, you probably already know that "Backstreet's back," and that "Backstreet's got it goin' on for years." Or something like that.

The Backstreet Boys were most definitely back last night at the SkyDome for their third sold-out Toronto concert inside of a year (they played the mid-size Warehouse shortly after conquering Europe and Quebec a year ago, and managed to filled Maple Leaf Gardens two months after that).

It was the "goin' on for years" point that these singing and dancing poster-boy sensations from Orlando, Fla., seemed most eager to drive home during the show's giddy 100 minutes.

DANCE BEATS

The boys were not content just to dazzle the crowd of 27,000 screaming children and heroically patient parents with their nearly syncronized gyrations and dance beats.

Nah-ah. The Backstreet five -- Howard Dorough, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson, who range in age from 17 to 26 -- pulled out all the stops: Tag-team turns crooning and rapping at the mike, a successful closing number that recreated their signature video hit Everybody (Backstreet's Back).

Littrell had heads spinning when he pulled out an acoustic guitar for That's What She Said, and was just bad enough to be charming. Carter, with his leased-out-from-the-Hanson-family look and sound, gave the show a blue-eyed soul lift.

The boys even tested their mettle when they squared off and took over their own backing band's instruments for the hit Quit Playing Games With My Heart, just to prove that behind five semi-talented singers and dancers, there's five semi-talented musicians.

SEXY

Yes, the names of Howie D., A.J., Brian, Kevin, and Nick might one day ring as familiar as, say, Donny, Danny, Joey, Jordan, and the other one.

Despite these flickering moments of pure, unstoppable teen-idol bravado, there were plenty of gaps left for the Backstreet Boys to put a foot wrong.

Their newfound hip-hop image, matching sweatsuits and tendency to shout "Wassup!" between every lyric looked downright "wack" next to their cookie-cutter pop-dance repertoire.

Vaguely sexy dance routines came off like Chippendales for kids, as the Backside -- er -- Backstreet Boys oozed over the crowd, whom they repeatedly referred to as "To-ron-to."

Sadly, none of this was as funny as it sounds.

And that might be because, at the end of the day, the Backstreet Boys are just doing their job.

Set List		Concert rating