Saturday, July 11, 1998

'N Sync 'N Thralls Teenagers

There's nothing like the sound of thousands of teenage girls screaming over their favorite boy-group.

It's a piercing, painful, high-pitched roar that ebbs and flows like waves crashing in the Bay of Fundy, leaving those in the centre of it overwhelmed and slightly deaf. It's an ear-splitting manifestation of sheer hormonal overload.

Hell hath no fury like a 12-year-old girl infatuated with a pop star.

The heart-pounding excitement was a tangible force Thursday night in the Shaw Conference Centre, where faithful fans had lined up since the early morning to get the best spot in front of the stage.

The fact that the objects of their affection - Lance, JC, Joey, Chris and Justin of 'N Sync - are considered clones of the Backstreet Boys was irrelevant.

They're five different cute guys, and that was enough for the girls of Edmonton.

So you could say that the surprisingly strong show 'N Sync delivered was a bonus.

For a crowd of 2,500, the Florida fivesome danced impressively, displaying the results of a crack choreographer and long hours of work.

They had a competent live band that could play funk - so refreshing to hear in a genre riddled with fakery - and they could really sing. Imagine that. Unlike the opening act, the British all-girl group N-Tyce (no doubt picked for the 'N connection), the boys, make that men, of 'N Sync did not lip-sync.

Screams reached their peak decibel level during the opening number.

The boys (sorry, men) made their entrance in hoods, thrown off to reveal spacesuits.

As the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars boomed behind them, they did a little moon-walking routine, finally tearing off the costumes as the crowd went insane.

The showing off of dancing skills taken care of, the group quickly moved on to the next vital orders of business. No 1: Introduce themselves just in case some of the parents on hand (or the few sly teenage boys who came just for the babefest) didn't know which 'N Syncer was which. It also gave fans a chance to scream for their favorite. Hands-down winner: 17-year-old Justin.

No. 2: Make sure people know they're not lip-syncing. This was accomplished with a slick a cappella medley of Bee Gees tunes. It almost sounded like the real thing.

On with the show, it was a mix of funky dance tunes, gushy ballads, a little rap, some barbershop harmonies, a little sexual bravado and lots of synchronized dancing. Hence the band name, I guess.

The screams, more or less a constant backdrop to the concert, once again hit unbearable levels when the strains of I Want You Back - the Big Hit - fired up.

When it was all over an hour and 15 minutes after it started, one girl, who couldn't have been more than 10 years of age, was overheard to say, "This was the best concert I've seen in my life!"

That pretty much said it all.

There will probably be another group's poster on that girl's wall by this time next year, but for that one brief moment, 'N Sync was the second-greatest pop group in the world.

Oh, yeah, you think the screaming on Thursday night was loud?

Wait till the Backstreet Boys hit town - Aug. 18 at Telus Field.

Set List