When it comes to the subject of long-lived boy bands, the Backstreet Boys are one of the best survivors. After all, once you’ve kept a group together for near on a quarter of a century, with one member who dropped out for a time eventually rejoining, then it’s proven the band to have staying power (although at their current age they prefer to be known now as a “vocal harmony group”). The BSB’s active status is undoubted with work on a new album and even an appearance on recent "The Bachelor", and now they’re raising all sorts of nostalgia feels on their Las Vegas residency which launched March 1.
Long-runners
Their show, entitled “Larger than Life” after a single from their 1999 “Millennium” album, is being held at The Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Vegas, set for 26 dates. At their March 1 launch excitement was palpable as to what the quintet of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson and Brian Litrell will have in store for their audience. And the answer came in the form of their set list: a loving recap of their 24 years in the business as the famous Backstreet Boys. Starting from the get-go with their show’s namesake song “Larger than Life”, the guys segued into another favorite track from “Millennium” in “The One”. Then they went back in time to their boy-band phase with danceable hit “Get Down” and slow number “Every Time I Close My Eyes”.
But before the crowd could peg the “Larger than Life” residency as a trip to the past, the BSB suddenly leaped forward with their 2005 smash “Incomplete”, which has become a sort of standard for their group now whenever they perform multiple songs. From there it became a see-saw of timestamps in Backstreet Boys history going from “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” to “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”.
Homage to the old days
Brian has described their Vegas residency to be “a BSB concert on steroids”, which was an apt way of illustrating how the “Larger than Life” show carried on. The Boys had backup dancers, audience participation songs, callbacks to famous routines (“As Long as You Love Me” with the chairs), and the showing of never-seen-before homes videos of the guys in the glory days whenever they ducked out to change costumes.
All in all some 20 songs were on the roster for the evening show, hammering home that “Larger than Life” is a celebration of all things Backstreet Boys, their success together and their unbroken bond with their fans. It’s too bad the Axis holds only 4,600 seats max. Tickets for the remaining 25 show dates are going to be worth platinum for true BSB fans. If you really can’t make it, then here at least is the set list from the March 1 premiere.
