WHAT: Pop.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday.
WHERE: Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St., Manhattan. 212-279-7740 or ticketmaster.com.
HOW MUCH: $52.50, $62.50 and $72.50.
FOR MORE INFO: backstreetboys.com.
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks – and maybe you shouldn't. With a return to the sound that shot them to success, Backstreet's back. But word is they never really left.
The Backstreet Boys' "This Is Us" tour hits New York City on Thursday, and while the tracks and the collaborations are new, the feel is vintage – with a kick. A quartet since the departure of Kevin Richardson in 2006, they released their seventh album, "This Is Us," last October, and, according to Nick Carter, there's no chance they're stopping anytime soon.
"This is who the group is now," says Carter by phone before hitting the stage at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. "It was a little weird in the beginning, but it is comfortable now. We love him, but you know, we can't change his mind, but we all still hang out with him. … It's cool."
While it's been 17 years since the band's beginnings – Carter was 13 at the time, truly a Backstreet "Boy" – and the name may no longer fit industry veterans Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean (two of whom are fathers), they have a bond that hasn't changed, along with a love of the music they write and perform.
"It's definitely family out here," says Carter, whose favorite BSB songs are "Shape of My Heart," "Siberia" and "I Want It That Way." "We have a family vibe with each other, and getting onstage and performing Backstreet Boys music is definitely great. It's such good music, [our fans] never get tired of it, so we don't either.
"We feel that we're really good at what we do and we're really strong, stronger than ever as a group," he adds.
That explains why, despite the ever-evolving music industry, the Backstreet Boys are back in the groove and feeling more comfortable than ever – something they don't take for granted. Carter even gets defiant when it comes to the way the industry looks at them now. "The radio isn't playing our music as much, but that's, like, whatever; we go on tour and our fans come to see us," Carter says. "Even if the industry has been trying to shut us down, we've found ways and outlets to put our music out there. We've always created good music, but I feel like … once [the industry is] over something or don't want to hear it anymore, they don't want to put it out. We're a little more conservative in the States, with not as much promotion as other countries in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and all Asia. The entire rest of the world is cool with us, but it is what it is.
"We're the Backstreet Boys – not the coolest thing in the world, but we don't care," he says. "It's unfortunate we have a stamp on us, almost like a tattoo on us that doesn't reflect who we are or what our music is."
Their music, of course, has had to progress, but the boys haven't deviated from the feel-good pop sound they're known for. "Our sound has to evolve, which is perfectly fine, but we also have to stay within our realm as well, do what we do best and not go too far, which is why I think fans trust us," says Carter. "Our shows and our music are dependable, and we're kind of pretty good. Our fans know that when they go to Backstreet Boys, [the group will] perform their ass off."
They're working on another album in September that should be ready by next year, according to Carter, who is also busy recording a follow-up to his 2002 solo album, "Now orNever," as well as giving the actor/director/writer hats a try with a short film called "The Pendant."
"It's a gory horror movie, a psychological thriller," says Carter of the 15-minute film. "It's my first little initiation into the acting world from behind the scenes."
Even as he continues to pursue a film career (he's already working on another script), Carter and the "boys" are, as he says, "always writing, and when we're done, we submit [the songs] to each other and record that, or other people's songs as well. We take control of what we want to do."
Utilizing their collective creativity is something the band most likely never imagined they'd be able to do, but then again, their longevity is something they never saw coming.
"I don't think anyone ever thought we'd get this far," Carter confesses. "All we cared about was what we did next, looking toward the future and … going forward. We keep trying to outdo ourselves and continue to do what we do, because we love what we stand for."
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
THIS IS US TOUR: Backstreet Boy Nick Carter Checks In Ahead Of Their New York Show
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