UNITING FORCES

July 10, 2011

It is a tour of epic proportions. Joining forces on stage, two of the most popular boy bands of all time took Vancouver fans on trip through three decades of pop music dominance.

Synonymous with pop in the late-80s and 90s, the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys packed Rogers Arena Sunday night for their second show of the weekend.

United under the NKOTBSB title, a colossal pairing of pop's elite, the shows were thick with nostalgia as fans reveled in the glory days. The majority of the women that filled the arena at one time proudly plastered a NKOTB or BSB poster on their wall and played their CDs—or cassettes even—on repeat.

The stars are older, but their charm does not seem to have dulled over the years. Their harmonized hits and choreographed dance routines were just as the fans remembered and sent them into a frenzy worthy of Beliebers.

The evening started off on a gleeful note with Matthew Morrison—not that the night needed any additional highlights to thrill the audience. Perhaps better known as Will Schuester from the hit TV show Glee, Morrison charmed the crowd with his smooth voice and dance moves.

During his nine song set he performed covers of the Police’s "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and Simon and Garfunkel’s "Mrs. Robinson", as well as a few of his own songs including "Summer Rain". Changing the pace the crooner even threw down Kayne West’s "Gold Digger".

Morrison was a huge hit with the crowd. But they were there for one reason, and one reason only. Cutting out of intermission, the stadium suddenly went dark and the crowd erupted, beside themselves with excitement. Black and white photos from the NKOTBSB tour splashed across the giant screens and served to increase the anticipation and decibel level.

With a crack of pyrotechnics the curtain fell and the nine heartthrobs stood stoic on a raised platform, before launching into Coldplay’s "Viva La Vida" combined with New Kids on the Block's "Single" and Backstreet Boys' "The One".

Instantly the crowd, mostly made up of females in their 20s, 30s and 40s, slipped black into their teens, screaming at the top of their lungs. There are going to be a lot of women in the office Monday morning with hoarse voices.

Feeding off decades of dominating, chart topping pop success—with over 200 million albums sold between them—the groups worked the stage which extended far out into the crowd. The hits and dance moves came as if second nature and the seasoned performers truly seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Trading off songs for the first stretch of the show the NKOTB—Jon and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg—performed a "Summertime" remix before burning up the stage, aided by some pyrotechnics, with "Dirty Dancing". Before Backstreet Boys—Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough—had the entire stadium dancing and singing with "Get Down" and "Larger Than Life".

Both groups gave fans exactly what they came for, the classic boy band hits. They sounded great and with years spent perfecting their hit making machines, both groups had a bevy of material.

Taking turns for short sets filled with fan favourites the concert unfolded with NKOTB highlights including their 1990’s hit "Step By Step", "Cover Girls" and "I'll be Loving You". BSB countered with "Show Me the Meaning", "I'll Never Break Your Heart", which brought four lucky fans onstage to be serenaded, "As Long As You Love Me" and "Quit Playing Games With My Heart".

The chemistry between the bands was flawless, the idea to merge them seems absolutely brilliant. It was a spectacular boy band overload, filled with smoke, fireworks, coordinated black and white outfits, infectious pop melodies and music that you can’t help but dance along to.

In uniting two generations of boy bands, the NKOTBSB tour offers fans two and a half hours with their teenage crushes who reigned supreme during the pop music era of their youth. It was an unforgettable trip down memory lane.