By JOYCE BASSETT , Staff writer
First published: Thursday, February 10, 2000

Teen heartthrobs return for Valentine's treat

The Backstreet Boys make their third trip to Albany next week for concerts at the Pepsi Arena on Monday and Tuesday. For those of you who have let your subscription to Tiger Beat lapse, the Boys are a pop-dance group with the top-selling CD of 1999, "Millennium.'' They've been nominated for four Grammy Awards and earned a mere $187 million last year on sales of "Millennium,'' their self-titled first CD, and concert grosses.

I'm taking my nearly 8-year-old daughter and two older cousins to the first night -- which also happens to be Valentine's Day. (Insert a piercing scream here for full effect.) Taking the kids to the Boys will take some planning, if you want to do it right with little or no hassle. Both shows sold out in less than two hours, which means mobs and mobs of teenage and preteen girls will be heading to downtown Albany.

I've decided to get there early, eat dinner and park anywhere but the Pepsi Arena parking facility -- where the gridlock after the show could rival the long lines for the women's bathrooms before the show.

"I compare this to a very large slumber party for young girls,'' said Lisa Audi, director of marketing for the Pepsi Arena. She's worked her share of teen pop shows, including 'N Sync and Hanson. Her best advice: "Wear earplugs.''

I agree. I've polled several parents who attended Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync appearances in Albany and elsewhere, and all say that the screaming is very painful on the ears. Combined with a loud sound system and pyrotechnic explosions, the decibels might be especially hard on younger kids.

Esther Myers of Clifton Park, who took her daughter, Samantha, 11, and two of the girl's friends to a BSB show at the State Fair in Syracuse, said people with young children were leaving in droves because of the noise. "People were wrapping shirts and sweat shirts around their heads, that's how bad it was,'' she said.

I would like my daughter to have a good time, which is why I'm planning to have her wear earplugs. Mack's Pillow Soft earplugs, which are made of pliable silicone, are what we used at last year's Britney Spears concert. We tried the orange soft foam earplugs from Eckerd, but they didn't fit into my daughter's ears.

Julie Kerwood, senior audiologist at the hearing center at Albany Medical Center, said silicone earplugs have a noise reduction rating of 20, compared to 29 for the Eckerd earplugs. "Rock concerts can reach a decible rating of 110,'' she said, adding that someone screaming right next to you could make the rating jump to levels of 140 or higher. The earplugs should reduce noise level, which at very high levels is perceived as pain, not sound.

In addition to earplugs, here's some other advice for adult chaperones:

Souvenirs: If you have the time and don't want to pay big bucks for souvenirs sold at the show, pick up something beforehand. As a gift for a good report card, I recently bought my daughter a neat BSB souvenir from Clair's, a boutique for girls with locations in a mall near you, that looks like a press pass with pictures and digital autographs of the Boys for $12. Tour T-shirts are probably the hottest item, but check online prices before the show at www.backstreetboys.com. For example, an online long-sleeve BSB T-shirt sells for $24.99 at the band's site. You'll have to pay shipping charges, but it may still be cheaper than show prices.

Best places to eat: We made reservations for 5 p.m. at the Big House at 90 N. Pearl St. When I called, they originally said they were closed on Mondays; then I told them it was Valentine's Day AND opening night for the Backstreet Boys. "I think we'll rethink it,'' said the voice at the other end. A couple of days later, they were accepting reservations.

Another good stop is Jillian's Billiards, 59-61 N. Pearl St., which has a decent menu of munchies and the coolest video and virtual-reality games. (Jillian's doesn't accept reservations.)

What to expect: The band's pentagon-shaped stage will be placed at the center of the arena for an in-the-round experience. The movable platform rotates and moves up and down. Band members take the stage by "flying'' through the air on boogie boards. They use the harnesses during the show, as well, to fly out above the audience.

Tickets: None are available, but there is often a "ticket drop'' the day of the show. Call the Pepsi Arena box office at 476-1000 or 487-2000 (you never know). Ebay has tons of tickets for sale -- some are going for reasonable prices, but two floor seats are selling for $400. Let the buyer beware: One auction lists two great seats, but bidding ends on Sunday. How will you get them the check in time for them to mail the tickets to you?

When to get there: The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Doors open one hour before the show and there is no opening act. If you have nosebleed seats, you may want to get there early. Sometimes at rock concerts people who work for the band roam the nosebleeds and upgrade a few lucky fans to great seats.

Where to find them: The Boys -- Nick, Howie, Brian, A.J. and Kevin -- will be around town when they're not on stage. (Add very loud scream here.) They play in Pennsylvania on Saturday night and Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 17. No one will say where the band will bed down, but the Crown Plaza, corner of State and Lodge streets, is booked solid Monday night. Rooms ($125 and up) are available every other night, including Sunday and Tuesday.

The last time they were in town, two band members were spotted at Crossgates Mall eating pizza.

Where to park: The Pepsi Arena parking lot is the safest, but unless you get there early enough to park on the lower levels, expect to be there for at least an hour after the show. Expect to pay at least $6, maybe more. Parking in the Empire State Plaza ($5) is another safe bet. A covered walkway links plaza and the arena. The Madison/South Pearl lot, the Liberty lot and the Grand Street lot ($5 for each) will be open. Street parking is available and free, just be careful. We'll park across the street from the Big House, which cost $5 the night of Bruce Springsteen's recent concert.

Then again, you can always get a limousine, which is how Esther Myers and her daughter are getting to the show. With seven other girls and two other moms, they're going to the Tuesday night Pepsi show in style.

"Sometimes I think I'm looking forward to this as much as my daughter,'' Myers said.

I have to admit it: I am, too. Lauren Graves, 12, of Bethlehem, a seventh-grader at Farnsworth Middle School, Guilderland, contributed online research to this report. Joyce Bassett writes this column every other week for Preview. Her motto as a working mom is: "No need to worry; they'll become Springsteen fans when they get older.''

THE BACKSTREET BOYS

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Where: Pepsi Arena, 51 S. Pearl St., Albany.

Tickets: $37.50-$45. Sold out, but it's always worth a last-minute try.

Information: 476-1000.