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"It's, like, the biggest day of my life," is how one ecstatic fan in Charlotte, North Carolina described the arrival of September 17, 1999.
Hmm, September 17. That day wasn't all that special, you say? Try telling that to the skajillions of fans who crammed themselves into the Charlotte Coliseum to witness the first night of the Backstreet Boys' "Into The Millennium" tour. They'd prove you wrong but quick, buddy.
Now for all you true fans out there, MTV News has got your back. Being quite crafty when it comes to matters such as these, we snagged an all-access backstage pass and sneaked out some intimate details of what you can expect when the Boys come crooning back to your town this fall.
Step right up, kids, and preview the new stage costumes. Check out A.J.'s new blond highlights. Watch Nick wipe a drop of sweat from his precious face. Catch a glimpse of Kevin in his "chillin' backstage" robe. Hear Howie talk about how he wants to get oh-so-close to you. Witness Brian being as Brian as he can be. Yes, we've got it all here in words, pictures, and living, breathing RealVideo, just for you.
How much pretty green did some of these fans have to spend? Did they get their money's worth? Most importantly, were the BSBs happy to give it to them? Find out the answers to all these questions and more when MTV News' Chris Connelly asks the probing questions one just can't help but ask now that Backstreet's back.
Pre-Show Jitters with your host, Chris Connelly
Connelly: How much money did you spend for a ticket?
Brunette Fan: Five hundred dollars.
Connelly: Five hundred dollars?
Fan with Braces: Yes.
Connelly: Is it particularly exciting to go the first show of the tour?
Redheaded Fan: Oh, yeah! Especially since the hurricane thing happened in Florida. We thought ours was gonna be cancelled too.
Backstreet Backstage (All Right!)
Connelly: Now, is the hurricane interfering with your plans at all? Did it mess up your rehearsal or anything like that?
Brian: Well, it shut down two shows in Fort Lauderdale. But we're gonna put those on the back end of the tour. Can't disappoint any fans.
Connelly: What's it feel like right now to hear that crowd ready for you to hit that stage?
Nick: It's pumped. We're pumped. As you can see, Kevin's got his robe on. I feel like we're stepping into the ring.
A.J.: Ready to box, ready to go. It's gonna be a good show.
With Hurricane Floyd forcing a postponement of the first scheduled dates on this tour, the Backstreet Boys got to kick off their "Into The Millennium" tour right where they began the last two: here in Charlotte, North Carolina. With their 19-song set, the boys gave their fans everything that they could have hoped for: rockin' the hits, plenty of pyro and costume changes, and a chance to get up-close and personal with the boys in the band.
Chris Connelly did all that talkin' with his back to the stage the ENTIRE TIME. Can you BELIEVE that?!
Connelly: What do you hope to accomplish with this tour?
Howie: One of the things is that we really wanted to get close to the whole audience. Here, in the round now, everybody has a great seat. Everybody can see us very well, not just those on the ground. Sometimes it's even a little bit better to be a little bit higher. We're just trying to constantly upgrade our show. To prove to everybody that we're not just another quote-unquote boy band.
Post-Show Perspective with your host, Chris Connelly
Connelly: How was the show? What did you think?
Big-Eyed Fan: I thought it was so awesome! Oh my God... A.J. looked so good.
Connelly: They should do, like, a PG-13 show, where their pants fall down a little more.
Fans En Masse: Yeah!
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