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Anyone who lived their teenage or young adult lives in the late 90s or early 2000s knew far too well the music and bands that shaped the era, The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Fans knew they were in for a nostalgic-filled night when Joey Fatone from *NSYNC and A.J. Mclean from The Backstreet Boys joined forces to sing their bands’ hits, covers, solo projects, and fun antics to fill the night. On this balmy Saturday night, the tour stop in Louisville, Kentucky, was no different. The crowd filed into The Kentucky Center and the excitement was palpable. DJ Reg West hyped the crowd up before the show started. He had people dancing and singing along to fan favorites like “I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, and “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey.
At about 8:10 PM, the crowd was brimming with anticipation as they knew the moment had arrived. With no openers, the fans got their wish for a night full of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC hits. They opened with an *NSYNC song, “Pop,” that got the crowd on their feet. That flowed into another *NSYNC hit “I Want You Back.” Then came a Backstreet Boys song, “Larger Than Life.”
It was fun to see the crowd fully engaged from moment one. They crowded to the front of the stage and sang every word. The interplay between Joey and AJ, as they covered each other’s songs, lent itself to a lighthearted and fun evening for all in attendance. They switched up the melodies in some of the songs to make them unique, like a jazzier version of “Tearing Up My Heart” sung by Joey. They took a break from the well-known songs to try to stump their musical director, Ken with random TV Themes. Some he knew and others he was stumped on, like the theme from “Bluey.”
They slowed things down for a minute to sing some ballads like “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” and “All I Have to Give” by The Backstreet Boys and “This I Promise You” by *NSYNC. They don’t keep the energy low for long and take it back up with “The Call” from The Backstreet Boys and several covers which were chosen by tossing an inflatable dice into the audience, which corresponded with a list. The covers also were hits with the audience, even bringing Joey and AJ into the crowd to sing along. Some of the songs they sang were “All the Small Things” by Blink-182, “Basket Case” by Green Day, and Joey even did a hilarious rendition of “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid.
A.J. then took the stage solo to sing a few of his solo projects. A.J. spoke from his heart about the importance of sobriety and mental health. He especially wanted to take time to speak about authenticity, which was refreshing to hear someone in the limelight speak so candidly about being authentically you. A.J. said after the Backstreet Boy’s DNA Tour, he checked himself into an outpatient mental health facility and came to terms with how he had been living a façade. He wanted to introduce the audience to his true self, Alex, who had been repressed for 40 years, not the character or performer, A.J. Mclean. This led to a moving song that paid tribute to this journey, titled, “Arizona.”
The night was coming to a close but not before they ramped the energy to an even higher level. A.J. hopped up on the drums, and Joey came out into the audience for a dance break. They closed out the set with an *NSYNC mash-up of “Digital Get Down/No Strings Attached/Space Cowboy,” which was met with dancing and singing. Before the lights dimmed before the encore, they ended with BSB fan favorite, “Everybody.”
The lights dimmed, but the crowd was not done. They knew there was more music to be had. The encores were still left to be played, and they ended the night in the best way possible. Coming out and singing first, “I Want It That Way,” and then ending a night in the only way that made sense with *NSYNC’s hit, “Bye, Bye, Bye.” Even if you were not a major fan of either of these groups, the night was still fun and enjoyable. If you were a longtime fan, it was a night to remember. It took you down memory lane memory lane, and let you relive a simpler time. It was a night filled with fun, laughter, and music, and any night with that combination is a night worth having.
Joey + AJ:
Joey Fatone– Vocals
AJ Mclean– Vocals
Brandon Kyle Miller– Bass
Bradley Shapiro– Guitar
Gerald Law II– Drums
Ken Gustafson– Keys
Dan Parrish– Trombone
Paul Van Wormer– Saxophone
Joshua Mercado– Trumpet
Setlist:
1.) Pop
2.) I Want You Back
3.) Larger Than Life
4.) Look Up Child
5.) Tearing Up My Heart
6.) You
7.) TV Theme Songs- Cheers/Step-by-Step/Full House/ One Tree Hill/Friends/Duck Tales/Jeffersons/Greatest American Hero
8.) I’ll Never Break Your Heart
9.) Thinking of You
10.) This I Promise You
11.) All I Have to Give
12.) The Call
13.) Basket Case (Green Day Cover)
14.) Sweet Transvestite (Rocky Horror Picture Show Cover)
15.) All the Small Things (Blink-182 Cover)
16.) Part of Your World (Little Mermaid Cover)
17.) Arizona
18.) Burnin’ Up
19.) Poison/This is How We Do It
20.) Digital Get Down/No Strings Attached/Space Cowboy
21.) Everybody
Encore:
22.) I Want It That Way
23.) Bye, Bye, Bye
Follow Joey Fatone Online
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Music and the appreciation of coverts and live music was introduced to me at an early age. I love the shared experience of live music. Christian Rock was a mainstay in my from early in my childhood to present day. My parents introduced me to the pioneers of Christian Rock, like Petra and White Heart. This only progressed me in my love of music and concerts. My musical preferences are a wide range of genres and artists.
While in college, I received my bachelor’s in communication. While in college, I had my own Christian Rock show on the college radio station. I also interned with two different radio stations. I always have had a passion for sharing music and musicians’ passion and artistry. That has since progressed into some concert photography and being able to capture that passion from bands on stage. I have be able to photograph many artists across the Midwest region.
