Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life
Residency by Backstreet Boys
LocationParadise, Nevada, United States
VenueZappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Start dateMarch 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)
End dateApril 27, 2019 (2019-04-27)
No. of shows
  • 32 in 2017
  • 30 in 2018
  • 18 in 2019
  • 80 in total
Backstreet Boys concert chronology

Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life is the first concert residency by American vocal group Backstreet Boys, performed at Zappos Theater (formerly The AXIS Theater) in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. The show had its opening night on March 1, 2017, and was scheduled to close on April 27, 2019, to start the Backstreet Boys' 11th world tour in May of the same year. Although, AJ McLean stated on the last night of their final show that they will return to the Las Vegas Valley after their DNA World Tour, most likely for their 30th anniversary (2023) after what's happened, but Brian Littrell confirmed that they are going sign a longterm deal once the tour is over.[1][2][3]

Background and announcement

On April 1, 2016, member Nick Carter told "Entertainment Tonight" that the group signed a deal with Live Nation for a nine-show "test residency" in Las Vegas. AJ McLean confirmed the deal, telling "Us Weekly" that the residency would begin in January 2017.[4]

On September 23, the Backstreet Boys confirmed their Vegas residency happening in 2017 titled Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life.[5][6]

Reception

According to KVVU-TV 's report, "Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life" is the fastest-selling Las Vegas Valley residency in history. It is also the first time that Planet Hollywood has opened up balcony seats for headliner, making the theater 2000 seats bigger than fellow headliners Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears.[7]

Performance and show elements

The band was backed by an eclectic band of musicians and a DJ, and a complement of ten backup dancers (five male and five female), like their past tour (Into the Millennium Tour). The band would sometimes split up and perform with one member to each side or corner of the stage, but for much of the show, they performed to one side at a time, circling the stage (often as part of the choreographed dancing) throughout each song. A video feed of the show was shown on video screens on both sides of the overhead lighting rig.[8]

The boys began each show in a curtained-off enclosure on the venue's floor. They, dressed in purely white outfits that were reminiscent of their Millennium album cover, first descended from glowing blue and white boxes inside the Axis (now Zappos) theater, and they turned towards the audience before starting the first song, "Larger Than Life." Next, the dancers came out from behind the boxes and performed with them.

The boys used several costume changes during the show. Two versions of these costumes were built: The first encore outfits featured pink and black clothes to match. The later outfits (introduced as of February 2018 on the second leg of the residency) for the encore featured 90s clothes designed for each member. The dancers also wore white encore outfits.

After the first three songs (The One and Get Down (You're the One for Me)), AJ McLean would greet the audience as Nick Carter would either toss a used sweat towel or a signed water bottle into one of the pit seats. It would be caught by the hands of a fan in the VIP seats (three times he brought his son Odin on stage), and Kevin Richardson would Initially finish by introducing the song "Drowning, followed by "Incomplete" and then "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)."

A never-before-seen home video montage using "Boys Will Be Boys" allowed the band to change into black sequin suits. Next, an instrumental number featuring the dancers performing a dance number before They were raised on the central platform with mic stands to sing "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely," before coming down to a melody of ballads "I'll Never Break Your Heart," "Anywhere for You" and "Darlin'" (The two songs were later changed to Quit Playing Games). Next, "Undone" featured five female dancers descending the steps to the track while the boys remained on stage until the dancer came down to the band members to do a dance number. Later, Brian Littrell were come out to discuss the song or share about each fan moment. Next, They performed "As Long As You Love Me" with the song's signature "chair routine."

The never-before-seen home videos of the group members' past tours, performances, and award shows with their song "Everyone" was played as the boys changed into red, black, and leather outfits for the next songs "The Call," "We've Got It Goin' On" and "Get Another Boyfriend." Howie Dorough would be the last to talk and thank the fans for supporting them throughout the years of their career. Afterward, the band would sit down on the steps for the next song, "More Than That" (Later shows, they would interact with the audience).[8]

They added matching black fedoras and surprised the audience with the "hat-dance" routine in "All I Have To Give." Then, they come out with roses for the next song, "Shape of My Heart," which they performed and pulled fans, celebrities guests (Former *NSYNC members Joey Fatone and Lance Bass, Snooki from Jersey Shore, Shania Twain, Donny, and Marie Osmond, Perez Hilton, Bachelor contestant Ashley Iaconetti and her then fiancé, now husband Jared Haibon, Backstreet Boys fan,[9] Aerosmith's Steven Tyler & magician, and illusionist Criss Angel) and love ones from the audience onstage at the end (Brian and AJ had their mothers up at once, then AJ's two daughters on two occasions, Howie sernaded Stacey O'neil, his sister-in-law and wife's sister, Both Brian's and Kevin's wives Kristin and Leighanne came upon two special ones (Richardsons' anniversary and Littrell's birthday), even AJ helped organized a proposal for his friend).

During another costume change, the dancers came out for a dance break for the audience to an up-tempo medley of "Straight Through My Heart" and "It's Gotta Be You." Then, as an Encore, the boys returned to the stage in black (mixed with pink but replaced with blue street clothes later in the show) to perform "I Want It That Way," later adding " Don't Go Breaking My Heart" to the list.

The boys returned once more with the final encore, "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," often in the same clothes (later switching to their 90s-inspired street clothes). After ending the song, an instrumental outro was played as the boys said their final goodnights and fooled around. Finally, they took a bow to the audience under a blast of confetti and ended the song and the concert. (On Halloween, all five guys dressed in their costumes from the song's music video.)[10][11]

The final concert saw them headed down to the theater's VIP tables to their best supporting act - their loves and escort them up to the center of to the stage while performing "Shape of My Heart".[12] McLean, and his wife, Rochelle McLean, led the way, with the mom of two wearing a Backstreet Boys T-shirt and appearing emotional by the ballad's end; Carter, and his wife, Lauren, followed, with Lauren also rocking Backstreet Boys merchandise along with light blue hair, then smiling and glowing as Carter sweetly sang to her; Dorough, came next with his stunning wife, Leigh, who slay, strutting down the catwalk while dancing in a sexy white dress during another epic moment from a celebratory birthday weekend; Richardson, followed with his blonde beauty, Kristin, who appeared to be having a blast singing along as the two hit the spotlight; and lastly was Richardson's cousin, Littrell, whose wife, Leighanne, sweetly handed out roses to fans as she made her way to the stage. With that, they concluded by serenading their gorgeous wives as all five couples took to the spotlight In several video footage filmed on Saturday night. At the song's end, the five singers dropped to their knees before handing the ladies long-stemmed roses to pay tribute.[12]

Setlist

  1. "Larger than Life"
  2. "The One"
  3. "Get Down (You're the One for Me)"
  4. "Drowning"
  5. "Incomplete"
  6. "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)"
  7. "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"
  8. "I'll Never Break Your Heart"
  9. "Anywhere for You"
  10. "Darlin'"
  11. "Missing You"
  12. "As Long as You Love Me"
  13. "The Call"
  14. " We've Got it Goin' On"
  15. " Helpless When She Smiles"
  16. "More than That"
  17. "All I Have to Give"
  18. " That’s the way I like it"
  19. "Shape of My Heart"
  20. "loveboy"
  21. "I Want It That Way"
  22. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"

Shows

Date Attendance Revenue
Leg 1[13][14]
March 1, 2017 42,000 / 44,112 (95%) $5,399,176
March 3, 2017
March 4, 2017
March 8, 2017
March 10, 2017
March 11, 2017
March 15, 2017
March 17, 2017
March 18, 2017
Leg 2[15][16]
April 12, 2017 34,116 / 38,267 (89%) $4,678,081
April 14, 2017
April 15, 2017
April 19, 2017
April 21, 2017
April 22, 2017
April 26, 2017
April 28, 2017
Leg 3[15][17]
June 15, 2017 48,126 / 48,878 (98%) $6,447,389
June 16, 2017
June 17, 2017
June 21, 2017
June 23, 2017
June 24, 2017
June 28, 2017
June 30, 2017
July 1, 2017
Leg 4[18][19]
November 8, 2017 18,811 / 23,716 (79%) $2,748,074
November 10, 2017
November 11, 2017
November 15, 2017
November 17, 2017
November 18, 2017
Leg 5[18][20]
January 31, 2018 30,945 / 37,132 (83%) $4,786,907
February 2, 2018
February 3, 2018
February 7, 2018
February 9, 2018
February 10, 2018
February 14, 2018
February 16, 2018
February 17, 2018
Leg 6[21][22]
July 25, 2018 31,139 / 36,543 (85%) $3,854,449
July 27, 2018
July 28, 2018
August 1, 2018
August 3, 2018
August 4, 2018
August 8, 2018
August 10, 2018
August 11, 2018
Leg 7[21][23]
October 24, 2018
October 26, 2018
October 27, 2018
October 31, 2018
November 2, 2018
November 3, 2018
November 7, 2018 21,057 / 24,789 (85%) $1,484,562
November 9, 2018
November 10, 2018
November 14, 2018
November 16, 2018
November 17, 2018
Leg 8[24]
February 6, 2019
February 8, 2019
February 9, 2019
February 13, 2019
February 15, 2019
February 16, 2019
February 20, 2019
February 22, 2019
February 23, 2019
Leg 9[24]
April 10, 2019 37,315 / 40,786 (91%) $5,489,843
April 12, 2019
April 13, 2019
April 17, 2019
April 19, 2019
April 20, 2019
April 24, 2019
April 26, 2019
April 27, 2019
Total 263,509 / 294,123 $36,230,259

Personnel

[25]

Security

Band

Dancers

Legal and Business Management

Booking Agency

Vendors

Touring Partners

Public Relations

Fan Engagement and Website Design

Wardrobe Contributors

Caesars Entertainment

Merchandise Company

Digital Marketing and Social Media Management

Travel Agent

Afterparty Venue

Clips from BACKSTREET BOYS – SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF feature film (c) Pulse Films/K Bahn LLC 2015 and BSB personal archives

Special Thanks:

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Backstreet Boys back to vegas after world tour [19 April 2019] - legendado". YouTube. 25 April 2019.
  2. ^ "AJ McLean Reflects on 27 Years of BSB, Hopes for a Christmas Album and More". Us Weekly. 30 April 2020.
  3. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  4. ^ Brendish, Lynda (April 2, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Nick Carter Confirms Backstreet Boys' Las Vegas Residency, Teases New Album". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  5. ^ Kreps, Daniel (September 23, 2016). "Backstreet Boys Announce 2017 Las Vegas Residency". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  6. ^ "Backstreet Boys to perform Las Vegas residency". Fox News. September 24, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  7. ^ Smith, Rachel (March 1, 2017). "Backstreet Boys Residency breaks records!". FOX5. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Backstreet Boys' Las Vegas Residency Is a Thrilling Trip Down Memory Lane". Billboard. 2 March 2017.
  9. ^ Ashley Haibon [@ashley_iaconetti] (2018-11-11). "The @backstreetboys brought Jared and I onstage last night, so I have to show you all the pics! When Jared left the stage he kept saying, "I can't breathe." The chubby preteen in Jared had all his boy bander dreams come true. See my insta story for the video of this moment and more of Jared's fan boying" – via Instagram.
  10. ^ "Backstreet Boys Throwback Halloween Picture". Billboard. 31 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Backstreet Boys' Las Vegas Residency is a Thrilling Trip Down Memory Lane". Billboard.
  12. ^ a b "Watch the Backstreet Boys Serenade Their Wives at Final Las Vegas Show". Entertainment Tonight.
  13. ^ Tailor, Leena (September 23, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Backstreet Boys Announce 18-Date 'Larger Than Life' Las Vegas Residency". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  14. ^ Leg 1 box score data:
  15. ^ a b "Backstreet Boys". backstreetboys.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  16. ^ Leg 2 box score data:
  17. ^ Leg 3 box score data:
  18. ^ a b "Backstreet Boys Extend Their Las Vegas Residency into 2018". PEOPLE.com. 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  19. ^ Leg 4 box score data:
  20. ^ Leg 5 box score data:
  21. ^ a b Union, Wonderful. "Backstreet Boys - Events". Backstreet Boys. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  22. ^ Leg 6 box score data:
  23. ^ Leg 7 box score data:
  24. ^ a b "Events – Backstreet Boys".
  25. ^ "Backstreet Boys". Backstreet Boys.
  26. ^ "Overview". richandtone.
  27. ^ "Watch Val Chmerkovskiy Rap in Teddy Coffey's 'Growing Pains' Video". Entertainment Tonight.
  28. ^ "teddy coffey (@teddycoffey) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com.

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