NKOTBSB tour hits Lafayette
New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys appear on stage together at the beginning of their show Friday night at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
With the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys' opening number — a medley of songs by both bands to the tune of Coldplay's Viva la Vida — the fans' shrill screams matched the volume of the bands' blasting music.
The bands continued their high-energy show, pinging from individual groups' favorites such as NKOTB's "You've Got It (The Right Stuff)" and BSB's "The Call" before teaming up again.
While the members of both boy bands have outgrown their baby faces and updated their wardrobes to black leather jackets paired with black denim and silver chains, the groups have kept their mad choreography and crisp voices.
The stage stunned concert-goers with blasts of flames, colored smoke and fireworks in addition to shots of bright white and colored lights.
The fans' — some in matching T-shirts, others in '90s-themed workout gear — stomps shook the stands of the Cajundome like a funhouse floor. These boy band fanatics are the same ones who spent their tween and teen years kissing New Kids posters and memorizing Backstreet Boys dance moves.
"My room was completely from floor to ceiling posters," said NKOTB fanatic Amy Beard of Lafayette.
Friday marked her seventh NKOTB concert, and she's heading to Dallas to the boys again Sunday. She and her crew spent three hours Thursday night trying to find members of both bands around Lafayette.
"We stalked them last night," she said. "And they were in New Orleans. We thought they were here but they were still in New Orleans."
Friends Crystal Harvey of Brandon, Miss., and Brenda Holden of Carencro shared their teenage fan stories.
"At 12 years old I had a T-shirt with Joey (of NKOTB) and my face Photoshopped together," she said, laughing.
Harvey once slept outside of the record store to be the first to snag one of the NKOTB's new albums, she said.
"I slept with Johnnie every night," said Holden, pausing before adding, "on my pillowcase."
A few men could be spotted among the sea of women. Phat Le of New Orleans joined his girlfriend and her friends to see the NKOTBSB show.
"I'm alright with it," said Le, who prefers BSB to NKOTB. "I'm not going to lie. I listened to the music.
"I'm just hoping to have a good time," he said. "Oh, and for Brian (of BSB) to serenade me."
Cajundome Assistant Director Pam DeVille hopes to bring more big-name groups to Lafayette.
"It's nice to have friends in the industry who trust what we tell them and believe in the support of this region for super shows," she said. "As long as fans in Acadiana continue to enjoy the experience of the live events in the Cajundome and creating memories with their family and friends, selling this region ahead of major markets will continue."
Opening acts for Friday's show included singer and dancer Ashlyne Huff followed by Jordin Sparks, the winner of American Idol season six.
http://www.dailyworld.com/article/DG/20110625/NEWS01/106250311/NKOTBSB-tour-hits-Lafayette?odyssey=nav|head
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