WHOA! Amazing, amazing, amazing!! Eeeeehaaaaawww!! Oh my God, I still… Oh, baby! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Yeah! Shout, scream, it’s the Backstreet Boys, baby! Right here in Bangalore! Woooooohoooooooo!!
February 21, 2010. When the “Greatest boy band on the planet” came down to Bangalore for a live performance. A whole generation of teenagers grew up on their love songs. Hitherto, only a BSB video on TV was enough to make me euphoric. “Oh my God! A Backstreet Boys song!!” If just their 2D image on my 21” Onida TV used to excite me like hell, imagine the delirium of seeing the boys in flesh and blood, L-I-V-E, from a distance of no more than 10 ft.
Yeah, I skipped lunch, rode bike like crazy, braved the blazing sun for an hour while standing in the queue, and ran so fast to claim a space in the front row. And a hundred others who were standing in the queue like me ran their fastest as well. Everyone wants to see the BSBs!
They were the main-event, so obviously the show started with other lesser known bands. The crowd, which kept getting larger and louder as the show progressed, was getting wild with anticipation.
Even as an amazing rock band, Jayce Lewis, was belting out a number, Howie sneaked into the backstage. That was our first glimpse of the boys. I felt sorry for the less popular rock band: though the lead singer was straining his vocal chords with utmost sincerity and the punk with funky hair was playing bass guitar superbly, it was Howie who drew the loudest cheer in their act, simply by stepping into the dead end of the stage for a couple of seconds. And then Nick stretched his neck from behind the curtains to see the crowd. AND EVERYONE WENT CRAAZZZZYYYYYYY!!!
Performance by five artistes later, the stage crew started preparing the stage for the main event: “BACK-STREET-BOYS! BACK-STREET-BOYS! BACK-STREET-BOYS!...” The whole crowd was so loud that the boys could have heard them even if they were sitting in their hometown — Orlando, Florida.
Crazy with anticipation. Yes. Thus far we had only seen them on TV. That’s it. The legends. On their first visit to India. Audience didn’t seem to mind the 20-minute time gap in preparing the stage. Even namma Kannadiga annas who were preparing the stage, while wearing fluorescent green jackets with CREW written on it, were cheered. “CREW! CREW! CREW!...” The poor chap, brooming the stage, wondered what happened.
And then the stage went dark and we knew the time has come. And then came the moment of the lifetime. The boys! On the stage! Live! In flesh and blood, here in front of our eyes. Yes sir, this is not a dream. It is a dream come true! And then…
“Everybody yeah…
Rock your body yeah…
Rock your body right…”
The blonde-haired Brian started singing. The assembly of fans became delirious. It’s for real!
“Backstreet’s back, alright!”
And then started what was perhaps the best night of my life. They belted out hit after hit after hit. And the crowd sang along with them. Brian waved at the front row audience who were continuously waving at him. We just got to see how hot Nick looks. The crazy, tattooed AJ is really cool even though he is losing his hair. And we learnt that Howie can do moonwalk!
Ecstasy, pure joy. Euphoria, delirium. Ah, pure pleasure. The whole experience was like, if I die tomorrow, I know I haven’t wasted my life. I got to see the Backstreet Boys live from front row! I wish the night hadn't come to an end. But it had to. But no regrets. It was the best night my life!
Yippie..!! Long live the BACK-STREET-BOYS! BACK-STREET-BOYS! BACK-STREET-BOYS!
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