Concert review UPDATED with video & photos: New Kids On The Block / Backstreet Boys at American Airlines Center (June 26)

by Jessica Harp

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At times, the concert bordered on ridiculous. But boy, it was fun to be a teenager again.

DALLAS — Boy bands of the '80s and '90s joined forces Sunday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas to make fans swoon and scream just like they did when they were teenagers. Except, now, most of New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys' biggest fans have graduated to drinking age. And, if you'll believe it, these matured fans are even louder and crazier than they were in the '90s.

It has been 25 years since New Kids On The Block first began dominating the charts. And it was 18 years ago that the Backstreet Boys would prove that the boy band equation of five handsome guys who can sing and dance could take the world by storm.

Boy bands have been delighting fans for decades -- The Beatles are a good example -- but boy bands have lost their luster today. They are a distant memory – a teenage dream. But with NKOTB and BSB's combined tour this year, two of the biggest boy bands in the world proved that one night of fun is enough to make those teenage dreams come alive again. If only for one night.

And though some band members may be quickly heading toward middle-aged crises, they can still pelvic thrust like they did in their youth.

Loyal fans wore light-up shirts, carried posters declaring their love, and screamed to deafening decibels as photos of each member of "NKTOBSB" flashed across the giant screen for the opening song. The screams would grow louder and louder, as if to woo the gentlemen onto the stage. For a solid three minutes, NKTOBSB remained silent as they descended onto the stage from a platform. It was as if it were 1989/1999 all over again, and women shrieked and shivered with pleasure at the mere sight of their former idols.

For the first song, a mash up of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” both boy bands were present on stage, but for the rest of the show, until the final few songs, it was either one group or the other. And that made sense: The guys need a breather between a few songs. They aren't 18 anymore.

Smash hits like “Larger Than Life” and “Step By Step,” along with a few slow ballads, made up the majority of the concert. Shirtless Donnie Walburg seemed to appease crowds, as did blown kisses and pelvic thrusts from every member of both bands.

Although there was an over-abundance of songs about heartbreak and loneliness, plus a few botched dance moves, the boys made up for it with the use of fireworks and confetti, their enthusiasm for the Big D, and of course, their love for the Dallas Mavericks. At times the concert was a little ridiculous, but the boys got away with it. Thousands of women seemed to spend the evening experiencing the rush of teenage hormones all over again.

Justin Bieber, take note: You may want to be like Justin Timberlake, but boyband-dom is your future. Don’t forget to practice your high notes. The ladies love them.

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