Nick Carter’s concert at Cowboys November 18th – part of his "All Canadian Tour" in support of album All American – was awesome. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has watched the youngest of the Backstreet Boys grow up over his two decades on stage. Performing in a group is an entirely different thing from carrying a show on your own, but without his bandmates Carter stood tall in his solo spotlight.
Cowboys Dance Hall echoed with screams as the boyish 36 year old bound on stage. Backed by a talented band, Carter pleased fans with songs from his three solo albums and plenty of Backstreet Boys songs. You could tell the real hardcore fans by their reaction to the solo stuff, singing along and dancing to songs like Blow Your Mind and Help Me from 2002’s Now Or Never. Carter joked that he had to change the title track of his new album for this tour to All Canadian – turning to his bandmates while they sang "booty in the USA" and replying "No! That’s not Canadian." The new album was well represented at the end of the main set with Tijiuana, 19 In 99 and Get Over Me – a song originally done with Avril Lavigne.
Without the rest of the boys, the BSB tracks still sounded great. Songs like Larger Than Life and Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely had the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. The encore of Everybody (Backstreets Back) wrapped things up in a surprisingly short show. A few songs were cut from previous set lists, likely due to it being Friday night in a nightclub. As the Nick Carter fans came down from the concert high they turned into a wave of Flames jerseys as the bar opened up to the post-game crowd.
Understandably different from a Backstreet Boys concert, solo Nick Carter truly proved to be an incredible performer who does not get the credit he deserves. Whether strapping on a guitar or dancing on stage, he’s a versatile and talented performer. Having been lucky enough to meet him and interview him, part of that comes from him being a genuinely cool and friendly guy. Despite being part of one of the biggest selling groups of the past 20 years, he’s humble and seemed to really appreciate the fans support in attendance.
Speaking of incredible performers, Carter’s opening acts are definitely stars on the rise. The night started with Dan Talevski, who is no stranger to Carter having opened for The Backstreet Boys on their 2010 This is Us tour. Talevski first gained popularity with covers on YouTube, but has grown into his own music as well. Although his set did include 2 covers – Justin Bieber’s What Do You Mean and The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face his own material such as the current single Rocket stood out in his brief set.
Calgary’s The New Electric received a huge welcome from the hometown crowd. They made the most of their time with a fast paced, fun set of songs off their debut LP Living Loud. Charismatic singer Kyle McKearney bounced around the stage and standing on platforms closer to the audience. The bands incredibly catchy songs like Ride This Feeling and Life’s What You Make It combined with the energy and enthusiasm from the band made for a memorable set. Definitely keep your eyes on The New Electric, there is something special there and they are doing Calgary proud.
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Contributor Jason Clevett |
Locale Calgary |
Person Backstreet Boys | Nick Carter |
Topic Concert Review | Cowboys Calgary | The New Electric |
