“It’s been pretty incredible,“AJ McLeantold the sold-out crowd on Saturday for the group’s swan song. “On behalf of myself and the boys, I want to thank everybody here that’s made this two-year journey so pleasurable.”
As expected, the night was emotionally charged with the group often making references to their last Vegas act — Kevin Richardson called it “an amazing ride”; Howie Dorough said, “We always love coming to Vegas”;Nick Carteradded, “Vegas has changed the Backstreet Boys' lives.”
Justin Segura
Like the pros they are, the group breezed through a two-hour set list of hit songs from their career, but the highlight of the final evening came when the men brought their wives to the stage during “Shape of My Heart,” handing each of them a rose while on bended knee.
Also in attendance was ‘NSYNC’sLance Bass, who sang “I Want It That Way” with McLean from the audience.
Backstreet Boys/Instagram
Still, the significance of the night heavily hung in the air during the duration of the show. “I’m not going to get emotional,” Brian Littrell told the crowd.
“I’m not going to cry. I’d like to, because you guys have honestly blessed our lives so much.”
Courtesy Live Nation
To say that Backstreet Boys’ Las Vegas run was successful would be a gross understatement.
When the boy band first signed on to play Vegas, they were slated for merely nine shows, beginning in May 2017. Due to swift ticket sales, Backstreet kept extending the run and extending the run. In the end, Backstreet Boys performed 81 shows in Vegas as a residency act.
The group even set a modern-day Las Vegas record for fastest tickets sales of a residency show. Also, during their run, the theater had to often open its rarely-used balcony due to ticket demand, something that simply didn’t happen with other Planet Hollywood headliners, including Britney Spears andJennifer Lopez.
With their Vegas run now in the rear-view mirror, the men will set out on their 11th world tour,the DNA World Tour, which kicks off in two weeks in Portugal. However, the group left the door open for another potential Vegas run in the future.
“God willing, if you want us back, Vegas, we’d love to come back,” McLean said, “and we hope to see you down the road.”
source: people.com
