LAS VEGAS – “Sometimes I wish I could turn back time, impossible as it may seem,” the Backstreet Boys crooned on their 1997 smash “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).”
At their Sphere residency, which kicked off its 21-date run July 11 at the visual playground in Las Vegas, the quintet absolutely reveled in nostalgia, turning back time for a sold-out crowd that proudly rocked Backstreet Boys T-shirts or all-white outfits in a nod to the “Millennium” album cover.
The sight of Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and AJ McLean caused a level of ear-splitting adoration that has been trailing the guys for 30 years. But, as with every live performance at the Sphere, this was more than a mere concert, it was a thrill ride, and the vibrating haptic seats and nonstop visuals elicited shrieks in their own right.
The nearly two-hour joyride came with a futuristic spaceship theme – a nod to their bazillion-selling “Millennium” album, the celebratory theme of these Vegas shows – from the moment the fivesome launched from below the stage for the wonky pop-funk of “Larger Than Life.”…