The Boys ‘N Demand

You’ve been dreading it, and now it’s here. It seemed like a good idea when you bought the tickets in December, but lately you’re grinning through gritted teeth as your daughter gives you the daily countdown.

“Mom, only 10 days until ‘N Sync!”

Then there’s MTV--where the boy band’s drippy ballads play, oh, every five minutes or so. And why is it that all the Web page bookmarks on your home computer now lead to those same five, fresh-scrubbed faces?

“Dad, only one week until ‘N Sync!”

Eighty bucks for two tickets, $27 more for a T-shirt, $10 for a poster and then there’s parking at the Arrowhead Pond, not to mention sodas--how much is this going to cost you?

“There’s only FOUR days until ‘N Sync! I LOVE Justin!”

It’s here. The musical, economic and hormonal powerhouse that is ‘N Sync arrives in Southern California for three shows this week, tearin’ up the hearts of girls and bringing winces to the faces of their unenlightened parents. If you are one of the, uh, lucky ones who have tickets to the sold-out shows (tonight at the Cox Arena in San Diego, Friday at the Great Western Forum or Sunday night at the Pond in Anaheim) and you plan to accompany your child to a show, we offer today some insights and tips to help you survive the experience, along with one warning: If you’re not careful, you may actually have a really good time.

At the ‘N Sync concert in Kansas City, Mo., on April Fool’s Day you could see it happening, about two or three songs into the show. Dads who had drifted in late from the beer lines started swaying to the beat. Moms, giggling with their daughters, started dancing along and seemed to realize that, hey, these guys are pretty hot.

“We’re like Frosted Flakes,” says Justin Timberlake, the dreamy blond who gets the most solos and loudest, longest cheers from the crowd. “The parents don’t like to admit they enjoy the music.”

Well, let’s cover the basics first. Consider

this an intelligence report for your mission or, if you’re a true cynic, a buyer’s guide to the latest product of teen pop marketing.

‘N Sync are Timberlake (a happy-go-lucky 18-year-old); J.C. Chasez (at 22, a veteran of the Mickey Mouse Club who bounds across the stage like an aerobics instructor); Chris Kirkpatrick (the old man at 27, easily identified by his braids); Joey Fatone (goateed 22-year-old, wears Superman memorabilia) and Lance Bass (the 19-year-old earnest, soft-spoken Southerner).

Their big hits are “I Want You Back,” “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “(God Must Have Spent) a Little More Time on You,” the last a ballad that reflects the wholesome, heartfelt image the group proudly embraces. Don’t expect them to grab their crotches or cuss on stage, which for many parents is a welcome relief in the era of Marilyn Manson and hard-core rap.

Sold-Out Venues but ‘Credibility Problems’

‘N Sync sprang from the Orlando, Fla., music factory known as Trans Continental Records, which also has ties to the other current avatars of teen pop, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears.

While ‘N Sync was crafted, coached, recorded and launched from the Florida epicenter of bubble-gum music, the members bridle at suggestions that they are manufactured. Like so many pop acts that cater almost exclusively to a youth market, they find it hard to get respect.

“They don’t play instruments, and because they dance and sing and a majority of their fan base is teens, they have credibility problems,” says Johnny Wright, the group’s manager. “But since when does singing and dancing not require talent?”

Sales, on the other hand, are no problem.

Their self-titled debut album is closing in on 6 million in sales, and a hastily assembled holiday collection sold more than 1.5 million copies. Their next album is due in September. Meanwhile, MTV, overwhelmed by a crush of viewer requests for ‘N Sync videos, has responded by devoting entire weekends of programming to the group.

Their concerts play to sold-out venues, their faces adorn pimple medication ads, they have a pay-per-view special on the horizon, and their upcoming, purposefully eclectic collaborations with country group Alabama, Phil Collins and R&B; star Ginuwine probably will spread their brand name to new audiences.

But are they just another New Kids on the Block? The New Kids were the biggest act in pop at the start of this decade, but their empire tumbled when tastes changed and, expediting the fall, it was revealed they were relying heavily on recorded vocals on stage.

Sure, ‘N Sync sings fluffy love songs and snappy but shallow pop, and it’s true that their dancing and stage antics are crisply choreographed for maximum swoon effect on the fans. And who could deny that they themselves are packaged and marketed with dizzying precision?

All of that is true.

But, wow, they can sing.

They nearly jump out of their seats when they hear the phrase.

“ ‘But they can sing’--man, we see that in every story,” moans Kirkpatrick, who may be the best singer in the group. “ ‘But they can sing.’ What is that?”

In the teen magazines, the five faces of ‘N Sync are always frozen in broad grins or winking playfulness, but on this overcast day in Kansas City there are no smiles. The group looks road-weary and suspicious of the reporter’s tape recorder sitting on the table in the downtown hotel suite.

They have been bruised, they admit, by media descriptions of them as a manufactured business enterprise, and they’re braced for more. More than that, they seem cornered by their success--they seem to love their work, but they know the boy band business can be fickle and fleeting.

“Maybe in five years people won’t be buying as many T-shirts, but we know we’ll still be making music,” says Kirkpatrick, the most outspoken member. “We understand that we’re a phase in people’s lives right now. . . . Maybe once a year something comes along that everybody wants to get, whether it’s Beanie Babies or Teletubbies or the Spice Girls, whatever.

“Right now,” he said joylessly, “we’re that thing.”

Twenty-six floors below, the lobby of the hotel is jammed with adolescent girls who agree. They clutch placards and posters and copies of “ ‘N Sync: The Official Book” (a national nonfiction bestseller, of course), and their heads whip toward the elevators whenever the doors open.

Music Is First, but a Clothing Line Can’t Hurt

The mania makes the group members’ lives alternately miserable and fantastic. Their manager, Wright, was the road manager for the New Kids in their glory days, and he has shared the tales of that group’s rise and fall.

“It’s sad,” Kirkpatrick says as the others nod grimly. “They had such a great thing going. And they just flipped it.”

The ‘N Sync squad is well-versed in boy band lore, from the ancient history of the Jackson 5 to the more recent experiences of their older rivals, the Backstreet Boys. They are also savvy businessmen--Kirkpatrick is trying to launch a clothing line, Bass is managing some country music acts and all of them keep tabs on the state of the ‘N Sync empire.

The most important thing, though, is the music. That’s a mantra they repeat as group chorus, almost as if they are trying to convince themselves. “We enjoy what we do and we work hard to make the songs and videos and concerts as good as they can be,” Chasez said.

The show itself is a high-energy explosion of music and dancing that includes towers of flame, a cheesy space monster (his arm wouldn’t stay attached at the Kansas City concert), videos and more than a half-dozen costume changes.

And there is no lip-syncing here--that was clear as Timberlake battled a faulty microphone and Chasez’s voice repeatedly cracked from a a lingering cold.

The show, of course, is a huge hit with the fans. The dance numbers, solos and stage antics emphasize each member’s well-defined personality--the cute one, the serious one, etc.--and it strikes powerful chords with the devoted fans, who have done their homework.

“People feel very personal about us,” Chasez said a few hours before the show. “They’re writing to a perfect stranger, but because they play our music in their home and read about us, they tell us all of these personal things, all their problems. They know us even though they don’t.”

Grab Your Earplugs and Enjoy--Seriously

Knowing the group makes it far easier to appreciate their performance, and, as Timberlake points out, parents who participate in the concerts have “a chance to bond with their kids.”

OK, so maybe this won’t be so bad. Here are some final tips to send you on your way:

* If you have earplugs, bring them. This isn’t a slam on the music--the plugs will actually help you enjoy the show. The group’s production crew has to crank the volume to maximum levels to compete with the steady cheering from the crowd. Also, at the very start of the show and near the big finale, there are large explosions that will leave your ears ringing for hours.

* For all three shows, ‘N Sync will take the stage at 8:30 p.m., following Blaque, a young R&B; group that has been shepherded by Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, at 7:30 p.m. and Tatiana Ali, the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actress-turned-chanteuse, at 7:45 p.m. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. if you want to get there early to scoop up souvenirs.

* Impress your kid by singing along to the songs you do know. The group borrows some hits from the Jackson 5, Kool & the Gang and Christopher Cross, a maneuver to help parents bond with the show. “Something for everybody,” manager Wright said.

* Don’t leave early. The whole show will be wrapped up by 10 p.m., and while it may be tempting to bolt out early to dodge some traffic, you’ll regret it later when your daughter (the audience will be overwhelmingly female) finds out she missed the big surprise finale. We don’t want to give away the ending, but when the group starts singing “Sailing,” keep an eye on the latticework overhead.

* Don’t stay late. Your child (or even you, if you really liked the show) may want to join the wave of fans who rush to the rear of the venue to try to get a glimpse of the boys or even an autograph. Don’t bother: When the group sprints off the stage after the last number, they race directly to tour buses that are in gear by the time the house lights come up. “It’s the only way we can get them out or they’d be trapped by the crowd,” their tour manager says.

* If you couldn’t get in this time, don’t lose hope: The group returns to Southern California with a show Aug. 19 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater and tickets go on sale Saturday for an Aug. 20 show at the Blockbuster Pavilion in Devore.

* And, finally, if you want to see the true power of ‘N Sync, wait for the final moments of “(God Must Have Spent) a Little More Time on You,” when the group pauses in dramatic fashion before finishing the last line. Chuckling, mugging and waving to the fans, they just stand there, radiating intense cute-guy wattage. The crowd goes absolutely berserk, and ‘N Sync stretches the moment, standing completely silent, modeling for the crowd.

But, hey, they can sing, too.

BE THERE

‘N Sync, with Blaque and Tatiana Ali, tonight at Cox Arena, San Diego State University, 7:30 p.m. Sold out. (619) 594-6947. Also Friday at the Great Western Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, 7:30 p.m. Sold out. (310) 419-3100; Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 7:30 p.m. Sold out. (714) 704-2500.