Backstreet Boys Concert & Star Ceremony
I’m a 90’s kid. If I say I don’t know who the Backstreet Boys are, that means I’m either lying or I’ve been living under a rock. I’m not a super big fan of the whole boyband scene, but then, I’m also not a hater. I appreciate talent. These guys can sing. They can sing while dancing. They produce beautiful harmony together. They may not be the “cool” or the “badass” guys (however society perceives the meaning of these words) but their musical and artistic skills are worth showcasing to the world.
I’ve been lucky to see them twice these past months. This one was shot just this past Wednesday at The Grove:
This was part of The Grove’s Summer Concert Series. They were promoting their new album, “In A World Like This.” The place was fully packed, I’ve read reports saying there were 20,000 people who were present during that night.
They performed songs from their new album, including “Madeleine,” “In A World Like This,” and “Safest Place To Hide.” They finished strong singing their hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” as the crowd sang along. The Backstreet Boys are definitely back!
*More photos from their live performance here, including the opening number by Megan Nicole.*
I was also present for their Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony last April and boy, was it one of the craziest ceremonies I’ve been to! The event format itself was no different from other WOF inductions, but the crowd here was tenfold! I can say that the demographic was 90% females, ages 15-30, which was also how it was during the concert above. There was no performance here, but the organizers of the event were nice enough to play Backstreet Boys hits as the crowd anxiously awaits for their appearance. I found myself singing along to the tunes of “I Want It That Way,” “Shape of My Heart,” “As Long As You Love Me,” and many more. The funny part was that this 60-something year old man beside me also sang along, and he knew the lyrics better than me!
The guys teased the crowd by peaking through the roof top, taking some Instagram photos. I’m sure you can imagine how wild the crowd went.
Kevin Richardson
A.J. McLean
The ceremony was started, as usual, by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce CEO Leron Gubler. Lucky fan Lori Meono and music producer/songwriter Max Martin gave the opening speech.
The guys gave a speech one by one, getting more and more emotional as it went by. Here is the full video, courtesy of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A.J. McLean
Brian Littrell
Howie Dorough
Kevin Richardson
Nick Carter
*More photos uploaded on Facebook.*
I can say that even if I’m not a BSB diehard, I’m still very happy to see them. They reminded me of my grade school and high school days. They reminded me of the good times I had with my classmates. They made me reminisce about the experiences I had back in the glory days of boy bands. Thank you, Backstreet Boys! I’m excited for your new album!
Helen Mirren: The Queen Gets Immortalized
I finally met Her Royal Highness Queen Helen Mirren last Thursday! I know I know she’s not the real queen but there certainly was a royal feel to her presence. Like you hear trumpets playing in your ears as she walks. And British soldiers marching. And the gates of the castle opening. I think I’m hallucinating, I should get help. Having played the role of three different queens in her career, it’s not unusual for people to associate her name to the role of Her Majesty.
It was a glorious day in Hollywood as we witnessed her name immortalized on the Walk of Fame. She has won 4 BAFTAs, 3 Golden Globes, an Academy Award, 4 Emmy Awards, and 2 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards (thank you Wikipedia!). With those achievements, one can say that this ceremony should have been done ages ago!
As usual, the event was packed.
Media Pit
Here are the list of wonderful peeps who never fail to deliver us the freshest news all the time. *clap clap*
Press List
Nope. I’m not one of those guys who deliver the freshest news. My blog is three days late. I doubt if anyone will ever get to read this. Ha.
The ceremony started with Leron Gubler introducing Dame Helen Mirren.
Guest speakers were film director/producer John Turtletaub (National Treasure: Book of Secrets)…
…who at one point mistakenly referred to her as Helen Hunt…
…and author/playwright/producer/screenwriter/director David Mamet.
She was given a certificate from the city of LA and the ceremonial loaf of bread.
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now how cool her purse was.
Here’s her speech courtesy of telegraphtv:
The Majestic Pose, ladies and gentlemen.
And the Royal Kiss with husband Taylor Hackford (director of Devil’s Advocate, current president of the Directors Guild of America)
Dame Helen Mirren gets star number 2,488. For those of you who would like to see her star, it’s right in front of Pig ‘N Whistle Restaurant at 6714 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028.
And before I go, here’s my picture with the queen *play trumpets*
hollywoodstargazer.com 