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| 5/14/04 |
Dirty dancing on airs IF JC Chasez weren't the consummate pro, he might have walked off the stage at the Roseland Ballroom Wednesday when he realized he was performing for a measly 1,000 fans - in a club that usually packs in more than 3,000. Instead, the *NSYNCer, now on a solo tour, put on a terrific concert and thanked those who came instead of punishing those who ignored the gig. In a moment of self-doubt, a conquered Chasez faced the females who pressed toward the stage, telling them, "I don't know about this, but I'm going to ride this thing till the wheels fall off." He did, through the many fast tunes, sappy ballads and even his oddball Sting-meets-Marley reggae number, "Everything You Want." The stage was set with padded walls and the backup band members were dressed in orderly scrubs to conjure images of a mental hospital. (His solo album is titled "Schizophrenic.") Yet, because of the sexually charged songs on the disc, and Chasez's quartet of girly-show dancers who strutted in lingerie, Roseland felt more like the Paris' Crazy Horse Saloon than a crazy house. That was clear from the first tune, "All Day Long I Dream About Sex," when Chasez hit the stage running, all in white, as his ladies in black lace swirled around him. The guy is a fine singer who performed every song during the brief but explosive 75-minute set. Still, as good as his voice was (especially on the ballad "Dear Goodbye"), his dancing stole the show. At times, he had the same easy, everyman elegance that was Gene Kelly's trademark as a hoofer. That comparison was easiest to see when Chasez worked the electronic funk "One Night Stand" dressed in pimpadelic high fashion, treating the risqué number with the same deliberation that Kelly gave his classic routine for "Singing in the Rain." The song was an early show highlight, as was his equally spicy number "Blowing Me Up (With Her Love)," when the Chasez dancers illustrated a number of chapters in the Kama Sutra as the man sang. As Dr. Freud would attest, sometimes dreams have deep meanings and sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Earlier this year, Chasez played a pair of sold-out shows at Irving Plaza. He could have done the smaller club again with a full house, but the tiny Irving stage restricted this well-rehearsed, finely crafted song 'n' dance performance. If you only get to hear him sing, you experience only half the show.
Between Janet and Justin In the end, Janet Jackson's breast-baring Super Bowl performance did little to help her career. Many critics said the stunt was intended to promote her album "Damito Jo," which has already dropped out of the top 10 and is falling fast. At the time, however, it looked like J.C. Chasez would suffer the most. Judged guilty by association for his 'N Sync ties to Jackson co-conspirator Justin Timberlake, Chasez lost a high-profile platform from which to launch his own album, "Schizophrenic" -- the following week's Pro Bowl game. Looking back on that turn of events, Chasez has clearly moved on. "Everyone got nervous after the Super Bowl," he said from a tour stop in Pittsburgh. "It's a bummer that it happened. But it is what it is, and the truth of the matter is that it's a distant memory." Besides, Chasez has the more pressing concern of establishing himself as a legitimate solo artist. "Some people who think my music is going to sound and look like 'N Sync are going to be surprised at how different it is," the 27-year-old singer said. "It's a lot looser because the music is looser. "And I think people will have fun getting the different look. Because I'm doing a solo record now, I have to stand out and have people see what I'm about." Chasez hopes to do just that on his current tour. He performs Sunday at the Fillmore in San Francisco. "I'm basically doing a club tour, one hour and ten minutes
of nonstop music," he said. "People who are familiar with
the record know what to expect. The record is diverse, so I hope
the show reflects that." One of three siblings, the Washington, D.C., native was a staple on "The Mickey Mouse Club" series based in Orlando, Fla., before banding with Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass in 1996. Taking a name that described their tight harmonies, 'N Sync used their handsome looks, effervescent choreography and catchy pop tunes to pioneer the late 1990s "boy band" revival. Managed by Orlando entrepreneur Lou Pearlman, the group first scored a record deal in Germany, where they issued a self-titled debut to great success thanks to the hit singles "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "I Want You Back." After a year of international touring, 'N Sync signed with RCA Records and released the 10 million-selling " 'N Sync" (1998) in the States. After two highly successful follow-ups -- "No Strings Attached" (2000) and "Celebrity" (2001) -- the band embarked on an extended hiatus. Timberlake recorded "Justified" (2002); Chasez followed suit. The album's title, "Schizophrenic," is intended to suggest the various sides of Chasez. Musically, the disc ranges in style from new wave and techno to reggae and pop. Lyrically, it's clear that Chasez has sex on his mind. "I wrote 30 songs, and those were the songs people were drawn to," he said. "But they're fun songs in the way they deal with that subject matter." This album not only marks a sexual liberation for Chasez, but also a creative one. "When I decided to go solo, I didn't want people to tell me what to do," he said. "So I initiated who would write, produce, mix and master my record, every step of the process." Chasez realized that both critics and fans would compare his solo effort to Timberlake's. He warns against it. "Essentially, straight up, at the end of the day, I knew that was going to happen," he said. "But we're different people and express ourselves individually. If they give an honest listen, they see they're two totally different worlds. It's a whole different perspective. "Everything has been overly-analyzed and planned," Chasez added. "Rock 'n' roll was about sticking your tongue out and letting the chips fly: 'This is what we got, so deal with it.' Now, people are watching market trends and are more interested in being popular than expressing themselves." Chasez is doing just that on this tour. "I'm a road dog right now," he said. "I just want to take every opportunity to be heard. I just want to hit the streets and get in everyone's face. "I believe in my heart that I'm something different and special, so for the next two years I want to go door-to-door to get it out there. I'm happy to do it but, regardless, I always have the band in the back of my mind." Chasez said he fully expects 'N Sync to reunite as soon as the opportunity presents itself. "It's just a matter of the right collection of songs coming along," he said. "Collaboration is fun because you get to do it with your friends, as long as egos are checked at the door and are not getting in the way and you just respect somebody. "The guys are my best friends and there is no problem respecting everyone," he added. "We have a dialogue and understanding."
It's sync or swim, old boy In a couple of months, JC Chasez could be the new Justin Timberlake or another Gary Barlow. Not that Chasez, 27, knows who Gary Barlow is. Timberlake, on the other hand, has been his best friend for more than half his life - the pair met on the children's TV show 'The Mickey Mouse Club', then persuaded each other to join the boyband NSync, which made them both teen idols and multi-millionaires. Since NSync took a break three years ago, Timberlake has become a solo superstar and Chasez, who released his debut solo album, 'Schizophrenic', this week, should be set to follow. The problem, however, is that boybands rarely spawn more than one successful solo member. 'Schizophrenic' may be a slick pop album packed with potential singles - and steals from everyone from Prince and Donna Summer to Sting and Stevie Wonder - but Chasez could find he's left it too late. Surely, he wishes he had beaten his best friend out of the blocks. "Not at all," says Chasez, lounging back in a chair in a suite in one of Park Lane's priciest hotels. "Until last year, I had no plans to go solo. It was different for Justin. As soon as NSync stopped touring, he went off to record with the Neptunes. I spent nine months back home in DC, just hanging out with friends. As a band, we had spent eight years in each other's pockets. We all needed some breathing space and, for me, that didn't mean making more music." Which is surprising, since Chasez was always considered the driving force behind NSync and one of the principal contributors to their four mulit-platinum albums. Chasez, however, is far from a typical former child-star. Put up for adoption at the age of five, when his single mother found herself homeless, he grew up trying to fit in with his new family rather than going to dance classes and dreaming of being famous. "I still see my real mom," he says. "But we never had any money and she thought it was best I was brought up with a real family, with brothers and sisters. The last thing on my mind was being a pop star." At 13 Chasez did enter at talent-contest, but insists it was only for a bet. "A friend signed me up for a singing contest," he recalls. "He said he'd give me $20 if I went on stage alone. We both thought I'd be booed off. But I went along, sang 'Right Here Waiting' by Richard Marx, which I'd heard on the way there, and won frist prize." Within months Chasez had been asked to join The Mickey Mouse Club, but when the show was axed three years later, his plan was to go back to school. "Then I got a call from a girl in Nashville who was writing songs with Justin. She invited me down, Justin and I heard each other's stuff and decided to team up. Then we got a call asking if we wanted to join a boyband. I told J we should give it a go." NSync quickly overtook Backstreet Boys as America's biggest boyband but they weren't exactly cool. Chasez should have jumped at the chance to reinvent himself as a serious artist but he preferred to wait for NSync to reform. "We still will," he insists. It was only after the R'n'B producer Dallas Austin asked Chasez to contribute a song to a film soundtrack he considered going solo. His record company, Jive, offered to team him up with producers, but Chasez preferred to travel the world, work with friends and write pop songs in all sorts of styles - 'Schizophrenic' deftly skips from New Wave, electro and disco to sleazy funk, 1970s soul and even dancehall, although there's hardly a song that's not about sex. "It had to be fun," he says. "There was no point otherwise. I'm not one of those people who needs to be famous, and I don't need the money." Chasez's friends included the A-list likes of Austin and dance producers Riprock and Alex G, plus the unknown Rob Boldt (now working on Paris Hilton's debut album, for which Chasez has written two tracks) and Britain's Basement Jaxx. "I was in London on my own and someone suggested I go meet Basement Jaxx," Chasez explains. "They were stuck on the vocals for a song on their album. They asked me to jump in the vocal booth and try something out. Within a couple of hours, we'd done 'Plug It In', which is now their new single. Later, I asked them to return the favour on 'Schizophrenic' and we did a track together over the phone." In America Chasez's risqué lyrics have fallen foul of the latest wave of censorship - his high-profile solo appearance at a football league final was axed after Timberlake's and Janet Jackson's Super Bowl scandal. Over here, he has just toured with Britney Spears, although he is at pains to point out that, unlike Spears, he sang his set live. "Back home I've had problems with people saying the songs are too sexy to play on the radio," Chasez laughs. "If that means the album doesn't sell as well as it should, I don't care. I know I've made a cool record, that's all that matters. Besides, being called too sexy isn't so bad."
Justin 64th in 100 greatest gigs ever ...64. Justin Timberlake - Sheffield Arena, 7 May 2003 It was the night he dragged pop into the 21st century. Having proved he could sing like Michael Jackson, this was Timberlake's chance to prove he could perform like him. Against a backdrop of stadium pyrotechnics and piercing pubescent screams, his 70-minute exhibition of breathless hip-hop soul and agile body-popping left no doubt as to the identity of the new King of Pop. Tour guide: Timberlake chose to begin his first solo tour in the UK as Britain was the first country to send his debut album, Justified, to number 1...
Challenge For The Children® VI Platinum Ticket Package-$750.00 Meet and Greet, Parties, Celebrities, Sporting Events: The Ultimate *NSYNC Weekend. Are You Up For The Challenge? Be honest, haven’t you ever wanted to party like a superstar? We aren’t just talking about one little party, we are talking about the ultimate *NSYNC experience. Then, CFTC’s first ever-Platinum Ticket Package is for you. Go where no fan has ever gone before during *NSYNC’s Challenge For the Children® weekend in Miami Beach, Florida. The Platinum Ticket Package is your exclusive ticket for this year’s celebrity-packed fun-filled weekend. With the special Platinum VIP pass you will have access to a special Platinum seating section at both sporting events, along with special Platinum VIP areas at parties; what more could an ultimate *NSYNC fan want? Your Platinum ticket will launch your *NSYNC weekend with access to Friday night’s Tip-off Party in a special Platinum VIP area. Then, join *NSYNC all day Saturday for the Celebrity Skills Challenge; right on the beach at Collins Park in your special Platinum VIP seating area. The excitement continues on Sunday, at the Celebrity Basketball Game, when you have the opportunity to enter the arena early to watch the private shoot around and then be escorted down to your special Platinum VIP seating area to enjoy the thrilling game, where anything can happen, and usually does. Have the perfect ending to your *NSYNC weekend by joining the guys at their Champions Celebration Party in the special Platinum VIP area. As an ultimate *NSYNC fan, you’ll also receive an Extreme Fan Pack full of Challenge For The Children® merchandise to commemorate your weekend. Want to get in on the action? The best has yet to come. By being a Platinum Ticket holder, you have a better chance of being selected to become part of the action during Saturday’s Celebrity Skills Challenge. The fun doesn’t stop there, this all-exclusive Platinum Ticket Package for the ultimate *NSYNC weekend is limited, so it’s time to act fast. The first 50 package purchasers receive an unforgettable experience: a Meet and Greet with *NSYNC, what more could you ask for? The Platinum Ticket Package is available through Ticketmaster, so go to www.ticketmaster.com to purchase your Platinum Package today. Platinum Packages will be available for purchase during the NSIDER/Fan Club pre-sale starting Monday, May 17, 2004 @ 10:00am ET through May 20, 2004 @ 5pm ET and will also be available to the general public starting Saturday, May 22, 2004 @ 12:00pm ET." Check out www.nsync.com for the latest updates and news. Don’t let your chance to party like a superstar slip away. Are you up for the challenge? Rules and Regulations
No celebs at Bros. premiere Last week, I went to my first red-carpet movie premiere with low hopes for the film but high hopes for celebrity stalking. The flick was called The Bros. , a locally filmed comedy that tracks the misadventures of two white dudes who want to be rappers. Yes, the movie is as bad as it sounds and, yes, it took roughly 30 minutes to elicit a laugh. Still, the movie had one redeeming quality: lots of celebrities. In fact, with the exception of Tiger Woods, the flick features an all-star cast of Central Florida notables. Listed in the credits are heavy-hitters Shaquille O'Neal, comedian Carrot Top and 'N Sync-er Joey Fatone. With so many names, I figured I could share popcorn with at least one celebrity during the movie. Or maybe even do tequila shots with Shaq at the after party, held at Metropolis in Pointe Orlando. To prepare, I called the movie's producer in advance to see who was coming. The conversation didn't go well. One by one, he ticked off names of people who weren't coming. Shaq? "There's no way Phil Jackson is going to let him out of the time zone," producer Scott duPont said. "Unless a miracle happens, we won't see the big man." He was right: Shaq didn't show. In fact, none of the celebrities came -- save former Magic player Dennis Scott who helped produce the film. Oh, well. The evening had a few redeeming qualities. While I wasn't a huge fan of the movie, I have high hopes for newcomer Jonathan Figg, the rookie director who put the piece together on a shoestring. And Scott was actually pretty funny. Best of all, were those crazy cats from Telemundo, who were drinking and treating the event like a glitzy Hollywood premiere. Their lead reporter there wore a bright red dress and a hairstyle that was just short of a beehive. Who needs celebrities? |
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