Chasez rocks Fillmore Prince-style
(5/18/04) James Sullivan San Francisco Chronicle

All those magazine covers tell the story: Prince is back, in a major way.

In fact, there are two Prince tours on the road at the moment. One is the self-congratulatory stadium show by the rejuvenated '80s superstar himself.

The other is a virtual Prince revue by 'N Sync's JC Chasez. Right now, he might have the better of the two shows.

Chasez's solo debut may be called "Schizophrenic," but the singer is single-minded in his devotion to his purple prototype. Midway through a feverish 80-minute set at the Fillmore Sunday, Chasez and his superb band played a slavish version of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy," right down to the Artist's own recording of the familiar "Dearly beloved" intro. Meanwhile, "100 Ways," the night's final encore, was a Chasez original that sounded more like Prince than Prince's own new music does.

Prince's breakthrough album was "Dirty Mind," and Chasez -- another former Mouseketeer, just like Justin and Britney and Christina -- clearly shares his hero's runaway libido. Showcasing a six-pack of dancers, four long- legged women and two pop-locking homeboys, Chasez's show was stuffed with innuendo.

These 'N Sync boys have either grown up in a hurry, or their Radio Disney act was a well-tended front. Right after Justin Timberlake's infamous Super Bowl halftime incident with Janet Jackson, the NFL revoked Chasez's invitation to perform at the Pro Bowl.

Though he had some choice words for his backpedaling hosts, some of the moves he and his dancers made on Sunday would have made Ms. Jackson turn crimson.

During "Some Girls (Dance With Women)," the vaguely dance hall-ish (but unequivocally suggestive) number that Chasez was to have performed for the NFL, the singer spun away from the audience, mirrored by a girl on each hip. The strategically placed finger-wagging that came next was, however fleeting, about as hot as pop choreography can get before it becomes straight-up porn.

"All Day Long I Dream About Sex," Chasez chanted on an eight-minute version of his current signature song, opening the show with a heavy dose of nostalgia for the darker side of new wave. His band wore hospital scrubs, emphasizing the tour's health-and-wellness theme. (On the album cover, Chasez is tied up in a straitjacket.)

"If rock had a second home, it would be here at the Fillmore," the singer gushed, joining the long line of performers who inevitably express their gratitude at headlining the storied hall for the first time. The funny thing was, this butt of a thousand and one boy-band jokes rocked convincingly hard, with a lot of help from the ringers in his funk-metal band.

Howling like Michael Jackson and head-banging in sync with his two guitarists, he poured sweat, draping a soaked towel over one shoulder. For "One Night Stand," a song that borrowed whole-cloth from Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" and Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'," Chasez emerged in a black hat with a huge red feather and a fur-collared pimp's overcoat.

Judging by the screams of the women in the sold-out auditorium -- yes, full-grown women, not impressionable little schoolgirls -- Chasez knows exactly how to get the most out of his harem. His music may be derivative, but it's clearly working for him.

Forth One review: JC at SECC
(5/18/04) Forth One UK (thanks Eva!)

...Two sold out nights at the SECC is no small feat, and to get us in the mood we got our first look at JC Chasez. It will be hard for JC to really make a go of it, having to constantly put up with people comparing him to former bandmate Justin Timberlake, but he really surprised us with his new and innovative material. JC knew his role was warm up, and put loads of effort in to get us going. Kicking off with an extended version of his single 'All Day Long I Dream About Sex' was a whole lot rockier than expected, breaking down into a 4 minute 80's electro funk track to accompany the superb choreography.

The new single 'Blowing Me Up' and the title track from his debut album 'Schizophrenic' were the other stand out tracks for his 30 min performance. From what the crowd saw, JC might not have the instant success his old wingman has had, but there is a definite quality that will see him return to the SECC in his own right in time...