If you’re going to party like it’s 1999 again, you might as well join iconic boyband members to do just that. Joey Fatone & Friends held an intimate concert filled with hits from the 90s at the Tampa Theatre to kick off the 90s Con weekend.
Speculation was rampant ahead of 90s Con, with rumors suggesting that Joey might be joined by another *NSYNC member for hosting duties, fueled by the recent group reunion at the 2023 MTV Music Awards and news of a new song featured on the Trolls movie soundtrack.. It’s no surprise the event sold out. Regardless of the perpetual question, “Will *NSYNC reunite or won’t they?” – fangirls, true to form, showed up in force to support their favorite individual boy band members.
The party was emceed by none other than*NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean at the Tampa Theatre. If you had to select one member from the Backstreet Boys and one from *NSYNC to guide you through the ultimate 90s party, Joey and AJ were the perfect pair for the job.
The concert kicked off with Joey and AJ diving into one of *NSYNC’s most memorable hits, “Pop.” There’s an inexplicable satisfaction in witnessing a Backstreet Boy tackle an *NSYNC song and vice versa. In the heyday of boy bands, you were either team *NSYNC or team Backstreet, a rivalry fueled by fan groups and media sensationalism. High school drama may have given way to different types of drama, but now, embracing both boybands in our lives feels like navigating a harmonious multi-verse – and I personally like it!
Representing the Backstreet crew, AJ kicked off with Larger than Life with his classic, manical laugh before Joey joined in. Then Joey and AJ switched gears and turned the evening into a full-on 90s karaoke set by introducing the spinning wheel of 90s classic songs to determine what other hit songs they would perform. First up was Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy,” with AJ rocking out on the couch, jumping up and down while Joey led the vocals. Next on the list was Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise.”
After covering a few rock songs, AJ remained on stage to perform his own song, Love Song Love – a song showcasing his support for the LGBT community. Then he teased out his upcoming solo album which he proclaims will be a two-part album that will be released in 2024.
Before diving back into 90s chart-toppers, the duo paused to reminisce about 90s television, launching into a quick set of TV covers, including theme songs from Friends, the Golden Girls, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, South Park and other beloved classics.
AJ and Joey delved into more cherished boyband favorites, including “Quit Playing Games with My Heart,” “For the Girl Who Has Everything,” “I Drive Myself Crazy,” and “This I Promise You.” Joey introduced a special guest, his sister, clad in an MTV Spring Break 1991 shirt – very on-brand! Demonstrating musical talent runs in the family, she delivered an impressive cover of Wilson Philips’ “Hold On” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
The night continued with 90s songs like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison,” and Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It,” seamlessly interwoven with fan-favorite *NSYNC and BSB songs. The inclusion of *NSYNC’s “Space Cowboy” was a delightful surprise, a track I personally have not heard live since the Pop Odyssey Tour days.
The grand finale featured the timeless “I Want It That Way,” seamlessly flowing into “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” before wrapping up the set with *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” The night proved to be more than a concert—it was a nostalgic celebration of 90s music, and a testament to the enduring legacy of boybands in our hearts.
The only negatives from the show –
The stress of getting there on time! 90s Con officially kicked off at 3pm the day of the concert. Attendees had professional photos scheduled all the way up to 8pm that day so my group had to reshuffle some photo opp scheduling to make sure we had plenty of time to get to the venue. There were also some obstacles in shuttling fans to and from the theater to the hotels near the 90s con venue which caused a lot of fans to almost miss the beginning of the show. There was also the fun game of trying to get an Uber driver with another major concert in the area – causing road closures and making a 15-minute drive much longer to return to the hotel.