Nostalgia, man: never underestimate it.
The Backstreet Boys — a group that started in 1992 with a bunch of pin-up ready teenagers — are back on tour, long ago having become Backstreet Men.
The group, along with pop star Avril Lavigne, will play the WaMu Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22.
The Backstreet Boys were a dominant force on the charts in the late 1990s, releasing a string of hits that helped re-establish the boy band craze after a decades-worth of grunge rock. Songs like “I Want It That Way” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” helped the group sell out stadiums and sell millions of albums.
The group has had a resurgence in popularity lately. There was the cameo they made at the end of the Seth Rogen comedy “This Is the End”; they were the house band in heaven. And then there was a new album, “In a World Like This,” which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
It seems that Backstreet is back. Well, all right.
Tickets are $71.30 to $141.10 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Pop bluegrass band Nickel Creek also is headed to Seattle in the coming week, for a show at the Moore Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Nickel Creek, a California band, formed in 1989, but didn’t really garner any attention until releasing its debut album, a self-titled set that started earning the eccentric trio a following.
That following slowly grew, with the band’s 2005 album even cracking into the Top 20 upon its release. But the group soon went on hiatus, with its talented members launching side projects—most notably, multi-instrumentalist Chris Thile’s band the Punch Brothers, which won a following in its own right.
Nickel Creek reformed this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Along with a tour, the group released a new album, “A Dotted Line,” which was gobbled up by hungry fans, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Tickets are $32.50 to $42.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Nickel Creek returns Aug. 1 for the Chateau Ste. Michelle Summer Concert Series. Tickets are $35 to $55 at www.ste-michelle.com/.
Another eclectic musician, Jesse Cook, also is playing the Moore Theatre, headlining the venue at 8 Friday night.
Cook is possibly the only popular musician out there who can describe himself as a Canadian rumba flamenco player. His sound has made him a mainstay on the New Age charts for nearly 20 years, with albums like “Frontiers” and “The Blue Guitar Sessions” both hitting No. 1.
Tickets are $27 to $42.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Meanwhile, violinist Lindsey Stirling will hit the Paramount Theatre at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Stirling doesn’t quite play classical music. Rather, she plays classical music to electronica backing tracks while dancing. She’s a performer, see.
The 28-year-old made a name for herself first on YouTube, where her clips have been viewed tens of millions of times. The attention landed her a spot on “America’s Got Talent” in 2010. While she didn’t win the competition, she did expand her following.
Now, she’s touring behind her latest studio album, “Shatter Me,” which hit No. 2 upon its April release.
Tickets are $35 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Flight to Mars, finally, will play a benefit show at the Showbox at 9 Friday night, raising money for the Jennifer Jaff Center and CCFA’s Camp Oasis, both non-profits working with individuals suffering from chronic disease.
Flight to Mars may be most famous for counting Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready among its members. The group serves as a tribute band for the little known but much loved 1970s heavy metal act UFO.
The night promises to feature an all-star jam session with surprise guests — so, there’s always a chance Eddie Vedder will make an appearance.
Tickets are $25 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
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