Backstreet's Back Alright!

Many of you have heard of them...the phenomenon, the craze, the ridiculously great music...the summation of all boy bands, the ultimate, the very best...

The BACKSTREET BOYS!

As a young girl, I first came across the amazing five when I was in junior high. Ever since I heard the lyrics, 'Get Down' I was hooked. I've sung out my lungs and boogied on down to every song on every album. In high school I went to the Millennium and Black and Blue concert. In university I went to the Never Gone concert.

All in all, you can say I'm an avid fan :)

In the past two or three years there have been some changes with the boys. Their very own, Brian Littrell, also known as B-Rock or Frack, has come out with his debut solo album, Welcome Home. It also happens to fall under the Christian Contemporary genre.

For the hardcore fans you may already know this, but for the general public here's the 411 on Mr.Littrell. Before joining BSB, Brian was enrolled to attend seminary for music and youth pastor ministry. It was then that God surprised him with an unexpected turn in his life as he joined the Backstreet Boy's instead - an invitation opened to him by his cousin, Kevin Richardson (fellow BSB-er).

The rest is history! The boys have had success for many years, travelling the word, winning awards, selling records etc. Their tunes can be heard from every radio station and if you pump out some lyrics, you're bound to hear others join in the BSB sing-a-long!

So you can imagine how crazy and how exciting it was to have Brian Littrell come to Toronto for his first solo concert! My friends and I bought tickets and counted down the days 'til we would see him. And boy, we were so surprised at what we got!

The first thing Brian says on top of all the screaming girls (me included) when he gets on stage is, 'Can I take ya'll to church tonight?'. That begins one of the most amazing testimonies a secular turned Christian artist has reflected. The whole night is full of him sharing his longing to see Christ face to face, his journey of stepping out in faith, his relationship with his wife and his son, his relationship with his earthly father and his Heavenly Father...it's just crazy! At one point in the concert he said this,

"I don't want to be known as a pop star, rather, I want to be known for being a man of faith, a loving husband and a loving father..."

He then goes on to say how all his success and victories are truly founded upon Christ alone. His first single is a remake of the old song In Christ Alone and the lyrics couldn't be more true of how he lives his life.

In Christ alone, I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory, let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope
Is Christ alone

There were a ton of fans who were not believers that attended that night and let's just say, he really spoke truth and love and encouraged all to put their hope in Christ.

I was so moved by his stand for the Lord that I teared! That, and I was just so pumped to be so close to the stage! haha He looked over to me and my friends and waved - I was so excited I smiled back awkwardly. haha It was so much fun!

Check out some of his songs on his myspace and his website. Truly, a great MOG. I'm excited for other artists to rise up in this type of industry and make a mark for Jesus Christ.

Overall, we had a SUPER fun time - I couldn't think of any other way to spend my Saturday night :)