Nick Carter is on the road solo for his “Who I Am” Tour, a show that carries fans through a personal journey with recognizable songs from the ’80s and early ’90s, Backstreet Boys hits, and tracks from Carter’s solo albums.

I recently attended the show at the Wilson Center in Wilmington, NC, just one of many stops in the “Who I Am” Tour, and it was one heck of a good time. Every performance was energetic and felt like a love letter to fans just as much as it showcased Carter’s own journey.

He even talked quite a bit about how much it meant to connect with fans in such a personal way.

The concept behind the show itself is brilliant. It incorporates music from the year he was born up until the time he first met the Backstreet Boys in the early ’90s, along with the Backstreet Boys songs and solo tracks. It traces his entire life and the 30 years he’s been a performer.

Doing this kept the audience excited throughout the show, and mixing in the kinds of songs from the ’80s and early ’90s that everyone could sing along to was a great way for Carter to showcase his many talents.

There was plenty of singing and dancing, and he also played guitar along with a full band, showing he could rock just as much as he could sing a tender love ballad. There were even a few costume changes.

Carter began the show with “Larger than Life” by the Backstreet Boys, then followed with familiar ’80s covers “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and, after throwing on a pair of sunglasses, “Sunglasses at Night.” Every cover felt organic and natural, with Carter throwing himself soulfully into every performance.

The singer stated ahead of the tour that one of his goals was to create new memories with fans, and he certainly did that during this show. He also previewed that there would be a few surprises, and well, he wasn’t kidding.

Perhaps one of the most surprising moments of the night was when Carter belted out “You Shook Me All Night Long,” by AC/DC, genuinely capturing the raspy, high-pitched singing style of Brian Johnson.  As I said, Carter was really showing off his many talents!

Other songs included “Get Over Me” from his third solo album, All American, “With or Without You” by U2, “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi, and “I Want it That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, among others.

For a few songs, he offered personal feelings and anecdotes.

Before singing Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry,” for example, he asked the audience to listen carefully to the lyrics. “Sometimes you wanna say something, but you just can’t say it, but you can say it through a song,” Carter said.

And before performing “Sharp Dressed Man,” he described his first time seeing ZZ Top on TV. He was a young boy watching the MTV Music Awards. “These three guys in these really long beards came on,” he recalled, “And I think they scared the entire stage.”

As part of a segment dedicated entirely to love songs, Carter sang “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx. He then shared that he performed a Richard Marx song for his audition to be in the Backstreet Boys, which got him the gig. So, this was a bit of an ode to Marx.

Carter’s most emotional moment of the night was his performance of one of “Hurts to Love You,” a single released early this year, a few months after the death of his brother, Aaron Carter.

“As time has gone by and we’ve gone through life together, and things have happened to all of us, we share those stories together,” Carter said. “Through music, you hear other peoples’ stories as well. And this song right here is a very important song that I have written recently. So I hope you like it.”

His performance of this song was deeply powerful and heartfelt, with the song itself being full of raw emotion.

Carter also performed an upcoming single, “Made for Us,” and his most recently released single, “Superman,” which fans were already more than capable of singing along to.

However, one of the best fan moments was at the end of the night, when Carter performed “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

It was not only a fun and energetic way to end the night, but it was one that truly got the audience involved. The entire crowd was able to do the fan chant at the beginning of the song, and the feeling in the room was one of real camaraderie.

The evening was truly unforgettable. And even though Carter shared the history of his 30 years performing, in a lot of ways, it feels like the singer is just getting started.

See the remaining dates for Nick Carter’s “Who I Am” Tour:

 

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*Featured image credit: Brian Doherty

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Ashley Bissette Sumerel

Ashley is the Editor-in-Chief of Eulalie Magazine. Favorite Movies: Sunset Boulevard, Garden State, Modern Times. Favorite TV Shows: Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grey's Anatomy. Favorite Books: Interview with the Vampire, Dracula, City of Glass.