I Attended the Pop 2000 Tour And It's One of the Few Things the Music Industry Is Currently Doing Right
Featuring a VIP Meet and Greet and electric performances by members of NSYNC, O-Town, LFO, 98 Degrees, BBMak and Ryan Cabrera.
I love music, and I appreciate all genres and eras. That’s why I got so excited when I got an e-mail inviting me to attend a VIP Meet and Greet and concert for the Pop 2000 Tour at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, on Saturday, June 29. Since this event literally summed up my childhood and adolescence, I couldn’t miss it.
The Pop 2000 Tour is a nostalgic tour featuring some of the best pop acts from the early aughts. It’s boy band mania. The tour features performances by NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, who also hosted the event, O-Town (Erik-Michael Estrada, Dan Miller, Trevor Penick, and Jacob Underwood), 98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons, LFO’s sole surviving member, Brad Fischetti, BBMak (Mark Barry, Christian Burns and Stephen McNally), and Ryan Cabrera.
It all started with the VIP Meet and Greet at Pinstripes. I didn’t know what to expect, which made me a little nervous. I’ve met a lot of artists before, and I always feel fine. However, whenever it’s people I grew up listening to, it hits a little differently. It’s like my inner eight-year-old is coming to life and now 30-year-old me and little me are internally but calmly freaking out.
I brought my friend as a plus one, which was super helpful. After giving staff my name, we were handed “Media” badges. Then, we were instructed to wait and hang out in the outdoor area of the restaurant before the guys who sang the soundtrack to my youth finally walked out. Listen, this was all very calm, chill and intimate. I wasn’t fangirling or anything, but I won’t lie … On the inside, I couldn’t help but compare it to how I and so many others felt watching that scene in Twilight for the first time in theaters when Edward and the rest of the Cullen clan slowly walk out and make their first appearance in the series. IYKYK. Sure, I’m being dramatic, but I was ecstatic as fuck. Also, it didn’t hurt that these guys are all very handsome.
I approached Brad Fischetti first. I introduced myself and told him I was excited, especially because that day was the 25th anniversary of “Summer Girls.” A few minutes later, I approached Jeff from 98 Degrees. He was extremely friendly and warm. I asked him about the tour and then out of nowhere, Erik-Michael chimed in and introduced himself, which was a pleasant surprise. I think speaking to him was probably one of the highlights of my day. To be completely honest, I wasn’t a big O-Town fan growing up. I had always known about them and their hits “All or Nothing” and “Liquid Dreams” had been in my music library for years. But that’s about it. Thanks to this Meet and Greet and concert, I’m officially becoming a big fan because now I’ve fallen into a rabbit hole on YouTube and TikTok; I’ve been watching their music videos and clips from their days on Making the Band.
Erik-Michael spoke to my friend and me for about 20-something minutes just about random but cool stuff — music, the tour, where we’re all from, he asked us what we do for a living, my recent career shift, and even cracked jokes. It’s always refreshing to meet people who are down-to-earth and easy to talk to, and the fact that it was someone like him made the whole thing even more wholesome. I wanted a photo with him, Jeff, and Chris, who were both standing nearby. Erik made it happen, so now I’m grateful I have that memory.
Afterward, I approached Ryan Cabrera, who was super cool and complimented my hair. We had a quick convo about his hair evolution before I asked him for a photo. Then I quickly approached O-Town’s Trevor, who was very charming and kind. After that, I went up to Chris for a solo pic because NSYNC was my #1 boy band growing up. All the musical acts were then asked to take group photos before leaving to get ready for their performances, and that basically concluded the VIP Meet and Greet portion of the event (there was another Meet and Greet for the general public inside the mall after the concert).
The concert was outside in the parking lot, near the Shake Shack entrance. The show was kicked off by Ryan, who was followed by Jeff, BBMak, O-Town, who had their own set with their songs and returned to the stage when it was LFO’s Brad and then NSYNC’s Chris’ turn to perform.
Each act performed their biggest hits. The energy was great overall. The concert wrapped up with O-Town’s “All or Nothing,” which might as well be considered the best boy band power ballad of all time in my opinion. The crowd went wild singing the lyrics and then all the other acts came together on stage and joined O-Town. It was epic. Check out a playlist I put together of my favorite songs they each played here.
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The reason I say this tour encompasses what’s right in the music industry is because it’s just such a feel-good experience. It’s what music should be about. Unfortunately, the music industry is filled with so much negativity. It’s often unfair, misogynistic, and cruel. However, the Pop 2000 Tour is the opposite of that. Sure, most concerts are great experiences, but because this one had an element of intimacy, it made it more special. Plus, nostalgia will always thrive.
It’s a very unique thing to see a crowd of people sing their hearts out to songs that are 20+ years old. For a moment in time, we were transported to a different era where life felt simpler — before social media and before streaming music was a thing … A time we’d rush home from school to catch our favorite singers and bands on MTV’s TRL. During this concert, I made friends and vibed so hard with other millennials. Even Jersey Shore’s JWoww was jamming out on the other side of the stage. The crowd was obviously great but it’s also thanks to these amazing performers who were so attentive and connected with everyone. So thanks, guys, for making mine and so many others’ day.
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