Boy Band Review to perform at Rhythm & Dunes

Daily News Staff Writer

Amber Stokosa | Courtesy photo

Boy Band Review will headline the second and final Rhythm & Dunes concert of the summer. The concert is Saturday at Ludington’s Waterfront Park. Boy Band Review takes the stage at 7 p.m. following a performance by the Ludington High School band.

If it’s been a while since you last heard “Bye Bye Bye,” or “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” fear not — Boy Band Review has you covered.

The Chicago-based tribute group is bringing a bonanza of boy-band hits — from the ’90s through the modern day — to Waterfront Park on Saturday for West Shore Bank’s second and final Rhythm & Dunes concert of the summer.

The group promises to deliver nostalgic pop tracks that people of all ages will recognize and connect with. The group takes the stage at 7 p.m., following an opening performance by the Ludington High School band.

Boy Band Review frontman Jan Michael Torres said the late ’90s and early 2000s are his group’s bread and butter — the era of NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and many more.

“That golden era is our sweet spot,” Torres said. “It’s the cream of our crop.”

The group doesn’t limit itself to one period, though.

Torres said Boy Band Review also performs songs dating back to the days of New Kids on the Block, as well as more modern boy-band acts.

“We sprinkle in the newer stuff like One Direction and the Jonas Brothers, and we’re working on getting some BTS in there,” he said.

The group has existed as a tribute act for about seven years, and the decision to pursue a career paying homage to boy bands came about almost by accident, according to Torres.

“Prior to Boy Band Review, we were a band called the Hot Sauce Committee,” he said. “One night at a local venue we did a boy-band-themed night, and it sold out the venue.”

Torres said it became immediately clear to the group that boy bands were a blank spot in the tribute act circuit.

“It was like an aha moment,” he said.

The band saw its opportunity and jumped at it, and it’s seen consistent success and growth ever since.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Torres said.

Over the years, the group has honed its chops, developing a setlist of up to 45 songs, complete with familiar dance moves.

“You can expect a lot of choreography and harmonizing between the vocalists,” Torres said. “A lot of nostalgic music, with the iconic dance moves from the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.”

The group plans to pull out all the stops, playing as many hits as possible.

“We go back to back to back. We just hammer them out,” Torres said. “We like to fit in as many songs as we can, because we know there’s a lot, and we try to get as many people as we can to feel that nostalgia.”

Torres said crowds tend to respond positively to the group’s performances, adding that there’s something for everyone in the band’s setlist.

But he said there’s one song that never fails to get audiences going.

“If I had to say which one singular song really resonates with everybody, it would have to be ‘I Want it That Way’ by the BackStreet Boys,” Torres said. “Everybody really knows that song and participates, even the kids. It really captures everybody when we play. That’s the quintessential boy-band song.”

Torres said performing with Boy Band Review is “really fun and rewarding,” and he thinks the group’s performance will make it obvious that the members love what they do.

“It’s just really fun to see the kinds of reactions and the wows from people,” he said. “It’s unreal, just to see the reactions and the feedback after the shows.”

Saturday’s Rhythm & Dunes concert will be the band’s first appearance in west Michigan. Torres said his group is thrilled to come to the area.

They’re also “honored” to be a part of Rhythm & Dunes, which benefits local high school music programs.

“It’s something we definitely look forward to a lot,” he said. “When we get the chance to do stuff out of town, we like to see what’s going on and what the local communities are doing … especially for charities and other organizations.”

Organizers at West Shore Bank are excited, too.

“The Rhythm & Dunes Committee selected Boy Band Review to add choreography to some fun songs that bring back that nostalgic feeling,” said Margaret Carney, executive assistant of shareholder relations at the bank, and one of the concert planners. “Their iconic music collection combines R&B, club pop and hip-hop that connects with multiple generations.”

Rhythm & Dunes is West Shore Bank’s annual back-to-back weekend set of concert fundraisers for high school music programs in Mason County.

The series launched in 2012, and it has generated more than $100,000 for Ludington High School, Mason County Central and Mason County Eastern thus far.

Donations are collected during the concerts, but contributions can also be made online at https://www.westshorebank.com/rhythm-and-dunes.html.

[email protected]

843-1122 x309

Daily News Staff Writer

The Ludington Daily News mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the Ludington Daily News on your mobile device just as it appears in print.