No chance of curing Bieber Fever outbreak

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/09/2010 (5863 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Baby, baby, baby, teenage phenom Justin Bieber made his local debut at the MTS Centre last night, infecting a sold-out crowd of 13,000 female teens, tweens and their parents with the affliction known as Bieber Fever.

Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.

The 16-year-old only has a grand total of 19 recorded songs to his name, but has become an international sensation thanks to the power of his nimble voice, beaming smile, sense of humour and dance moves, which he sent into the universe via YouTube, eventually to be discovered and mentored by Usher.

Bieber is a huge star on social networking websites and has over five million followers on Twitter, so this review is composed of some of my 140 character observations made during his flashy 90-minute set of innocuous dance-pop and ballads that had the entire audience screaming louder than any earplugs could block.

7:08 p.m. The MTS Centre concourse is a madhouse. Paperless is a good way to prevent scalping, but creates a crush of teenage girls at Bieber concerts

7:09 p.m. Should have invested in Bieber merch stock. The lines span the length of the arena. Everything from temporary tattoos for $5 to $60 hoodies.

7:11 p.m. Hype man on stage getting the girls to scream. OMG not even industrial earmuffs could block out the piercing shrieks.

7:48 p.m. Xbox is sponsoring this tour. What’s next? Rock Band: Bieber? It could happen.

8:05 p.m. LED screens. Lasers! Holy Pink Floyd it could be a prog show.

8:06 p.m. Smoke on stage. Bieber emerges from hamster ball. Who turned up the Auto Tune?

8:10 p.m. Opens with Love Me, using lyrics and melody from Cardigans song Lovefool. Dressed in white pants, white jacket and purple boots.

8:11 p.m. Some nice Michael Jackson moves for Bigger. He’s on top tier of two-tiered stage while dance crew on bottom.

8:12 p.m. Wish I had a decibel metre for between song screaming. Ranks up there with Jonas Brothers noise level. Could possibly be louder.

8:13 p.m. “What’s up Winnipeg, welcome to my world. It’s so great to be here tonight.”

8:13 p.m. “You know, I’ve got the greatest fans in the world.”

8:14 p.m. Screams obliterate the last part of his speech.

8:15 p.m. OMG, it’s U Smile. (Insert screams here). Here’s some: Eeeeeeeeeeee.

8:21 p.m. “I see a lot of beautiful ladies in the house. I need you to scream if you’re single.” Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

8:24 p.m. He’s so dreamy!!!

8:29 p.m. Talking about not having found that one special girl. Every girl in the building is thinking, ‘Pick me, pick me.’

8:33 p.m. A girl from audience on stage now being serenaded and given a dozen roses.

8:33 p.m. She will be Queen of all at school tomorrow.

8:34 p.m. Home videos from when he was a kid. He was cute as a drawer full of buttons!

8:44 p.m. Somebody to Love has them dancing in the aisles. It’s a pop smash!

8: 49 p.m. Back giving an inspirational speech as intro to Never Say Never. TY Biebs. I will follow my dreams 4ever.

8:49 p.m. I dream of you shutting the Auto Tune off.

8:53 p.m. They are screaming to a video of him introducing his backup singers.

8:55 p.m. Backup singers have the stage now. In the biz this is called filler.

8:57 p.m. He’s back. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

9 p.m. He’s flying over the crowd in a metal egg-shaped contraption singing the ballad Up. Hearts are melting.

9:08 p.m. That Should be Me. Another slow one that has the girls swooning, waving their glow sticks in the air as lasers shoot into crowd.

9:09 p.m. Hearts a fluttering almost as loud as the screams now.

9:11 p.m. Wanna Be Starting Something, Michael Jackson cover. Showcase for backup dancers, not so much for his voice.

9:12 p.m. He’s got some moves too.

9:18 p.m. Biebs at white grand piano singing Down to Earth. Eenie Meenie scratched off setlist without Sean Kingston.

9:24 p.m. Video screens calling for the girls to scream louder and LOUDER for more Bieber!

9:25 p.m. He said there’s time for one more song. Guess which one?

9:26 p.m. “Who wants to be my baby?” Eeeeeeeeee

9:27 p.m. Singalong for Baby. The lyrics are easy enuff.

9:30 p.m. Confetti blasts, more screams and even more screaming!

9:30 p.m. “Thank you so much everybody.”

rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca

 

ConcertReview

Justin Bieber

❚ Sept. 14, 2010

❚ MTS Centre

❚ Attendance: 13,000

★★ 1/2 out of five (for the uninfected)

★★★★★ out of five (for people stricken by Bieber fever)