Getting up on the stage is Nick Carter’s favourite part of his job. The rush, the loving fans, the expressive artistic platform, all of it.
Which is why Carter was more than excited to kick off his ‘All American’ tour in North Bay.
“I love this, this is what I live for,” the 36-year-old Backstreet Boy said, gesturing inside the theatre of the Capitol Centre. “Most entertainers who truly love to perform, love this kind of environment because it’s so intimate.”
Carter, whose fame and popularity stems from ‘90s boy-band, the Backstreet Boys said he’s had the opportunity in his career with his fellow ‘Boys’ to perform in massive stadiums and arenas, but a tour like this allowed him to really connect with fans.
“There are always these super fans in the back and they only see you really small,” he said. “This gives me the opportunity to get really close to our fans and even go in places we didn’t go.”
Carter said he hadn’t been this far north before, but was enjoying North Bay so far, and spoke to the quality of Canadian fans over the years.
“The loyalty up here is something unlike any other place,” he said. “Without Canadian fans we never would have broken in America, so I think we owe a lot to them. We were trying to break into the US and the radio stations weren’t playing us, but they were playing us in Canada. It just shows a difference between the kinds of people that Canadians are. They don’t allow things to sway what they believe in and what they love.”
Despite pursuing his solo career, Carter is still part of the ever-popular Backstreet Boys, who are all gearing up for their 2017 Las Vegas Residency, but said the chance to explore his music within his own career meant that his emotions, ideas, and experiences in a way that can’t be done in a group to the same degree.
“You can say even though I’ve lived a long life and had a big career, I don’t know if I’ve peaked as a solo artist, so that’s why I’m here,” he said. “Anyone that knows when you get into the studio or when you’re writing, you kind of have an idea of where you want to go but it tends to never go that way. That’s the great thing about writing songs, you can make believe or pull from real life experiences you’ve had. That’s art, there are no boundaries, no rules and that’s great."
Alongside his solo career songs, Carter said there would be some hits from the Backstreet Boys for fans to enjoy.
"We do unique renditions of those songs," he said. "I’m a performer and a showman, so I would be ignorant to think people wouldn’t want to hear that in a show.”
Starting with the Backstreet boys when he was 13, the now 36-year-old performer said he still couldn’t see an end in sight for his career.
“I don’t think I’ll ever quit,” he said. “Every single day I perform is a blessing for me, and I’m very fortunate to be here performing today.”
He laughed when he compared his artistic development to a character in a video game.
“You gain experience in some games and your character gets stronger and stronger until eventually, you’re this awesome character,” Carter said. “The next solo album I do, I’m going to become a better writer and a better performer as I gain more and more of these life experiences. It’s exciting to see where it takes you.”
Nick Carter’s show at the Capitol Centre is tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be found online or at the door. Fans can expect to hear a collection of songs from all three of his solo records, including his latest release ‘All American,’ along with favourite Backstreet Boys hits.
