Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
What better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached album than by opening up the visual time capsule that is *NSYNC: Making The Tour? The special originally ran on MTV, was extended and sold on DVD (not to brag, but I still have my copy), and now can only be found as a low-res YouTube video, but hey, it’s still great.
No Strings Attached not only sold over a million copies on its release day, March 21, 2000, and over 2.42 by the end of the week, but over 9.9 million albums had been sold by the end of that year. And for good reason: not only was the best boy band of all time (don’t @ me) celebrating the fact that they were free from both a total dirtbag and horrendous record contract, but the album also proved to be so completely of AND ahead of its time. “Digital Get Down”, anyone?!
So while the five guys were fresh off of selling a boatload of albums, they hit manager Johnny Wright’s Florida compound (which includes a bowling lane and pool table and video games, as we see in a mini Cribs-like tour) to learn the choreography to several new songs, pick out fancy toys for their stage show, and approve vests filled with money to wear while performing. Making The Tour was an hour-long peek behind the scenes at all the work and decisions and silly jokes that went on in the lead-up to the arena tour. And you know what? It was completely entertaining. Of course, much of that had to do with the five guys whose personalities we adored as much as their songs, as putting together an entire national tour was otherwise a concept my teenage brain could hardly comprehend (and honestly, kinda same 20 years later).
It’s a fun rewatch now (and not just because we currently have little else to do) as you’ll notice things you maybe didn’t back then. Joey being interrupted by his manager and tour production manager to be questioned about the use of moving walkways because they are $74,000 is a real highlight for many reasons. One, because he’s holding a bottle of champagne, clearly on his way to a celebration and not the rehearsal studio. Two, because his first instinct is that he’s going to have to pay for them himself, which, lol.
We’re introduced to all the random dudes that help this show come together, and it’s kind of great how serious and dramatic this special made it all seem, considering the audience was mostly 14-year-old girls, but hey, we cared about anything associated with *NSYNC at the time (still do) and that includes the ponytailed men that put the stage together. Of course, it’s not long before you realize that at the time, Wade Robson was essentially the sixth member of the group, teaching choreography and barking out orders during rehearsals. But many things from this era now seem weird. Justin? As part of a group? Who can even remember the time?
And that’s certainly not the only dated part. There are Austin Powers references and a fascination with the moving walkways and pyrotechnic displays and a full rainbow’s worth of jogging pants on display. Oh, and then there’s the fan at the opening night of the tour in Tacoma, WA who brought a slug to the parking lot and was prepared to eat it in exchange for tickets inside. 2000! What a time!
Ultimately, Making The Tour is just as enjoyable today as it was then. It’s proof of just how hard these guys worked to put on an exceptional show and all the talent and fun that came along with it. It was a time that was pre pandemics and politics, and a reminder of the innocence, joy, and great jams of the era.
