Big Time Rush & Dixie D’Amelio – TD Pavilion at The Mann (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)

Big Time Rush & Dixie D’Amelio – TD Pavilion at The Mann – Philadelphia, PA – June 28, 2022

Two words perfectly describe last night's Big Time Rush concert at the Mann Center in Philadelphia – electric and nostalgic. It's not often you can head out on a Tuesday night, re-live your childhood, get "Rick Rolled," sing, dance and leave covered in sweat and colorful confetti.

Now, back from their six-year hiatus, the guys of BTR – Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos PenaVega and Logan Henderson – have hit the road again on their Forever Tour 2022! Like they told us back in December when we chatted with them at Q102's Jingle Ball, they have missed being on the road, their fans and making music together.

Dixie D’Amelio opened the night and entertained the crowd as fans continued to pour into the stadium and the lawn above. Her set included her most popular tracks like “Be Happy” and “Wild.” Fans also went wild when she covered Carrie Underwood’s mega-hit “Before He Cheats.”

During a short intermission, the stage crew lifted a Big Time Rush curtain while they prepared the stage for BTR's set. When the curtain fell with the guys poised to perform, the crowd went wild. The lights, their choreographed dance moves and back flips, all added to the fact that their harmonies and voices still sound great. They made it a night to remember for thousands of fans.

BTR played an extremely long set with no complaints from their fans. They performed about two dozen songs, which was a perfect mix of their old and new songs. They opened the night with "Windows Down," "Music Sounds Better With You," and "Honey."

The lighting was in every color of the rainbow, with awesome strobes synchronized to the music and dance moves. Confetti fell a few times in the evening, including during their hit song "Confetti Falling" and during their encore which included their biggest hit – "Big Time Rush." During their performance, the guys showed love and "pride" in support of all their fans that they lovingly call Rushers. Later in the set, the foursome left the stage, danced through the seats, performing, singing, hugging and wearing pride flags.

And as mentioned earlier... It's not every day you get Rick Rolled, but we did last night! It was quite the surprise and fans lost their minds when all of the sudden, out onto the stage popped Rick Astley (who happened to be in town to perform with New Kids On The Block in the Mixtape Tour 2022) to sing his classic hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" with the boys! It was an awesome moment and not one person was in their seat, as they were all standing and singing every word.

Other music that filled the summer air included "Love Me Again," "Halfway There," "Not Giving You Up," "Amazing" and "Boyfriend."

The guys didn't miss an opportunity to engage with their fans. They answered questions, (and yes, James has had Lasik), shared stories and even picked one lucky fan to come up and sing "Worldwide" with them. All in all it was a high energy night filled with great music by a group that feels like old friends. If BTR is coming to a town near you, definitely check them out on the Forever Tour because you are in for a fun, nostalgic evening you will remember forever!

Debbie Wagner