Pop2000 at Cape Cod
Date: June 30, 2024
Location: Hyannis, MA
The last weekend of June was crazy for me. The Sunday after we saw Justin Timberlake , my friends and I headed down to Cape Cod to see his NSYNC bandmate, Chris Kirkpatrick with O-Town, LFO, BBMAK and Ryan Cabrera on the 2024 Pop2000 tour.
Pop2000 is one of my absolute must-see concerts. I went to Pop2000 three times last summer in Portland, Webster and Hampton Beach. You get multiple artists in one show celebrating the MTV/TRL Days. The ticket is a great deal and you are definitely guaranteed a fun time!
VIP with BBMAK
The concert took place at Melody Tent in Hyannis. This was the same location I saw Joey McIntyre last August.
We arrived early at around 4 pm for BBMAK VIP. BBMAK VIP is run by the DayOne VIP company who also run Chris Kirkpatrick’s VIP. I decided to do just BBMAK VIP this time round because I wanted to spend more time with BBMAK. I had already spent enough time with O-Town, LFO, and Chris last year.
The VIP took place outside the venue. We sat down on picnic benches under a tarp. The turnout was approximately 10 fans. A small intimate group which allowed more interaction with the group. The BBMAK VIP originally began with an acoustic performance of Back Here, followed by Q&A with the band, and group photo opportunities with Mark, Ste and Christian. As usual, the guys sounded amazing during their acoustic set. In addition,the BBMAK guys were super friendly and gave great hugs. They were kind enough to sign some autographs too. Honestly, it was like greeting old friends again.
However, the weather unexpectedly started raining like cats and dogs. So we the fans ended up all stuck under the tarp with BBMAK. The boys generously decided to perform two extra songs, “Out of My Heart” and “More Than Words”.
The rain storm, in my opinion, actually made the VIP experience more perfect and more organic. We fans just danced around, laughed and cheered BBMAK on as they played their songs. Though they were thrown off by the heavy downpour, BBMAK clearly enjoyed singing under the rain while being surrounded by the fans. They even had a bit of a laugh. It was so much fun. The bond between BBMAK and the fans (now dubbed the Triple B’s) significantly grew from that moment.
I would also like to mention that the DayOne VIP team was so nice to escort us to my friend’s car under an umbrella after the BBMAK VIP was over. We ended up staying in the car and waited till it was time to go back to the venue.
The Venue
Because we were VIP, we got to enter the venue ahead of the general public. We were also able to check the merchandise and grab food.
The food was typical fast food, hot dogs, chips, and onion rings. The choices were honestly limited particularly for my friend who only eats gluten free and had strict dietary restrictions.
Melody Tent has a circular format with seats surrounding the stage. We had good seats with a close enough view despite a pole slightly distorting our view. The other downside is seeing the backs of the artists during some of the performances.
The Show
Ryan Cabrera
Chris Kirkpatrick kicked off the show as the Master of Ceremonies, introducing the first performer, Ryan Cabrera. Ryan was accompanied by his drummer, Tommy Carlucci. I had met Tommy previously at the Pop2000 in Paradise in Mexico last year.
Ryan lit up the stage with his megahits “On The Way Down”, “40 Kinds of Sadness”, “Shine On” and my personal favorite “True”. Ryan also treated us to his mash up rendition of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful”.
BBMAK
Next up was BBMAK. I was lucky enough to fist pump Ste at the entrance as the band made their way to the stage.
They kicked off their setlist with “Out of My Heart/Into Your Head”, a perfect song to energize the crowd. BBMAK continued to build on that momentum with one of my favorite songs, “Still On Your Side”, an absolute banger of a song.Their setlist included more upbeat songs like “Unpredictable” and “Next Time”. They also slowed the show down with ballads “Ghost of You and Me”, and their rendition of Xtreme’s “More Than Words”.
My favorite performance, without a question, was “I Can Tell” because BBMAK sang the song to me!
One of the BBMAK VIP Upgrades I got, “Spotlight Serenade”. “Spotlight Serenade” is where one fan joins BBMAK onstage. BBMAK then serenades them with a song of their choice. “Spotlight Serenade” exclusively offers one spot per show. I knew I had to take up this opportunity at least once. Who can resist being sung to by three handsome British blokes?! And the crowd is staring at you?!
During the show, Joel , O-Town’s manager, brought me onstage while Christian introduced me. I sit on a stool between Mark and Christian while they sing my favorite song “I Can Tell”.
The moment was definitely surreal. Under the lights, I’m just sitting there with BBMAK standing super close to me onstage. And they are singing to me! The boys obviously couldn’t hold my hand during the performance. But, Mark was so sweet to hug me in between the song. Christian checked in on me making sure I was comfortable. They were so thoughtful, guaranteeing I got the most out of the experience. I definitely felt the love from the boys. I also made sure to look at either Mark or Christian as they were singing their solos. And just took in the moment. Even though the stage was rotating, I did not feel the stage’s movement at all as I was sitting. They each gave me big bear hugs after the performance. And even gifted me, a signed copy of their setlist. I will never forget the moment.
They closed their set with their notable hit “Back Here”.
O-Town
O-Town, the main headliner, came out onstage with a bang, kicking off with their classic hit, “Liquid Dreams” and their rendition of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl”. The boys exploded with an unusual amount of energy. They kept the party going with “Chasin’ After You” off their “Lines and Circles” album and “All For Love” off their debut album. O-Town definitely increased the energy level with their rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Nelly’s “Hot in Herre”. Dan, Trevor, Jacob and Erik took advantage of Melody’s circular stage. They made sure to cover every section of the stage and provide as much fan interaction as possible. I was surprised to see O-Town perform more covers this time round than their own songs. This included Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” and DJ Sammy’s “Heaven”. The only other songs they performed that were their own were “SkyDive” and “These Are The Days”.
LFO
In the middle of O-Town’s set, LFO’s Brad Fischetti appeared on stage, singing “Can’t Have You”.This was the first time I saw Brad perform solo at a Pop2000 show. Usually O-Town joins Brad during every LFO song. Nevertheless, Brad did not disappoint. In fact, he performed with so much more confidence than I’ve seen him before. Brad not only looked comfortable performing onstage on his own but was also having fun. I’m truly proud of him. His late LFO brothers, Rich and Devin would be too.
O-Town then joined Brad back onstage and performed “Girl On TV”. “Girl On TV” is my favorite LFO ballad. The live performance is always a beautiful tribute to Brad’s late bandmates. The song just hits the heart. Erik does a great job singing Devin’s solo. Moreover, Dan does a notable job singing Rich’s part. You definitely felt Rich and Devin’s presence in the tent. The show was extra special because Rich’s family was in the room. They also performed “Westside Story” and “Every Other Time”, another crowd booster. Finally, they closed the LFO section with “Summer Girls” which always brings us back to the MTV TRL nostalgia days.
Chris Kirkpatrick and O-Town
Chris then joined O-Town onstage for an NSYNC tribute. And let me say Chris delivered so much more than his previous Pop2000 performances. I get the feeling that he knew many NSYNC fans like me planned to go to Justin Timberlake’s Forget Tomorrow World Tour as well as Pop2000. So Chris realized he had to increase his performance quality level. And he brought it. He really sang his heart out during “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and really engaged and fired up the crowd as he went around the stage. Chris clearly put more into the choreography as well, especially on “It’s Gonna Be Me”, “Pop” and “Bye Bye Bye”. The dance routines were just on point. Definitely increased the nostalgic feelings of the early 2000s. O-Town and Chris Kirkpatrick also performed a mash up of “I Want You Back” and Usher’s “DJ got us fallin in love” . They truly shared great chemistry and bonding onstage.
Finale
The finale is always my second favorite part of the show. BBMAK, LFO and Chris Kirkpatrick join O-Town to sing “All or Nothing”. You can clearly tell there is authentic brotherhood and camraderie among the artists and bands. They enjoy each other’s company and performing with each other. The boys just sang their butts off. The positive vibes definitely expanded to the audience as they sang along.
The Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed the Pop2000 show at Melody Tent. Ryan Cabrera knew how to excite the crowd. BBMAK consistently showcased their vocal and instrumental talents as well as their professionalism. Chris Kirkpatrick and Brad Fischetti clearly brought their A-game to their performances. O-Town delivered a strong mixture of choreographed performances and crowd engagement performances. I did wish they would sing more of their own songs.
The acoustics of the tent definitely accentuated the boys’ vocals and sound.Surprisingly, the venue was not completely full. But that did not deter the Pop2000 lineup. They still delivered an excellent show and gave it all to their fans.
