Touring two summers in a row, Big Time Rush is back with their Can’t Get Enough Tour, packing amphitheaters and arenas with waves of fans who can’t get enough of the energy band members Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos PenaVega, and Logan Henderson bring to the stage each time they perform.
To open this tour, Big Time Rush brought Jax and Max along with them. Both openers bring the heat every time they perform with their electric stage presence. They also find moments to interact and engage with the crowd. Every night, Jax finds a younger girl to sing the bridge of “Victoria’s Secret” with her, while Max makes the crowd his choir on his song “Strings,” which he recently released on August 4.
Then, it’s time for Big Time Rush to hit the stage with their 20+ song set, featuring songs from their new album Another Life, old favorites from their days on Nickelodeon, and some classics that the band has yet to perform on tour until now, such as “Famous.”
The setlist provides an opportunity for each of the band members to showcase the unique talents they bring to the group: At the end of “Weekends,” PenaVega brings out his ukulele for a solo reprise of the song’s pre-chorus and chorus. At the end of the bridge of “Forget You Now,” Henderson steps out of a spotlight made of flickering green laser beams and hits an extraordinarily high note as a white light encases him. Maslow plays the piano on “Invisible” while the other three band members join him on a rising platform. Schmidt plays the bass on an unreleased song from Big Time Rush’s Nickelodeon days “Shot in the Dark.”
Another aspect of the show that makes Big Time Rush’s Can’t Get Enough Tour stand out is the way they interact with the crowd. They always put their fans first and engage with them in intimate and meaningful ways. This proves true throughout the entire show experience: from the exclusive VIP meet and greet tier they created that allows fans to spend time with the band in an exclusive lounge and head backstage for a pre-show huddle to heading into the crowd to sing up close with attendees during “Paralyzed” and “Windows Down.” Of course, I would be completely remiss to not mention “Worldwide” – a song the band performs each night where they invite four lucky fans on stage for a serenade. This tradition has become so special to so many fans who create signs hoping to be picked while friends, either at the show or at home, cheer them on.
Overall, Big Time Rush’s Can’t Get Enough Tour is a fun and vibrant transition into a new era. It’s clear how much the band’s four members enjoy being on stage and the energy they give off each night is infectious. You will find yourself singing their lyrics at the top of your lungs, jumping on the balls of your feet and even slowing down to take in crowds with their phone flashlights on as the band ends their acoustic set with “Ask You Tonight.”
While the setlist may be the same each night, there are still plenty of surprises fans can look forward to. In Toronto, Canada, Henderson, and Maslow found themselves crowd surfing, and in Bangor, Maine, the band ended the show on the venue’s roof. The band also takes a moment each night to riff as they introduce the band joining them on the road this tour – Vicky Warwick on bass, Gregg Garman on drums, and Cody Perrin as music director and on guitar.
The set design also plays a large role in the show’s constant high energy. A giant diamond-shaped screen, a staircase made up of LED screens, and a moving stage piece elevate the band members’ performance. The band has also added lasers to their arsenal of effects, alongside their confetti cannons and pyro machines. Each piece of the set design plays a pivotal role in bringing the show to life: After the band exits the rising platform at the end of “Invisible,” they have a stage break where a track off their new album “I Just Want To (Party All the Time)” plays as fans watch a montage of clips from the band’s Nickelodeon days, perfectly bringing the nostalgia of a track that samples Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time” to life. To end the show’s set before diving into the encore, the band performs “Confetti Falling.” As the song draws to a close, white confetti rains down on the crowd, sticking to sweaty fans and falling to the floor like snowflakes.
The crowds at the shows each night prove that Big Time Rush has been and always will be for everyone.
The tour has wrapped up in the US and will finish with a three-show run in Mexico tomorrow. For future tour dates and more info on the band, visit bigtimerushofficial.com.