The crowd at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis on Saturday afternoon waited anxiously for its favorite pop sensation to take the stage.
Teen heartthrob Aaron Carter burst into the room clad in baggy white sweatpants and a muscle tee, flaunting his toned biceps, proving that he hasn’t lost his physical appeal since his glory days.
Backed by his two skilled hip hop dancers, the second the singer opened his mouth for the first song, “Another Earthquake,” it became very clear to the crowd that everyone was in for something unexpected. Carter’s sharp dance moves certainly haven’t faded, and his crowd-pleasing audience interactions immediately made all the girls go wild.
After death-dropping to the floor at the close of the first number, Carter and his dancers disappeared for a moment, only to race back onto the stage carrying giant American flags.
A lesser-known jam, “America A O,” was up next, and if anyone didn’t know the catchy tune at the beginning, by the end they were singing along with pride. Carter and his dancers proudly (and patriotically) waved their flags while encouraging the crowd to “bang your heads to this” because “no matter what they say, [we’ll] be livin’ here anyway, [we’re] lovin’ you America.” Ayo!
Carter progressed through a number of lesser-known songs, and made time for an outfit change to a laid-back all-white ensemble.
He debuted a new song, “City Lights,” which seemed to please the crowd, though it was softer than his usual upbeat pop sound.
As it became time to slow down for a ballad, Carter’s dancers selected two girls to come on stage to be serenaded. The two lucky ladies — the envy of every girl in the room — sat on stools in the center of the stage and couldn’t contain their smiles as Carter circled around them singing a gentle and sensual song.
Throughout the concert, Carter was enthusiastic about engaging with the crowd, even going so far as to kiss a few select girls on the cheek and bring those with the best Carter-centric posters on stage for an Instagram photo-op.
Carter certainly wasn’t shy about showing his affection, and might have even secured a date for himself with his eye candy in the crowd.
Just as the excitement in the room couldn’t get any stronger, Carter traded his white top for a certain Lakers jersey, making sure to “accidentally” expose his toned abs. The crowd went crazy as “That’s How I Beat Shaq” pounded through the speakers, and Carter seamlessly acted out the song’s dreamed up basketball scene. There was no shortage of theatrics as Carter pretended to dribble the ball past Shaquille O’Neal up and down the stage.
Next up, Carter introduced his last song to jeering fans that didn’t want the show to end. A retro ‘60s classic to some, “I Want Candy” is perhaps Carter’s best-known song. The girls melted in their seats, each one of them undoubtedly wishing that they were the titular “Candy,” as the 20-something former teen sensation sang his heart out one last time.
Carter and his crew made a final trip around the edges of the stage to shake hands, and disappeared backstage. The lights remained off, signaling to the crowd that Carter would be back, and the chants for his return grew even louder. Carter ran back onto the stage with a hopping rendition of “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” the premiere teen celebration anthem of the early 2000s.
Every single person in the room was screaming the lyrics along with Carter, and the energy was electric. When the concert ended, many elated fans crowded the stage for a chance to snag Carter’s towels and leftover water bottles. A few lucky (read: paying) VIP fans joined Carter backstage for an all-inclusive meet-and-greet opportunity.
From the soft rock sound of opening act Alexis Babini, to the unforgettable pop anthems of the last decade, Aaron Carter’s “After Party” tour proved that the party never really stopped.
