Sunday, April 02, 2000

98 degrees helps make the band

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BY LARRY NAGER
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        Monday, Cincinnati's multiplatinum pop group 98 will be Opening Day's opening act, singing the national anthem before the Reds play Milwaukee.

        Saturday, they return to headliner status on the Disney Channel, in a new series that could be called Making the (Opening) Band (7:30 p.m., repeats throughout April).

98 degrees with the group LP Outsyders. (Disney photo) | ZOOM |

        It's actually called 2 Hour Tour and it follows much the same arc as ABC's Making the Band. As in the ABC show, young unknowns send audition videos hoping to make the cut. But instead of being chosen for the new group by Backstreet Boys/'NSync creator Lou Pearlman, the show has top pop stars doing the screening, as they pick an act to open for them at a major concert.

        Saturday's episode opens with 98 in their limo, rolling through the streets of New York as Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre and Jeff Timmons screen videos from Midwestern musicians.

        Three finalists are chosen, then it's on to live auditions in Lexington. The winner is LP Outsyders, a jazz/hip-hop/swing band out of St. Louis. 2 O'Clock, a Cincinnati-based R&B duo, and Lexington-based Christian pop singer Katie Rae Williams don't make the cut.

ON THE AIR

›What: 2 Hour Tour         ›When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, repeats throughout April         ›Where: The Disney Channel

        All that happens in the first 12 minutes of the fast-moving half-hour. Then it's on to Cincinnati, where 98` does a spot on Kiss 107 (WKFS-FM) and gives the LP Outsyders a culinary tour of Clifton, specifically Skyline Chili and Graeter's. ×d Real endless grind

        But while the Making the Band series deals with the fantasies of fame and fortune of young pop star wannabes, 2 Hour Tour presents the reality. The guys from 98` discuss the endless grind of interviews, radio spots and personal appearances; not seeing friends and family for months at a time; the weirdness of having so many strangers say they love you; the tedium of long road trips.

        They also talk about how their Midwest roots help keep them grounded through it all. “We all came from very strong families that instilled in us if you work hard you can achieve anything,” says Drew. “But you're still the same person you were before.”

        The show culminates in a concert at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Ind. LP Outsyders get their big chance to do their song “Lint” in front of a sold-out crowd of 8,500. It's a catchy fusion of many styles, but teen pop isn't one of them, and the scruffy, non-hunky group leaves much of the young, female crowd looking bewildered. A star is not born.

Monthly series
        Still, appearing on the Disney Channel is great exposure for the group, as well as the other finalists. A monthly series, 2 Hour Tour promises similar opportunities for other acts. Along with Making the Band, reality-based talent contests are shaping up as TV's next big trend.

        In addition to showcasing new talent, 2 Hour Tour gives 98` fans plenty of face time with their idols, including, along with interviews, a complete performance of “The Hardest Thing.”

        The show offers proof that 98` deserves that Opening Day spot. In backstage interviews, Drew's ball cap sports a Yankees logo. But when it's time to dress for the stage, his cap of choice is a shiny new Reds model.

       

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