98º Cincinnati's all-time bestselling pop group, returned to the Tristate Saturday with its biggest tour yet.

        The quartet — Cincinnatians Justin Jeffre and brothers Nick and Drew Lachey and Massillon native Jeff Timmons — played Dayton's Nutter Center to an adoring crowd of 7,000 or so, almost all young girls.

        98º remains RC Cola to the Coke and Pepsi of mega-selling boy bands Backstreet Boys and 'NSync. But though the hometown guys' CDs sell only in single-digit millions, their “Revelation 2001” tour is a giant step.

        A couple summers ago, 98º toured under Nickelodeon's banner and, with only two, ballad-heavy albums, filled out its shows with uptempo covers. This time, the group had the danceable originals from last year's Revelation,so its 75-minute show was all 98º, with the exception of a Stevie Wonder tribute. The night's five-act bill resembled a package show from rock's early days.

        Back Ta Front, a Cleveland pop-rap quartet, hit the stage 15 minutes before the show's scheduled start and, after lip-synching to recorded tracks, was gone in time for Debelah Morgan to start the evening on time.

        A fine vocalist with a powerful falsetto reminiscent of the late Minnie Ripperton, Ms. Morgan did 20 minutes of live singing, also to a recorded band.

        Even Dream, a Puffy Combs-produced, younger, more talented American Spice Girls, was bandless.

        It was 90 minutes into the show before the first live band appeared. But the crowd, all raised on MTV and many of them enjoying their first concert experience, didn't seem to notice the lack of actual musicians.

        Unfortunately, the nine-member Baha Men's 25 minutes, while perfectly competent, failed to leave an impression beyond that inescapable novelty hit, “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

        But all those openers did their job, and when the headliner arrived in a burst of flames, the crowd was happily screaming and waving thousands of $5 98º light sticks.

        This time out, 98º is fielding a tight four-piece band and four female dancers, one of whom, SCPA grad Lea Dellecave, married Drew last year.

        The new husband was looking scruffy Saturday, growing a Van Dyck. Mr. Jeffre also has gone through a change, from blonde back to his original brunette.

        The most important new look for 98º was the group's greater confidence. Sure, they seemed a little awkward in the frozen poses at the end of songs. But they danced more smoothly and maneuvered the multi-leveled, urban/industrial stage like old pros.

        Most important, they haven't changed the harmony blend that sets them above the boy-band pack. Backstreet, 'NSync, O-Town and the rest all were created to be teen idols. 98º started with the music, emulating the sophisticated doo wop of Boyz II Men.

        So even as they add the uptempo Latin rhythms of “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” or the hyper pop-rap of “Dizzy,” the soul of 98º remains its ballads.

        They proved it again Saturday. From its first hit, 1997's “Invisible Man” to Revelation's “My Everything” and “Yesterday's Letter” to the encore, “The Hardest Thing,” 98º delivered the best harmonies in boy-band biz.

        A Riverbend show is planned for this summer.

98º pops back into Tristate on latest tour
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