Backstreet Boys' No. 1 priority in Cincinnati? Find the best golf course in town

A.J. McLean’s bag of tricks is more diversified than filling a role in five-part harmony singing and choreographed pelvic thrusts.

When the pandemic sidelined McLean’s boy band the Backstreet Boys, he got to work on a line of golf apparel and a line of nail polish. He also recorded solo material.

And now that Backstreet is back on the road, McLean is busier than ever.

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The singer and entrepreneur spoke about all of his endeavors before the Backstreet Boys’ extensive summer tour – which stops at Riverbend on July 26 – kicked into high gear.

Question: The Backstreet Boys tour began with four shows in Las Vegas. How did those go?

Answer: They went fantastic. Before the first night, I pulled my production manager aside, and I looked him in the eyes, and I said, “Why does this feel like it’s the first show ever, not the first show of (the tour). But the first show ever.” And he said, “You know, it kind of feels like that for me, too.” There was this happy anxiousness to all of us, and to be able to see the fans’ faces not behind a mask, to feel a different energy from the audience than we’ve ever felt. You could see the desperation in the audience’s eyes of wanting to be at live concerts and to be so happy to be back. It was emotional for us. It was emotional for the crowd. A few of us got choked up during the show. It was a hell of a ride.

Q: So one of the positive consequences of the pandemic is a more rewarding concert experience in 2022.

A: Oh, absolutely. I’m sure you can ask that of any artist that’s finally back out on the road. There’s a different feeling from these crowds. I’ve seen videos of the Silk Sonic shows in Las Vegas. I’ve seen videos of Billie Eilish and other artists that are on the road. You can see a difference in the fans’ energy than you might have pre-pandemic. Maybe it’s a new appreciation for their favorite band and how much they really miss them and how much they miss having that two-hour break from whatever’s going on in their day-to-day life.

We’re seeing a lot of couples. We’re seeing a lot of girls’ nights out. We’re seeing a lot of moms’ nights out. We’re seeing a lot of guys coming in groups that might have been closet Backstreet Boys fans back in the day but made fun of us, but now that they’re older, they’re like, “Yeah, I’ve always liked you. I just didn’t want to tell my buddies.” But that’s awesome.

Q: I think I counted 58 North American dates this summer, and that’s before you go to Europe in the fall. Is 58 shows pushing the limits for you guys?

A: You would think, but no. We actually added 12 shows to the original lineup. Because we have a lot more control of our routing and our scheduling now, we paced it out really well. There’s no more four shows in a row. I think, at the most, there’s three in a row with two days off. This show has a great rhythm to it. It’s not that challenging. Yes, there’s a lot of choreography, a lot of dancing, but there’s also a lot of staging and chill and intimate times during the show. It’s a very well-paced show.

Q: Did anyone in the group need to be convinced that the best course of action after the pandemic was heading out on a huge tour? A lot of people reconsidered their career paths during the pandemic. Was that an issue for the Backstreet Boys?

A: No. We’ve been just patiently waiting. We were right in the middle of this tour when the world shut down. We were in Latin America. We barely made it out of Brazil before the borders got shut down. We’ve been just anxiously awaiting the moment that we were given the green light to resume. We’re the kind of artists that really don’t know how to dial it back, especially for a show of this magnitude. If you dialed it back too much, I don’t think you’d have the same impact or the same emotion. We’ve just been ready, gearing up.

Q: Was Golf Over All Things the type of project that could have only come about because of the pandemic, where you have the time and the inspiration?

A: Yeah, I think that’s really what it was. I’ve been golfing my whole life. I’ve wanted to make a golf clothing line for quite some time now. And, yeah, the pandemic allowed me to focus on that as well as my nail polish line, Ava Dean, which is doing fantastic, by the way. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve also been able to work on my solo music. I’m about to finish up my first EP. I’m currently working on the second EP, which will probably drop top of the year next year. I’ve done three TV shows. I’ve been busy.

Q: Are you going to be touring on the solo records?

A: I would like to. Obviously, I have to wait till we’re done. But that’s definitely a plan. I cannot wait for the world to hear it. It’s pretty remarkable. I think I’ve outdone myself. I”m proud of the work that we’ve done so far and I’m excited. I can’t wait for the world to see the single. We just shot the music video. It’s going to be a head-turner, and I’m excited.

Q: You have the day off before the show here. Do you stay in your hotel room or on your bus, or do you like to get out into town? Maybe find a golf course?

A: Definitely going to find a golf course. That’s the number-one priority. Try to find a good, healthy restaurant. Maybe go see a movie. I’m a big movie freak. Maybe have a nice dinner with some of the guys. Myself, Howie (Dorough) and Brian (Littrell) have really been doing a lot of dinners together. We did it almost every night in Vegas. We all hang out together, too. On our days off, we’re always trying to do something. Brian and I are the biggest golfers, so we’ll be on the golf course for sure. And if there’s any games going on, we might have to go catch a game.

Q: Do you have a golf hookup here, or is this story going to be a shoutout to anyone who wants to hook you guys up?

A: Let’s make this the official shoutout to anyone that wants to get us out on the most premier golf course in Cincinnati.

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Backstreet Boys

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26

Where: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township.

Info: 513-232-5882; riverbend.org.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Backstreet Boys looking for 'most premier golf course in Cincinnati'