Photo by MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Ricky Martin
shakes his bon bon at Wango Tango to a sold out crowd on June
16.Click here to see the Wango Tango online
slideshow
By Sophia Whang Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The hottest pop groups rocked the house two days in a row, with
their beats reverberating far beyond the stadium walls.
KIIS-FM (102.7), a local radio station, hosted the third annual,
16-hour mega-concert known as Wango Tango at Dodger Stadium over
two days, last Saturday and Sunday.
An elaborate stage was constructed in the Dodger Stadium
outfield for the event, along with two accompanying Jumbotrons for
the fans, and an additional 9,600 folding chairs to accommodate the
large crowd.
The audience was filled with crazed fans who came with handmade
posters and celebrity paraphernalia. Some fans even came dressed as
their favorite performers.
“This is my third time here,” said Margaret Perez,
14. “I came here to see the Backstreet Boys and Ricky Martin
in particular.”
Along with the Backstreet Boys, Saturday’s concert also
included 3LW, Nikka Costa, Krystal, Joe, Samantha Mumba, Jessica
Simpson, Shaggy, Nelly Furtado and Blue Man Group. The concert
ended with a dynamic performance by Ricky Martin, complete with
fireworks. The king of Las Vegas, Wayne Newton, was also invited to
entertain the crowd, and he brought along his wit, his banjo and
his fiddle.
Britney Spears, who disappointed fans with only a brief
appearance, was Saturday’s guest host. Actor Selma Blair and
KIIS’s “Most Requested” host Carson Daly made
surprise appearances that same day.
The performances featured surprises as well, such as Jessica
Simpson breaking into Sir Mix-a-lot’s “Baby Got
Back” and Blue Man Group throwing marshmallows into the
crowd. The crowd was especially excited when all five members of
the Backstreet Boys took off their Lakers jerseys and signed them
before giving them to lucky audience members in the front.
Shaggy also knew how to work the crowd with songs from his
Grammy-winning album. Attendees in the whole stadium were on their
feet, waving their arms and singing along with him. He later
brought a young girl from backstage up to represent all the angels
in Los Angeles before performing his hit single,
“Angel.”
 Photo by CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Pop
sensation Britney Spears hosts Wango Tango at
Dodger Stadium on the first day of the concert. Click on
the Picture to See the Wango Tango Slide Show The crowd
was so energized by Wango Tango’s beats that it was itching
to come back for more the following day.
The second day consisted of well-known names such as
Eden’s Crush, Vertical Horizon, Dream, American Hi-Fi,
Tyrese, Aerosmith and the Bee Gees. The show also included a
special performance of the song “Lady Marmalade” by
Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya and Missy Elliot. The second day also
featured special appearances by Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sean
“P. Diddy” Combs, who introduced the pop girl group
Dream.
“Anytime we can get onstage to see the fans and to be
singing and dancing is such a wonderful time for us,” said
Ivette of Eden’s Crush. “It’s a time where we
feel we’re at home.”
“We just want to have a good time on stage,” added
Maile, also from Eden’s Crush.
The members of Eden’s Crush, and most of the other female
performers, were clad in midriff-showing tops and hip-hugging,
low-riding jeans. The male performers came dressed differently in
casual attire.
Among some of the only female performers who were not in jeans
were the ladies of “Lady Marmalade,” who were instead
dolled up in their lingerie as they lounged on sofas and strutted
down the red-carpeted stairs.
However, even without the use of lingerie,
model-turned-singer-turned-actor Tyrese had no trouble getting the
audience excited.
“I don’t know what to feel because I haven’t
gone on stage yet, but I’m really a crowd-driven
person,” Tyrese said before his set. “Whatever I end up
doing will be because of what the audience calls me to
be.”
The Bee Gees, the only group that has had a number one hit in
each decade from the ’60s to the ’90s, had people
dancing in the aisles during its performance. The band was
promoting its new album, “This Is Where I Came In.”
Between each act there were entertaining commercials played on
the big screens, music videos and clips of the radio
station’s DJs mocking various movies, including a spoof of
the “Lady Marmalade” music video.
 Photo by CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Aerosmith
Frontman Steven Tyler headlines the second night
of Wango Tango. Click on the Picture to See the Wango Tango
Slide Show
A central theme of both concert days was extreme Lakers pride.
There were clips of previous Lakers games, including those from
last year’s championship game. P. Diddy appeared wearing a
Lakers jersey, as did the Backstreet Boys and Krystal. The
performers were also constantly stirring up the crowd with Lakers
remarks and reminders of this year’s championship
victory.
Along with promoting unity through Lakers’ pride, most
performers were there to promote their new albums and make their
fans proud.
“I’ve never been about the money or about being how
huge I can be,” Tyrese said. “I’ve just always
been about greatness and looking to make people proud.”
The word “greatness” just about sums up all 16 hours
of Wango Tango. This concert is likely to be a tradition for many
summers to come.