Big Time Rush is Set to Rekindle Nostalgia with Their Nickelodeon Fans While Building a New Set of Followers
The Maryland State Fair is about to feel a “Big Time Rush” on Saturday, September 7. Band members, Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson, James Maslow, and Carlos Penavega, are bringing their current tour to Maryland, where they will perform their beloved hit songs from their debut album “Big Time Rush,” along with their latest singles.
Nickelodeon Stars Come to Maryland
Big Time Rush has been capturing hearts worldwide since their formation in 2009 when they became a band and starred in their own Nickelodeon TV show “Big Time Rush” portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. They went on to record four albums, and their show ran for four seasons and even had a movie.
In their early years they had big dreams and hopes for themselves and are beyond grateful for all the opportunities they have had. “One hundred shows and nearly a million people live later our expectations have been widely exceeded.” Kendall Schmidt said.
While the band went on hiatus in 2014, they always had a feeling that they would reunite. “I think we all knew when the show ended that we were definitely not done. We just needed a break. We created something really special. There was a lot of emotions behind what we did,” Penavega said.
The group mentioned that their bond is even stronger now and that they get along a lot better now compared to their younger years. “We still have our disagreements. Drama [and] all that, but back in the day it felt really intense because we were younger guys with less life experience. Now when stuff comes up in the band, although it’s intense sometimes, I think that everyone overall has very much chilled out.” Schmidt said. Despite their differences they emphasized that they always feel like a team. “We really work well together and we get it done.” Penavega said.
New Songs and Favorites
The group is excited to perform their newer songs, but they also love the energy that fans bring when they play hits from their earlier albums. “There are throwback songs that we know the audience is going to love. Like when “Boyfriend comes on everybody goes on so hard. I truly enjoy that.” James Maslow said.
The group talked about how they find most of their inspiration for songwriting from personal relationships they have had and from their experiences with love. “I like writing love songs the most. If I’m writing something abstract it’s usually about love.” Schmidt said. “I think everybody can relate to love one way or another.” Maslow said.
Practice Makes Perfect
The group also emphasized that with all the practice they’ve had, they believe they are now stronger performers with more stamina, compared to when they were in their early 20s. “I remember in the beginning we could barely do a minute and a half of a song. We were at Hammerstein Ballroom doing this upfront event for Nickelodeon and we were singing the theme song, “Big Time Rush,” we were out of breath after a minute and a half. Now we’re doing these two hour shows. To think of that growth is amazing. We are doing way more dancing, way more singing. We really do it.” PenaVega said.
Maslow acknowledged that the confidence they built over the years has helped them become stronger performers. “It’s beyond the physical shape. It’s the mental shape. It’s the knowing you can. To have tested your limits for so many years playing shows, you know what you can do vocally, physically, breath wise. That wealth of experience and the amount of shows we played has made playing shows more fun because we are so at ease on stage.” Maslow said.
The group recognizes that many of their original fans look forward to the nostalgia and the safe feeling they got when they watched the show for the first time fifteen years ago. They also said that keeping a close and personal relationship with their fans is very important to them. “I know a lot of artists don’t do meet-and-greets and that’s something that we have always done. Not every artist goes into the audience and that’s something that we always do. So we get a lot of personal direct interaction with our fans. We truly get to know them.” Maslow said.
They also stressed that they always want to give every single fan a positive and welcoming experience. “I think I’ve hugged more people than anybody I know in my life. We love what we do — breaking that fourth wall and meeting the fans is just part of our brand and what people love.” PenaVega said.
Family Energy Helps Band to Thrive
To remain strong performers and to keep their cheerful energy when meeting thousands of fans, they rely on the support of their families. Penavega and Schmidt, both fathers to young children, acknowledged how their wives have constantly supported them throughout their touring journeys.
“It’s all about how amazing the wife is, it’s not about me. The wife is doing the most.” Schmidt said. PenaVega added, “We have the easy job. We get to go meet fans and play a show. They’re on the bus watching the kids, that’s a lot of work. It’s teamwork.”
While everyone is excited to perform in Maryland, the state holds a special place in Kendall’s heart. “Basically my whole family lives in Maryland. My brother is getting married soon and I think he has invited 60 people to the show in Maryland as sort of a pre-wedding concert. Maryland is great, it’s a really beautiful state. I love being by the bay. I love it there.” Schmidt said.
Their next step in their journey is a second movie. “We’re working on that [a movie] right now. It’s not 100% but we are actively working on a script and God willing we will be shooting and having something out for fans next year. That would be the goal.” Maslow said.
For fans interested in seeing Big Time Rush Live at The Maryland State Fair you may purchase tickets at the Big Time Rush Website.
This article was written by freelance writer Michelle Calderon.
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