BETHLEHEM, Pa. — BBMak came to popularity at the height of the boy band craze, amid titans 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys, releasing its debut album in 2000.
And while that meant the British vocal trio never ruled the charts, it had a No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit with its song "Back Here," and three other Top 40 songs.
It also toured with 'N Sync and Destiny's Child at those groups' peaks, and played Allentown Fair in 2000 and headlined Allentown's Mayfair festival in 2001.
BBMak will perform at Sellersville Theatre 1897 at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 24. O-Town's Trevor Penick will open the show. Tickets, at $42-$52, remain available at Sellersville Theatre's website and at the box office at 24 w. Temple Ave.Sellersville Theatre 1897 website
So it shouldn't be a surprise that, 25 years later, BBMak still has enough fans to support a tour that brings it to Sellersville Theatre 1894 at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 24.
Another boy band member, O-Town's Trevor Penick, will open the show. Tickets, at $42-$52, remain available at the Sellersville Theatre website and at the box office at 24 W. Temple Ave.
"It’s a real nostalgia trip," BBMak member Stephen McNally, now 46, said in a group call from the road in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.
"You get to see a lot of the faces of people who used to come to our shows back in 2000, and they’re bringing their kids, and you’re seeing a new generation of Pop fans."
And these years later, member Mark Barry said the group appreciates its career more.
"The fact that we’ve got the chance to do it again, we’re really taking it in more," Barry said.
"We’re really seeing a lot of America — we’re not in and out of places, we’re really taking it in a lot more. So we really appreciate all the support that we’re getting.
"We’re getting so much love from the fans to this day."
'Took a break for 15 years'
BBMak, the trio of McNally, Barry and Christian Burns, released its debut album, "Sooner or Later," in 2000, when boy bands 'N Sync had its 12-times-platinum disc "No Strings Attached," Backstreet Boys had its eight-times platinum "Black and Blue" and 98 Degrees went double platinum with "Revelation."
Yet in the crowded boy band field, BBMak's disc still achieved gold sales, and its debut single "Back Here" hit No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The follow-up "Still on Your Side" hit No. 14.
The group toured with 'N Sync — including a show at Hershey Stadium that drew 30,000 — 'N Sync's biggest crowd up to that point — and with Destiny's Child at Allentown Fair in 2000.
“We were exhausted, absolutely exhausted, from doing, you know, five years, really, of non-stop work. That took its toll on us, ‘cause we were working so much, and non-stop, without having any time off. So it was a bit of exhaustion."BBMak's Christian Burns
“To be getting that much exposure … so much support, doing the Brittany Spears tour, Destiny’s Child, ‘N Sync, doing stadium tours with them, the exposure we got was incredible," Barry said.
"It was just a lot of fun.”
BBMak also headlined Allentown's Mayfair festival in 2001. In a blur of popularity and touring at the time, McNally said he still recalls the Mayfair show.
"One of my favorite songs by Billy Joel is ‘Allentown,’" he said. "So I remember when we went there, I said, ‘Oh, wow, we’re in Allentown.’"
But the craze of boy band popularity also wore on BBMak, said Burns, 51.
“We were exhausted, absolutely exhausted, from doing, you know, five years, really, of non-stop work," he said. "That took its toll on us, ‘cause we were working so much, and non-stop, without having any time off. So it was a bit of exhaustion."
It also created "the perfect storm" because "the musical landscape was changing," he said.
The group's second album, 2002's "Into Your Head," had just one Top 20 hit, “Out of My Heart (Into Your Head),” and peaked at just No. 25.
"At the time and we just thought it was the right time to take a break," Burns said.
"And we took a break for 15 years," he said with a laugh.
'We fell back into our roles'
All of BBMak's members moved on to other projects.
Burns formed the group The Blind Love, then released a solo disc, "Love Songs from Suburbia," that hit No. 1 on the iTunes Dance chart. McNally joined the band The Last Arcade.
But "we always spoke ... we always kept in contact," Barry said.
In 2017, the three "got together in Christian’s sister’s house, with a guitar, to have a catch-up," Barry said. “And we basically said, ‘Let’s give ‘Back Here’ a go.’
"Now we hadn’t sung it in 15 years and we recorded the actual performance and it was a flawless performance."
"It was really amazing how we got into the studio for the first day, and it just came to us really easily — these songs we just had in us. And it was just like riding a bike; we just fell back into our roles."BBMak's Christian Burns
Burns posted the performance on social media, and "it went viral and had millions of views," Barry said.
"And comments from a lot of old fans saying, ‘Oh my God, are you guys thinking about getting back together again?’
“And we thought it felt like the right time to do that. It was always something that we going through the back of our minds through the years of not being together — you know, ‘When is it going to happen again?’"
BBMak released "Powerstation," its first album in 17 years, in 2019.
“We had a great time making the album," Burns said. "And of course we hadn’t written together for quite awhile.
"But it was really amazing how we got into the studio for the first day, and it just came to us really easily — these songs we just had in us. And it was just like riding a bike; we just fell back into our roles."
Burns said that since the group's first two albums, "we just had a lot of life experience, so we had a lot to write about.'' And technology had advanced, so, "we just loved the whole process, experimenting with new techniques and vocal techniques."
The first single, "Bullet Train," was one of the first new songs the group wrote, Burns said, and "it was one of those songs like ‘Back Here,’ that came together pretty quirky, really.
“I remembered by the end of the day we had the song finished, lyrics done, demo done. It was one of those that came together really easily.”
'There will be new music'
BBMak's newest song, a non-album single, "Collide," was released last year.
"It’s about a relationship that goes through all kinds of tragedy," McNally said with a laugh. "It’s about the good times, the bad times and, even when you’re apart, the feeling is still there still special.”
Burns said it's another example of having lived longer than when BBMak first was popular.
“Since we started back in 2000, we’ve had a lot of life experience between us," he said. "So I think it’s easy for us, you know.
"As we’ve gotten older, we’ve got more to tap into when it comes to writing songs. So I think it's more experience throughout our journey."
"When we decided last year that we wanted to get some new music out and ‘Collide’ came about, we all went together on it and that song came out amazing — a really big project with the harmonies, the melodies, the lyric. Just a great BBMak song. And it’s a song the fans really connected with.”BBMak's Stephen McNally
On the song, the group even used guitarist Paul Garrett and synth/keyboardist Steve Erickson from McNally's post-BBMak project The Last Arcade.
“When we did ‘Powerstation,’ we went with Paul and Steve to write and produce some of the songs," McNally said. "We worked on three songs on the ‘Powerstation’ album with those guys.
“So there’s always been a relationship and we’ve also known them for, like, 25 years. We used to play shows together on double bills in the U.K.
“And so when we decided last year that we wanted to get some new music out and ‘Collide’ came about, we all went together on it and that song came out amazing — a really big project with the harmonies, the melodies, the lyric.
"Just a great BBMak song. And it’s a song the fans really connected with.”
Burns said BBMak is "working on some new songs," and "there will be new music. Not ready just yet, but it’s in the works.”
'Better live now than back then'
In the meantime, the group said it is enjoying reconnecting with fans.
It has played several dates on the multi-act Pop 2000 tour, which teams it with members of O Town, LFO and even Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync.
"We just thought it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go. And here we are, six, seven years down the line, we’re on our ninth tour now and absolutely loving it. We’re having the best time.”BBMak's Mark Barry
“It’s great to be on stage with our old friends," McNally said. "We used to play shows together back in the 2000s. So it's great seeing those guys back on stage, and it’s a lot of fun."
Burns laughingly said, “one thing that’s different now being on the road, we’re more about getting up early for the gym instead of staying up late in the bar.
"But it’s great being back out on the road. It’s like one big family being on the Pop 2000 tour. Everyone helps each other out.”
Barry said that “people who haven’t seen us for years are coming out and telling us we sound even better live now than back then.”
"We just thought it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go" he said. "And here we are, six, seven years down the line, we’re on our ninth tour now and absolutely loving it.
"We’re having the best time.”
