The “In Real Life Worldwide” tour is set to be the band’s biggest trip down memory lane yet.
If you’re anything like me – a Gen Z girl with cable television in the early 2010s – you probably remember the Nickelodeon show “Big Time Rush.” It starred Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson and Carlos PenaVega playing fictional versions of themselves.
The show’s plot revolved around the comical misadventures of the quartet, a group of Minnesotan teenagers who form a boy band. They subsequently moved to Los Angeles to, ahem, make it big time under the guidance of their short-tempered producer Gustavo Rocque.
“Big Time Rush” ran for four seasons, from 2009 to 2013. Since the show’s conclusion, the band has worked independently from Nickelodeon and created a new image for themselves separate from their squeaky clean, TV-G counterparts.
They went on hiatus in 2014, but reunited in 2021 and have resumed performing and releasing new music. Their most recent album, “Another Life,” was released in 2023 and met with overwhelming praise from critics and fans alike.
The group has given the Big Time Rush name a more contemporary and sophisticated spin in recent years, but they frequently pay homage to their roots by performing old hits live such as “Boyfriend,” “Famous,” and “Til I Forget About You.” In fact, their recently revealed summer tour is sure to feature all of these and more.
If anyone needs me, I’m busy making a nostalgic party playlist with my inner eight-year-old.
The band announced their “In Real Life Worldwide” tour on Feb. 20, and get this – they will be singing every one of the songs featured on “Big Time Rush.”
“We truly have the best fans in the world, and when we sat down to plot this tour we wanted to give them everything they have always asked us for and dreamed of,” Big Time Rush said in a joint statement. “That’s the reason we are so excited to be going on the road all over the world to play every song from every episode of the TV show. We know how many of our fans hold these songs close to their hearts having first heard so many of them watching our show.”
“In Real Life Worldwide” is also set to include special guests Katelyn Tarver and Stephen Kramer Glickman, who played characters Jo and Gustavo respectively on the show. The tour kicks off on July 9 in Birmingham, Ala., with 38 shows around the United States to follow.
After a short break beginning in late August, the European leg of the tour will start in November. More international dates are expected to be announced later.
“We have so many surprises in store for our Rushers for the In Real Life Worldwide tour and can’t wait to see everyone on the road very soon!” The band said.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 28 and will be on Big Time Rush’s official website. After a long and cold winter, I’m ready to roll the “Windows Down” and “Elevate” my summer by reliving my childhood at this concert.