98 Degrees Interview – I was recently granted pre-show passes to interview 98 Degrees at their Detroit stop of their My2K Tour at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre. It was an open interview with questions coming from a few different sources and anyone from the band answering, so I gathered up the responses to share here…
98 Degrees Interview
Lisa LaGrou Oakland County Moms Q – I’m not insinuating that you guys are old, because you look fantastic… but it’s been a few years since you’ve toured and it’s intense. How is it different now compared to years ago?
98 Degrees – (Nick Lachey) It’s easier to get out of the top bunk when you’re 23 years old. (laughter) Every day I have to climb out of the top bunk and it hurts a little bit. (Drew Lachey) Getting up is harder than getting out. (Nick Lachey) Actually getting down is harder.
(All) Honestly, we’re having fun. The biggest difference is our priorities and balancing family and this. As far as the actual show… we kind of pride ourselves in staying in shape and staying vocally in shape. So, the differences there aren’t that extreme. But, Facetiming with your family in between shows, and not going out at night, you know… we were watching the Republican and Democratic National Convention as opposed to going out to the bar and the club. Little subtle differences for the most part. You tell us…You watch the show and you tell us if it’s changed.
(Nick Lachey) If you find us limping around out there…if I pull a hammie in the first set…
98 Degrees Interview Q – When is the last time you all worked together?
98 Degrees – We toured with Boys 2 Men and New Kids. But beside that great comeback, we initially did Mixtape Festival in Hershey… kind of “taking the temperature” to see how the fans were. They all turned out. They were there, and we got excited. Of course, obviously, jumped at the opportunity to perform at Boys 2 Men and New Kids on the Block. You guys turned out for that. And, we said to ourselves, if we get another chance, we’re having so much fun this time, if our schedules permit, we’re going to go out there and do it. So, that’s why we’re here. You’re still here, so as long as you’re here, we’re going to be here.
98 Degrees Interview Q – Do you prefer performing at bigger venues or the smaller venues?
98 Degrees – That kind of depends. There’s something nice about being really close to our fans as opposed to farther away. It’s kind of nice to have an intimate feel, but we also really enjoy the bigger arenas. The smaller venues are more fun to perform in, the bigger venues make you more money. (laughter) But it is cool to do the smaller theaters where you can actually interact and feel like everyone’s in a good seat, everyone has a chance to be a part of the show. It’s a lot of fun. This size is probably the coolest. Right there in the middle. The big ones are great, they’re more financially beneficial, they’re cool, it’s loud, it’s big. You can’t really see, you can only see the radius of the stage a few feet. With this, you can see almost everybody in the audience which is really cool. You can see their reactions. (Nick Lachey) Unless somebody looks really bored. (laughter) And then you kind of wave…We have before.
98 Degrees Interview Q – Who are your favorite artists to watch?
98 Degrees – (Nick Lachey) A big influence for us and someone we had the honor of working with earlier in our career is Stevie Wonder. We had a chance to see him on his last tour. You go to shows now and you see so much special effects, pyro, and the lights… Stevie really just sounds good with just his band and a choir. He killed it for 2 and a half hours. He’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen. On the flip side of that, Drew didn’t go, but the three of us went to see Twenty One Pilots and it made what they do and their show and the kind of spectical of it, and the showmanship … that’s all very very cool in a whole other level. So, for me, those are two best shows I’ve seen recently.
(All) Brian McKnight is an amazing singer. You hear Brian’s records and they sound great, but he’s better live. He’s one of those artists that can sing better live, and puts on a great show… Again, bare bones, just music and killed it.
Bruno Mars is the best concert I’ve seen. He puts on a great show.
98 Degrees Interview Q – What are the odds of any new music coming up?
98 Degrees – I think we’re coming around to it. I think the way the climate in the industry makes it difficult and it’s a little bit discouraging, but as long as fans are excited about hearing it… we’ve been hearing constantly that people want us to come out with some new stuff. We wanted to just get back on the road and see how everything went and I think it’s not out of the realm of possibility and I certainly think we would love to do it. If just a matter if there’s a demand for it. If there’s a demand for it, we’d certainly, hopefully, get something out. A full record is probably, you know.. but a single…
98 Degrees Interview Q – What has been the highlight of your careers?
98 Degrees – (Nick Lachey) It’s a great question. I think we all have probably the same short list maybe, but I’ll take what I mentioned earlier, Stevie Wonder – having a chance to work with somebody like him, and it came at a point in our career where things were a little touch and go for us. We had done one record but president of Motown got fired and we didn’t know if we were going to be dropped. We didn’t know what the scenario was going to be. We were fortunate enough to shortly after that have a chance to be on a soundtrack with Stevie Wonder. He’s someone you could go your whole career and never have a chance to work with him and we had a chance so early on. It really, I think, for us, rebounded us and catapulted us into the next record. So, for a lot of reasons, that for me was probably pinnacle.
(All) Plus performing for Michael Jackson. His tribute special, his anniversary special for him, covering one of his songs. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better scenario to be in.
We got to tour with Boys 2 Men. But I think the one performance that really sticks out in my mind is when we brought them upstage to sing Still of the Night with them in our hometown of Cincinnati and that was really an incredible moment for us.
(Drew Lachey) For me, it’s not one particular moment. It’s the fact that 20 years later we’re still able to do what we love to do. Everyday, we’re given that opportunity… it just gives us that much more love toward what we do. Every day is like the pinnacle because it continues our ability to do what we love…
(Nick Lachey interrupts) Alright Drew, you win.
See related posts below for more Oakland County Moms celebrity interviews.
Thanks to our friends at Crowdsurf.net for helping to coordinate the 98 Degrees Interview.
