Skating, dance routines, musical numbers, and hockey; just some of the extravagant surprises that made up the amazing holiday spectacular. Big Time Rush is a band that is nostalgic for many, and with this event being a one night only special, there were fans from all over that filled the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport. Lines began to form at all doors of the venue as early as 3 pm, with crowds dressed in hockey attire. All different kinds of jerseys and BTR merchandise made up the masses, creating an undeniable unity in the faces of all ages. Whether it was a first BTR show, or one of the many, the uniqueness left everyone speechless. Not only were there a bunch of surprises, but the humorous anecdotes of show references made the night. As the lighting effects and the hazers went off entrancing everyone’s gazes, the band members entered in glory. Nothing could keep these “Rushers” from dancing and screaming along. Truly a night filled with excitement and joy, a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season.

All seats at the show were perfect, as the filled hockey arena had epic views from all angles. Since the extravaganza was held at a non-traditional venue, everyone had a personalized experience, with some audience members being lucky enough to sit right beside the ice. Members skated around all sides of the ice to greet each section of enthusiastic fans. Moving lights and pyrotechnics added just the right amount of flair without overshadowing the intense work the group had done. Check out past BTR reviews for more specific background regarding the group and the infamous Nickelodeon show that started it all. The group of four didn’t disappoint in the winter ice debut. Beginning the show with one of the most iconic show references, member Carlos PenaVega was given a helmet. For those who are not familiar with the show, Carlos’s character was known for going everywhere with an emotional support helmet, one that meant the world to him. In BTR fashion, the members had one of the professional ice skaters come out with a golden sparkly pedestal carrying the helmet. Fans laughed at the seemingly minute detail being remembered in such a special way. The show took off with songs such as “Windows Down” and “Waves.” The two crowd favorites brought the energy to the highly anticipated showcase. Band members Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson, James Maslow, and Carlos PenaVega, mentioned throughout the show that the on-ice portion of the night was rehearsed a mere 24 hours earlier. However, if that information wasn’t stated, many wouldn’t have believed it; everything came together flawlessly. This truly brought the guys back to their roots of playing hockey in Minnesota. Another beloved show reference, and plotline that began what is now the BTR empire.

Sure, audiences have heard of shows such as “Disney on Ice,” but this was completely different and unique. How many audience members can say they were in attendance of a concert on ice? Its unheard of! Speaking of unheard of, the hockey arena was then used for its sole purpose when member Logan Henderson stated, “How about we play some hockey?!” Fans confused, yet excitedly screamed in response to the notion. Indicating there was some uncertainty as to what was to be seen, but everyone was certainly ok with it. Next to come out of the backstage curtain was a gaggle of children from the Elite Hockey Academy. Come to find out one of the many surprises was that the band had two hockey teams, one red and one blue, to play against each other in a 5-minute scrimmage game. Before the start of the peewee hockey game, band members split two and two to act as coaches for each team. Referring to themselves as “uncles” to the child players. Giving the best pep talks possible, Kendall Schmidt got the last words referencing the show yet again in his peptalk mentioning, “This opportunity only comes once in a lifetime.” To which member Logan Henderson responded, “Wow it almost sounds like that was written for you.” It was small comments such as these that made all the difference to fans and audience members. The one-night event was a true blessing to everyone who could attend because it was a personal “once in a lifetime” experience. Eventually after knocking into some light fixtures, the red team, coached by members Logan and James, succeeded and beat the blue team with a 4-0 resulting score. The first big surprise of many surpassed the expectations of any concert.

Unsure of what was to follow, the band immediately had everyone’s attention when mentioning the ABC show “Dancing with The Stars.” In the most amazing turn around, the members brought out professional skaters to pay homage to the show in the form of BTR’s “Skating with The Stars.” That wasn’t the only insane part, but members also brought out Maxwell Jones to emcee the event. The caveat being the members were competing against each other to get the big trophy, as decided by the audience. Maxwell kept the audience alive, emphasizing the hollers, screams, and excitement. All of which necessary to not only declare a winner, but to also support the band members in the numbers. First up was James and skater Samantha performing to “Painting Greys” by Emmit Fenn. Doing leg lifts and turns, with James’s infamous bandana, the crowd went wild witnessing the choreography. Next up was the stylings of Kendall and skater Sarah who skated to “Careless Whisper” by George Michael. Coming out in a wig and outfit fit for the 80s, Kendall imitated the saxophone playing in the beginning of the mix, in addition to the gorgeous skating of his dance partner. Following these two acts was the partnering of Logan and skater Liz. The two performed to “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, the 80s hit was filled with some nicely executed tricks from the duo. Which (spoiler alert!) earned them the win and the trophy that night. Lastly was Carlos and skater Thames who performed to the viral TikTok song “UP!” by Forrest Frank and Connor Price. Dressed in the holiday spirit as elves and playing into character Carlos’s clumsiness, the duo did not disappoint with this number. Little falls and tricks every second made this duo hard to beat. Even coming off the ice exclaiming that his skate came untied during the routine. In less than 24 hours, the group made the most perfect spoof on the beloved dance competition. Mixing comedy and skating to the max, it was ultimately measured by an audience applause meter. Crowning Logan and Liz as the winners, bestowed the lovely trophy from emcee Maxwell.

Rhinestone studded black BTR jerseys were the ideal costume for the four members. Making them easy to follow as the men skated amongst the other fantastic professional skaters. Following the epic theatrics of this concert, the members had a transition period. While the transition was happening, a video was displayed of the members mentioning the meaning of Christmas and the holidays, along with the favorite traditions and festivities BTR partakes in. The common theme of the video was focused on friends and family and the joy felt at this time of year. After this sweet, slowed moment, Kendall, Logan, James, and Carlos brought back the concert aspect of the show by performing the song “Elevate” on the mini stage made on top of the ice. This brought back the known and loved choreography that keeps the fans hyped. BTR made fans ecstatic, as with every song they would flip around so everyone in the arena had a front row view of the festivities. Jumps, leaps, and even some backflips occurred as the band played the music. However, the band members weren’t the only performers at that time. The professional skaters enhanced the whole performance, with each person portraying original choreography and tricks. Each one in a new costume, with a new style. Truly an unbelievable experience. The setlist then grew with the songs “If I Ruled The World,” “Call It Like I See It,” the most recent single “Only One” (which has only been performed in the U.S. a handful of times), ‘The City is Ours,” “Halfway There,” and “Nothing Even Matters.” All before the band took a more acoustic take on the set with performing “Stuck,” a song that hasn’t been sung live since the 2010s. The band took the request from a group of fans. Feeding into the holiday spirit, the men played “Beautiful Christmas” off the BTR “Holiday Bundle” released in 2010, following the first season of the Nickelodeon show. This provided a minute for the members to be a bit vulnerable with the fans and hone in on the BTR community created by the fanbase. That marked the tradition of the band’s “Worldwide Girl” set. BTR is known for many songs, however, “Worldwide” is one of the most famous ones because it recollects the plotline of the show where Kendall’s on-screen girlfriend Jo has to move across the world to New Zealand. The tradition at the concerts is signified when each member of the band randomly picks a girl from the audience to sit on stage and sing the song with the band. Safe to say EVERYONE wants to be a WWG (worldwide girl).  Cameras began to shutter as the song “Famous” came on with the skaters portraying paparazzi. The crowd jumped up and down, shaking the bleachers underneath. Pure chaos in the best way. The best part of the song being Logan’s verse at the end. The list continued with songs such as ‘Til I Forget About You,” and “Show Me,” which included the guys being pushed around the ice on carts, amongst many other favorites being performed.

Finally, the ending of all endings came about. Maxwell emceed one last time to get the crowd pumped for the encore that would seem life changing. The band came out in a fog when the iconic “Oh, oh, oh-oh, oh” echoed through the venue. All accounted for in the arena were certainly feeling the rush. Bringing out all the stops to choreography and skating around with the hazers on full blast. A human chain began to form as the skaters and band members linked together with a faint “Your boy, boy, b-b-boy, b-b-boyfriend” began to play. Uncontrollable energy zapped the room when James yelled “BRIDGEPORT WHOS LOOKING FOR A BOYFRIEND!” There has never been more screaming at one time then in that moment. A whole dance routine was executed flawlessly in the center of the ice. Fans from across the globe waved the flags, homemade signs, and merchandise one last time as the group took the final bows. Soaking in every last moment of the event, which is rumored to possibly become an annual extravaganza. It was also rumored that there could be a possible BTR Christmas album in the works for future years. Many fun rumors were dropped at this event and the audience couldn’t have left happier following the final show of 2024. Hopefully there will be more to report on soon, but until then, follow Big Time Rush on all social media for song releases and more tour dates.