To tell the truth, most of the boys in the audience looked nauseated. Hundreds of Provo girls, some of them there on dates, screamed - no, Screeeeeeeeeamed, in the piercing way that makes other people cover their ears - in response to the oozing, romantic voices and passionate serenaders called All-4-One.
"For all you ladies out there who don't have a man, I'll be your man tonight," said Delious Kennedy, introducing the song "So Much In Love."Arms went up in the air, some holding cigarette lighters, and the crowd rocked itself gently from side to side when the sweet music started.
The young performers (age 23 and under) demonstrated their vocal talent best in the richly harmonic choirlike song "A Better Man." The songs are (all but one) written by the band members, and convey a desperately devoted, cloak-over-the-damsel's-mud-puddle charm, sung with easy finesse.
Though most of the band's songs are tender ballads, they don't all sound the same. "So Much in Love," the song that ignited the band's success, is a 1960s remake in doo-wop style, while "I Swear" originated in country music land, and "Down to the Last Drop," is a classic mellow R&B serenade.
The band possesses four unusually rich, clear voices. All four share the lead, the backup vocals and the center of the stage.
The pumped-up songs "Something About You," and "Skillz" had All-4-One so excited, bounding from side to side at the front of the stage, that they were almost on top of the audience. And during the invigorating songs still the girls kept screaming their love up to the singers.
With short haircuts, big smiles, clean clothes, and not one rude thing coming out of their act, all four singers possess plenty of friendly crowd-chemistry. Chemistry so fervent that the crowd was asked to step back during the concert to prevent little girls from getting squashed at the foot of the stage.
Still, the band pummeled the already hyper crowd for more and more proof of approval. They received screams for themselves, for the city of Provo, for each third of the audience separately, for anyone who's ever been in a relationship, for announcing songs they weren't even planning to sing. And when they reached their hands out to touch the ocean of arms, the piercing sound of those approving girls in hysteria made people farther back in the audience stick their fingers in their ears.
Though the music needed no distractions, there were games at this party. A butterfly contest, with three young ladies being led up on stage to compete in the dance. Another butterfly contest, this time between the four singers. And a little later on, there was an announcement: Would Amber Larsen go with Mike Smith to the homecoming dance? Scream for yes.
Three races are represented in the band, with two black, one white and one Hispanic member.
This accepting attitude was reflected in the crowd, which contained not only a plentiful mix of races, but also a colorful blend of types. There were high school, college and junior high school age fans, some little children, and at least one 40-ish honeymooning couple with their four kids. Among all these different All-4-One fans were grungers, gangstas, preppie conservatives and even a couple of cowgirls.