Big Time Rush Ready to Slow Down.

Big Time Rush want to slow things down a bit.

The Nickelodeon stars-turned-real life pop sensations plan to take their time with their upcoming third album, says member Carlos Pena Jr. — and yes, he gets the irony.
“I’ve been in a rush for five years,” he cracks from a hotel in Philadelphia. “Normally, we tour, rush through an album, put it out and then go shoot episodes of the show. This year, we’re going to take a little bit of time to write, find the right songs, pair them with great episodes and great storylines and then put the album out. We’re not going to rush through it. Finally.”
Of course, that’s all down the road. Right now, the 23-year-old singer and his bandmates — Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow and Logan Henderson, also his co-stars on their Monkees-inspired series — are literally bouncing their way across North America on their Elevate tour, which hits Canada this month.
During a half-day off, an “exhausted” Pena chatted about the ups and downs of his gig, life after the big time, and the other Rush.

What do you do with a half-day off?
If we’re in a cool city, I’ll try and do something. But today, we got in at 7:30 a.m., so I got off the bus, came to the hotel, watched Men in Black for a bit and passed out. Our schedule is crazy just because of the time frame we have. Most people do 70 shows in four months. We have three or less. It’s just back to back. And we’re running around out there. Plus we’re doing all these outdoor amphitheatres. We sweat so much, it’s crazy. So it does get tiring. But at the same time, I always remember I’m not sitting at a desk for a living; I’m singing for fans. It’s a cool job.

I hear you have a trampoline onstage. That sounds dangerous. Has anyone fallen on their butt yet?
Yeah, we have a trampoline right in the middle of our set. It helps us get from one level to another. It’s nothing too crazy. But they did put a new mat on about 10 or 12 shows in, and it was way bouncier than the last one. When we jumped onto it, we just flew. I hurt myself the second show doing a backflip. My foot went through the spring and I landed on my butt. My shin started bleeding — and it was only the second song. I was just thinking, ‘Stay calm, only 16 more songs to go. ’

How do Canadian fans compare to other countries in terms of screaming?
You know what? The international fans definitely are louder. We just did a show in Puerto Rico, where we’d never been before, and you could tell. So I’m looking forward to doing a nice long stretch of shows in Canada. Then we’ll really see the difference.

Could the band exist without the TV show?
I think the music could stand alone, but I don’t know if it would be as powerful. The show has definitely been our main audience. We have four million kids watching. So when you put a song out, four million kids hear it. When you put a song on the radio, you’re not going to have four million people listening. It’s a blessing and a curse being on Nickelodeon — it’s gotten us where we are now, though some people are standoffish to us because of that. But we have to be grateful that Nickelodeon gave us this opportunity. Abandoning the show would not be the best idea.

No, but at some point the show has to end. Will the band carry on after that?
That, I think, is the end goal. This probably is going to be our last season. We have done almost 100 episodes, which is great. But yeah, the goal is for the music to carry on — and for us to do other ventures.

I get the sense you started off wanting to be an actor more than a pop star.
Well, I was studying musical theatre, so being onstage and performing was always my thing. And I love TV and film, but I really want to do Broadway. So when I got this opportunity, it was kind of what I wanted to do. Not exactly, but it’s going to help me get where I want to be. But right now, the most important thing is making Big Time Rush be as big as Big Time Rush can be. From there, I’ll move on to something else. I’m setting myself up now for the rest of my life. This is not going to be the last thing I do.

What do you know about the Canadian band Rush?
I’ve heard of them. I don’t know them that well, and don’t listen to their music. But right at the beginning of our band, I overheard some guy talking about Rush in L.A. I was like, ‘Oh my God. This guy is talking about our band, but he doesn’t know it’s Big Time Rush.’ Then he started naming songs and I was like, ‘That’s a whole different band.’ That’s how I got to know about Rush.

1st Anniversary

Today is our 1st Anniversary, we are very happy, that you have been with us from the beginning. Thank you for all this because without you we would be nothing.

 

 

Nickelodeon Greenlights Fourth Season of “Big Time Rush”

Via Nickelodeon press release:

Nickelodeon Greenlights Fourth Season Of Hit Music Comedy Series Big Time Rush

Network Orders 13 Episodes with Production Beginning Q1 2013

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2012 – As music sensation Big Time Rush crosses the U.S. this summer performing to sold-out audiences and arenas, and with their hit single “Windows Down” climbing the charts, Nickelodeon has ordered a fourth season of their self-titled hit comedy series Big Time Rush.  Created by Scott Fellows and produced in partnership with Sony Music, the series chronicles the adventures of four best friends living the dream in Los Angeles, balancing their newfound fame, fans, music and girlfriends.  Starring Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena and Logan Henderson, Big Time Rush is slated to commence production on 13 episodes early 2013 in Los Angeles.

The band’s summer anthem “Windows Down,” sparked by their strongest first week sales to date, is trending to be their biggest hit yet at radio, digital sales providers and online, with their music video approaching nearly three million views.  “Windows Down” will be Big Time Rush’s third consecutive charted single at Pop radio.  The “Big Time Summer Tour” has the band entertaining fans in 60 cities, making appearances across the U.S., Canada and South America.  Their debut, gold-certified BTR and follow-up album Elevate, both entered the Billboard charts in the top 15 and currently total over 1.25 million albums sold worldwide and 3.5 million singles in the U.S.

“Our viewers continue to love the stories, music and comedic misadventures of Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan. Their authentic friendship and brotherhood connects them to each other and their audience, both on camera and when performing in front of thousands of screaming fans,” said Marjorie Cohn, President, Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon Group.

Currently in its third season, Big Time Rush ranks as one of the top ten live-action series with kids 2-11, kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14 across all of TV.  The series premiere of Big Time Rush was the highest-rated and most-watched live-action debut among all Nickelodeon series with kids, tweens and total viewers (6.8 million).  Also an international breakout hit, Big Time Rush ranks within the top 10 programs on Nickelodeon in key markets with key demos, including Germany, Mexico, Italy, Brazil, UK, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, South Africa and Australia, and is seen in over 100 territories and in 20 languages via Nickelodeon channels and syndication.

Big Time Rush’s original songs are written and produced under the guidance of Sony Music, and are written by some of today’s most successful songwriters and producers, including One Republic’s Ryan Tedder (Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson), Evan Bogart (Rihanna, Beyonce, Hot Chelle Rae), Toby Gad (One Direction, Alicia Keys, Fergie), Claude Kelly (Bruno Mars, Christina Aguilera, Pitbull), “Tricky” Stewart (Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey) and Fraser T. Smith (Taio Cruz, Adele).

Big Time Rush was created and is executive produced by Scott Fellows.  The creative mind behind Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified Survival Guide, Fellows also executive produced the hit live-action series.  A prolific writer, producer and creator, Fellows has written for and produced live-action and animated series including Nickelodeon’s The Fairly OddParents, Doug, 101 Dalmatiansand KaBlam!. He served as show runner for Nickelodeon’s live-action comedy series 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd and has written many of Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards as well as the Teen Choice Awards, the Billboard Awards and the Country Music Awards.

About Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including Arista Nashville, Beach Street Records, Bystorm Entertainment, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Kemosabe Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, Reunion Records, Roc Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Syco Music, Verity Music Group and Volcano. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

Concert Review: Big Time Rush Thrills Fans at First Niagara Pavilion

Article By: Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It's summer time and the young girls need something to make them SCREAM. What do we have?

Well, Justin Bieber doesn't come around till fall, the One Direction show is still (bizarrely) a year away, and the Jonas Brothers ... wait, who are they again?

Enter Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush.

The foursome, which popped into the First Niagara Pavilion Sunday night, hasn't generated quite the same shockwave of hysteria from sea to shining sea. Radio is in no rush to play this next fab four, so the singles haven't reached anywhere near the Top 20. Knock them, though, and you'll get an earful from the fans known as Rushers, who numbered 13,000 Sunday night (minus the chaperones).

The group was created in 2009 for the Monkees-style Nick sitcom "Big Time Rush" about four high school hockey players turned boy band who leave Minnesota for the bright lights of Hollywood. The real-life group got an early assist from Snoop Dogg (the man who can't say no) and set out on tours of, believe it or not, high schools.

Two albums in, Big Time Rush is playing amphitheaters with hopes of meeting the standard set by New Kids on the Block, 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys, et al. Big Time Rush has a hard act to follow -- and it's just getting started -- so let's just say the group did the job of thoroughly thrilling its Rushers on Sunday night with pounding bubblegum pop, timeworn boy-band choreography and a flashy stage production.

BTR arrived with the pulsing dance-pop title track to its recent album "Elevate," busting its moves in front of a virtually hidden four-piece band, and moved on to other serviceable pop songs like "Time of Our Life," "Love Me Love Me" and "If I Ruled the World." Yes, the titles are a bit eye-rolling.

There's no straight-up leader but Kendall Schmidt and Logan Henderson seemed to draw the most freak-out moments and screams of "I love you!" They kept it lively with flash pots, confetti, streamers, glowsticks, wardrobe changes, streaming crowd video and a trampoline for that extra hop.

The biggest thrill, besides maybe the hat dance on "Boyfriend," was the BTR boys risking their lives by running up into the pavilion balcony for "Halfway There." I mean, they ARE hockey players, right?

They slowed the pace with an acoustic session on "Covergirl" and then "Worldwide," showing off their winning harmonies, with help from four rather shy Rushers.

One big-time misstep were the completely lame covers of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Help!" by The Beatles, a band we can only hope they are not trying to evoke. However, they should work on a Rush cover, just for the heck of it.

The big-time rush to climax the set with "Windows Down," which borrows the riff and "woohoos!" from Blur. Hard to go too wrong with that.

They didn't leave without doing the catchy "Til I Forget About You," one of the happier breakup songs you're likely to hear.

All in all, it may not have been grade-A boy-band stuff, but if I said it wasn't entertaining, that would be a lie.

Rachel Crow opened with a quick karaoke-style set, then 15-year-old Cody Simpson, the Australian Justin Bieber in training, wowed the girls with his own moves and sugary dance-pop songs, especially the super catchy "iYiYi," which could work as the vowel-heavy counterpart to "mmmbop."

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Credits: Carlos Pena Now 

Just Jared Jr.'s Interview with Big Time Rush

Girls get excited – we recently chatted with Big Time Rush and you’re going to love what they had to say in our exclusive JustJaredJr.com interview!

During our chat, the guys – Carlos Pena, James Maslow, Kendall Schmidt, and Logan Henderson – dished about their upcoming album, One Direction, and even serenaded us with their favorite shower songs! Check it:

JJJ: You guys have teamed up with Nintendo for your tour. Is it true that you all got to design your own video game characters for Mario Kart 7?
BTR: Yeah, they asked it if we’d be down to create our own characters and we all jumped at the opportunity to do that, and more importantly design our car. They also decided to come on tour [with us] and set up kiosks for all our fans so they could get to know the game too!

JJJ: How fun! Were you guys big gamers growing up?
KS: I used to play Mario Kart growing up and Star Fox.
JM: Yeah Star Fox is a great one. My dogs are named after that game! Although, the second one I didn’t realize until after I named him, but Falco came from that game.

JJJ: Since you’ve been driving all over the country on this tour, have you guys ever fallen out of one of your bunks while traveling on your bus?
BTR: (Laughs) That’s a good question!
JM: No, we haven’t fallen out of them just from traveling, but I know I’ve definitely fallen out of the top bunk when I was really sleepy and trying to get out really early in the morning and I missed it.

JJJ: Besides being a band, you all are also on your own self-titled Nickelodeon show. If it were to suddenly end, would you guys still make music and continue to tour?
BTR: We’re going to be a band as long as our record label allows us to. We don’t have any set dates on when we’re going to really try to work on our own stuff. We’re dedicated to BTR until the very end and we don’t even know when that is.

JJJ: That’ll make Rushers very happy! Is there anyone you’d love to have come on as a guest star?
JM: Sacha Baron Cohen would make a great character of some sort. I’m sure they could come up with something hilarious for our audience, so if you’re listening, Sasha…

JJJ: Are you guys working on any new tracks for your upcoming album?
BTR: We’re always working on new songs, and we’ve been recording on the road. We’ve been writing new songs and we have a coupe producers coming out to cut some [tracks]. We don’t have a set date on anything, but we don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

JJJ: How would you describe your music to people who may not be familiar with it?
BTR: Exciting, thoughtful, upbeat, positive, and energetic! If you haven’t seen the show, we literally don’t stop moving and mostly because we’re just dancing to our own music.

JJJ: Your fans are lovin’ your latest single, “Windows Down“! Was your music video for it fun to shoot?
BTR: Yeah! We’re very excited about “Windows Down.” When we heard the song, we just thought that it was the one to go with! It’s a great summer anthem and the concept of the video came from us having five days off and we thought it’d be great to show fans what we do when we have time off, so we went back to Maui two weeks later and pretty much re-filmed our vacation!

JJJ: Do you guys have a go-to song to sing in the shower?
BTR: Go to song in the shower? What about… (Sings) Ain’t no mountain high enough! Ain’t no valley low enough…

JJJ: If you could date any fictional character who would it be?
JM: Snow White, because she’s a lady!
KS: Peter Pan.
JM: (Laughs) You would date Peter Pan?
KS: Oh wait, you said date not be, (laughs.) Then no, not Peter Pan! I was thinking “Forever young!” I would say I would date the Wicked Witch of the West.

JJJ: During your last tour you had One Direction open for you! Did you guys get to know each other pretty well?
BTR: At the time both groups were really busy and it was actually hard to hangout with them. We made a point, I think it was in Chicago, that we basically said, “You guys are staying after the show. We’re locking ourselves in the dressing rooms and we’re going to have a great time!” We basically had a little party and had fun. They did get us all soccer jerseys as a thank you for opening for us on tour.

Source: Just Jared Jr.

Big Time Rush Is Head of the Class

We start with a riddle: four twenty-something pop singers, usually greeted by throngs of hyperventilating girls, pile out of a car and land face-to-face with a woman old enough to be their mother. How many seconds before they lose interest?

The typical young man would be scanning over my shoulder in the time it takes him to say, “Excuse me, ma’am.” These guys, however, belong to Nickelodeon’s boy band Big Time Rush, and their behavior would make any mom proud. They have no idea yet that I’ll be interviewing them, but they smile and extend hands. They politely ask if they’re in the right parking lot in Columbus, Ohio. When it’s clear we’re all in the wrong place, they chat about the two dogs that have joined them for their 60-plus-city concert tour.

James Maslow, 22, unzips a cat-size carrier to reveal Fox, a 1-year-old Alaskan Klee Kai. “I’ve always loved big dogs,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “He’s a husky I put in a dryer.”

A few steps away, Carlos Pena Jr., 22, furrows his brow as he coaxes his 2-year-old German shepherd, Sydney, out of her crate. Booties are strapped to her front feet. Carlos squats and looks into the dog’s eyes as he speaks. “She burned her paws on the tarmac,” he says. “They said she’ll be fine, but she’s hurting right now.”

Kendall Schmidt, 21, and Logan Henderson, 22, join James in consoling the pooch. “You’ll be okay, Sydney.” “Good girl, Sydney.” “Aw, poor Sydney.”

A cynic would say this is just part of Big Time Rush’s happy act. A cynic would be wrong.

Over the next four hours, these band members mix it up with dozens of strangers during a photo shoot for PARADE at Grandview Heights High School. They never complain or swear, never throw a fit. They are a frenetic bundle of inside jokes and gentle ribbing, relying on each other to get through all the leaping, dancing, and running in polyester school jackets required on this 96-degree day.

When asked if they like each other as much as it seems, they light up like fireflies. “Yeah,” says Logan. “We argue like brothers, but we love each other.”

Good thing. They’ve been virtually inseparable since 2009, after Nickelodeon cast them as a frolicking foursome that becomes a pop band and sings through life’s capers. The show’s creator, Scott Fellows, modeled the story line after the 1960s show The Monkees, though in this version, the squeaky-clean leads started as high school hockey players. But as with their TV predecessors, Big Time Rush have become an offscreen phenomenon, complete with hit records and countless girls whose knees buckle in syncopated swoons at the sight of them.

“This is not a new story. It started with Frank Sinatra and all those screaming bobby-soxers,” says pop culture critic Elayne Rapping, professor emerita of American Studies at the University at Buffalo. “You’d rather have girls attracted to the good boys like Big Time Rush.” Her laugh is full of mischief. “I was attracted to the bad boys. I loved the Rolling Stones.”

The Rolling Stones? One look at Mick Jagger and Mom banned him from our house. No matter. Being the oldest, most dutiful child, I was drawn to the good boys.

I was in first grade when the Beatles debuted on The Ed ­Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964. That night, I sat frog-legged in front of the TV, mesmerized. I’d just met my future husband. I was sure that Paul would wait for me. Of course, millions of girls just like me were planning their own nuptials to John, Paul, George, or Ringo.

But it’s the music that really weds us to our memories. I cannot hear “Penny Lane” without thinking of the barber­shop I passed on my way to West Elementary School. I listen to Paul McCartney sing “Michelle” and remember whining to Mom, “Constance? You had to name me Constance?”

When my daughter fell hard for the Backstreet Boys, I became a fan just to be in her orbit. She was a moody 12-year-old hiding behind a block of bangs and the slams of a bedroom door, but there was one way to coax her out. “Hey, honey?” I’d say innocently. “How ’bout playing ‘I Want It That Way’?” She’d slide the CD into the living room stereo, and we’d sing along softly together. “‘Yeah, you are my fire …’”

When Nickelodeon ­created a boy band for a new generation, they selected their Fab Four from among thousands of hopefuls. It was the band members themselves who came up with the name Big Time Rush, or BTR to fans. (“They had Go Big Time,” Logan says, “but we couldn’t stand it.”)

More than 6.8 million watched the official series premiere on Jan. 18, 2010, catapulting the show into Nickelodeon’s ratings stratosphere. Both of the band’s albums, BTR in 2010 and Elevate in 2011, debuted in Billboard’s Top 15. A theme in all the music: Every girl is beautiful and can break a cute guy’s heart.

Not all TV critics have been kind, but the members of BTR have a sense of humor about who and what they are: grown men ­pretending to be teenagers in a band born for TV. The show requires them to be over-the-top silly, but they’re serious about their ­music; like prefab boy bands before them, they’re learning to exercise creative control. They ­cowrote eight of the songs on Elevate.

If you want to get to know the guys of BTR, do not ask about dating; past missteps have made them fiercely protective of their girlfriends’ privacy. But ask how they’re growing as artists and you’re in for an enthusiastic tutorial.

“The second time around we were like, ‘This is our band. We should be contributing to what it is,’ ” says James.

Kendall raises a foot and wiggles it. “We also decided, ‘Hey, we’re grown men. We can pick out our own shoes for the cover.’ ”

Their concerts are ambitious and tightly choreographed. Their early days of small venues have grown into arenas packed with screaming girls, many as young as 6. An entire generation is now weaving memories with BTR. The band knows this and treads gently, each member taking turns as group ambassador.

After one photo setup with more than a dozen Grandview Heights girls, James shakes the hand of each one, asks her name, and thanks her for agreeing to be an extra. Carlos makes small talk with them during a break. After each round of racing down a hallway, they check the mood of the girls, who can’t stop giggling.

“You okay?” “Sorry it’s so hot.” “We really appreciate you being here today.”

They know what it feels like to be treated badly by someone they admire and don’t ever want to be the jerk who harpoons dreams. “How many artists have you seen just walk away and act like it’s not important?” Kendall says.

Carlos nods. “I hate meeting my favorite bands because then it just ruins it.”
“Yeah,” James adds. “They act like they’re better, and nobody’s better than somebody else. By all means, we’re not perfect, but I think the least we can do for our fans is be nice.”

Often, they hear from girls who confess to being despondent but find hope in the music and antics of BTR. “It’s a little hard sometimes,” Kendall says. “To think that you could’ve affected somebody like that is difficult. And for me it’s always a hard one when you see a girl cry.”

They focus on the upside of celebrity, Logan says. “For us to even say hi to someone, to change their day around or change something inside of them—that’s a pretty cool feeling.”

We’ve come to the end of the shoot. BTR’s publicist promises that lunch is waiting at the arena, where they’ll rehearse for hours.

This time, each young man gives middle-aged me a hug.

I leave hoping that fame never changes Kendall, Carlos, Logan, and James.

Source: Parade

Big Time Rush: 'We Argue Like Brothers, But We Love Each Other'

With more than 800,000 votes cast, Big Time Rush has been declared the winner of PARADE magazine and Wetpaint Entertainment’s first annual Boy Band smackdown, and appear on the cover of Sunday’s 8/5 issue. Runners-up were British band One Direction.

Writer Connie Schultz visited with Nickelodeon’s boy band — Kendall Schmidt, 21, Logan Henderson, 22, Carlos Pena Jr., 22 and James Maslow, 22 — and discovered that behind the throngs of hyperventilating girls is a group of twentysomething pop singers who appreciate every fan.

Read the full interview in this Sunday's issue of PARADE.

When asked if they like each other as much as it seems, they light up like fireflies. 
Logan: "Yeah We argue like brothers, but we love each other.”

It was the band members themselves who came up with the name Big Time Rush, or BTR to fans. 
Logan: “[Nickelodeon] had Go Big Time, but we couldn’t stand it.”

They’re serious about their ­music; like prefab boy bands before them, they’re learning to exercise creative control. They ­cowrote eight of the songs on Elevate.
James: “The second time around we were like, ‘This is our band. We should be contributing to what it is.'"
Kendall: “We also decided, ‘Hey, we’re grown men. We can pick out our own shoes for the cover.’”

And they take special care with their fans. They know what it feels like to be treated badly by someone they admire. 
Kendall: “How many artists have you seen just walk away and act like it’s not important?”
Carlos: “I hate meeting my favorite bands because then it just ruins it.”
James: “Yeah. They act like they’re better, and nobody’s better than somebody else. By all means, we’re not perfect, but I think the least we can do for our fans is be nice.”
Logan: “For us to even say hi to someone, to change their day around or change something inside of them—that’s a pretty cool feeling.”


Source: Parade