By: Ally Brewster
Big Time Rush is an American boyband that got its start on Nickelodeon from 2009-2013. The band is comprised of Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos PenaVega. The Big Time Rush show followed “4 hockey players from Minnesota that get the opportunity of a lifetime.” The show was an instant hit among children, garnering a cult-like following from the young audience. The success lead to the four seasons of the show, three albums and the band going on worldwide tours, breaking out of that “Disney/Nickelodeon children’s television band” trope that many children-show artists get stuck in.
Since 2013, the band-members parted ways, each going onto their respective solo careers. Kendall has a band named Heffron Drive with bandmate Dustin Belt that he released the album Happy Mistakes with in 2014, as well as singles after that. James has been modeling and has released singes such as “Love U Sober” and “Falling.” Logan has had a solo career in music, releasing two studio album Echoes of Departure and the Endless Street of Dreams – Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, as well as a number of singles. Carlos has had a successful acting career, being a voice actor on Nickelodeon’s The Loud House and in Hallmark’s Picture Perfect Mysteries series.
As the bandmates went their separate ways into their successful careers, they still were friends; as shown by their countless Instagram posts of them hanging out and singing together over the years, warming the hearts of fans worldwide and creating a glimmer of hope that one day they could all find their way back together.
In 2021, twelve years later after their premiere, the band still has die-hard fans, now all grown up and keeping the band relevant years after their Nickelodeon departure. Their song “Big Time Rush” became a trending sound on TikTok at the beginning of 2020. Stephen Kramer Glickman, who played Gustavo Rocque their songwriter on the show, sold handwritten Big Time Rush song lyrics in June 2021, posting on his TikTok how much he loves interacting with the Big Time Rush fans. People have been asking and hoping for new music, a tour, a movie, for them to reunite one last time, and it looks like fans have had their wish come true.
At the beginning of 2020 the Big Time Rush Instagram became active for the first time in years. Fans went crazy over it. Does this mean they’re reuniting? Are they getting a reboot show like other beloved 2000s children shows such as iCarly and That’s So Raven? The question never was truly answered as the pandemic came in full force, halting any plans if there were any.
With the revival of the Instagram, the band-members reunited for a quick reunion video, to talk about what’s going on, something that many celebrities did as a way to give to the fans during the uncertain and scary times. Fans couldn’t contain their excitement as everyone thought that the video meant they were reuniting, especially once Carlos said the phrase, “and who knows, a lot to look forward to at the end of this.” Fans took this as a hint that something big was going to happen with them. Perhaps a new album or tour? The answer remained a mystery as the band posted throwbacks and shared what each member was doing throughout the pandemic, never even acknowledging the questions that filled their comment section.
Finally, in July 2021, fans got their answers. The Big Time Rush Instagram was wiped, no posts public. The profile picture was turned to red, as were the members of the band and Stephen Kramer Glickman. Fans went wild. They knew what this meant. The color profile picture and wiped social media, a classic marketing tactic of musicians in the digital age: rebrand yourself for what’s next; get people talking about what it means.
And their fan’s intuition proved correct, as on July 19, 2021, the band made a Big Time Announcement: they’re reuniting for two live performances, one in New York City, the other in Chicago. The announcement was filled with a bunch of inside jokes from the television show, from the voiceover, Kendall by his name on the tv show, to calling James “bandana man,” asking Carlos where his helmet was, referencing Logan’s PhD seeking character from the show, and declaring that they are going to once again “live it Big Time.”
Tour Dates
Dec. 15, 2021 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
Dec. 18, 2021 – New York, NY – Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom
Tickets
Sign-up for pre-sale ticket access here.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 21st at 10:00 AM local time.
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 23rd at 10:00AM local time.
The Big Time Rush tv show and the Big Time Movie can be watched on Netflix.
