Bieber's 'Purpose' tour appeals to guys, too

Justin Bieber is coming to town, and hordes of young women will flock to Pinnacle Bank Arena Tuesday night to get a glimpse of the Biebs.

Somewhat suprisingly, so will many young men, and not just because their girlfriends are forcing them to go.

Ben Ramos, 22, said he didn't realize until about a week ago how badly he wanted to go. He posted a plea on Facebook and scoured the web, scoring two seats on the floor.

He couldn't stand Bieber or his music when his first few albums came out, Ramos said, but then he heard tracks off of "Purpose" in November.

"I was like, 'Dude, Bieber's got a really cool sound,'" he said. "It was all really fun, everything was super groovy. I was purposefully driving places so I could listen to Justin Bieber."

Yoni Gill, 21, also a new convert, is going to the show with Ramos.

"I definitely didn't like him when he first came out and had those really obnoxious songs, but with his most recent work, I go out of my way to listen to him," Gill said.

The two will fuel up at Hiro 88 with sushi and a couple of drinks to get ready for the the ear-piercing shrieks of the Biebs' female fans.

Chris Walsh, 22, has been a Belieber for nearly seven years, although somewhat closeted until recently.

Tuesday night's concert will be his second Bieber show, but this time, Walsh said, he won't be so ashamed.

"Last time I was with my girlfriend, so I could just say, 'Oh yeah, my girlfriend dragged me along.'"

Ramos said he can think of at least 10 guys who are late-to-the-game Beliebers.

As Bieber has matured, so has his music, Ramos said, and that makes it a little less embarrassing to be a fan.

"Before, he was strictly reaching out to his fan base, which was 13- to 17-year-old girls," Ramos said. "Now he's in the music for himself and he's trying to branch out but still keep the same kind of pop style."

Bieber, 22, released his first recording in 2007.

Gill said he's watched Bieber try to widen his audience by morphing his sound and incorporating more hip-hop and R&B.

"In my opinion, his music became not necessarily more masculine but more appealing to the male audience," Gill said. "At first when his music came out every girl was a fan of his and it was almost intimidating for males. But he's older now, he's not a kid anymore."

Walsh said he's also noticed a transition in Bieber's disposition and stage presence.

"In the beginning he was so caught up in being the ladies' boy and now I feel like Bieber just has a demeanor where he doesn't care at all," Walsh said. "His music is just more driven toward guys now."

He's also working to improve his reputation since several run-ins with the law, the leak of a video in which he is cursing Bill Clinton and being photographed leaving a Brazilian brothel, his male fans noted.

"The way he's positioned himself and made an image for himself is impressive," Ramos said. "He's cleaned up his act a lot. His music proves that."

Let's block ads! (Why?)