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  Photo by MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Ricky Martin shakes his bon bon at Wango Tango to a sold out crowd on June 16.Click here to see the Wango Tango online slideshow

By Sophia Whang Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The hottest pop groups rocked the house two days in a row, with their beats reverberating far beyond the stadium walls.

KIIS-FM (102.7), a local radio station, hosted the third annual, 16-hour mega-concert known as Wango Tango at Dodger Stadium over two days, last Saturday and Sunday.

An elaborate stage was constructed in the Dodger Stadium outfield for the event, along with two accompanying Jumbotrons for the fans, and an additional 9,600 folding chairs to accommodate the large crowd.

The audience was filled with crazed fans who came with handmade posters and celebrity paraphernalia. Some fans even came dressed as their favorite performers.

“This is my third time here,” said Margaret Perez, 14. “I came here to see the Backstreet Boys and Ricky Martin in particular.”

Along with the Backstreet Boys, Saturday’s concert also included 3LW, Nikka Costa, Krystal, Joe, Samantha Mumba, Jessica Simpson, Shaggy, Nelly Furtado and Blue Man Group. The concert ended with a dynamic performance by Ricky Martin, complete with fireworks. The king of Las Vegas, Wayne Newton, was also invited to entertain the crowd, and he brought along his wit, his banjo and his fiddle.

Britney Spears, who disappointed fans with only a brief appearance, was Saturday’s guest host. Actor Selma Blair and KIIS’s “Most Requested” host Carson Daly made surprise appearances that same day.

The performances featured surprises as well, such as Jessica Simpson breaking into Sir Mix-a-lot’s “Baby Got Back” and Blue Man Group throwing marshmallows into the crowd. The crowd was especially excited when all five members of the Backstreet Boys took off their Lakers jerseys and signed them before giving them to lucky audience members in the front.

Shaggy also knew how to work the crowd with songs from his Grammy-winning album. Attendees in the whole stadium were on their feet, waving their arms and singing along with him. He later brought a young girl from backstage up to represent all the angels in Los Angeles before performing his hit single, “Angel.”

  Photo by CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Pop sensation Britney Spears hosts Wango Tango at Dodger Stadium on the first day of the concert. Click on the Picture to See the Wango Tango Slide Show The crowd was so energized by Wango Tango’s beats that it was itching to come back for more the following day.

The second day consisted of well-known names such as Eden’s Crush, Vertical Horizon, Dream, American Hi-Fi, Tyrese, Aerosmith and the Bee Gees. The show also included a special performance of the song “Lady Marmalade” by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya and Missy Elliot. The second day also featured special appearances by Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who introduced the pop girl group Dream.

“Anytime we can get onstage to see the fans and to be singing and dancing is such a wonderful time for us,” said Ivette of Eden’s Crush. “It’s a time where we feel we’re at home.”

“We just want to have a good time on stage,” added Maile, also from Eden’s Crush.

The members of Eden’s Crush, and most of the other female performers, were clad in midriff-showing tops and hip-hugging, low-riding jeans. The male performers came dressed differently in casual attire.

Among some of the only female performers who were not in jeans were the ladies of “Lady Marmalade,” who were instead dolled up in their lingerie as they lounged on sofas and strutted down the red-carpeted stairs.

However, even without the use of lingerie, model-turned-singer-turned-actor Tyrese had no trouble getting the audience excited.

“I don’t know what to feel because I haven’t gone on stage yet, but I’m really a crowd-driven person,” Tyrese said before his set. “Whatever I end up doing will be because of what the audience calls me to be.”

The Bee Gees, the only group that has had a number one hit in each decade from the ’60s to the ’90s, had people dancing in the aisles during its performance. The band was promoting its new album, “This Is Where I Came In.”

Between each act there were entertaining commercials played on the big screens, music videos and clips of the radio station’s DJs mocking various movies, including a spoof of the “Lady Marmalade” music video.

  Photo by CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Aerosmith Frontman Steven Tyler headlines the second night of Wango Tango. Click on the Picture to See the Wango Tango Slide Show

A central theme of both concert days was extreme Lakers pride. There were clips of previous Lakers games, including those from last year’s championship game. P. Diddy appeared wearing a Lakers jersey, as did the Backstreet Boys and Krystal. The performers were also constantly stirring up the crowd with Lakers remarks and reminders of this year’s championship victory.

Along with promoting unity through Lakers’ pride, most performers were there to promote their new albums and make their fans proud.

“I’ve never been about the money or about being how huge I can be,” Tyrese said. “I’ve just always been about greatness and looking to make people proud.”

The word “greatness” just about sums up all 16 hours of Wango Tango. This concert is likely to be a tradition for many summers to come.