Thousands Show Up for 'NSync Concert

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Thousands of 'NSync fans flocked to South Beach Sunday to grab seats at the boy band's free Veterans Day concert.

The show, which was expected to draw up to 250,000 fans, will benefit families of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. Proceeds will be raised from the sale of VIP tickets and concessions. Band members said they also wanted to help people have a good time.
"If our music helps us forget about the sad times I think it makes the hard work we do worth it,'' said singer Justin Timberlake. "We're all the same, we're all humans. I think it's the bigger picture - it's not us, it's 'us.'''

Once the gates opened, "it was just a constant flow of kids running into the area,'' said Nannette Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the City of Miami Beach.

Police said fans were not allowed to camp out all night for the event, but that didn't stop six young women who traveled from Orlando and Indiana. They were rewarded with six front-row seats.
"We're freaking out,'' said Dana Ducote, an 18-year-old student at Valencia Community College in Orlando.

The group, known for tunes such as "Bye Bye Bye,'' "It's Gonna Be Me'' and "I Want You Back,'' has canceled Miami shows twice this year.

More than 200 off-duty law enforcement officers and about 150 volunteers wearing gold-colored T-shirts were posted in the area. A chain-link fence ran along the street for 10 blocks.

The show will also include performances by Tito Puente Jr., Deborah Cox, MPress, Dante Thomas and Willa Ford.

It will also benefit local workers who lost their jobs or were otherwise affected by the attacks.