Y-100’s Summer Splash washed up to a shore of South Florida fans and helped them kick off their summers in grooving style. Featuring a blend of chart toppers including Gwen Stefani, Simple Plan and the reunited Backstreet Boys, this four-hour pop-fest was an evening dedicated to making the crowd happy-- and Y-100 delivered.       The show ran surprisingly smooth for the number of acts it had. Thanks to a rotating platform that allowed for rapid set changes and two giant screen TVs, the audience always knew what to expect and sent the arena rumbling when their favorite artists hit the stage.       After the Pussycat Dolls briefly hyped up the crowd with a two-song set, we were introduced to the worst part of the show: the hosts. A timid Lindsay Lohan (who was apparently unaware of the show’s set list) looked confused and unenthusiastic, especially next to her Y-100 DJ counterparts, who at least tried to keep the audience entertained between acts by giving away a Cadillac and money to pre-selected listeners.

      Being that it was a Y-100 concert, there was a strict sing-a-along formula: play a few new songs, but start and end with the hits.

      Not that it was a problem. Sporting a cowboy hat, Gavin Degraw soared passionately through singles like "Chariot" and "I Don’t Want To Be" and it was clear that the real show had begun.

Which is why it was surprising to see the Backstreet Boys, in their first major performance in five years, taking the stage right after Degraw so early in the show. But not a shrieking girl in the arena noticed, nor did the Backstreet Boys, who delivered a stunning, albeit somewhat rusty, comeback.       Gone were the flashy suits and cheesy routines and in place were five older individuals having a hell of a time. The Boys swam in an ocean of nostalgia and crowd love as they treated their fans to a slew of new material and drove them wild with old hits like "Everybody" and "I Want It That Way."

      It was a hard act to follow-- the show’s energy faltered with Jesse McCartney, arguably the show’s weakest performance. His whiny and emotionless voice, accentuated by microphone problems and bad dance moves were unexciting in a set that was oh-so-long. Next to Backstreet Boys, he was a crybaby, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

      Thankfully, the following pop-flavored artists Simple Plan, with their raucous intensity, and Mario, with his velvet voice and hyped-up hip hop style, picked up the energy enough for Gwen Stefani to rock the Office Depot Center.

Merging her quirky charisma with beauty and elegance, Stefani’s set was hypnotizing. The Harajuku girls were on hand to deliver some fancy dance work through Stefani’s new songs and even a marching band joined the stage for a pumping rendition of "Hollaback Girl."       But the real highlight of the show was her follow-up: Ryan Cabrera. Looking more like a porcupine than usual, he ripped through his set with high-speed energy and creativity. His good spirits and fancy guitar work were impressive, but his drum skills on the final song remained the most entertaining moment of the night.       It’s a shame that he didn’t close the show. Instead, Y-100 chose to leave Ciara’s mediocre bump and grind for the end. With no live band and barely any live singing, Ciara was a poor, shallow closing to an otherwise great concert bathed in today’s top-of-the-pop talents.