Nick Carter show in Huntington upbeat

In Nick Carter's second live performance since his sister Leslie's funeral, he was mostly upbeat, dancing and even flirting with the ladies in the crowd.

Arriving on stage at the Paramount Theater in Huntington Tuesday night wearing a glass astronaut helmet and white leather jacket, he welcomed the audience of about 500 to his "Taking Off" tour.

"Tonight the mother ship has landed. We are taking over the planet, OK," he said to the crowd amid a light show. "You don't mind if I call you my aliens, right?"

Toward the end of his 1 1/2 hour set, he dedicated an acoustic rendition of the song "Falling Down" to "all the loved ones we've lost," but didn't acknowledge his sister specifically.

Leslie Carter, 25, an aspiring singer, died Jan. 31 after what police described as a prescription-drug overdose. Nick Carter missed Leslie's funeral Sunday, attributing it to a "complicated dynamic" in his family.

Many fans of the pop star -- made famous as a member of '90s boy band Backstreet Boys -- supported Carter's decision to continue his solo tour promoting new album "I'm Taking Off."

"If that's how he deals with it, then as fans we should support him," said Kim Rizzo, 29, of Ronkonkoma. "Who knows the truth anyway? It's between him and his family."

Dana Ferrara and her friend Daniella Sansotta, both 23 and of Hicksville, bought a sympathy card for Carter, which they circulated for others to sign before the concert.

Pressing on with his tour "shows his character," Ferrara said. "He perseveres . . . I think his fans are a big source of strength for him."