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What’s the best concert you’ve ever attended? Who’s the best live performer out there? I’m sure you’ve debated these questions with your friends over dinner and drinks. While there’s no clear answer, the iheart radio fest certainly added a lot of action-packed fuel to the debate.
On September 20-21, 2013 the 3rd Annual iheart radio festival took over Vegas for one of the music industry’s hottest events. The lineup was legendary and had the audience intoxicated by the rarified air. I was there on behalf of GroundSounds to cover it all, and here’s how it went down.
First, let’s just say it would be easier to talk about who wasn’t performing at the show, than who was. Overall, the weekend showcased some of the very best in the business, and here are just some of the names that hit the stage:
The Friday September 20, 2013 lineup was headlined by Katy Perry, Chris Brown, Thicke, Elton John, Adam Lambert & Queen, Muse, J. Cole with TLC and Miguel, Fun, Tiesto, and Benny Benassi.
The Saturday September 21, 2013 main event featured Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, 30 Seconds to Mars, Ke$ha (w/ Joan Jett), Drake, Tim McGraw, Zedd, Miley Cyrus, Phoenix, and Miguel. Special guest hosts included, Britney Spears, Rebel Wilson, The Wanted, Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, and Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Here’s a quick recap of how Saturday’s epic show went down:
Paul McCartney stuck to mostly his newer music during the opening set of the concert, but brought everyone to their feet with his classic, Live and Let Die. When someone of the caliber of Sir Paul is the opening act, you know you’re in for a treat.
Zedd spun from a DJ set suspended in the middle of the MGM Grand Arena, and had everyone singing out loud to his hit Clarity. Maroon 5 was on fire having what seemed to be one of the longer sets of the evening playing their hit songs that spanned a better part of a decade. Tim McGraw was the only country act of the evening but represented the genre with class and energy. He had the entire stadium singing along to Live Like You were Dying.
Bruno Mars is so immensely talented that he was recently selected to entertain billions worldwide during the NFL’s biggest game as the half-time headliner for this year’s Super Bowl which will be held on February 2, 2014. On September 21, he brought the iheart main event to its half-time with a performance that was absolutely electric closing with a version of Gorilla that literally set the stage on fire. Not only is Bruno a pitch perfect live performer, but his James Brown moves had the crowd in a full frenzy. Bruno’s band combined great musicianship with smooth moves in a performance the reminded me of Motown acts like the temptations, but with all the energy of the late great Michael Jackson. For all the charisma Bruno brought to the stage, it was his solo ballad When I was your Man, that truly took his set to a new level. The sheer emotion and talent with which Mars belted out his heart-wrenching hit had fans singing along; many of whom were live tweeting that Bruno had just brought them to tears. Bruno even admitted prior to singing the song that it was one of the hardest most emotional songs for him to perform. All I can say about Bruno Mars’ performance is, I can’t wait to see more. He’s one of the few artists that’s worth every penny to see perform live, and I will be front and center for when he takes the stage on Super Bowl Sunday.
From Bruno Mars to 30 Seconds to Mars (with a little Miley in between), the show didn’t skip a beat. Jaret Leto surprised the audience when he began the bands’ set with a rendition of Rihanna’s hit song Stay. The rocker’s version was every bit as good as Rihanna’s and brought the audience to their feet. Leto went on to jokingly thank iheart and the crowd for allowing a Rock Band to join the show, and he did not disappoint one bit. Leto and 30 Seconds to Mars were fantastic, delivering one of the most audience-interactive performances of the evening. They certainly did the rock world proud with their performance.
Surprise guest Miley Cyrus was not on the scheduled list of performers for the Saturday Show, but after performing at the iheart village earlier that day, Miley stunned the crowd with a wonderful vocal solo of Look What They’ve Done to My Song. Yes, Miley tried to continue to push the envelope wearing pasties and a fishnet outfit, while she sang into a banana microphone and performed her songs Wrecking Ball and We Can’t Stop, but it was her solo ballad that proved that Miley is not all hype and marketing, but is also a very talented vocalist.
Phoenix and Miguel gave solid performances during their back to back sets which added to the already full flavor of the iheart radio dish, but in truth they were merely the appetizer for the main course. As Miguel completed his strong set, the arena buzzed with anticipation as the final leg of the show neared. The Saturday show closed with a trio of stars that are among the most downloaded and decorated stars in recent memory.
Ke$ha kicked of the final portion of the evening with a high octane set that featured dancers, mascots, and a special guest appearance by the one and only Joan Jett. Singing nearly all of her hits including Tik Tok, We R Who We R, Die Young, and Blow, Ke$ha’s set lit the fuse for what would be a dynamite close to a fantastic show.
Drake followed Ke$ha and he immediately built upon the already electric vibe in the arena. Telling the audience he came to party, Drake delivered hit after hit while wearing a t-shirt featuring a very large picture of Jaden Smith’s face capturing Smith’s reaction to Drake’s VMA performance. Drake did not deliver a long set, but he did not disappoint, performing The Motto, Hold On, We’re Goin’ Home and Started from the Bottom to close out his night.
Throughout Drake’s set, he asked the crowd if they were ready to party, and teased the audience by asking if them if they were ready for Justin Timberlake. These days it seems like it’s JT’s world and we’re just living in it. Timberlake evokes the same type of hysteria and respect that Michael Jackson did during his Thriller days. Introduced by Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the Heavy Weight Champion of Pop, Justin Timberlake hit the stage with his band the Tennessee Kids and put on a performance that rivaled any of his previous shows, including his Legends of Summer Tour. Timberlake did not hit the stage till well after midnight, bringing the concert past its fifth hour (yes fifth!) but he refused to let the audience down, knowing they were not going anywhere without seeing JT at his best. Timberlake teased the audience asking if they were tired and ready to go home as the concert went past 1AM PST. Justin told the standing capacity crowd that he wasn’t ready to leave yet and brought them all to their feet with a performance that combined great musicianship spot on live vocals and dance moves that would make James Brown and MJ proud.
J ustin’s set included Cry Me a River, SexyBack, My Love, Like I Love You, Mirrors, Holy Grail, Suit & Tie, Take Back the Night, mixed in with JTs riffs of Ni**as in Paris, and Bandz A Make Her Dance. JT didn’t stop there though, giving the audience a preview of his 20/20 Experience part 2 with a live debut of True Blood, TKO, and Only When I Walk Away.
The iheart radio fest was so jammed pack that I have barely scratched the surface of the weekend’s activities, which included pre and post parties all across Vegas featuring the likes of Tiesto, Calvin Harris, and Avicci. If it sounds too good to be true, check it out for yourself next fall at the MGM Grand.
For the fans: Even if you’re not a member of the music / radio industry, or a lucky contest winner who snagged one of the hundreds of free tickets that were given away across the country, you can still experience the iheart radio festival without completely breaking the bank.
With reasonably priced flights from carriers like Southwest and Spirit Airlines, as well as tickets that can be had for as low as $200 per night on stubhub (be prepared to pay upwards of $450 for lower level seats), and hotel rooms that can be had for a little over $100 per night, the iheart radio fest is an amazing experience that won’t hurt your wallet as hard as most of the table games will.
Odd Observations and Fun Notes:
- Britney Spears, who will be starting her Vegas residency this winter introduced fellow Disney starlet Miley Cyrus. (Though Britney was in the house during the show, no word on whether she was still in the arena when JT performed Cry Me a River).
- Tim McGraw not only gave a great performance, but was in fantastic physical shape too. Whatever his trainer is doing is working!
- Kevin Hart, Floyd Mayweather, and Steve Harvey were very well received by the crowd and gave great introductions for Bruno Mars, JT, and Miguel. Iheart wasn’t just about the acts, but also the stars that were doing the introductions and even in the audience as fans.
- While Ke$ha and Miley gave strong performances, the Saturday show was definitely a boys night with a predominantly male lineup. It would have been nice if artists like Alicia Keys and Rihanna (who have performed at iheart concerts in the past were able to make it out to represent the ladies of music. Katy Perry brought down the house on Friday night, however, as everyone heard her Roar.
