Dec 21
Jessie J brightest of the stars at Power 96.1's Jingle Ball in Atlanta
By: Andrew Snook
Published: December 21, 2014
The Power 96.1 Jingle Ball took place on Friday night at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth. The iHeartRadio seasonal promotion has become an annual event in Atlanta and while the line-up of artists this year did not have the “star power” of previous editions it was still a great evening of live musical entertainment.
Headlined by T.I. with Calvin Harris, Fall Out Boy, Jessie J., Jeremih, and Hoodie Allen also on the schedule these events are always an entertainment “double-edged” sword. Six acts on one evening’s bill provide a great opportunity to hear a lot of different music but, at the same time, fans only get a small sample of each artist’s catalog. It also becomes a huge exercise in logistics, getting the acts on stage then clearing the stage after the shortened set in preparation for the next act leaves the crowd with a lot of “down time”.
The concert provided a lot of high points with Hoodie Allen’s hip hop starting out the evening. Fall Out Boy provided their normal high-energy performance with Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump leading the way. Calvin Harris and then T.I. provided a great finish to the evening.
The biggest and most pleasant surprise was the performance of Jessie J. She has become a household name in the U.K. but is not as well-known here in the United States. Her brand of pop music that incorporates soul, R&B and some hip hop made for a set that was all too short but expected in the sense of having other acts following her.
While the performers names and crowd was smaller at Gwinnett Arena no-one would have left the Jingle Ball disappointed on Friday night.