In a bad economy, are pop-radio festivals the way to go? After all, you do get to see six or seven acts in one go — and considering prices for single-act shows lately, $100 might sound like a bargain. But New York metro area top-40 station Z100 held their annual Zootopia festival at New Jersey’s Izod Center this weekend, and besides getting my ear drums blown out, I started to wonder if you really get that much bang for your Benjamins.
I’m sure much of it depends on just who’s on the bill (I’ll admit I was, uh, indifferent to Jesse McCartney), but isn’t the thrill of seeing live music the unpredictability of it all? With pop radio concert shows, everything feels dishearteningly familiar.
The squeaky-clean McCartney opened the evening and had the tween girls in hysterics with songs like "Leavin" and "Beautiful Soul." Soulja Boy followed with a rapid-fire set that included the inescapable hit "Crank That," much shirtlessness (a move Flo Rida also borrowed), and him asking the crowd to take their cell phones out, then walking off the stage without so much as a "Thank you" or a "Goodnight, New Jersey!"
The All-American Rejects stepped in to give rock fans a much-needed break from pop and hip-hop — or so I’d hoped. AAR’s live performance (including some of their best-known hits, from "Move Along" and "Dirty Little Secret" to a Shatner-esque dramatic reading of the recent "Gives You Hell") felt just as over-choreographed as any young pop starlet’s set, and it’s hard to enjoy anything that involves 25 minutes of lead singer Tyson Ritter’s best Aldous Snow imitation.
Ciara came next, and while it’s hard not to be impressed with her dance moves, the vocals are underwhelming in concert (and, let’s face it,"Love Sex Magic" feels slightly less magical and sexy without JustinTimberlake). Kelly Clarkson, on the other hand, sounds near-perfect live. Even after hearing "Since U Been Gone" 500 times, I still get chills when she hits those crazy high notes. Granted, her onstage asides (mostly generic county-fair banter) should be kept to a minimum, but the original American Idol champ was still the highlight of the night.
The Black Eyed Peas landed the coveted last spot in the three-hour show, and while the Peas are a well-oiled machine together, they were no match for Clarkson’s set. It all felt a bit outdated, especially when Fergie started throwing money around (literally) during "My Humps."
So maybe this lineup didn’t quite fit my style (the median age was around 16), and I really got sick of being asked how New Jersey was doing tonight, whether I was having fun yet, and to make some noise. But I can see how if this is your thing, you would get your money’s worth. What do you think Music Mixers? Were you at last night’s Zootopia, too? Are these radio concerts way fun or just way lame? I can’t hear you!
More from EW’s Music Mix:
Saturday video roundup: Phoenix, Modest Mouse and Marilyn Manson
New Danger Mouse album halted by label
EW Exclusive: MySpace offers free album streams of Eminem, Tori Amos, Method Man and more this weekend
Kelly Clarkson is AMAZING live. Her voice is unbelievable. And you’re right, while some songs seem to age quickly, I never get tired of hearing Since U Been Gone, Because of You, and Behind These Hazel Eyes. And her new song, I Do Not Hook Up, is awesome. I hope it becomes a huge hit.
Kelly Clarkson was amazing. Once she got on stage I never wanted her to leave. Sorry but the black eye peas were underwhelming and definietly did not deserve the last spot. I was bored with their performance and left before it was over. I had a great time at the concert even tho I was one of the oldest people there not accompanied by a parent (23 years old.)
LMAO at the fergie diss!
quit dissin jesse mccartney. I thought his performance was great, vocals, dance, everything.
I’ve seen KELLY live 4 times and she never FAILS….she is amazing live…FREAKING AMAZING. Thats a real singer!!!
You’re much better off at Bamboozle than a radio station sponsored event. You get to hear the great (Fall Out Boy, No Doubt) and the up and coming bands, plus, you get to be up close and personal
Ciara should have been saved best 4 last..she’s the ish..although she doesn’t release the right songz from her album
Go Kelly! I can see your points but really I wouldn’t want to go to a concert in which I didn’t like half the acts…
ciara was my fav n she def didnt need jt on snl and didnt need him last night to make love sex magic hot
I SAW A VIDEO ON KELLY’S PERFORMANCE ON THE SHOW AND I CAN TILL SHE’S THE BEST OF ALL, I LOVE HER ALL HER SHOW SHE ALWAYS SINGS LIVE NOT LIKE OTHERS CANT SING LIVE. BUT KELLY? OH MY SHE’S THE BEST IDOL EVER…
After Clarkson’s amazing performance, I went home. You can’t top Kelly.
PS: Am I alone here, or does Kelly actually look more beautiful these days?
I thought Kelly Clarkson defitetly stole the show. That girl can sing like no other, and she’s so great live! She is by far the most successful American Idol, and more successful than any worldwide singing competitions. She looks really hot too! She’s just a normal sized woman, and catches too much crap from the media.