Wild 94.9 Jingle Ball rocks SAP Center
Minus Shawn Mendes, concertgoers carry on with incredible show
It’s hard for the show to go on when the top name on the bill drops off.
Yet, the Wild 94.9 Jingle Ball still managed to deliver an enjoyable evening of music on Thursday at the SAP Center at San Jose even after the headliner, the immensely popular Shawn Mendes, canceled earlier in the day due to illness.
Fans certainly missed Mendes, who was reportedly under doctor’s orders not to perform (the nature of the illness was not disclosed). But their sadness was soothed by a steady succession of short, but (mostly) sweet performances from the likes of the Chainsmokers, Charlie Puth, Alessia Cara and Lukas Graham.
If you like to hear the hits, and pretty much nothing but the hits, then these kinds of holiday shows are definitely for you. Because that’s basically all you get.
Most of the sets at Jingle Ball ran around 15 minutes, some were even shorter. An artist would hit the stage, sing the two (maybe three) songs the crowd recognized, then say good night. Then the whole process would repeat — again and again.
The Chainsmokers, the New York City DJ duo of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, did a fine job in the headliner spot vacated by Mendes. The talented twosome had the capacity crowd rocking, with some 14,000 fans singing loudly along to the multiplatinum hits “Closer” and “Don’t Let Me Down.”
Taggart seemed nearly as enthusiastic as the fans, grooving with gusto about the stage. He’d also show a bit of self-effacing humor, needlessly apologizing for his “terrible dance moves.”
In a nice turn of events, Daya was also in the house, which meant the 18-yearold Pittsburgh-born singer could join the Chainsmokers onstage and belt out her part on “Don’t Let Me Down.”
Charlie Puth also charmed the crowd, unleashing his lovely voice on his debut single, “Marvin Gaye,” and other fan favorites. The most impressive sing-along of the night came with on “See You Again,” the tribute to the late actor Paul Walker that Puth cut with hip-hop star Wiz Khalifa for the “Furious 7” soundtrack (Wednesday was the third anniversary of Walker’s death in a car crash).
Puth noted that it was the night before his (25th) birthday and that he was pleased to be spending it in San Jose.
“This is like the best birthday present ever,” he said.
The set of the night, however, belonged to Lukas Graham. This Danish pop-soul band definitely looked like an act that could be headlining shows like this in a year’s time, as it confidently rolled through the ubiquitous “7 Years” and other pleasant offerings.
The evening’s shortest set came courtesy of Niall Horan, who came to fame as a member of the boy-band sensation One Direction. Guitar in tow, Horan showed up to play just one song, the debut single “This Town.”
“Next time I come back, I’ll have more songs for you,” he said. “See you soon.”
Hailee Steinfeld, the Oscar-nominated actress who is now a rising pop star, made a surprise appearance at the show.
“I’m actually here tonight representing my dear friend Shawn Mendes,” said Steinfield, who is also scheduled to perform at the same venue during the Triple Ho Show today.