Alicia Keys, Linkin Park, Sum41, Ja Rule, More Head To Holiday Radio Fests
In recent years the radio station-sponsored concert has become as much a holiday tradition as chestnuts roasting on an open fire or children lined up at the mall to sit on Santa's lap.
Whether it's the Deck the Hall Ball in Seattle, the Mistletoe Jam in Denver or the many Not So Silent Nights or Jingle Balls around the country, holiday shows are growing in quantity and quality every year.
Chart-topping acts in rock (Staind, Linkin Park), hip-hop (Ja Rule, Jay-Z) and R&B (Alicia Keys, Craig David) are taking part in this year's events, which begin next week and last until mid-December.
"We initially started doing Jingle Bashes to give our audience a chance to see the artists that we play, because in 1993, many didn't tour," explained Erik Bradley, music director at WBBN, whose show stars Keys this year. "Now, of course, that has all changed, but the audience still enjoys coming out for a big party with artists and our station jocks."
Some station's holiday concerts, like KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas in Los Angeles (which has not been announced yet) or WHTZ's Jingle Ball in New York (which features Enrique Iglesias, Alicia Keys, Pink and others) have become some of the most anticipated shows of the year.
Here is a "wrap-up" of most of this year's holiday festivals:
Blink-182 and Lit @ Orpheum; 311, Tantric and Flickerstick @ Avalon; Adema and Reveille @ Axis; Pete Yorn and Remy Zero @ Paradise Rock Club; November 27
Boston, MA
311, Lit, Tantric and Adema @ Lupo's; Coldplay, Remy Zero, and Delta Clutch @ Veterans Memorial Auditorium
November 28
Providence, RI
Sum41, Disturbed, Alien Ant Farm, Lit and Tantric @ Lee County Sports Complex
November 30
Fort Myers, FL
Melissa Etheridge, Blues Traveler, Five for Fighting and the Verve Pipe's
Brian Vander Ark @ Chicago Theater
December 1
Chicago, IL
Jay-Z, Craig David, Jessica Simpson, 112, LFO, City High, Willa Ford, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Pink, Enrique Iglesias and O-Town via satellite @ Palace of Auburn Hills
December 1
Auburn Hills, MI
Blink-182, System of a Down, Puddle of Mudd, Coldplay, Pete Yorn and the
Crystal Method @ Patriot Center
December 1
Washington, D.C.
Staind, Alien Ant Farm, Sum41, Drowning Pool, Jimmy Eat World, Disturbed,
Static-X, Adema, Tantric, Dave Navarro, Handsome Devil, Stroke 9, Sugarcult,
Reveille, Cave and New Found Glory @ Mars Music Amphitheatre
December 1
West Palm Beach, FL
Sum41, Disturbed, Alien Ant Farm, New Found Glory, Dave Navarro, Jimmy Eat
World, Adema, Flickerstick, Lucky Boys Confusion, Stroke 9, Sugarcult,
Abandoned Pools, Soulsystem and Crizzly and the Punx @ Coachman Park
December 2
Clearwater, FL
Lit and others @ State Palace Theater
December 4
New Orleans, LA
City High, Craig David, Michelle Branch, LFO and Lifehouse @ Compaq Center
December 5
Houston, TX
"Electric" with Blink-182, Linkin Park, System of a Down and Staind on
December 6; "Acoustic" with Staind, Coldplay and Travis on December 7 @ Paramount Theatre
Seattle, WA
Fuel, Sevendust, Lit and Adema @ Pepsi Coliseum
December 6
Indianapolis, IN
Linkin Park, P.O.D., Puddle of Mudd, System of a Down, Alien Ant Farm, Sum41 and AFI @ Compaq Center
December 7
San Jose, CA
Craig David, Lifehouse, Blu Cantrell, Evan and Jaron and the Calling @ Murat Theatre
December 8
Indianapolis, IN
Alicia Keys, Craig David, Christina Millian and Toya @ Quest
December 9
Minneapolis, MN
Smash Mouth, Train and Natalie Merchant @ Atlanta Civic Center
December 10
Atlanta, GA
System of a Down, Sevendust, Alien Ant Farm and Hoobastank @ The Fillmore
December 11
Denver, CO
The Crystal Method, Flickerstick, Pete Yorn, Remy Zero and Buzz Poets @ Rosebud
December 11
Pittsburgh, PA
Blink-182, Bush, Sum41, Lit and Nickelback @ First Union Center
December 12
Philadelphia, PA
Blink-182, 311, Bush, Alien Ant Farm, Sum41 and Pete Yorn @ United Center
December 13
Chicago, IL
Enrique Iglesias, Alicia Keys, Sugar Ray, O-Town, Pink, Craig David, Jewel,
Lifehouse and Five for Fighting @ Madison Square Garden
December 13
New York, NY
Enrique Iglesias, Alicia Keys, O-Town, Jay-Z, Craig David, Michelle Branch,
Lifehouse and Toya @ Tweeter Center
December 14
Camden, NJ
Bush, Alien Ant Farm, Puddle of Mudd, the Crystal Method and Boy Hits Car @ The Pageant
December 14
St. Louis, MO
Alicia Keys @ Arie Crown Theatre
December 15
Chicago, IL
Sugar Ray, Shaggy, Lifehouse, Michelle Branch, Blu Cantrell, Craig David and
American Hi-Fi @ Arco Arena
December 15
Sacramento, CA
Blink-182, 311 and the Crystal Method @ Cobo Arena
December 15
Detroit, MI
Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Faith Evans and Ginuwine @ Wiltern Theatre
December 16
Los Angeles, CA
Barenaked Ladies, Jessica Simpson, American Hi-Fi, Michelle Branch,
Lifehouse, Blu Cantrell, Train and Craig David @ Stadium Exhibition Center
December 17
Seattle, WA
Ja Rule, Alicia Keys, City High, Toya and Dante Thomas @ A.J. Palumbo Center
December 17
Pittsburgh, PA
Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sugar Ray, Lifehouse, Five for Fighting, LFO, Michelle
Branch and Craig David @ Staples Center
December 19
Los Angeles, CA
Barenaked Ladies, Jessica Simpson, Jewel and Nikka Costa @ Pepsi Center
December 20
Denver, CO
