Annual holiday concert attracts popular artists, teens from around the metro

While many big name artists often skip the Twin Cities when going on tour, every December there is a chance to take advantage of a concert where one can see many at the same time.
Every winter, local pop music radio station, 101.3 KDWB have put on a holiday concert show called “Jingle Ball” with various pop musicians performing a show that is designed to appeal to young people.
This year’s Jingle Ball Concert will happen on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Jingle Ball 2012 has a lineup including local pop singer Owl City, Conor Maynard, Cher Lloyd, OneRepublic, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Train and YouTube hit PSY.
While he is not attending Jingle Ball this year, junior Ethan Maisel has attended twice before and believes the experience was definitely worth his time.
“I think people enjoy it because there’s a lot of different types of artists who perform so there’s always a little something for everyone,” Maisel said.
Freshman Mara Bacig, who is attending this year’s Jingle Ball concert and has attended before, feels that KDWB provides teens with a good opportunity to attend large concerts with their friends.
“Other than the fact that you hear many acts, meaning you hear some sort of music for everyone,” Bacig said. “Also not having an age limit and being associated with Christmas and the holiday season really appeals to most kids.”
However, Maisel believes the quality of music at the concerts has been getting worse in recent years.
“It seems (KDWB) has started targeting younger ages now than they were a few years ago,” Maisel said. “The first year I went the main acts in the concert (Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, T.I. and Rihanna) were great, but the next year the lineup was only so-so, and it seems the trend has been that way since then,” Maisel said.
Bacig on the other hand, feels that the concert experience of Jingle Ball is what makes it most worth it.
“In general I love concerts and music, but there aren’t a lot of opportunities to go to concerts for kids our age. Jingle Ball is always a good time and is a fun opportunity to let loose with your friends,” Bacig said.