'Jingle Bell Bash' a marathon of the melodic and mainstream
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Now that's what I call music!
KISS-FM's "Jingle Bell Bash" is so right-on-the-money this year, so close to the station's "Adult Top 40" format, that the lineup is almost like one of those hit-compilation albums so popular these days.
The headliner is the lightweight Canadian goof band, Barenaked Ladies, whose career has been boosted lately by a car commercial on TV that uses its hit pop-rap song, "One Week," as its soundtrack. The song went to No. 1 a couple of years ago, and pushed the band's "Stunt Tour" CD past the 4 million mark in sales, but nothing much had been heard from the group since then. What a difference a ubiquitous 30-second TV spot makes!
Barenaked Ladies headlined the Gorge this summer, and last year were the subject of a movie documentary, "Barenaked In America" (directed by "Beverly Hills, 90210" veteran Jason Priestley) in which Seattle was cited as one of the band's favorite American cities. The film had one of its most successful runs in the U.S. here, at the Uptown.
Just two weeks ago, Barenaked Ladies released "Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991-2001)," so expect the show to feature many of the band's most popular songs.
The show, in the barnlike Stadium Exhibition Center, is one of those long affairs that starts at 5 p.m. and will last until about 11 p.m. There's no place to sit, except in the 21-and-over bar area, and you have to survive on concession-stand food, so the show is for experienced concert-goers who can stand on a flat concrete floor for hours on end and still enjoy themselves.
Also in the lineup:
Train — The melodic San Francisco jam-rock band has a slightly Southern, folk-influenced sound, as heard on its breakthrough "Meet Virginia" hit, with its mandolin and harmonica accents. The band has two songs on the current KISS-FM playlist, "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" and "Something More."
Jessica Simpson — One of the many blond pop tarts on the charts these days, she's barely distinguishable from Britney Spears in looks and sound. Her current heavy-breathing, heavily produced hit is "A Little Bit."
Lifehouse — The Los Angeles trio headed by brooding blond hottie Jason Wade has one of radio's most-played songs of the year, the dramatic, slow-building "Hanging By A Moment." The group has a new single out that looks like another hit, called "Breathing."
Blu Cantrell — The glamorous Miss Cantrell has a huge hit with the devilishly funny "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)," in which she gleefully sings about trashing her cheating boyfriend's crib, ride, clothes and everything else. The video made the song a hit, with its images of getting even, and of Cantrell and her girl posse riding off in triumph — or is that a Benz?
Craig David — Huge in England, handsome, sweet-voiced hip-hop singer David has made a small splash in America with the bouncy song of infidelity, "Fill Me In." His new single is "7 Days."
American Hi Fi — Apparently destined for the "one-hit wonder" category, the mainstream rock band had a smash this summer with the smart-alecky "Flavor of the Weak."
Michelle Branch — Catch her on the upswing, as her first single, the powerful "Everywhere," is rising up the charts. The 18-year-old from Arizona could be one of next year's breakouts, as the similar-sounding Nelly Furtado was this year.
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