Live 105 Concert Visual Hit

Seniors and juniors were excited to attend Live105’s Not So Silent Night music festival, the biggest holiday concert in the station’s 21-year history. Featuring bands like Imagine Dragons, M83, The Killers, and The Shins, it was the first time the festival expanded to a two night format, according to Live 105’s website.

Stretching over two nights, thousands of people crowded into the Oracle Arena for over 5 hours of music each night. Bands flew in from all over the country to perform in San Jose for the holiday event. Tickets were on sale beginning in November, but sold out within the first weeks, according to Live 105 employee Megan Holiday.

The first night featured Jack White, as well as The Shins, Metric, Of Monsters and Men, Gaslight Anthem, and Two Door Cinema Club. Difficulty arose during the first night, as Metric’s equipment had not been shipped to the event on time.

The second night featured The Killers, M83, Imagine Dragons, Tegan and Sara, Grouplove, and Passion Pit.  The second night proved more popular than the first. Junior Stephanie Zhang said, “I thought it was crazy awesome. Everywhere there was sensory overload.”

While students enjoyed the concert, there were some flaws. Senior Justin Archangel said, “There were so many different acts, which made it really fantastic. I was a little disappointed that Imagine Dragons only had a 15 minute set.” Archangel was also perturbed by the cost of concessions. “A bottle of water cost $6.50, so you might want to bring your own,” he said.

Archangel said, “M83 put on an amazing show. The band members had so much energy. I think the goal of every performer should be to make the audience feel like they want to get on stage with them, and they definitely did that.”

“The Killers are my favorite band, and they were the headliners,” said junior William Tamura. The band received an encore after a 5 song set, playing singles such as “Mr. Brightside,” “Human,” and “Somebody Told Me.”

Students also enjoyed Grouplove’s energetic performance and M83’s set list. “I liked all the bands except Tegan and Sara,” said Tamura.

While the sets were basic, the visual effects impressed the students who attended. Archangel said, “M83 had a really cool light show with lasers. The Killers had cannons that went off whenever the band hit a good note.” The Killers performance included pyrotechnics and a confetti cannon.

Tamura said, “The lights were really cool. It took a long time to set up, but it was worth the wait.”