This Is My Jam: Wild Jam

There’s a reason why it’s called Wild Jam: it’s wild and everyone is jamming. Hosted annually by the Bay Area’s hip-hop station, Wild 94.9, Wild Jam featured current top artists. In between the performances, the Wild 94.9 DJs kept it pumping by playing hit songs. Everyone was dancing and singing along, and the crowd consisted of people from young 20-year-olds ready to party to younger teens sitting uncomfortably with their parents. One common thing brought this motley crowd of fans together: watching their favorite artists, like surprise star E40 as well as Lil Jon, Trey Songz, Baby Bash, New Boyz, Ke$ha, Usher and more, perform live at San Jose’s HP Pavilion.

The majority of artists bonded with the crowd and acknowledged their screaming audience. Every performer had their own style and maintained the fans’ attention. One such group was New Boyz, who performed several songs, including “You’re a Jerk” and “Tie Me Down.” They frequently recognized their audience, and ,after their performance, they could be seen at times walking around to saying to their fans. Their performance was lively and welcoming for the audience.

Guys sat down while girls stood up in excitement and anticipation of rising pop star Ke$ha’s performance. But when a seemingly drunk Ke$ha came on stage, she failed to deliver and absorb the crowd in her show. She did have confidence and seemed comfortable on stage, but her not-so-graceful dancing and inability to sing well made her performance weak. Singing hit songs, like “Take it Off,” “Blah, blah, blah,” “Your Love is My Drug,” and “TikTok” saved her performance from being a complete mess and helped her somewhat please the mostly disappointed audience.

The final performer of the night was Usher, and it is clear that they saved the best for last. Fans grew tired waiting for about an hour for his performance to begin, but once he was on stage, the wait became worth it. His dancing was phenomenal and the numbers with his backup dancers were well rehearsed. Also, his voice sounded as good as on a CD, but there was no doubt that he was singing live. He engaged the audience and performed old and new songs ranging from “Confession” and “Yeah” to his surprise-ending song “Oh My Gosh.” He was by far the most talented performer and a great choice to end with.

With many different artists and many different fans, Wild Jam lived up to its name. The audience felt a connection to the performers and, when fans screamed their admiration for their favorite artists, the favor was returned. The concert ended at midnight with Usher saying “I love you San Jose!”