Radio station 102.1’s “Big Snow Show” returned for its 13th straight year and was, in short, a success on the first night of its three-day run at the Rave.
When I saw the headliners this year, I wasn’t as ecstatic as I was for last year’s headliners which included Paramore, Foster the People and Phoenix. Instead, I’d be seeing Bishop Briggs, Young the Gian and Bastille. Bastille is a good group, but not someone I’d wait in line for.
Bishop Briggs was just as great as I expected. The Brit came out strong in her short set and had fun talking to fans about how she stalks their online pages, including “Cheeseheads for Briggs.” She ended with “River,” her biggest hit so far, which the whole room seemed to know. The future seems bright for the singer fresh off her debut album.
Young the Giant, the following act, wasn’t my cup of tea. They weren’t bad, but I just didn’t feel the music as I did with Bishop. I was definitely in the minority since the crowd relished in it. The music didn’t have that factor that makes me fall in love with the artists — it just felt sort of like a bland version of Foster the People.
Bastille closed the night and I absolutely loved it. I only knew four of their songs but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the set which started off with “Blame” and “Good Grief,” two of the four songs I knew. “Happier,” their latest hit with Marshmello, was played during the middle of their set, which was unexpected for such a big song but fit well in context. As expected, they closed the night with “Pompeii” and it was great fun with the crowd chanting along.
While I was initially disappointed compared to last year, I did end up having a great night overall. Next year, I will definitely be scheduling a night out to “Big Snow Show 14” before I start studying for finals.
