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Image courtesy of KeyBank Center
Image courtesy of KeyBank Center

Kickin' off Christmas with Kissmas Bash

CMS 120B capstone project

Sat, Dec 1st 2018 02:00 pm
By Nora Klinowski and Elisabeth Manente
Special to Niagara Frontier Publications
What's a better way to kick off the holiday season than by going to see your favorite musical artists in concert?
This year, the hottest DJ in the world - with the most-played song in the Top 40 on radio - is on his way to snowy Buffalo. After wrapping up his performances in Germany and Russia, Marshmello will headline WKSE 98.5-FM's winter music festival, Kissmas Bash. The concert is returning to the KeyBank Center this year at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6.
Marshmello will light up the crowd with his 45-minute performance. At Kissmas Bash, the audience will be able to get the same show that they would get in Vegas or Moscow. Marshmello's stage presence will include strobe lights, confetti and more surprises, which will amp up the crowd and get everyone on their feet.
The electronic music producer and DJ is known for wearing a custom helmet that looks like a marshmallow to conceal identity. Marshmello is extremely popular right now, with his fame growing in the last year behind his two big hits: "Friends," featuring Anne-Marie, and "Happier," featuring Bastille. In June, he released his second album, "Joytime II," which features singles "Tell Me" and "Check This Out."
The other artists scheduled to perform at Kissmas Bash are: Sabrina Carpenter, Lauv, Cheat Codes, Bryce Vine, Madison Beer and Loud Luxury.
"Kissmas Bash is a concert we do where we bring in several artists relevant to music today. We showcase them in a festival-like atmosphere," said morning personality for KISS, Nicholas Picholas.
The idea of Kissmas Bash started in the early '90s. It began in a small bar filled with locals who were eager to see their fellow small-town artists perform. After much success in this bar, the idea for a concert with multiple artists transformed into Kissmas Bash. From there, it migrated to a convention center and now to an arena, growing each year.
Past artists for the show included Shawn Mendes, Fifth Harmony, Ed Sheeran, Alessia Cara and Maroon 5. Each of these artists performed at Kissmas Bash when they were much smaller and unknown, yet they all blew up to be well-known artists. This makes Kissmas Bash even more entertaining, because it gives listeners the opportunity to see their favorite artists grow and transform into huge stars.
Kissmas Bash is an all-ages family show, so all are welcome to attend. Many locals try and return each year to the show because they enjoy it so much.
"I love concerts more than anything in the world, that's what I always save my money for," says Olivia Madore, NU student. "Kissmas Bash is one of my favorite concerts, because they always have such great artists going, like Shawn Mendes went before and so did Ed Sheeran. I also like it because they bring a lot of up-and-coming artists, which gives them a chance to get out there, and I think that's awesome that KISS 98.5 gives them the opportunity to do it."
"It targets our listeners," Picholas said. "We cater to persons aged 18-34, which is kind of our marketing target demo, and we pick up people a lot younger and older. A lot of parents and their kids come to the show. A lot of mothers and daughters, where the moms came to Kissmas Bash years ago, are now bringing their daughters to the concert. We cater to an all-ages crowd."
An all-ages crowd is perfect for the holiday season. Families and friends can get together and enjoy this show before getting ready for the hectic holidays that are ahead.
In addition to being an all-ages show, Kissmas Bash incorporates the heart of the holiday season: the spirit of giving. KISS teams up with the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center for the "Bald for Bucks" campaign, which aims to get people involved in the fight against cancer. KISS also gives souvenirs out to the audience, trying to make the show as fun and interactive as possible, bringing smiles to crowds of people.
Although there is only one headliner, there are plenty of other fan-favorite artists that will be performing as openers.
"I really love the band Cheat Codes, they are still a small band that is becoming more and more popular, and Kissmas Bash is the perfect place to see them and many other great artists," said Emma Bagnato, NU student.
All artists in the lineup this year are consistently putting out new music and becoming more popular by the day. Here is a look at the status of each artist:
•Sabrina Carpenter: Sabrina Carpenter is signed to Hollywood Records and just recently come out with her third studio album, titled, "Singular: Act 1," on Nov. 8. "Singular: Act 1" features eight songs with the lead single being released back in June. Fans can expect to get to hear songs off her new album at Kissmas Bash, plus hits including "Why" and "Eyes Wide Open."
•Lauv: Lauv is a singer, songwriter and record producer. He is most known for his hit single "I Like Me Better," which was released in May 2017. In 2018, Lauv went on his first world tour, titled "I Met You When I was 18." On Sept. 27, he released the single "There's No Way," which features the popular singer/songwriter Julia Michaels.
•Cheat Codes: Cheat Codes is a DJ trio group who signed to 300 Entertainment in 2016. They are most known for the single "No Promises," which features popular singer Demi Lovato and was released in 2017. In June, they released their first album, titled "Level 1."
•Bryce Vine: Bryce Vine is an up-and-coming rapper who released the popular hit "Drew Barrymore," which has been on the radio and in the top charts for weeks. He is currently in the process of working on his first album.
•Madison Beer: Madison Beer is a relatively new artist most known for her hit single, "Dead." On Nov. 9, Beer released "Hurts Like Hell," featuring American rapper Offset, as the lead single for her upcoming album debut. Her album is set to release in early 2019.
•Loud Luxury: Loud Luxury is Canadian production and DJ duo Andrew Fedyk and Joe Depace. The pair is most-well-known for the single, "Body," which received four records.
Those looking to get tickets for this year's show can get them at: KISS 98.5's website: https://kiss985.radio.com/events/kissmas-bash-2018.
Tickets start at $26, with three possible upgrades available for those interested in a VIP experience.
In addition to this, Niagara University is selling tickets that are $50 in value for only $20 exclusively for NU students. They can buy tickets through Campus Ministry or by emailing [email protected].
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Niagara Frontier Publications works with the Niagara University Communication Studies Department to publish the capstone work of students in CMS 120A-B.
These articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of NFP, NU or the communication studies department.
Comments can be sent to the NFP editorial department, care of the managing editor.

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