Every year on the last Saturday in January, Philadelphia’s alternative music radio station, 104.5, puts on an amazing free outdoor show called Winter Jam, and gets some of the best bands around to perform. This year was no exception, with crowd-pleasing sets from June Divided, Twenty One Pilots, Walk the Moon and Tegan and Sara, including a special appearance by Matt and Kim. This past weekend, I experienced five hours of incredible live music and the energy of a concert atmosphere only Philly can create.
Opening the show was Philly-based rock/pop band, June Divided. The band, who released their first full-length album “Backbone” in July, played a number of their hits, including “Bullet,” “Yellow House” and “The Way We Started Out.” June Divided’s sound is reminiscent of Paramore, with strong vocals by lead singer, Melissa Menago.  June Divided is a break-out band with their music career just taking off, and as recent college grads, they have plenty of road to go on their music journey.
Next up was Twenty One Pilots, whose electrifying performance amped up the crowd, and it didn’t even matter that the temperature was only in the teens. The two bandmates, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, stepped onto the stage in matching skull-printed ski masks and brought the dance beats with their electronic-synth-drenched sound. One of the band members, (it’s hard to tell with the ski masks) is known for his high-flying leaps across the stage, and he did not disappoint at Winter Jam when he stepped away from his piano and nearly took flight. Twenty One Pilot’s latest album, “Vessel” is a national chart topper, and has made it to number three on iTunes Japan’s music charts.
Third up was the always fun Walk the Moon, whose effervescent synth-pop and catchy songs have brought them to the national music scene. Walk the Moon’s self-titled LP launched last week, and their set list at Winter Jam included such hits as “Tight Rope,” “Lisa Baby,” and “Anna Sun.” The half-frozen crowd went wild for WtM, and you could tell they were the band people stood out there half the day to see. Following Walk the Moon was a DJ session by Matt and Kim. The duo couldn’t perform because Kim sprained her ankle texting and walking down the stairs. The two played popular remixes and mash-ups of their most popular songs including “Cameras” and “Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare.”
The closing band, and arguably one of the most anticipated acts of the day was Tegan and Sara. The Canadian twins have made their way into the mainstream music scene in the States, with appearances this past fall on the Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Tegan and Sara have six full-length studio albums, and released their seventh, “Heartthrob” this past Tuesday. Their radio hit, “Closer,” off their new album was a fan favorite, as well as some of their older hits, “Where Does the Good Go?” and “Walking with a Ghost.”
All told, Winter Jam is always a memorable experience. You can’t beat a free concert, and with good friends and great music, you can forget about all the school work for a little while. If you’re not into braving the cold weather, Radio 104.5 also has free block parties during the summer months featuring even more chart-topping alternative music artists. Music-loving college kids can rejoice: Radio 104.5 has your back.