The 19th Annual X96 Toyota Big Ass Show was one for the books.
It’s no secret that every year, the Big Ass Show is the best way to end the summer. While the weather report leading up to the show may have seemed a little daunting, those who chose to brave the wet weather were rewarded with one of the most incredible lineups and performances in Big Ass Show history.
What’s so great about the Big Ass Show? One fan, Marissa Fralick, summed it up nicely by saying “there’s a lot of variety. You can see a lot of different bands and it’s cool to see some of the smaller bands have the chance to appeal to a large crowd.”
This year’s incredible crowd showed a lot of love to the smaller and larger bands alike. In addition to the great music, there was good food, great drinks (a special appreciation for hot cocoa and coffee was developed by many), and plenty of puddles to jump and dance in.
If you didn’t make it to the show, below is a recap of each performance that lets you experience a little bit of the awesome that was the 19th Annual Big Ass Show. For those of you that were there, the recap gives you a chance to relive one of the best shows you’ve ever experienced.
Ocean Commotion
It’s no wonder that Salt Lake City natives, Ocean Commotion, won the local band competition. These guys know how to jam and they started the show off right. From the moment they stepped on stage, you could feel their excitement to perform and their energy quickly spread to the crowd. Playing songs from their EP, Crosswalk, Ocean Commotion was able to pump the crowd up and set the tone for the rest of the show. Their indie rock and synth pop vibe was the perfect antidote to the dreary weather.
The Departure
@TheDepartureRok You Guys are way impressive! Love the pogo stick tune ~ Mahalo @X96 pic.twitter.com/AvCfPIWW1r
— Kamaile Harris (@Geek101InThe801) September 27, 2014
The Departure, another band comprised of Salt Lake City natives, hit the stage and turned things up a notch for the fans that were there and ready to rock. With inspirations from bands such as Silverstein and Hawthorne Heights, the boys of The Departure brought a sound that resonated with everybody in the crowd. Their commanding stage presence captivated the hearts of everybody within the crowd. One fan, Jake Nelson, spoke for a lot of people when he said “I think I have a new favorite band after that performance.”
The Eeries
“Here comes the weekend, hanging out with my best friends” is a lyric that rang true for the show this weekend. The Eeries hit the stage and the crowd fell in love with the genuine rock quartet. When asked about life as a musician, frontman Isaiah Silva stated “you really have to be passionate about it and love it.” This passion and love for music is something that was apparent from the moment they took the stage.
Broods
The electronic pop duo from New Zealand brought the mood, emotion, and chill vibes that had everybody dancing and swaying. After a few hours of rocking out, the dreamy beats that Broods brought were welcomed with open arms. This was the performance that made everybody say “to hell with it” and embrace the rain. Dancing in the puddles was seen across the entire venue during this rhythmic set. If you weren’t sure how to dance, you could easily mirror Georgia’s moves as she was killing it on stage.
Phantogram
Phantogram got the bass thumping and everybody reacted wonderfully to their compelling rhythmic music. The raw passion that Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel put into their performance brought the show to another level. A few minutes into their set, everybody in the crowd was throwing their arms up and dancing. While waiting for Phantogram to take the stage, one fan proclaimed “these guys are the reason I’m here. I’ll be happy with anything they perform, but Mouthful of Diamonds is what I’m hoping to hear.” That fan’s wish was fulfilled as Phantogram played that favorite in their set, along with many other fan favorites that left everyone on cloud nine.
Capital Cities
After killing it at last year’s BASH, many were thrilled to see that Capital Cities would be gracing the show with their presence once again. From choreographed dance moves to throwing free swag out into the crowd, Capital Cities gave an unforgettable performance. After serenading the crowd with a love song and jamming out to Safe and Sound, frontman Ryan Merchant exclaimed “we’ve had so much fun, you guys are so wet, and we’re just going to keep on going!” If that didn’t get the crowd pumped, the instrumental dance party that happened during band member introductions did. Things got a bit more wild once the band suggested that everybody take their ponchos and jackets off – to nobody’s surprise, jackets were immediately taken off and everybody had them above their heads in the air, waving them around like they just don’t care.
A Day To Remember
This was one performance that everybody had been anticipating all day. A Day To Remember took the stage and immediately began to perform “Downfall of Us All” which set the right tone for the rest of their set. In the middle of the set, frontman Jeremy McKinnon shouted “we’re going to keep the magic moving, that’s for sure,” and threw out beach balls and rolls of toilet paper to the crowd. The magic was moving throughout the entire set and when asked how many in the crowd had been to an A Day To Remember show before, nearly every single hand in the crowd was raised. After going hard for a while, the band decided to take it down a notch with an acoustic performance of If It Means A Lot To You. Fans and the band members alike can agree that this performance was something special. Immediately after their set, Jeremy declared “that’s why you play, that was one of those shows. It doesn’t happen every time, but that’s the kind of show you’re always trying to build to and you just saw one of them.” If you were in the crowd, consider yourself lucky to have witnessed it.
Neon Trees
Provo’s Neon Trees finished off the show with an incredible performance. One of their goals was to top their last BASH performance, and it’s safe to say that they did. As they sang “we danced a tango until our heads got dizzy,” it was completely true of this show. Every song had people on their feet and dancing. To add a personal touch to the performance and connect with the crowd, lead singer Tyler Glenn gave a quick message before some of the songs. Before Lessons In Love and Love In The 21st Century, Tyler spoke about things that nearly everybody in the crowd could relate to. He gave an inspiring message about being who you are and not holding anything back. He stated that he’s the happiest he’s been in a long time, and that was very clear with the way he performed. One fan summed it up simply by saying “8 hours in the rain was worth it to see these guys put on a show like this.”
Those of you that were there can all agree that each performance was one that Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember was talking about. It’s a reminder of the passion and energy behind music that show some things are worth standing out in the rain for. The rain may have made things a little more wet and cold than usual, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit – one look at the crowd during any given performance could attest to that.
All photo credits: Lucid Images
Meet And Greet Photos
Did you get to meet one of the X96 Toyota Big Ass Show artists? Then find your picture here. Thanks for coming to the show! (photos taken by Vladimir Chopine)
