Local radio station concert showcases tons of talent

By Angelique Lee

It’s not every day you get five for the price of one.

This year’s PST Fest included five different musical acts that rocked the Sovereign Bank Arena Friday, Sept. 26.

PST Fest is an annual concert held by the radio station 94.5 PST, best known for its variety, playing music from all different decades and never playing the same song twice in one day. American Idol Season Six winner Jordin Sparks and pop sensation Jesse McCartney headlined the show while Secondhand Serenade, Varsity Fanclub and Lesley Roy opened.

The first act was little-known Irish singer Roy, whose sound is reminiscent of original Avril Lavigne. While she only sang four songs, “Here for You Now,” “Unbeautiful,” “Psycho Bitch” and “I’m Gone, I’m Going,” her laid-back style and friendly demeanor left the crowd wanting more.

Varsity Fanclub, a five-member boy band, was up next and delivered an exciting performance chock full of amazing dance moves. It seemed as though the boys were lip-synching, but due to their extensive dance routines, it was understandable. The band sang five songs, including “Lost & Found” and “Future Love,” the first single off its album due out in January.

The next performer was Secondhand Serenade, a solo artist by the name of John Vesely. He sang six songs, including “A Twist in My Story,” “Tonight, Tonight” and, of course, “Fall for You,” which had practically the whole audience singing along.

Finally, it was time for the big stars to come out. First up was Sparks who, by far, was the most personal with the fans. After singing “One Step at a Time,” Sparks took a second to greet everyone, and said that she wanted to see every single person on their feet, moving to the music. After singing the song “Just for the Record,” she announced how inspired she was by Alicia Keys, and went right into a cover of Keys’ song “Fallin’.” Sparks also covered the Stevie Wonder hit “Superstition.” During the song, the band took over and played for about 30 seconds as she danced around the stage, trying to rally the crowd.

At one point during her set, the singer gave a short speech about body image and how she sometimes feels self-conscious. She wrote a song about the feeling, called “Beautiful.”

Sparks wrapped up her performance with “No Air.” Sadly, Chris Brown could not be present to sing the duet with her. She put on a great show, sharing stories and personal experiences with her fans to inspire them to be strong individuals, just as she is.

Never before have so many females, from pre-teens to post-menopause, screamed as loudly as they did for the next performer, the former front man of Dream Street and now solo artist McCartney. Starting with the song “Freaky,” McCartney’s performance seemed like a show usually given by Justin Timberlake. Dressed in a gray suit with a white dress shirt and sneakers, the singer popped and locked to the beat of the bass. While he wasn’t as personal with his fans as Sparks was, he was definitely the cutest to stare at.

During one song, McCartney even called a girl up to the stage and sang personally to her. She got some glares from other girls in the audience; if jealousy could kill, that girl would have been gone after one second.

Singing a total of 12 songs, including “Beautiful Soul,” circa 2004, a cover of “Buy U A Drank” and “Leavin’,” McCartney said goodbye to the hysterical fans and walked off the stage as his band wrapped up. Everyone gave one last round of applause for the performers, thus bringing this year’s PST Fest to a close.