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The South Bay will be more than just the center of the college football universe in early January. It will also be a live music hotspot, thanks to a three-day concert series that goes along with the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
The event – dubbed AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! – will bring tens of thousands of fans to hear topnotch artists perform Jan. 4-6 at Discovery Meadow Park in downtown San Jose.
And did we mention that admission is free?
Plus, organizers are offering up an appealingly diverse bill, drawing from mainstream pop, soul, hip-hop and rock.
“We want to make it as representative and eclectic or diverse as we possibly can, so there is a little bit of something for everyone,” said Michael Fiur of Fiur Productions, who books the concerts.
The concert series is one of the many marquee events happening in the South Bay in the days leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, which is played Jan. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Here’s our guide to the concert series.
Jan. 4 concerts
Alessia Cara (headliner), 10 p.m.
The Canadian singer-songwriter came to fame with the 2015 hit single “Here,” which hailed from the Top 10-charting debut album “Know-It-All.” She’s the most recent recipient of the Grammy for best new artist, triumphing in 2018 in an impressive field that also included Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels and SZA.
Genre: Pop
Cool fact: She sings that soaring version of “How Far I’ll Go” in the animated Disney film “Moana.”
Listen to: “Here,” “How Far I’ll Go,” “Scars to Your Beautiful”
Alex Aiono, 8:20 p.m.
The singer and musician moved with his family from his native Phoenix to L.A. to launch a music career and he hasn’t looked back, releasing three EPs and more than two dozen singles and a variety of mashups since 2013. His first full-length album is due out soon.
Genre: Pop/R&B
Cool fact: Like many musicians of his generation, Aiono has built his fan base on YouTube, where he has more than 5 million subscribers; the video for his single “Work the Middle” has more than 13 million views.
Listen: “Work the Middle,” “Does it Feel Like Falling”
Bryn Elliott, 7 p.m.
People are expecting big things from this Atlanta native, who just recently released her debut major-label EP, “Time of Our Lives.” Thus far in her career, she’s toured with the likes of Alanis Morissette, Brandi Carlile and Grace Potter as well as appeared on TV’s “Live with Kelly and Ryan.”
Genre: Pop
Cool fact: Ellott has worked with producer Nathan Chapman, known for his collaborations with Taylor Swift.
Listen to: “Might Not Like Me,” “Time of Our Lives”
Jan. 5 concerts
Logic (headliner), 10 p.m.,
The Maryland rapper has released four albums in his career – and all four have rocketed into the top 5 of the Billboard charts. He’s also released several well-received mixtapes and is an incredibly popular concert attraction, who drew a huge crowd to Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View back in July.
Genre: Hip-hop
Cool fact: His song “1-800-273-8255,” featuring Khalid and Alessia Cara, has been certified quintuple platinum.
Listen to: “1-800-273-8255,” “Sucker for Pain,” “Everyday”
Leon Bridges, 8:20 p.m.
What a voice! This Grammy-nominated crooner can sure sing, which he proved beyond a doubt on his 2015 debut album, “Coming Home,” and reconfirmed with this year’s follow-up, “Good Thing.”
Genre: Soul
Cool fact: The Obamas are fans and had Bridges perform at the White House.
Listen to: “Coming Home,” “Bad Bad News,” “Smooth Sailin'”
Jay Rock, 6:45 p.m.
The SoCal rapper has released three solo albums, the most recent being 2018’s “Redemption.” He’s also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy, which also features Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul.
Genre: Hip-hop
Cool fact: Rock is featured on the Grammy-nominated “Black Panther” soundtrack, performing “King’s Dead” with Lamar, Future and James Blake.
Listen to: “All My Life (In the Ghetto),” “King’s Dead”
Jan. 6 concerts
OneRepublic (headliner), 10 p.m.
The Colorado pop-rock act sure knows how craft a catchy tune, which it has proven repeatedly since the band made its debut with “Dreaming Out Loud” in 2007. OneRepublic now boasts four albums – the most recent being 2016’s “Oh My My” – as well as numerous hit singles. Even if you don’t recognize the name, we’re guessing you’ve probably heard the ubiquitous single “Counting Stars.”
Genre: Pop-rock
Cool fact: “Counting Stars” is the rare “diamond” certified single; it means it’s 10-times platinum.
Listen to: “All the Right Moves,” “Secrets and Good,” “Counting Stars”
Ellie Goulding, 8:20 p.m.
This electropop artist has also garnered some amazing stats over the years, reportedly including selling over 15 million albums and 100 million singles. She’s placed several songs in the top 20, including her latest single, “Close to Me,” which is a collaboration with Diplo and Swae Lee.
Genre: Electropop
Cool fact: Goulding received a Global Leadership Award in 2017 from the United Nations Foundation, recognizing her environmental and social justice activism.
Listen to: “Love Me like You Do,” “Burn,” “Lights”
The Regrettes, 7:30 p.m.
The SoCal pop-punk band is known for incorporating classic rock and garage elements, and cleverly defiant lyrics, in their sound. The band released its first full-length album, “Feel Your Feelings, Fool!” in 2017.
Genre: pop-punk
Fun fact: The band contributed a punk take on the “Hamilton” song “Helpless,” as part of the “Hamildrops” series of released covers of tunes from the groundbreaking musical.
Listen to: “Seashore,” “Helpless”
Orange Bowl Cheerleaders (6:25 p.m.) and Cotton Bowl Cheerleaders (7:08 p.m.)
We hear they do a killer doom-metal cover of “Call Me Maybe” — kidding! But the two squads will perform to kick off the Jan. 6 concert.
More details:
Basic FAQs: Admission is free. Set times are still TBA. For more information, visit bayarea2019.com/ChampCampus
Beyond the music: There will also be nightly fireworks
Food and drink: No food or drink can be brought into the venue, but music fans can buy food and drinks inside.
Watch from home: ESPN will be broadcasting portions of the concerts, and the Jan. 5-6 shows will be live streamed at www.att.net/attplayoffplaylist.
Getting there: We strongly recommend taking public transportation, with the best option being light rail to the Children’s Discovery Museum or Convention Center stops. Here’s the lowdown on San Jose street closures and VTA travel tips.
Parking: There are several parking lots in the area, including the Almaden/Woz lot at 401 Almaden Blvd, near the concerts. For parking information, visit parksj.org.
More music: The day of the football game, i.e., Jan. 7, there’s a halftime concert at Treasure Island with Imagine Dragons.
