On the second weekend of longstanding music festival Rock In Rio’s debut USA arrival, mainstay chart toppers Jessie J, Ed Sheeran and headliner Taylor Swift brought the heat to the hot city of Las Vegas!
In the feel of a Coachella or Lollapolloza, Rock In Rio is the outdoor music fest of a pop rock fan’s dream. Around for 30 years RIR has seen the likes of Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and with last weekend (May 8th – May 9th) being dedicated to traditional rock artists, Metallica headlined.
Last night being the start of the pop star weekend, multiple stages were a blaze with action. From the EDM Stage you had Heidi Lawden spinning from the spider setup, the Mercedes-Benz Evolution Stage boasted James Bay, Tove Lo, Charlie XCX and crowd favorite Jessie J (who sang her heart out to wild applause!).
The main stage had two superstars that didn’t disappoint. Ed Sheeran is the ultimate one man band. If you’ve seen his fancy footwork of making beats with his feet on a machine placed in front of him on stage, while playing guitar and singing, then rapping…you’ve witnessed one of the emerging greats of our times. His energetic set was full of hits and interaction with the crowd who braved the night chill to sing along when he asked. His Stevie Wonder cover and speed rap skills are to be acknowledged.
Up next was Taylor Swift whose team gave out clear colored plastic wristbands that alerted you when she was about to perform. Amid people running around the campus sized lot, on Ferris Wheels and Ziplining during performances over the crowd, Taylor burst on stage with her mega hit, “Welcome To New York”. Being in Vegas and getting the awkwardness of that song out the way, Taylor proceeded to kick ass with her more universal smash “Blank Space” and selections from her record breaking album 1989. She broke her set up in between songs with video commentary from close family and celebrity friends like Selena Gomez, where they talked about Taylor and her personality. The crowd respected it, but really wanted her to come out more, which she did and even brought out Ed Sheeran for a duet.
All in all, the Rock In Rio set up is awesome and must be experienced first hand. The activation Mercedes Benz has and their presence through the MB Mountain challenge is exhilarating. You can sign up to ride in a G Wagon model, up a constructed hill which forces the truck to rely on torque and three wheels! Once you approach the top of the mountain the apex tilts you close to the 5 o’clock position to scale the monster down the metal terrain. An exercise in raising your blood pressure and showcasing MB’s unmatched vehicle excellence. Fully loaded at 115K the G Wagon wins in our book.
A photo posted by Mercedes-Benz USA (@mbusa) on
Yet the star of the night had to be the soon to market new model SUV by Benz named the GLE coupe. A startling addition to the fleet of rides, Benz is going for the rugged yet smooth group of drivers with style. Hitting showrooms in July, it’s sure to be a huge hit.
Next up tonight is the power line up of Big Sean, John Legend and Bruno Mars! Stay tuned to Vibe for more on Rock In Rio!
Photo Credit: Getty Images