The fourth annual Rock the Red Kettle concert took place at Universal City Walk’s “5 Towers” venue in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, December, 7th, 2013. The free concert was streamed live for those who were unable to make it. There were performances by Bean, Coco Jones, Emblem 3, and headliner Austin Mahone. Kelly Rowland was this year’s special guest. Kelly exclusively told us that she was honored to be apart of this event since The Salvation Army hold a special place in her heart! Everyone in attendance was raising awareness for The Salvation Army’s 123rd Red Kettle Campaign.
Up-and-coming artist Bean opened the show and performed three songs including her first single, “Cops and Robbers.” Her music is very upbeat and relatable. She writes her own music and goes through real life situations such as falling in and out of love and dealing with break-ups. At the end of her set, Bean gave away “Bean Beanie” to select fans. The beanie was one of her first items in her merchandise line.
Following Bean, Disney star Coco Jones took the stage with her upbeat song “Made Of.” Full of enthusiasm, crowd participation, high energy and full choreography, Coco pumped up the crowd like no other. Since the holidays are around the corner, Coco surprised the crowd with a Christmas song. Coco closed her set with her hit single, “Holla at the DJ.” In our exclusive interview before the show, Coco shared that she is back in the studio and ready to release new music!
After Coco Jones, it was time for Emblem 3 to take the stage. The season two X Factor finalists definitely ROCKED the red kettle concert! They sang songs off their debut album, Nothing to Lose. They surprised the crowd by opening with “Spaghetti.” Just like the other performers, Emblem3 came out with high energy and interacted with the audience throughout their set. Our favorite song of the night was definitely “XO” because we just LOVE the guys’ dance moves during the chorus– especially Wesley’s body rolls! They closed their set with “Chloe.” The boys definitely know how to put on a show and please the crowd! Make sure to catch them on their first headlining tour “#BandLife” next year!
It was now time for headliner Austin Mahone to take the stage. Some of Austin‘s “Mahomies” were waiting since 8 am to get the best spot for the concert. The moment the concert started the crowd were chanting “Austin, Austin!!!” If you’ve ever seen Austin Mahone his performances always include old something special for the Mahomies who have been there since the start. Opening with “Say You’re Just A Friend,” he had his dancers with him and full on choreography. Austin and his dancers are incredible, they warmed up the crowd with their HIGH energy. Not only was he performing, but having conversations with the crowd. He sang his hit singles, “Say Something,” “Banga Banga,” and closed with “What About Love.” He had a special treat for the crowd and slowed things down by bringing out his guitar and singing two acoustic songs. The first song was completely written by him, “Heart in my Hands.” The second one was really special for those Mahomies, who discovered him on YouTube. He sang the first cover he ever put online, “Beautiful Soul,” by Jesse McCartney. The crowd went wild and were singing along the whole time. Want to see more of Austin? Catch him on the MTV: Artist to Watch tour next year!
Interviews, concert footage, and stills from the concert below…
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Emblem3 Interview – Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Kelly Rowland Interview – Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Bean Interview – Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Coco Jones Interview – Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Sweet Suspense Interview – Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Forever In Your Mind Interview- Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Josh Levi Interview – Rock The Red Kettle Concert 12/7/13
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Austin Mahone – “Banga Banga”
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Austin Mahone – “Beautiful Soul” Cover
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Emblem3 – “Just For One Day”
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Emblem3 – “Spaghetti”
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Emblem3 – “Chloe (You’re the One I Want)”
Photos: Kennia Cardenas/CelebSecrets4U