The third-annual iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2020 radio festival took place at The Forum on Saturday night, to a sold-out and excited crowd.
Coldplay, Billie Eilish, The Black Keys, The Lumineers, blink-182, Rex Orange County, and SHAED performed inside following an outdoor free concert by Meg Myers and Neon Trees. Each band got to play about a half-dozen or so songs from their catalog, giving everyone in attendance a sweet taste of both old and new tunes.
It’s amazing to see Billie Eilish open up a show — the 18-year-old pop singer performs to tens of thousands at every festival she hits these days. But she got the ball rolling quickly, cycling through cuts from her landmark debut album from last year, as well as some of the tracks that first put her on the map like “Ocean Eyes”.
Then it was punk legends blink-182, closing their set with “Dammit” and playing a couple newer ones as well. English favorite Rex Orange County serenading the crowd, followed by an amazing set from the iconic Coldplay. They played mostly new tunes, but also fit in “Fix You” and some amazing special collaborators during the show.
After a brief set from rising indie pop act SHAED, The Lumineers followed, and then The Black Keys closed out the night. Nearly all of these acts could headline a festival on their own, so seeing them within a handful of hours was a helluva way for many to kick off their 2020.
The event was shared in a live stream provided by LivexLive, giving fans at home a chance to join in on the fun. Here’s hoping iHeartRadio keeps bringing these events to The Forum for years to come.
Check out Justin Higuchi‘s photos from the show below.