(Video included) What a weekend. Three days and nights in Grant Park, a night at House of Blues and another night at Schubas. I’m beat. But it was worth it.
When the lineups were announced for Lollapalooza, people everywhere were saying that it was one of the weakest lineups in recent history. We disagreed. Then the Beastie Boys had to cancel (get well MCA) and the peanut gallery grew louder. While the headliners drew criticism, we said early on that it was the “supporting” acts who deserved the most attention. They didn’t disappoint. And, for that matter, neither did the supposed sub-par headliners.
We also made some early show-stealing picks for our Lolla tour including Band of Horses, The Decemberists and Jane’s Addiction. In the case of Band of Horses they did steal the show – quite literally – from Jane’s Addiction.
Playing right before Jane’s, BOH decided to extend their set by a good three songs, continuing to play while Jane’s started their set. “We gotta blow that shit out!” said BOH’s Ben Bridwell before launching into a rocking “Wicked Gil.” And he wasn’t done. “Should I keep going?” he asked, before playing “Ode to LRC.” Then, “Let’s do one more!” as he climbed down to the crowd and led us through “The General Specific.” Between songs, you could see the frustration building for Janes Addiciton’s Perry Farrell before he shouted, “What the fuck is this?” and then called them “crackers.” In all fairness, BOH got a late start due to Lou Reed running late. But when you butt in on the festival’s organizer … it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that 2009 could be BOH’s last Lollapalooza appearance.
It was worth it. BOH absolutely killed Lolla. The crowd was enthralled and the band appeared to be having the time of their lives. Bridwell commented several times about how amazing the crowd was and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that he meant every word. I’m a big Jane’s Addiction fan and, for me, it’s a close call. If it weren’t for Jane’s disappointing end (‘Jane Says’ is a classic but I’ve heard it enough for two lifetimes – and I know I’m not alone) they would have been my highlight performance. Farrell then ended the set with a nice proposal, then a lengthy discussion about the 2016 Olympics, kids, life, “thank you’s” to crew, organizers, and so on. The crowd waited for another song that was never played.
This year goes to Band of Horses. Unfortunately we have a missing video. But check back for the aftershow video from House of Blues.
The Decemberists were also very good, as was Snoop Dogg, Andrew Bird and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s proved to be a more-than-capable fill-in for the sorely missed Beastie Boys.
Before the video, a few Lolla highlights you won’t see:
- The Raveonettes were great and so were Silversun Pickups.
- The entire festival was well-organized.
- Not one pat-down from security for me, in all three days. Security was light, but it seems to have worked. Turns out, no matter how much pot is smoked people don’t want to fight.
Friday’s hours of rain resulted in mud wrestling. Unfortunately, it was all dudes.- Beer was plentiful, mostly cold and actually reasonably priced – $5 for a can, allowing for stockpiling. Cleanup was also outstanding, due to volunteers and a rewards program from Lolla.
- The North side of the park is better – closer proximity to just about everything and a convenient exit after the shows. You can also simply turn around to hear either North side stage. However, there was a highly advertised North side entrance gate, but that was only open for half a day.
- The porta-potty’s. That’s right. They served two non-traditional purposes.
- The set on the North side of Grant Park backed up to a fence and Columbus Drive. Waiting in line, suddenly two guys came flying from behind, landed on top of two porta’s, dismounted (one somersaulted) and dashed into the crowd amid a throng of high-fives and cheers on their way to a free day of Lolla. Well done, sirs.
- The set on the Southeast side provided an impromptu baby-making session for one couple, complete with door pounding. Yikes.
- This guy.
On to the show. The video below includes clips from 11 different artists we saw. Surely there were other great performances that we missed. There’s also one highlight of a couple who took a swim in Chicago’s iconic Buckingham Fountain. It had to be done, and I’m glad it worked out for everybody. Almost everybody.
Hope you enjoy the video. We have more from each artist we will upload later.
Have some highlights of your own? Leave a comment and share with us!
All Points West is set to begin in two days with an impressive lineup. Much like Lollapalooza this year, there is an equally — if not more impressive cast of smaller acts. When that happens it usually results in a barrage of show-stealing performances. We’ve picked out a few below with that potential so, if you’re attending, put these acts on your lineup card.
Friday, July 31, 7:30 pm
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The synthesizer hasn’t been cool since the 80′s. Until the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came along. YYY singer Karen O. is an entertainer – from the funky style to the bombastic stage presence – she’s mesmerizing. The music can be poppy one minute and hyper-aggressive the next. There’s a reason YYY were chosen to replace the massively entertaining Beastie Boys at Lollapalooza this year.
Other candidates: The National is riding a wave of good performances, and the Heartless Bastards just keep getting better – one of our picks for Friday’s Lollapalooza lineup.
Saturday, Aug.1, 1:10 pm
White Rabbits
Do a search on YouTube and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a single bad comment about this band. They’ve found a way to take pop music spanning the past three decades and weave it into something groovy without sounding cheesy. The White Rabbits are going places.
Other candidates: Another potential show thief on Saturday is St. Vincent and look out for The Cool Kids – a Chicago rap duo quickly moving up in the hip-hop world.
Sunday, Aug. 2, 8:20 pm
The Black Keys
If you’re a Sound Citizen regular, you knew this was coming. What can I say that I haven’t already said? How about I just quote a recent Rolling Stone article by J. Edwardy Keyes: “The Ohio blues duo have little use for grand gestures or big refrains: this is filthy music, chords as raw as fingernails bitten to the quick. They’ve effortlessly shaken the White Stripes comparisons that dogged them early in their career, instead crafting something darker and dingier. Call it punk-blues: primal music that howls and stomps, the perfect release after a greuling weekend outdoors.
Below is some video from a concert four Sound Citizens attended in Cleveland.
Other candidates: Watch out for Silversun Pickups, and Ghostland Observatory will not disappoint – it’s literally impossible.
Enjoy the fest, and please share your experiences with us by sending an email to info@soundcitizen.com.
