Lollapalooza 20th Anniversary (a brief review)

[Mr MidFi]

It was a truly memorable weekend that I’m having a little trouble remembering. It’s all a big blur of heat & humidity, loud noises, strange people, tall beers, cool t-shirts and aching feet. And, for me at least, it ended in a soul-cleansing deluge from the skies… God’s way of saying “wrap it up, man”.

Friday:

Wye Oak – A decent two-piece outfit with some interesting songs and plenty of atmospheric guitars… but the show was plagued by serious tech difficulties. The singer/guitarist was near tears, saying “this is, like, the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” They rallied, and brought the set to a decent close.

The Vaccines – Nice. Me likey. They’re like if Interpol was fun. Or if the Strokes were British. “Post Breakup Sex” is a great song.

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – They’re kind of a cheesy rock show-band in the Vegas style, and there’s nothing close to original in their sound. But damn… that band can play, and that gal can sing! You simply have to appreciate talent.

The Kills – Another coed two-piece band, and this one rawks. It’s not too complicated, but they work the groove hard.

Bright Eyes – I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this set. The stuff from the new album sounded good, but then so did the rest of it, too. “Landlocked Blues” was a sensitive, soul-stirring highlight.

Coldplay – These guys know how to play a festival, mixing just the right combination of new material and crowd-stirring hits. I was genuinely impressed with their performance. Here’s a crowd-pleasing number, right here: ‪Coldplay - "Yellow" (Lollapalooza 2011 Live) - OFFICIAL‬‏ - YouTube

Saturday:

I caught the early train and made it to the park early enough to be one of the first thru the gate. It’s a great feeling to have a huge festival grounds to yourself, with the Star Wars theme blaring from the PA in triumphant greeting.

J. Roddy Walston & the Business – Bar rock with a little Jerry Lee Lewis thrown in. Fun way to start the day. Pause this vid right at 1:05. I’m the blond guy on the far right of the screen in the front row.
‪lollapalooza's Channel‬‏ - YouTube

Disappears – I only caught 3 songs, and they were starting to sound the same. So my buddy and I decided to sample just a few songs per band from most of the side stages.

An Horse (4 songs) – Yet another coed duo, this one from Australia. Nice pop songcraft, very listenable.

Typhoon (2 songs) – About a 12-piece band, all jammed onto the smallest stage at the fest. Oddly, the previous band made a bigger sound.

Phantogram (1 song) – Caught them briefly as we passed them on our way to one of the main stages, and I liked what I heard. Sexy techno rock. ‪Phantogram [unreleased song] @ Lollapalooza 2011‬‏ - YouTube

Fitz & the Tantrums – Some more cheesy show-band fun! This one’s an old-fashioned soul review, with a Darryl Hall sound-alike and a young Tina Turner wannabe trading lead vocal. Dance party at the South Stage!!

Big Audio Dynamite – This was not just a perfunctory nostalgia trip, this was actually a pretty solid show. They played a full hour, including a new song from their upcoming album, and we were cheering for more.

The Deftones – We made the mile-long trek to the other side of the park, stopping here and there to grab refreshments, talk with people, relax in the shade (I was projectile sweating at this point), and finally, listen to about 3 songs from these nu-metal icons of the 90s. Three was enough, thank you.

Ween – For years now, I’ve been hearing how you’ve got the see them live to appreciate them. What little I’d heard before was less than promising, but my traveling companion insisted. And I’m glad he did. It’s impossible to describe this show, really, because every song was different. Very odd, and very interesting.

The plan at this point was to see Lykke Li at one of the side stages. But by the time we got there, we were too far back to see or appreciate anything. That was a real disappointment for both of us, but we decided to follow ‘plan B’ which was to go to the North main stage and get good position for…

My Morning Jacket – Highlight of the day, and of the entire festival. Their two-hour set was a clinic in building and releasing tension, finding the right kind of groove, and hitting that groove hard. What everyone says about Ween is doubly true for these guys… they must be experienced live to be appreciated. (And no, MTV Storytellers doesn’t count.) This clip is their show-closer…
‪My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday - live Lollapalooza, August 6, 2011‬‏ - YouTube

Sunday:

A warm, muggy day. Yet again. I didn’t take the early train to get there… but I ended up making an early exit. More on that later.

The Joy Formidable – This power-trio from Wales brought a big noise, and I loved them. They were scheduled for a 45-minute slot, but only took 35 minutes of it… and that was easily enough to leave a lasting impression. And to cap it all off, the cute & spunky little singer/guitarist smashed her guitar against a big Chinese gong. The crowd went bananas.

Rival Schools – Young hard-pop/rock outfit sounded fairly decent to me, but I felt like I had the flavor after 4 songs and decided it was time for some lunch (an excellent chicken tikka in flatbread for me, and the famous Graham Elliot lobster corndog for Larry).

little hurricane -- Believe it or not... another coed duo. This one was pretty good, delving into comfortable blues-rock riffs and catchy vocals. They're sort of like the White Stripes if Jack was more of a Mr. Nice Guy and if Meg was absolutely, stunningly, smokingly hot.

Next, we wandered over to the massive Perry’s Tent just to see what the fuss was about. It’s a non-stop electronic dance party/rave/den of iniquity that kids these days go crazy for. Not really my thing, but I can easily see the appeal. Especially if you’re high on X (which I wasn’t, but I think many there were).

The Cars – It took a significant time commitment to work our way down and find some decent space at one of the main stages for this nostalgia trip. And just a few songs in, I knew it was a mistake. They played well, but they didn’t bring the fun. So I looked at the schedule again, and talked my friend into turning around and walking over a mile to see the last half of…

Flogging Molly – These guys brought the fun. I brought a couple of Bud tall-boys. It worked out well for all concerned.

Cage The Elephant – I caught these guys two years ago, on a smaller stage, and it was easily the worst show of Lolla ’09. But something told me… give them a second chance. And thank the gods I did, because they rocked like there was no tomorrow. The energy level was extremely high, the crowd was pumped, the singer was going berserk, and then it happened. The skies ripped open and buckets of rain began to fall. And in that one moment, an epiphany gripped everyone there: this was meant to be. So we all committed, right then and there, to getting really, really wet and rocking twice as hard as before. It was wild, cathartic, puddle-splashing fun.

But it kept on raining. Hard. And I still had the Arctic Monkeys, Explosions in the Sky and Foo Fighters on my dance card. And they were all scheduled to appear on the south field of Grant Park, which was guaranteed (at this point) to be a vast tract of ankle-deep mud.

And then it rained harder.

The phrase “point of diminishing returns” entered my head and wouldn’t go away. And my watch said 6:10pm… exactly enough time to walk to the train station and catch an early one. It was time for a decision. And I made one.

If it had been 20 years earlier, it would have been a very different decision.

[Slosh]

My GF has the latest Grace Potter album and, how do I put this, it's not the worst thing I've ever heard. Too predictable and mainstreamy for my tastes but at least it doesn't drive me from the room I could see them being a fun band live, though.

[Jack in Wilmington]

We had all that at Woodstock without the heat and humidity. Where are the headliners. The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Still, and Nash. When are they going to bring back the Rock Festivals of old. Are the promoters lining their pockets with all our money. What were tickets $250. At least at Nearfest here in Pa. we got to see Porcupine Tree. Sorry to rant, but I think we're being shafted.

[Mr MidFi]

We had all that at Woodstock without the heat and humidity. Where are the headliners.

I'm not sure that the weather was really a strong point at Woodstock, Jack.

As for the headliners... Coldplay, Muse and Foo Fighters are among the biggest touring acts in the world today. And Eminem is actually bigger than they are right now. But I usually don't go to these things for the headliners anyway, so it's all good.

At any given moment throughout the day, there are 4 different acts playing. The diversity runs the gamut, and I find that appealing. Everyone who attends experiences a completely different festival.

[Jack in Wilmington]

I'm not sure that the weather was really a strong point at Woodstock, Jack.

As for the headliners... Coldplay, Muse and Foo Fighters are among the biggest touring acts in the world today. And Eminem is actually bigger than they are right now. But I usually don't go to these things for the headliners anyway, so it's all good.

At any given moment throughout the day, there are 4 different acts playing. The diversity runs the gamut, and I find that appealing. Everyone who attends experiences a completely different festival.

True, weather was not good at Woodstock. But it wasn't hot and humid. Muddy and wet was closer to it.

But c'mon headliners. You can't put Coldplay, Muse and Foo Fighters against the likes of The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane. And Eminem, that would have been like having Tiny Tim at Woodstock. For $215 I would have at least expected Rush or Porcupine Tree or Yes. And you said there were four acts playing at the same time. So you could only see 1/4 of the entertainment and you had to pay for a full priced ticket. It just doesn't sound fair. I got to see everybody that I wanted to see at Woodstock and it only cost me $21. I guess it's just different generations.

[Mr MidFi]

Jack, I'd say it's not as generational a difference as it is a contextual one. (For the record, at 48.5, I'm not quite a whippersnapper anymore myself.)

Comparing any current event to something that happened 43 years ago is an exercise in apples-to-oranges. It would never occur to me to compare Lollapalooza 2011 to Woodstock when more apt comparisons exist in the here and now (e.g. Bonnaroo, Coachella, SXSW, Outside Lands, etc.).

That's how much live music experiences cost these days. In the old days, bands and their labels took a loss on tours so they could promote the record. Today, the paradigm is exactly the opposite. Recorded music is virtually free, but the live experience is what sells.

[Mr MidFi]

My GF has the latest Grace Potter album and, how do I put this, it's not the worst thing I've ever heard. Too predictable and mainstreamy for my tastes but at least it doesn't drive me from the room I could see them being a fun band live, though.

Oh, I'd imagine it's awful in an over-produced, American Idol sort of way. But as an old-fashioned rock show band, they were very entertaining.

[ForeverAutumn]

I'm disappointed that you didn't get to see the Arctic Monkeys. I was hoping to live vicariously through you. The new CD arrived in today's mail

Jack, you go to Nearfest? I'm really hoping to make it there some day...assuming that it lives on.

[Jack in Wilmington]

I'm disappointed that you didn't get to see the Arctic Monkeys. I was hoping to live vicariously through you. The new CD arrived in today's mail

Jack, you go to Nearfest? I'm really hoping to make it there some day...assuming that it lives on.

I went a couple years back FA. Two guys I work with were going to meet a couple of members of Wishbone Ash. It seems that WA was putting together a CD of other bands doing covers of WA songs. The two guys from work have a local club band and they were submitting their WA entry. Hey FA what's the next concert that you're going to, on your busy schedule?

[Mr MidFi]

I'm disappointed that you didn't get to see the Arctic Monkeys.

I have a feeling that I might be kicking myself over that one.

But you know what? $215 for 3 days = less than $72 per day. I don't feel cheated.

[Finch Platte]

I have a feeling that I might be kicking myself over that one.

But you know what? $215 for 3 days = less than $72 per day. I don't feel cheated.

Hell, yeah. And the food was good, and you had beer!

Thanks a lot for posting all that. It was fun reading it.

[Mr MidFi]

Thanks a lot for posting all that. It was fun reading it.

I endure the steep costs, minor injuries and projectile sweating so you don't have to!

[Mr MidFi]

Side note: I looked back at my original post, and I don't know if it's immediately apparent that everywhere you see a "YouTube" reference, it's a clickable link to video of the actual event I'm referencing. Just wanted to clarify that.

[Finch Platte]

Side note: I looked back at my original post, and I don't know if it's immediately apparent that everywhere you see a "YouTube" reference, it's a clickable link to video of the actual event I'm referencing. Just wanted to clarify that.

Well, no sh!t. I read the review and thought "why didn't he provide the links?" Stupid that links are the same color as the regular text. What is this, a free site or somefin'???

[Mr MidFi]

Well, no sh!t. I read the review and thought "why didn't he provide the links?" Stupid that links are the same color as the regular text. What is this, a free site or somefin'???

Actually, I should have just included this link:
lollapalooza's Channel - YouTube

If you scroll on the right side, there's about 60 pro-quality clips there.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Actually, I should have just included this link:
lollapalooza's Channel - YouTube

If you scroll on the right side, there's about 60 pro-quality clips there.

I saw Flogging Molly last night on the Palladia channel. They did an hour long concert and you were right, they brought the fun that was for sure. Good call.

[Mr MidFi]

I saw Flogging Molly last night on the Palladia channel. They did an hour long concert and you were right, they brought the fun that was for sure. Good call.

I'm told that the second half of the Cars show was better than the first. But I'm still pretty sure I made the right call.