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After this weekend the city would be absolutely nuts to ever let Lollapalooza slip from its grasp. Before even entering the festival grounds, we witnessed throngs of attendees (marked by their omnipresent blue wristbands) eating at restaurants all throughout the Loop, buying countless trinkets and souvenirs, and really giving the city’s hospitality industry a refreshing shot in the arm. As a destination concert intent on drawing people to Chicago from all around the globe, this festival was an unreserved success.
Some folks were heard muttering backstage last night that Lollapalooza doesn’t accurately reflect Chicago’s music. However we’re not sure it’s supposed to. How does Austin City Limits or Bonnaroo or Coachella or Siren or any other number of festivals reflect the towns they are set within? Last time we checked the whole point of this festival thing was to book as wide a number of interesting bands that would appeal as broad a swathe of people as possible. Granted, there were a few booking missteps that had us shaking our head in wonder, but for the most part the bill was far more adventurous and exciting than last year’s.
The organizers also definitely deserve high marks for organization and attention to the well-being of the attendees. Water was plentiful, if a bit expensive (but then, we’ve been spoiled by Pitchfork), and there were plenty of volunteers to help out and answer questions. Quirky art installations were installed, creating pleasant and surprising encounters during those long walks between stages. And yes, there was a lot of distance to cover, but how else are you going to fit in so many bands without having their sound bleeding all over the place? Personally, we felt less guilty about missing the gym this weekend since we got a pretty darn good workout running from stage to stage.
And what about those stages? What about those bands? Instead of hitting every group’s performance point by point, allow us to share a couple of our own personal highlights (and a few lowlights) from the festival.
Musically we appreciated the moments that caught us off guard. For instance we stopped by Lady Sovereign’s set intending to snap a few photos and then run off since we’ve never been particularly impressed with her. Due to technical difficulties her start time got pushed back, and we were on the verge of leaving when her DJ finally got his turntables working. And then out came this little sneering fireball that walked the line between thug and vixen. And we finally got what she was all about and what made her music so great. And then we turned around and saw an audience of 10,000 people (about 9,000 more than were meant to be at the smaller side stage she was performing at) that were a step ahead of us and had already been clued in to the puzzle.
The Secret Machines created an inspiring and awe-inducing wall of sound that exceeded our expectations of their live performance. And speaking of exceeding expectations, can we just say that The Raconteurs’ set provided the biggest surprise for us all weekend long. We’ve enjoyed the Jack White / Brendan Benson / Greenhornes disc for a while now, but were in no way expecting the vicious stomping gutter-rock the band kicks out in a live setting.
The Frames, a band we hadn’t intended on seeing and caught just because they were on the way to the Hot Chip performance, put on a riveting show punctuated by cheering fans waving Irish flags in the audience. (Oh, and about Hot Chip, they were fun but we still don’t get what all the fuss is about.)
Next to The Raconteurs, the most surprisingly inspirational performance came courtesy of Broken Social Scene. Appearing seconds after Queens Of The Stone Age’s blistering mosh-heavy set finished a few hundred feet away, this Canadian supergroup washed the field over with a soothing horn intro before launching into a set that calmed everyone’s aggression down while amping up the heart-and-soul strings. We had seen them the year before at Pitchfork Intonation but this set was a hundred times better. Was it because they brought along the ENTIRE Broken Social Scene family, including Feist? Or was it merely the huge crowd giving the band more to draw upon? We don’t know, but we loved it.
We also loved all the kids sitting in the trees during The Shins’ set … something about that just seemed so right.
As far as lowlights go, there were a few. The double-whammy of 30 Seconds To Mars and She Wants Revenge had us shoving the paddles of the ubiquitous and complimentary Q101 fans into our eardrums. Jared Leto? You are not Eddie Vedder. Justin Warfield? You are definitely not Ian Curtis. Ick.
It pains us to say, but we found Sleater-Kinney’s performance a bit disappointing as well. Aside from Janet Weiss’ drumming, we found little of the fire that originally made the band so inspiring in the first place. Maybe some of their vim and vigor was sapped waiting for the end of My Morning Jacket’s overly long set across the field.
And finally, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We have a soft spot for them and loved ‘em when we were younger. The last time we saw them was, well, the last time they played Lollapalooza. So we were, indie-rock cred be damned, looking forward to their set. We ended up in the photo pit between the crowd and the band, and about thirty seconds in, all hell broke loose. Kids were flying over our heads and pandemonium ensued. About another song later we had to leave because things had gone so completely crazy, crowd-wise. Through it all, though, we have to give the security team props. No matter how insane it got, all they wanted to do was pull kids out of the pits and get them safely out of danger. Years ago, in that situation, things probably would have gotten ugly, but the promoters obviously knew what they were doing when they staffed this event.
Oh, and how was the Peppers’ set? Pretty meh, actually. John Frusciante’s solo rendition of “Girl” was the definite highlight. They may well be the tightest band on the planet, but lockstep cohesion can breed a certain sense of monotony after a while.
So there you have it. Gripe all you want, but at the core you have to admit that Lollapalooza succeeded in their mission to bring a weekend of memorable music, along with fistfuls of dollars, to the city of Chicago. We’re looking forward to next year’s line-up already.
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The most moving moment of the weekend, for me, was hearing Wilco strum "Via Chicago" to the skyline as tens of thousands (most of them from out of town) sang along. I wasn't quick (or monied) enough to see any of their Kicking Television concerts at the Vic, so that meant a lot. Also, all of the new songs sounded like sharp rock tunes that might fit better on Being There than any of their most recent albums. It will be interesting to hear the new album once it's done.
It would've been awesome if the Chicagoist actually went and saw/reviewed/mentioned/panned any one of the several hometown artists/bands playing Lollapalooza. Of course it isn't too surprising that they did not. So I'll go ahead and do it:
Kanye West:
The first 20 minutes of his set was plagued by sound problems which ended up defining the first half of the show. Kanye may have fired his general manager at some point during the fiasco. Kanye sounded great when sound problems were not present, but came off as a little cheesy and scripted in-between songs. The crowd a-hole factor was at it's highest during the entire festival as 2 people tried to pick a fight my brother and I. Why? Well, I'm still trying to figure that out. Most of the crowd appeared to be rich, white suburban kids who came solely for Kanye, but caved to the temptation to socialize rather than listen.
Wilco:
Jeff Tweedy and Co tucked in a handful of new tunes into the set and the crowd reacted positively to two and indifferent to others. The rest of the set was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot heavy with a couple tracks from Ghost and a track or two from Summer Teeth. The highlight for me was the Drum/Guitar freak-out during Via Chicago.
The Redwalls:
I use to like these guys a lot about a year/year-and-a-half ago, but like many bands these day, they've become disposable. At least that's what I decided after seeing them yesterday. The once foot stomping, head bobbin', Dylan-y band came off as bland and un-inspired. Maybe if it wasn't the first show I saw Sunday...Maybe if it wasn't after a grueling Saturday of walking back and forth between stages on opposite sides of Grant Park...Maybe, but I wasn't feeling it.
Maybe someone else can give there thoughts on the M's, The Smoking Popes, and Andrew Bird as I wasn't able to attend these sets.
Yes i agree Tankboy - for a mega-mainstream fest - this was approaching perfect. What i heard from the weekend comes across in your post - i saw NONE of the bands (ok save Secret Machines and of course RHCP) that you list as your highlights OR lowlights and i still thought this was a great fest. So many people felt the same way. Something for everyone. That is a success in my book!
Actually, Spence, I believe Julene is covering Wilco in her side of the Chicagoist Lolla coverage. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about those local bands though, I actually do appreciate it! The fest was so big it was impossible to cover everything.
And about the Redwalls; how many years can the Tribune run articles about them being "the next big thing?" They truly are one of the worst Chicago bands (next to, ahem, Kill Hannah) so, obviously, they seem to get the most press.
Nice post. I did hear and read some folks crying about the fest (water, sound bleed, artists). Not sure what they were crying about. There were water fountains all over the place. The sound bleed was only a slight problem for just a few acts. The group of invited artists certainly had something for everyone. You didn't go to Lolla to see all 130 acts, did you? I was busy every time slot, either seeing a favorite, or seeing someone new. My short set of favorites, Eels, Editors, Raconteurs, Wolfmother, Dresden Dolls, Flaming Lips, Broken Social Scene and Hot Chip. Glad I didn't have to fly down to Austin for ACL. And you thought it was hot in Chi-town?
They truly are one of the worst Chicago bands
Not even close
I caught the last half of BSS (it took forever to get over there after Wilco). I wasn't too worried at first because I caught them at Intonation and the Metro last year and was a little less than impressed with there live translation, but, damn, they were on fire. It's too bad they only got 45 minutes. I'm also throwing my hat in the ring for My Morning Jacket, Nickel Creek, Blackalicious, and Lyrics Born. MMJ was the highlight for me on Friday. I was in full hipster head-bob for "One Big Holiday." Something about the set seemed perfect. Nickel Creek was alot of fun on Sunday, especially the "Toxic" cover. I was shakin' my ass. I've been a big fan for a couple years and this was the first time I got to see them live. They traveled light and still sounded incredible. It was a nice break from the hum-drum indie rock. Did anyone else catch Blackalicious? He killed it. It was probably my favorite set of the weekend. Gift of Gab had the crowd in his palm when he broke into Chemical Calisthenics. Ridiculously good. Same deal with Lyrics Born. The crowd grew and grew. The man has a wicked sharp tongue. All-in-all, I had a really good time.
the shins! i just recently got turned on to this band by an ex (yeah, i know..save it), and this set was everything i wanted it to be. it was the only set i felt the need to sit and wait in the hot sun to be up front for and managed to get good pics!
in doing so, i sat through nickel creek, and was happy with that performance (if only it wasn't so freakin' hot...). there's something about a bluegrass band doing a good rendition of 'toxic' that's pretty sweet.
biggest surprise? yeah, the raconteurs. they were the only band that i had to pull myself away to make the walk to see someone else. i'd go see them again in a heartbeat.
i didn't know broken social scene from adam before this, but i was totally engaged. i've never seen the new pornographers, but it was good to finally see them!
and the flaming lips... i thought that was going to be all hype, but i think my favorite part was the fact that wayne had a HUGE grin on his face the *whole* time they played. i love a musician who loves the fact that he/she has a great job.
oh, calexico! who could forget!? there were horns! i'm such a horn whore. if you have horns in your band, i'm so there.
and weren't there so many strings this weekend? from kanye to stars, from nickel creek to the new pornographers, there were strings galore.
i'm sore and broken down, but i'd do it again in a flash.
Maybe it was where I was standing (50-60yds back stage left) but the highs were a little too high for my ears during the Shins. I had to pull out some toilet paper I brought and shove it in my ears, but that didn't even help. I think I would've enjoyed it otherwise.
//They truly are one of the worst Chicago bands
Not even close//
I should clarify...one of the worst signed Chicago bands. Sorry for the ambiguity. Of course there are lots of local acts far worse, but they're not getting any hype either.
Well, I would disagree with you there as well, Tankboy (and I'm not even a big Redwalls fan), but to each their own.
My tix were comped, and thank god.
I remember when Lolla actually had rock bands, and not alternative soft-rock mainstream crap like the past two years has had to offer. And yes, to all of you trendy dorks, what you saw was mainstream.
I understand that Ozzfest offers true underground bands that rock, but why let them be the only game in town?
Kanye was always, and remains a joke. His vocals in the live setting are awful, and if not for the idiots that think he's "cool" because every critic in the world sucks his dick, I doubt anyone would have been there. But then again, it's hard for me to get excited about a kid that claims to be "street" yet grew up quite comfortably.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers haven't been very exciting live in about a decade. And while I expected them to blow everyone else away (not a hard thing to do) they still were lackluster. Yes, the crowd was into them, but that's because they knew the hits. I had to LOL at the comments in various places about the 'CRUSH' of the crowd during their set...hahaha...that was nothing. Go to a Lamb of God show and get back to me about a crowd that actually gets into it.
Was quite disappointed with the Shins, the sound was off, they didn't do much for me this time. As far as rock bands, there were quite a few. Tony, did you ever hear of Wolfmother? Dresden Dolls, Built To Spill, Coheed and Cambria, Subways, Secret Machines, Raconteurs, Ween, Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age? I'd say rock was pretty well represented. And the fact is it's never going to be the old Lollapalooza, thank god it doesn't have to be.
nice write up, tankadoodledoo.
well it was a tough call, but I think Tony's "ozzfest" post wins for the most self-righteous music post of clusterfest. Congrats to everyone who entered, better luck next year.
I too enjoyed the "mainstream" rock of Coheed and Cambria and Be Your Own Pet along with deadboy and the Elephantmen. I think you can hear them on The Mix, right?
"attendee’s"
It should be attendees, plural, not attendee's, possessive. Apostrophes are much too plentiful at Chicagoist.
Hm, Julie, I stand corrected.
it's pretty impressive that with a festival like this nobody's mentioned the 2 bands i was most excited to see. oh no! oh my!'s set was pretty tight and fantastic, and of montreal puts on just about the best show i've ever seen this side of the flaming lips.
anyone care to comment on the crowds reaction to the end of Broken Social Scene's set? It sounded kinda like Perry was telling us to shut up, after we all chanted "We're not Leaving!!!!" fuck the chili peppers, they need some heroin or something, nothing could have topped Broken Social Scene so we left as soon as they were done,also, I had a hundred and two degree fever all weekend.........ouch
Two words: FLAMING LIPS
I was up front, and I've been to 100+concerts if not more(music business major here), and they blew me away as the best live act I've ever seen. I knew they would be good, but I had no idea just how amazing. I almost didn't go back Sunday, I knew nothing could top the Flaming Lips set, and if it wasn't for a few acts (Broken Social Scene, RHCP) I wouldn't have. They were in short top notch.
p.s. You couldn't pay me to go to a Lamb of God concert. Maybe you're in the wrong setting or group of people to discuss how Lolla wasn't rock...just saying...
p.s.s. I'm pretty sure there are also more intense crowds then Lamb of God...Ever heard of Black Flag?
On the local bands wavelength, I want to speak up and shout out to the less-sung musical heros of our fair city:
THE BON MOTS (who took on the hefty task of kicking off such a monstrous event with gracious ease)
CAMERON MCGILL (who plays here often but brought his A-game to show the outta towners what a hometown kid can do)
ANDREW BIRD (the only guy giving Tweedy a challenge as Chicago's finest songwriter)
CATFISH HAVEN (others may bring Southern rock to the figid north, but few do it with the soul and spirit of these guys)
OFFICE (talk about being thrown off the deep end - playing the Q101 stage after Boy Kill Boy cancelled - but their crafty pop songs held up in the massive outdoor venue)
I had a pretty good look at the inner workings of this Lollapalooza beast. Between shuttled golf carts, pre-set whining about costumes, and private chefs, most of the artists seemed annoyed to be dealing with a major festival experience. The afore mentioned bands and artists, however, were just the opposite: thrilled to accept the challenge of turning the spotlight on Chicago as not only a great host to an event like this, but as a breeding ground for bands that will shape the direction of credible, thought-provoking music in the years to come.
Chris, you're right. I only caught a bit of Of Montreal's set, but they were certainly not what I expected! Lots of high theatrics, buzzing energy, and quirky dancing. And the crowd -- far larger than I think was expected, was loving it. So I guess I should have filed them under an unexpected pleasure at the fest. Again, though, there was just so much to write about that some bands were going to get left out.
Lizz, I gave the Bon Mots a shout-out in my preview and they did indeed deliver an excellent set to a sizeable crowd. My faves were the three very drunk teenagers dancing by the stage (wonder if they made it past 1pm without collapsing?) and Bon Mot Mike Coy's high school chemistry students waving home-made signs of their favorite chemical equations while the band played.
The Assassins also turned in an excellent set with the surreal backdrop that is Lake Shore Drive taking the place of their usual stage show of projected imagery.
So what is the big deal about seeing local acts at these types of festivals? Sure it's nice to give them support but I'm usually trying to catch acts that are not around much, say from Europe, Australia and South America.
I had a great time during Kanye. I thought it was amazing that he got to come home to 60,000 fans. Common was fantastic too.
Raconteurs were f*ing amazing. Stars were good but Petrillo was frying people (damn blacktop).
I was not a fan of the My Morning Jacket frat boy crowd on Friday night. I might have had the most frightening experience of my life waiting in line at the port-a-potty surrounded by 7 guys who wanted me to give them a play by play of my bathroom experiences...not funny, not cool. Made me miss the Intonation/Pitchfork crowd a lot.
Bill, if you're refering to my post, then I think you've misunderstood me. I too saw acts from all over the world...actually most were from the US and Canada, but since this is the Chicagoist and the festival was in Chicago and there were plenty of local acts, it would've been nice to see some mention/acknowledgement of any one of the performances. For instance, I would've liked to see what Tank Boy/Julene thought of Kanye's set or Common's set or Wilco or the Smoking Popes or whatever. I'm over it.
Ick, julie, just ick.
Hopefully you found shelter in the well-behaved PFork-friendly Sleater-Kinney crowd right after that experience.
Speaking of which, did anyone else really run into drunken, problematic fest-goers? I saw one girl in short-SHORT shorts who seemed to be attracting the middle-aged creepy drunk dudes. However she seemed to be handling them okay. I did kind of wonder what is what like for her later on during the RHCP testosterone fueled set...
I gave up on The Assassins when they were 25 minutes into their set and hadn't even started yet. I walked to the next stage and watch The Rev. Horton Heat tear the place up.
I was very suprised at Nickel Creek. The Toxic cover was great and anyone who calls a instrumental bluegrass song Scotch and Chocolate is a winner in my book.
I get the feeling the two writers wouldn't even have time to see half of the acts (probably less). So they saw what they saw and wrote about those acts.
No Spence, I was not picking on you. Just wondering why people feel a need to see their favorite local bands at Lollapalooza and rarely make the effort to see them in the clubs that hold a couple hundred.
Say what you will about what band was good and what band wasn't - what struck me most was how much the concert-going experience was transformed into something more like a shopping mall than a concert venue. I suppose it's a signal to me that liking some of the bands doesn't necessarily make you the Lollapalooza target audience.
Tankboy - I know you previewed, just reaffirming that they did indeed deliver.
Bill V - I think the draw to see the locals (all of which I mentioned, with the exception of A. Bird, are close friends and artists that I wholeheartedly support any chance I get), is to feel a sense of pride about what we as a city have to offer music fans who don't have the opportunity to see these guys at Schuba's or the Charleston or the Bottle. We know they're good, and I'm sure there are other acts I could have checked out at those times, but to catch Cameron or Office at Lollapalooza and see out of town bloggers and fans alike giving them props is weirdly satisfying. That's all I was getting at.
Say what you will about what band was good and what band wasn't - what struck me most was how much the concert-going experience was transformed into something more like a shopping mall than a concert venue. I suppose it's a signal to me that liking some of the bands doesn't necessarily make you the Lollapalooza target audience.
Yeah really,
A friend of mine was surprised I didn't go and I had to point out I only even cared for about 10% of the bands but you'd still have deal with 100% of (see second to last pic in this post). No thanks.
To follow up on something Lizz said (and to note that Julene covered a couple of the locals who've made the big time in her post today), we usually cover locals like Office, Mucca Pazza, The M's, Andrew Bird, et al on our regular posts. Sure, there's value in seeing how they've performed at big fests like this but in some instances (Redwalls, M's) these guys have already played Lolla before. So it's a case (as Bill V said) trying to bring content to our readers about bands they haven't seen us talk about before.
Next year we're getting jetpacks so we can get to/from the various acts faster.
I don't really get where the hell all this anti-corporation bs is coming from. So the organizers sold a tiny sign above a stage for $100,000, talk about ripping off a corporation. There weren't commercials on the screens, they didn't censor or alter the content of stage, it was a tiny sign above the stage that said "bud light". If you can earn upwards of $500,000 to put towards a) getting better bands b) reducing ticket prices without marginalizing the content in anyway shape or form, go for it. That's not selling anything out, its taking advantage of stupid corporations. Lollapalooza was a huge financial failure last year, if they can get free money like that, I'm all for it, unless you really think calling stages aluminum/connector, vice/virtue really enhances your concertgoing experience.
Well said, Pat.