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As promised, this post will briefly explore (in first-person singular) life on the other side of the gate at Lollapalooza. Why? Because we know you're dying to read more things about that giant music festival that took place in Grant Park this past weekend.
When The Polyphonic Spree recorded part of their newest album, The Fragile Army, at Steve Albini's studio Electrical Audio, they called up local tap dancer and Chicago Tap Theatre artistic director Mark Yonally to lay down a tap track on the song "Mental Cabaret." Although they were briefly in the studio, Mark developed a quick rapport with lead singer Tim DeLaughter, who told Mark he'd like to have him perform with the band when they returned to Chicago in support of the album.
Over a year later, the album is released, and it just so happens that the Spree's first date in Chicago is at Lollapalooza. And for some reason when Mark pitched the idea of his whole company dancing with the band at the festival, they went for it. And because I'm a member of the company, on Friday I found myself tap dancing on stage in front of at least 5,000 people.
I have been performing my entire life and have never looked out into a crowd that seemed to go on forever, where I couldn't recognize a single person's face. I have never had a Jumbotron camera in my face, projecting me on a big screen five times my size. It was hard to come down from that high, and my friends are definitely tired of hearing me talk about it at this point.
That night, I Google searched high and low for coverage of the Polyphonic Spree's set. I searched every major music magazine's blog. I searched for local MSM critics' comments. As a member of the media who knows how quickly people turnover coverage during these festivals, I wanted instant gratification, and I wanted praise. It was clear from some of the coverage that some critics only witnessed the Spree's encore, which included a cover of Nirvana's "Lithium" and the entire band dressed in their signature choir robes. And not everything written was positive, but most writers were astonished that there was even room for 12 dancers on a stage already filled with a harp, horns, two drum sets and a choir.
I wanted to be more stoic about the whole thing. I really did. It's the "rock star" thing to do. But when you're used to dancing on tiny stages in front of about 50-100 people at a time, it's hard not to get excited about performing in front of such a large crowd in a show that people around the world are writing about. Now my inner rock star wants to demand to never perform for a crowd of less than 1,000, but I'm pretty sure it's back to the black box theatre circuit for me.
After the Spree's set, I was lounging in the shade when M.I.A. and her crew rolled up and were standing in front of me at the backstage bar. A drunk, shirtless, sunburned dude, who I had just heard tell someone he was in the Silversun Pickups (he wasn't), either thought I was M.I.A. or was at least with her, as he drunkenly fumbled to say something intelligent about her music and ended up just telling me he "really, really liked" my sunglasses. That's about as close to a "rock star experience" as I had, and that's like Beloit Snappers minor.
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God, how many more times do we have to say we've heard enough before you listen? It seems that instead of listening to your readers, you'd rather blather on about the same damned story fifty times while making light of the fact that most of us don't care. The damned thing's over. Get over it and find something else to talk about, for god's sake.
Given that the comments on the Lolla posts have been overwhelmingly positive guest #1, I'm not sure what you mean by "how many more times do we have to say we've heard enough before you listen?"
If you're so offended by the fact that some of us (gasp!) are interested in a recap of this weekends events, perhaps you should look into whining like a little girl in the comments section of a different blog.
"God, how many more times do we have to say we've heard enough before you listen? It seems that instead of listening to your readers, you'd rather blather on about the same damned story fifty times while making light of the fact that most of us don't care. The damned thing's over. Get over it and find something else to talk about, for god's sake."
no offense, but as a fellow reader, no one is forcing you to come to the site. there are a lot of chicago blogs out there with a number of different opinions and content. perhaps another would suit you better.
Congrats on your performance. Hope you had a lot of fun.
Guest #1: Go eat a death sandwich.
If she wants to share how cool the experience is with us, she's more than welcome to do. At least it's a first-person perspective of being on stage rather than the redundant recaps of the festival in general.
Sarah, you looked so happy up there. I'm glad you got to take part in Polyphonic Spree's performance!
Regardless of whether we are tired of hearing about Lolla or not... this article doesn't say anything substantial. It's basically, "That was awesome. I felt like a rock star." ...okay.
am i the only person who thinks the polyphonic spree are embarassing to watch? they look like they're in a cult.
Guest #1 needs to get a life. I liked the post. It was refreshing to read about someone who wasn't too cool to say how excited they were about being up on stage and part of the Lollapalooza experience.
The Polyphonic Spree are embarassing to listen to as well.
Albini's studio is named Electrical Audio - not Electric Audio.
matty, I rank a Polyphonic Spree show I saw at Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas as one of the best shows I've ever attended. TD is one energetic, effusive mofo when he's on-stage, and I found it infectious, not embarrassing. As the years passed, the shows became a bit rote, but I was always entertained. The cult line has dogged them since those early days, but I think as a criticism it misses the point entirely. It seems clear that that's the group's intent, not some weird undercurrent—I find it amusing and fun because it's so overt.
Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! You said you were posting in first-person singular, and then you followed it with a sentence beginning with "we"! Ha, ha, ha! You didn't do what you said you were going to do!
Cool about your performance, though.
Guest #13: Although I am a singular person, I am part of many groups, one of them being the Chciagoist team. When I said "we," it was because I was reflecting the opinion of more people than just myself.
Guest #11: Thanks for the catch.
Guest #5: What exactly is on a death sandwich?
Tapapalooza, Sarsie!
Congrats to PSpree for including some Chicago talent in their performance. Ditto for My Morning Jacket. Spread the love, people........
embarrassed to watch and listen to? what is wrong with you people? Are you uncomfortable with your sexuality or something? Are you not very satisfied you're making some kind of lasting imprint on this world? It really boggles my mind that your first reaction to the polyphonic spree is to immediately insult them because you can't wrap your mind around the idea of them really caring about what they're doing.
your retarded ignorance is so blatant when the only thing you can thing to say is.. whoa its a cult! you know what! you're in tons of cults! i find it weird you drive a gigantic hunk of metal to a hose in the ground and put liquid in it. how embarrassing that you would do such a thing.. what a cult you people are a part of!
Why don't you put down all those things in your life that you buy to help you feel like you're alive and just be alive! Take a moment to listen to the spree and feel it for 3 freakin seconds and maybe you'll get what the band is trying to convey. If you still think its to weird then fine spend your efforts insulting a band that actually does suck and is embarrassing to watch.. aka amy winehouse.. will anyone remember who she is an a year? i think not.
to the dude doing the blogging... Why don't you try making a few positive comments about the band that made you feel like a rockstar for 3 minutes? a little positive press about someone other than yourself can go a long way in life.....
I'd rather have Dahnke on stage where she's away from anything she can publish on. Stick with dancing Sarah- please!!