Lollapalooza Preview: Saturday August 2
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 30, 2008 7:37PM
Lollapalooza, the biggest festival to overtake Chicago each year is about to land this weekend, and as usual we want to share some of the fest's highlights to help folks make decisions on which stage to hit when. We know most folks probably have already made their own decisions about the headliners so it seems kind of silly to say something like, "You MUST see Radiohead," doesn't it? But throughout the three days of Lollapalooza there is so much good music going on we reckon there's no way all of you are familiar with every band, so we're going to do our best to fill in the cracks.
Saturday is ... long. So much to see, so let's just get right down to it!
The Ting Tings (12:45 p.m. at the AT&T Stage)
Riding high on the bouncy dance pop of their debut, and with two songs that seem to pop up on every single dance floor we're in the middle of, The Ting Tings should be an excellent way to start off the day. We're a little concerned that they'll be on such a huge stage, but we're hoping their sound will be enough to get the early day crowd going.
- Tankboy
Dr. Dog (1:30 p.m. at the MySpace Stage)
We had our first Dr. Dog experience when the Philadelphia band opened for hometowners (and Lolla headliners) Wilco at their Pritzker Pavilion show last fall
- Marcus Gilmer
Foals (2:15 p.m. at the Citi Stage)
This British band occupies the same territory of indie-dance-punk as fellow countrymen Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs and we're okay with that. While they haven't earned quite the same amount of attention as those bands have, their frantic sound on songs like "Caustic" are just as hard to resist. If you're looking to dance up a sweat, you couldn't do much better.
- Marcus Gilmer
The Gutter Twins (2:30 at the AT&T Stage)
Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli have consumed enough chemicals, broken enough hearts, and created more chaos than any two humans should. They channel these experiences into their gothically tinged anthems and deliver them through throaty rasps and harrowing wails. How this is going to fare in the midday sun is still to be seen, but we predict the two men's charisma should be more than enough to cast the crowd under its spell.
- Tankboy
MGMT (3:30 p.m. at the MySpace Stage)
We like MGMT but feel we should offer you this warning; if you go to their show expecting to see the electro rock and dance, well, that probably ain't going to happen. Live MGMT delivers a far more prog-rock leaning set and we dig it, but when we saw them a few months ago many folks in the crowd were rather put off. However if you go into their set with the right expectations, we thin you'll find yourself duly rewarded.
- Tankboy
Explosions in the Sky (4:30 p.m. at the Bud Light Stage)
A few months ago, we had this to say about EITS: "Their epic instrumentals sweep from a quiet hush to powerful, almost bombastic peaks, at times reminiscent of Mogwai." Yep, still sounds about right. We'd also add, "Sigur Ros on steroids." The woozy, raucous beauty of their music is one of the most underrated highlights of the schedule and promises to be one of the most, well, epic.
- Marcus Gilmer
Spank Rock (5 p.m. at the Citi Stage)
If people aren't fucking halfway through this set, they ain't actually listening to the slinky, gritty, sleazy hip-hop correctly.
- Tankboy
Uffie (6 p.m. at the BMI Stage)
She ain't from Paris but you wouldn't know it since she runs with the Ed Banger crew. A blog phenom from 2006, Uffie has yet to deliver an album's worth of material, but we still find ourselves entranced by her off kilter delivery and off-key singing. What she lacks in verbal dexterity she more than makes up for in attitude. We're surprised she's playing at the relatively tiny BMI stage, so if you want to see her, stake out your spot early!
- Tankboy
Broken Social Scene (6:30 p.m. at the Bud Light Stage)
We have no idea how many of the Broken Social Scenesters will actually be in the band for this show, but their magical set stole the last Lollapalooza they were at. Miss this at your peril.
- Tankboy
Battles (6:30 p.m. at the Citi Stage)
Sometimes, we still get confused by the whole "math rock" label but if ever there was a band that embodied what we think the label means, it's Battles. The impressive pedigree of the band is hard to ignore (its members have been part of Helmet, Don Caballero, Tomahawk, and Lynx) as is the way they can bring the rock. Their complex rhythms and unique instrumentation may not make them one of the more conventional picks for the mega-fest, but that doesn't mean they don't kick ass. Worth checking out if Broken Social Scene isn't quite your, um, scene.
- Marcus Gilmer
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (7:30 p.m. at the PlayStation Stage)
Upon first listen, you'd think this band came straight from the heyday of Motown, but they are shockingly recent (the original incantation formed back in the mid-90's). Their brilliant soul sound is only enhanced by Jones' powerful, knock-out vocals and provides a welcome change from the rock-heavy lineup. You've heard members of the Dap Kings before: several played in the back-up band for train wreck Amy Winehouse. We promise: this set has so much funk, it'd knock out Amy's remaining teeth.
- Marcus Gilmer
Lollapalooza takes place in Grant Park August 1-3, and tickets are still available
AFTER-PARTIES:
CSS at House of Blues
We just reviewed CSS' latest disc and we loved it, plus the band is famous for it's super-crazy live shows, so because of that we're going to miss their outdoor set in lieu of this after-party.
- Tankboy
Okkervil River at Schuba's
The earnest indie rockers from Austin always put on a sweaty, kinetic, powerful performance and playing at seeing them at such an intimate venue has infinitely more appeal than the sprawling grounds of Grant Park. But like every other after-party, it's sold out so keep your eyes peeled on the Schuba's website or craigslist for ticket opportunities.
- Marcus Gilmer
Mark Lanegan photo by Jim Kopeny
Uffie photo by the one and only Clayton Hauck