Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Lollapalooza

Summer vacation is no longer those 3 months out of school and a way from reality. Now, it's just a continuation of work with select days of play. Yet, while I slowly leave my years of sleeping until 1 in the afternoon and spending my parents' money on things I don't particularly leave behind -I will always have those three days of Lollapalooza. Ever since my first taste of Perry Farrell's brainchild, I waited for the first weekend in August to finally start having fun and this year was NO exception. With headliners like Coldplay and Foo Fighters, everyone in attendance was bound to have a great time, regardless of weather conditions.

My weekend started Thursday night at the NYLON + GUESS Party on Michigan Ave. It was an excuse for Faith and I to get dolled up and wander the streets of Chicago before wandering under fluorescent lighting for 2 hours. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. played an acoustic set before Freddie from The Vaccines DJ'ed. We sipped Flirtinis and Coconut/Pineapple Vodka drinks while perusing the clothes that, no offense to GUESS, are SERIOUSLY overpriced. We also met my hero/life-inspiration Sarah Lewitinn: journalist, DJ, author, culture vulture, and all-around sweet person. Meeting her, chatting, and tweeting along with snagging myself a killer swag bag were the highlights of the shindig and a fantastic kick-off to a rock & roll weekend.

Friday, we all woke up in full-out festival mode. Waterproof eyeliner and mascara went hand-in-hand with Urban Decay's "Up All Night" finishing spray and plenty of tank-tops. Finally getting to the front of Grant Park, I could hear Wye Oak playing the Sony stage. The duo was in tight form playing songs off of their debut album, Civilian. I must admit though, my full attention was on The Vaccines who played the Music Unlimited stage as soon as Wye Oak finished. I was "that girl" during The Vaccines -dancing, singing every word, snapping tons of photos and telling anyone who would listen that this band is "SO AMAZING LIVE." They played their debut, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? in its entirety. Full of energy, I hustled over to see Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.

Now, to say I was blown away by Grace Potter would be a RIDICULOUS understatement. Her voice, her style, and her energy completely blew me away. I wasn't really a fan of the band's latest release but, after a show like that, I will definitely be taking a second listen. And the chant, "Ooh lala, lalapalooza" was stuck in my head until this past Wednesday.

The Kills took the Bud Light stage after Smith Westerns absolutely killed it on the Playstation stage. If I didn't love Alison Mosshart enough already, it's now a full-blown obsession. The chemistry between her and Jamie Hince (a.k.a. Mr. Kate Moss) is fiery and raw. Their set was similar to that of Coachella's, but songs like "Future Starts Slow" "U R A Fever" and, my personal favourite, "Tape Song" had the entire crowd moving -even the couple next to me who rarely parted their lips to take in air.

Tinie Tempah rocked the Google+ stage and I was surprised at how much I actually loved his music. The crowd was wild with random dance-offs, penis balloons flying through the air, and constant, drunken rapping. I caught the end of Bright Eyes' set and watched frontman Conor Oberst jump from the stage and hug everyone he could, getting his full rockstar on. Then, it was all a waiting game for Coldplay.

I could post a novel about experiencing Coldplay for the first time, but I'll keep it to a minimum. It was beautiful -a set full of their greatest hits with frontman Chris Martin absolutely hypnotizing the crowd. "Fix You" was my favourite moment of their set, it just felt like a festival song, with the entire audience coming together. It was different, an atmosphere that was mellow but never lacking in energy. As Muse played across the field, I could only wonder what Matt Bellamy and crew were doing, but when Coldplay plugged back in I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

As Saturday rolled around, and a little rain drizzle with a breakfast rush to Corner Bakery ensued, the day started with electro-group Phantogram. I can't WAIT for their new album. Afterwards, I made the Google+ stage my home seeing The Drums, Ellie Goulding, and Lykke Li. They were ALL amazing, but Lykke Li was my favourite of the day. Her mash-up of "Youth Knows No Pain" with Kanye West's "Power" was absolutely killer and the crowd roared when she played her hit, "Get Some" off of her AMAZING new album Wounded Rhymes,. I caught a bit of Beirut before heading back to the hotel, in which 5 people had 1 bed -crazy shit.

I was a bit sad waking up Sunday morning and realizing it was the final day of Lollapalooza, and really the end of my summer. No matter how WELL you think you've planned your day, it will get fucked up. I had planned to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Lissie, Best Coast, Arctic Monkeys, and Foo Fighters. I ended up leaving Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. early for The Cars -guaranteeing myself awesome spot for Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters. I was actually surprised with how many Cars songs I knew, with the exception of "Let The Good Times Roll" (which, was their opener and it set a great vibe for the rest of the set). During The Cars, I looked over and saw actors Simon Rex and David Arquette standing no more than 5 feet away from me in the VIP section. I kind of just stared at them, not big enough of a fan of either to say "Hello" -but it was kind of cool.

Then...it started POURING. Literally, right before Arctic Monkeys -the clouds just pissed cold rain everywhere. As I stood there and watched the crew come out and cover the band's equipment, I just kept praying for the storm to blow over so I could hear some amazing, new tracks off of Suck It And See (which I still can't stop listening to). At 6:20, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds around the same time a rainbow appeared. Then, out walked the band and the fangirl inside of me erupted. Again, I could write an novel about seeing Arctic Monkeys (for the 5th time), but I won't continue to annoy anyone reading this lengthy (and not-so detailed) account of Lollapalooza 2011. Let's just say, my voice was gone and as I watched Alex Turner slide across the stage on his knees, I felt a bit like a proud parent. My favourite moment was during "Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" -that song is just perfection and the band just seemed lost in its melodies.

An hour later, with more storm could approaching, Foo Fighters took the stage. It was a whirlwind of serious rock & roll, with frontman Dave Grohl admitting that the band won't be "fucking around" and will play as many songs as possible in their allotted 2 hours. A perfect mix of new and old songs were played with original guitarist Pat Smear back on stage. Besides "Everlong", my favourite part of their set was during "My Hero." Dave introduced the track as a "real Foo Fighters'" song and as Taylor Hawkins' drums kicked in, it started raining harder than it had earlier that day. It was like a scene from a movie, a truly epic moment where everyone just reveled in the imperfections of such a perfect moment. Mud, as well as fans, were flying through the air and everyone around you was your best friend. It was the most amazing ending to a weekend of freedom and fun.

While the festival seemed be overdone with house music and dubstep, the "real" bands honored the legacy that is Lollapalooza. Now, with the summer ending and the real world rearing its ugly head, I can only wait for the end of next summer.

Welcome to Illinoise! Round-Up of Sunday's Pitchfork Festival.

Chicago was a balmy 95 degrees on the last day of Pitchfork Festival. The weekend was full of must-see acts like Animal Collective, Curren$y, Twin Shadow, and Fleet Foxes. Sunday, however, was something special.

Doors opened at noon while festival-goers were greeted with a warm welcome (both figuratively and literally) as well as free water. I had my own agenda in mind, deciding to check out UK’s Yuck!, Kurt Vile & the Violators, controversial rap collective Odd Future, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Deerhunter, and TV on the Radio. With only 3 stages taking over Chicago’s Union Park, there was plenty of time to see everyone and do a little shopping at the various tents.

At 1:45, Yuck! took the Red Stage. The quartet shined with their indie-pop at an all-time high. While technical difficulties messed with the latter end of their set, the crowd was still showing them mad love. Definitely check them out if you’re a fan of bands such as Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Matt & Kim. Across the way playing the Green stage was Kurt Vile & the Violators. As I watched, I wondered if there was some type of hair-length requirement to be in Vile’s band. They brought a certain “down home” atmosphere to the festival. Vile took up an acoustic guitar at the end of the set, almost sounding like Bob Dylan. The band is definitely worth checking out.

Back at the Red stage, chanting began: “Wolf Gang, Golf Wang!” and “Swag!” were amongst the calls from the crowd anxious for rap collective, Odd Future. Surrounded by hype as well as animosity, the group had a lot to live up to…and they did. Odd Future’s fearless leader Tyler, the Creator hobbled on stage with his broken foot and all, only to jump head-first into the crowd later in the set. Hodgy Beats, Mike G, DJ Syd the Kyd, and Domo Genesis also joined Tyler on stage, contributing their own tracks to the set as well as revving up the crowd. It was dangerous and glorious in all of the sweat and heat during the mid-afternoon. The protesters outside of the park did nothing to sway listeners and it seemed to me that the newcomers had one of the largest crowds of the day. While nothing the collective raps about should be taken seriously, these kids (all around the age of 20 or younger) have a serious talent and are oddly loveable.

After the tornado that was Odd Future, nothing else really seemed to matter. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti played only half their set, before lead singer Ariel Pink left the stage and angered crowd behind. The sound void was quickly filled by metal band Kylesa, who tore up the Blue stage. While the mostly mellow, indie rock seemed to lose its luster, there was plenty else to do. Posters created by local artists were being sold and local record store, Reckless Records was selling off some of their inventory at obscenely reasonable prices.

Veteran indie-pop rockers Superchunk played before a cool breeze fell over Deerhunter at the Green stage. The music seemed to cool everyone off as the festival was drawing near a close. Singer Bradford Cox seemed happy to back in the States, let alone the festival, saying, “Don’t let anyone tell you that this isn’t the best country in the world!” Patriotism aside, the band was a distraction from the heat and lack of standouts for the day.
Sadly, that’s where my Pitchfork experience ended. While I would have LOVED seeing TV on the Radio, but the hydration and sanity of the people I was hanging out with ultimately won out in the end. My new friend Charles, however, said that TOTR absolutely KILLED it, despite the recent death of bassist Gerard Smith.

This was my first Pitchfork, but it definitely won’t be my last. Like any festival, it’s always a good time and there’s always a chance to meet new people and discover new interests. There’s a certain community feel Pitchfork has that other larger festivals don’t. The organizers managed to make Union Park feel like its own city and that alone is a sign of major success.