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Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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TODAY

Thursday, March 28

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Fuel

Michael / August 4, 2008 3:58 AM

I was in it for the headliners this year. Radiohead, Rage, and NIN were all spectacular. Black Keys were great as well, and Battles came out of no where to really impress me.

madachode / August 4, 2008 8:50 AM

Did not, I don't need to pay $300 bucks to be swarmed by a bunch of thread less t-shirt wearing hipster wanna-be's.

Rudiger / August 4, 2008 9:59 AM

$300?

Elizabeth / August 4, 2008 10:01 AM

Agree with madachode. I went the first 2 years, but I lucked out and got the presale tickets for $65. That, to me, was worth it. But I swear, if I see another threadless t-shirt paired with skinny jeans, I'm going to puke.

Josh / August 4, 2008 10:59 AM

Ditto Madachode.

Irisheyes1212 / August 4, 2008 11:07 AM

No I didn't go. I'm lame. And broke. Oh and I hate crowds.

James / August 4, 2008 11:40 AM

The Raconteurs, Booka Shade and Mark Ronson were my favorite surprises.

If you're paying $300, you're getting ripped off. That's a Coachella price. Lolla's only $180ish for three days. That being said, I paid $60.

jen / August 4, 2008 12:51 PM

same as everyone else, didn't go.

lolla v. p-fork:
$205 vs. $65
75,000 ppl vs. 20,000 ppl
downtown vs. neighborhood

is it really a question?


that being said, had i found tix for $60-ish i would've gone, though not for the whole day. but with the bands lined up as they are, you're constantly missing something. there are, what, 6 stages??!

James / August 4, 2008 1:51 PM

8, actually. And that was one less than last year.

Caitlin / August 4, 2008 2:25 PM

Yes, and Gogol Bordello, because when isn't gypsy-dancing with your sunburnt friend not the best thing in the world?

EEOC / August 4, 2008 2:37 PM

The term "band" is both incredibly out of date and improperly skewed to the expectations of fans of rock'n'roll.

Are The Cool Kids a "band"? Is Kid Sister? What about DJ AM, or that other guy, DJ I-was-on-That-Seventies-Show-a-Decade-Ago?

For the love of Buddy Holly, is SAUL WILLIAMS a band?

Sorry about the rant, but I really hate the term "band."

kvg / August 4, 2008 4:22 PM

Wow. Could we complain more? I paid $175, which is how much tickets cost if you buy em on time. Totally worth it for the artists (to appease EEOC).

Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Gogol Bordello all were amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by Booka Shade and wish to hell I'd seen the Raconteurs.

Allan / August 4, 2008 4:39 PM

The $175.00 dollars was totally worth. If for no other reason that all the feels I illicitly copped in the crowd. There were some grade "A" chicks prancing around and with some especially sloppy dancing by me during Gogol Bordello's set I had my hands (albeit briefly) on some fine ass. Almost getting punched out by some jock for accidentally slapping his girls bosom was not too cool but hey it's all part of the ride. Even got to see Perry on a golf cart. And Radiohead would of been worth it but there were too many dudes around me during there set. Can't wait till next year.

jennifer / August 4, 2008 6:26 PM

I did not make it to lolla. the lineup looked great, but my grad student budget does not permit such expenditures ($60 or otherwise).

And I'm really disturbed by Allan calculating 'groping' into his ticket price. I mean, really? lame and super messed up.

p / August 4, 2008 7:07 PM

saul williams had an EPIC guest-starring role on GirlFriends as Lynn's celibate poet boyfriend. (poss. spelling error on "celibate" but i care so little for the word i could give a shit. i probablly stutter it too. I LOVE 2 FUCK YA'LL!!!)

Leelah / August 4, 2008 7:58 PM

I would have paid that $175 solely for Love and Rockets... best show at Lollapalooza. Unsurpassed brilliance.

I also loved Okkervil River, but their show Saturday night at Schuba's was even better.

Spook / August 5, 2008 9:21 AM

Hey Allan! Where you been bro? I thought you had died in your grandmothers basement!

Welcome back!

Katie / August 5, 2008 9:33 AM

NIN, Radiohead, Rage, Explosions in the Sky, the Foals, Devotchka, Flogging Molly, The Raconteurs, and Gnarls Barkley totally made my weekend.

I was fortunate enough to be on Gnarls Barkley's guest list (!!!) so my tickets were free. We won upgrades to the Lollalounge on Friday thanks to my boyfriend's SingStar skills, which was great for the clean bathrooms, free food & booze.

Allan / August 5, 2008 11:17 AM

I recently emerged from a deep funk, trying to reconcile the failure that has been my life, the encroaching age of 40 that is my inevitable fate and in general, my inability to find a reasonably attractive woman who would pleasure me out of affection, rather than monetary gain. I decided to go to Lollapalooza at the peak of what could be only be a mid life crisis in the hope that, in vampiric fashion, I might absorb some of the naive hope, and blind sense of invincibility that is youth. At one point, while standing thick amongst the 80' retroesque, ironic t-shirt laden throng, I had an epiphany of sorts. Something about Cee-Lo Greens voice, cut right through me and as the music flowed from the stage, I realized that I can't change the past and that my time here was short. I knew that there was no point. None. In beating myself up over and over again and that the idealized version of my life, that I had failed to lead, was holding me back from the life I had to live right now. As the truth of this washed over me I felt something soft and warm brush against my hand. I looked up, not realizing I had been staring at my dirty bare feet, or that there were tears on my cheeks. What I saw was an unremarkable girl, and what I had felt, was her unremarkable ass on the back of my hand, and I knew tomorrow would be a new day.

K. / August 5, 2008 11:27 AM

NIN, Rage, Raconteurs, Sharon Jones, Battles, Gnarls, Does It Offend You, Yeah? Radiohead (though they were not at the top of their game) were among my favorites. I was lucky enough to get the $60 tickets, but would have paid $175, surely.

Great weekend, though sometimes the fans were obnoxious.

Brandy / August 5, 2008 11:54 AM

No, didn't go. Not that into concerts and really NOT into crowds. I hope those who went enjoyed themselves. I hope they didn't get groped by Allan.

Gaigen / August 5, 2008 12:16 PM

Nah. There were a few bands/performers I would have liked to have seen, but like Brandy, not into crowds these days, especially outdoor crowds. Heat, humidity and general ass-holery on the part of some of my potential fellow concertgoers might have driven me to a physical confrontation.

But had I known about the random groping...

mmm / August 5, 2008 12:31 PM

Spank Rock with Amanda Blank was a total surprise. I went totally lez-lo for her. I mean she was in this little short cat woman suit and sounded like MC Lyte. Oh and Chromeo threw down!!!!

Bill V / August 5, 2008 1:12 PM

It's silly to compare Lolla to other festivals. If you hate crowds and don't have money, don't go. I think it's great to have it in Chicago. I've been to Austin City Limits and SXSW plenty of times, and that means air fare and hotels and eat every meal out. Lolla in Chicago is a sweet deal. I eat breakfast at home and bike over, meet my friends, listen to bands I would probably never see, drink beer, people watch, go out after, etc. Good times.

My faves were Ting Tings, Okkervil River, Flogging Molly, Radiohead and Brazilian Girls.

curtain / August 5, 2008 1:21 PM

Actually most of the people weren't wearing shirts, which was worse than the ironic tee's.

Radiohead, The Kills, Black Keys were great on Friday.

Angela / August 5, 2008 1:42 PM

DeVotchka BY FAR! Amazing!

Spook / August 5, 2008 4:38 PM

Well Alan,
its been a bore with out you!
But I'm guessing you missed being able to feel, grind, and smack some prime back realestate, that belonged to a certain Gaper’s Goddess( I’m sure with a winy cheer leaders voice) with all the right connections, who was far removed from humanity’s flotsam and jetsam, by being upgraded to the
"Lollalounge" with the “clean bathrooms, free food & booze”
And of course she was “Fortunate enough to be on Gnarls Barkley's guest list, Yea!” so her tickets were of course free.

To experience Lollapalooza any other way along with Allan’s loving
hands would be uncivilized!

I bet she is still wearing her cool gold VIP wrists band


p.s my favorites were The Turnbull AC's, Cold Za Za Zzoup, We Need Air, Rick James Bitches, Yo Momma’s so Old, Old man's hiccups, and of course the Bollweevils!

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