Lollapalooza Thu Aug 01 2013

Ten Things Not to Miss at Lollapalooza 2013

By Stephanie Griffin

It's three days of music and spectacle, but there's a lot you might miss if you're not paying attention. Here are 10 things you want to make sure to catch Lollapalooza this weekend. Read up and make plans for big fun in Grant Park, and check back for festival reviews and photos all weekend long.

Eat a a lobster corn dog. Eat five lobster corn dogs! This made-just-for-Lollapalooza treat from Graham Elliot will be the highlight of your weekend. During years when Lolla has had a less-than-desirable line-up, the lobster corn dog has been the deciding factor on whether or not I attend the festival. Seriously.
- Stephanie Griffin

Scheduling gods smile upon people-watchers. It's going to be a sight to see when the Swedish metal band Ghost's set bumps up against UK pop star Jessie Ware's. Ghost perform in hooded robes and skull makeup, something like if the Misfits' logo were a priest. Jessie Ware dresses to the nines and sounds like Sade with more electropop. Seeing these acts' respective fans mingle between sets should be superb.
- James Ziegenfus

Witness one hook-up and one break-up. This will happen whether you want it to or not. A couple years ago, as I waited for Best Coast to take the stage, a recently split couple sidled up next to me. She had purchased his Lolla ticket and was apparently following him around the festival trying to get her money back now that they were no longer together. He ignored her and openly mocked her to his friends while she stood a few feet away, sobbing. It was uncomfortable for everyone. On the other hand, at least I wasn't stuck next to this couple.
- Stephanie Griffin

Check out SpinMedia's Soundwave tent. The Soundwave tent is new this year, and they'll be having band performances, artist interviews, and DJ sets throughout the weekend. You can see the same artists you'll find at the other Lolla stages, just in a smaller setting. Silly corporate photobooths at music festivals are my guilty pleasure, and they'll have one sponsored by Toyota where you'll pose inside a car or something. Check out their artist schedule here. They'll be parked inside Grant Park's rose garden.
- Stephanie Griffin

People watch during The Cure. Goths in hot weather. Need I say more?
- Stephanie Griffin

See local Chicago talent. We've got artists in all genres representing Chicago at Lollapalooza this year. Catch sets from Chance the Rapper, Makeshift Prodigy, Smith Westerns or Supreme Cuts this year. Show your local love.
- Stephanie Griffin

Witness The Postal Service's comeback. It's been a full decade since you've had the opportunity to see this band live in Chicago. I've somehow managed to catch this band twice already in other cities this summer, and their show is solid. You don't want to miss this.
- Stephanie Griffin

Make a stop at the LollaShop. Here's where you can pick up official Lollapalooza t-shirts and hats, if that's your kind of thing. Most importantly, Third Man Records will be posted up in the LollaShop, along with a handful of other vendors, including Fender, Bucketfeet, and Heritage Bicycles. They'll also have yoga Saturday and Sunday morning at 8am, plus live performances throughout the weekend. The shop is actually outside of Lolla grounds, at 322 S. Michigan Ave.
- Stephanie Griffin

Don't miss Charles Bradley before his popularity explodes. The R&B singer is the topic of a documentary, Soul of America (playing at the Landmark Century on August 15), that chronicles his recent jolt to fame from relative obscurity. Let's not get crazy and think it's another Searching for Sugar Man situation, but Bradley's one of the hardest-working Medicare-eligible singers out there today and sure to put on a spectacle.
- James Ziegenfus

Wander into Kidzapalooza, even if you don't have kids. Considering I don't have children of my own, Kidzapalooza went completely ignored by me in my Lollapalooza-going experience until I accidentally stumbled upon it last year. They've got their own cool little vibe going on back there, and while we obviously want to make way for actual children to enjoy it, catching School of Rock for a few minutes from the back of the lawn never hurt anyone.
- Stephanie Griffin