Lollapalooza Tue Jul 29 2014

Your Lollapalooza 2014 Party Guide

By Stephanie Griffin

You don't need a wristband (or supreme fence-hopping skills) to enjoy Lollapalooza this weekend -- Lolla pros know that the festival doesn't begin and end inside Grant Park. Of course, there are a ton of official Lolla aftershows, but over three days those can get pricey. There are plenty of ways to enjoy Lollapalooza that won't cost you a nickel. Let the suburbanite dudebros have those $8 Bud Lights inside the festival. Here's your guide to boozing it up and catching all your favorite bands for free this weekend.

Thursday

What: Newcity celebrates their annual Lollapalooza issue with a release party at Reggies. This party will have complimentary Lagunitas beer and small bites, plus they'll be giving away a three-day Lolla pass. This seems to be one of the more laid-back of the Lolla pre-parties, for those who don't want to spend their entire night waiting in lines.
Where: Reggies Rock Club, 2105 S. State St. Party is on the roof. 6-8pm.
How To Get In: RSVP here. Invite only, but you just have to be on their mailing list to land an invite.

What: Spin Magazine is one-upping everyone else in the party department this year by bringing Interpol to new Pilsen venue Thalia Hall. The venue holds 840 people, but this party has been all over social media this past week and it's freaking Interpol we're talking about here, so expect to spend a lot of your night waiting in line to get inside. Gemini Club and Wildcat! Wildcat! are also set to perform.
Where: Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. 9pm-1am. 21+.
How To Get In: RSVP here. Have a lot of patience for lines and crowds.

What: In a tight race with Spin for best Thursday night party, the folks at Pandora are sponsoring a Lolla pre-party at Concord Music Hall with a performance by Cold War Kids. The party invite mentions cocktails so there's a decent chance this one might have an open bar. If you're daring, you might be able to hit up both parties Thursday night.
Where: Concord Music Hall, 2047 N Milwaukee Ave. 7-10 pm. 21+.
How To Get In: RSVP here.

Friday

What: It's not Lollapalooza weekend without DJ Momjeans (aka Danny Masterson of "That 70's Show" fame) making appearances all over the city. You'll run into this guy everywhere you turn over the weekend, but Friday night he'll be stopping by Rockit for a DJ set.
Where: Rockit Bar and Grill, 22 W. Hubbard. No time listed but I'm assuming this will be from 10 pm to close. 21+.
How To Get In: Email Lolla@RockitBarandGrill.com with the subject line "RSVP ‪#‎AfterThePark‬".

What: Four Loko is sponsoring a Lolla after-party at Debonair and they are calling it Lokopalooza and it will probably be magical. The fruit punch and peach flavors are both delicious so don't even judge me right now. BYO caffeine pills for the original Loko experience. (Just kidding! Please don't do that.) Besides the free Lok-dogs, this party will also have surprise musical guests. Who wants to place a bet on DJ Momjeans somehow being involved?
UPDATE! Looks like the big surprise musical guest is none other than Danny Brown. Well that exceeded my expectations.
Where: Debonair Social Club, 1575 N. Milwaukee Ave. 10pm -2am. 21+, obviously.
How To Get In: RSVP here.

What: If you're lucky enough to land an invite, BMF Media's Lolla Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel is always the best party of the year. This is where all your favorite Lolla artists will be hanging out during the day, and the party continues well into the night with open bar and musical guests. Bonus points for likely Aaron Paul sightings. Lykke Li will be performing at this party Friday night, which on its own makes this the can't-miss party of the evening, but hilariously enough, on top of that there's a Joe Jonas DJ set. Oh, and DJ Momjeans will be here too.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel, 230 N. Michigan Ave. Lounge open all day, but nighttime party goes from 10pm-2am. 21+.
How To Get In: Invite only, so befriend a BMF Media employee as soon as possible.

What: Pretend it is 2003 and Nelly is even remotely relevant Friday night at Underground. In what is probably the most random booking of the weekend, the rapper is set for a performance at the club preceded by a DJ set from Samantha Ronson, who at this point is essentially an Underground regular.
Where: The Underground, 56 W. Illinois. No time listed but I'd assume 10 pm - close. 21+.
How To Get In: RSVP here.

Saturday

What: For some reason the folks over at Rockit Ranch are under the assumption that there are people in this world who still care about Ryan Cabrera, or even that there are still people in this world who know who Ryan Cabrera is. Well anyway, that guy who was marginally famous in the mid-2000's for dating Jessica Simpson's kid sister is going to be DJing there. Rockit's truffle mac and cheese is top-notch, though. I'll give them that.
Where: Rockit Bar and Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St. No time listed but I'm assuming this will be from 10 pm to close. 21+.
How To Get In: I mean, if you really want to... Email Lolla@RockitBarandGrill.com with the subject line "RSVP ‪#‎AfterThePark‬".

What: Chromeo is doing a DJ set Saturday night at Underground. Of anything happening at Underground over the weekend, this one is definitely the most promising.
Where: The Underground, 56 W. Illinois St. No time listed but I'd assume 10 pm to close. 21+.
How To Get In: RSVP here.

What: BMF Media's Lolla Lounge parties continue on Saturday with sets from Delta Rae and Betty Who, plus there will be a Grouplove DJ set. If past years are any indication, the liquor will be flowing at this one.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel, 230 N. Michigan Ave. Lounge open all day, but nighttime party goes from 10 pm - 2am. 21+.
How To Get In: Invite only.

I'll continue to update this list as additional events are announced, so keep checking back for new parties.