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Tuesday, March 19

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Wed Jul 29 2015

A Gapers Block Guide to Lollapalooza 2015

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Lollapalooza, among Chicago's most notable large-scale music festivals, returns this weekend with a jam-packed schedule in Grant Park. Along with notable veterans including Paul McCartney, there are newly established up-and-comers as well as hometown favorites. We've rounded up our picks for what we think will be the best performances of Lollapalooza 2015 throughout this glorious weekend.

Continue reading this entry »

Transmission

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 28 2015

Your Lollapalooza 2015 Party Guide

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Between your tickets, lobster corndogs, and band merch, Lollapalooza weekend can get pricey. Rejoice freeloaders, gutterpunks, and party people! Here is your guide to completely free Lollapalooza pre- and after-parties. All of these parties include many of the artists you'll find at Lolla, plus many of these sponsored events include free drinks. Just remember, kids: Lollapalooza is a marathon, not a sprint. You don't want to be the loser who passes out behind a dumpster in a puddle of your own vomit, or even worse - the guy who does a back flip into the Chicago River.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Tue Jun 02 2015

Lollapalooza Announces 2015 Aftershows

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Bummed Father John Misty and Cold War Kids are playing separate stages at Lollapalooza at the same time? Can't decide between Kid Cudi and Brand New? Lolla aftershows are the cure-all to the dreaded schedule conflict, besides giving you the chance to see your favorite bands from the comfort of an air-conditioned club rather than crammed between a bunch of shirtless dudebros under the beating sun of Grant Park.

Lolla put together an impressive roster for their aftershow line-up this year, from TV on the Radio at the Vic to The Kills at Metro to Charli XCX at Lincoln Hall. Check the complete aftershow schedule here. All shows go on sale this Friday, June 5th at 10 am.

If you're strapped for cash, don't forget there's still a plethora of free unofficial afterparties that will be announced in the coming weeks.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Wed Mar 25 2015

Lollapalooza Reveals 2015 Line-Up

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In the wee hours of the morning today the Lollapalooza line-up was finally revealed, containing at least one bucket list performer. Legacy acts Paul McCartney and Metallica headline the festival, along with the relatively younger artists Sam Smith, Florence + the Machine, and Bassnectar.

The afternoon bookings are where Lollapalooza really shines. Locals Twin Peaks and Wild Belle will bring some Chicago flair to the Lolla stages. Pop hitmakers Charli XCX and Marina and the Diamonds are both billed, and we'll see the return of Death From Above 1979, Father John Misty, and Cold War Kids.

Three-day passes have already sold out, but single day tickets will be available this morning at 10 am. Lollapalooza hits Chicago July 31st through August 2nd in Grant Park, with tickets available to purchase here. Any chance you get to see a Beatle live, you take.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 06 2014

Lollapalooza 2014 Hits and Misses

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Cage the Elephant (Photo by Joshua Mellin)

The Lollapalooza line-up didn't seem all that impressive when it was originally announced. Of the headliners, the biggest draw was Outkast and they'd already been booked for basically every other festival in the U.S. this summer. I decided to still attend the festival anyway, mostly out of habit. Once the day-by-day schedule was released, I was surprised to rediscover how many quality midday acts Lolla had on the bill. Headliners aside, I saw heaps of outstanding performances over the weekend. Here are some of my favorites, a few missteps, and the acts I missed during this year's festival.

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Stephanie Griffin / Comments (3)

Lollapalooza Tue Aug 05 2014

Run the Jewels are a Job Well Done at Double Door 08/02

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As somewhat dated as this reference is becoming, Run the Jewels are the anti-Watch the Throne; two anarchist leaning savage bullies who'd gleefully kick in the windows of mansions only to break in and steal the Basquiat paintings belonging to rapper millionaires.

El-P and Killer Mike have have been doing their own things for awhile now. El-P ran the much respected alt rap label, Definitive Jux, before deciding to pursue a solo career. Killer Mike was a student of Outkast as well as a member of Atlanta's Dungeon Family. Killer Mike guest starred on El-P's latest album, Cancer 4 Cure for the single "Tougher Colder Killer." They realized they had chemistry and kept the partnership going. In 2013, they released their debut mixtape as a collective, the self titled Run the Jewels.

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Justin Freeman / Comments (1)

Lollapalooza Wed Jul 30 2014

How to Make the Most of Your Lollapalooza Weekend

It's not enough to just say you're going to three days of music in Grant Park, you really have to plan your attack. After years of Lollapalooza experience, here are our fresh takes on how to best rock the fest.

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Photo by Joshua Mellin

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 29 2014

Your Lollapalooza 2014 Party Guide

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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.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 01 2014

Lollapalooza is Launching a Cashless, Digital Way to Pay

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With less than a month until it begins, some of the logistical things are starting to happen for Lollapalooza. Yesterday, it was announced that they're moving in the direction of becoming cashless by improving their RFID system. Radio-frequency identification, otherwise known as RFID, is a system increasingly used by merchants to monitor user data and inventory status.

How this will apparently work is that a small chip will be placed inside the concertgoer's wristband. In and of itself, this is nothing new, as Lolla has been using RFID tags to assist with entrance for a few years now. You already may be familiar with this. As you enter Grant Park, you place your wristband against a machine, it recognizes your wristband as legitimate, and you enter the park. This will be an expansion of this.

According to Adweek, concertgoers will be able to use their wristbands to pay for things such as merchandise or food or drinks. The user will have to opt-in and set up their wristband with credit card information as well as a personal PIN number. To buy something, the user would tap their wristband against the machine and input their PIN number. The transactions would then be stored in Lolla's point of service system and the user is sent the bill afterwards. This is similar to systems currently in use at Disney's theme parks and other festivals such as Electronic Daisy and Governor's Ball. I don't think they expect this to have wide usage at first, but even partial usage should help alleviate some of those notoriously long lines for food and things.

This could, in theory, be a potential data goldmine for Lollapalooza as they could use the RFID tags to figure out which bands were the most attended as well as other aspects of data about the people that attend to book future events.

Lollapalooza starts on August 1 at Grant Park.

Justin Freeman

Lollapalooza Wed Mar 26 2014

Lollapalooza Reveals 2014 Line-Up

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Lollapalooza's 2014 line-up has been revealed this morning, with Outkast and Calvin Harris joining previously-announced headliners Eminem, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, and Skrillex. Lorde and The Avett Brothers will both be making their Lollapalooza debuts this summer, sub-headlining with returning artists Foster the People. Nothing terribly shocking on the headliner front, but there are many daytime gems, including Childish Gambino, Lykke Li, CHVRCHES, Jenny Lewis, Kate Nash, Jhené Aiko, and Chromeo, plus Chicago's own Chance the Rapper and Flosstradamus.

3-Day passes sold out in a little over an hour Tuesday morning, but $100 per day single-day tickets will be available today at 10 am. Tickets can be purchased here, but it's best to keep an eye on Lollapalooza's Facebook and Twitter seeing as though their official site was having major issues Tuesday morning.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Tue Mar 18 2014

Lollapalooza Line-Up Leak

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This afternoon Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune leaked a handful of Lollapalooza headliners, which include Eminem, Kings of Leon, Skrillex, and Arctic Monkeys. Considering Kings of Leon headlined the festival in 2009 and Eminem, Skrillex and Arctic Monkeys all performed at Lolla in 2011, this announcement is a bit of a snooze-fest, but there are still plenty of acts yet to be announced. I'm still crossing my fingers for Damon Albarn or Julian Casablancas.

According to the Trib, tickets will be on sale this coming Tuesday, March 25, over on the official Lollapalooza site.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Sun Aug 04 2013

Lollapalooza Day Two

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Photo by Joshua Mellin


Lollapalooza Saturday began with a couple pieces of huge news. Apparently Death Grips never showed up to their official Lollapalooza after-show at Bottom Lounge Friday night, and also weren't planning to show up to Lollapalooza either. The band ended up being replaced by Bad Things featuring snowboarder Shaun White. In other news, Ben Gibbard announced on Twitter that Saturday's Lollapalooza and Sunday's Lolla after-show at Metro would be the last two shows ever for The Postal Service.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Sat Aug 03 2013

Lollapalooza Day One

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Photo by Joshua Mellin


Despite predictions of rain and thunderstorms plaguing the first day of Lollapalooza, we luckily only saw a few scattered showers in the early afternoon before the sun came out for the rest of the day. We were lucky as had Friday hands-down had the best line-up of the weekend, between Nine Inch Nails, Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty, New Order, Queens of the Stone Age, Steve Aoki, Disclosure, and more. The downside was that the day was filled with tough decisions, but ultimately, no matter which stage you chose you couldn't really go wrong on Friday.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Thu Aug 01 2013

Ten Things Not to Miss at Lollapalooza 2013

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

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 30 2013

Your Lollapalooza 2013 Party Guide

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Lollapalooza is invading Grant Park this weekend, but we're not here to talk about what's happening inside the festival gates. Whether you managed to score passes or not, there's still plenty of chances to hear live music all over the city this weekend. Of course, there are the official Lollapalooza aftershows, but we're not here to talk about those either. They're mostly sold out anyway. Here's your guide to the unofficial Lollapalooza events, where you can catch a lot of the same bands you'd pay to see at the festival, drink for free, and party until you pass out.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Mon May 13 2013

Lollapalooza Early Planning: Wavves


The lo-fi, fuzzy Wavves we've known and loved has become a little less rough around the edges these past couple years. While still maintaining the scuzzy aesthetic of their debut self-titled album, Wavves' latest release Afraid of Heights is a lot slicker and less brash. Even after four albums, Wavves' Nathan Williams seems as bratty and angsty as ever.

Afraid of Heights has been commonly hailed as the this generation's answer to Nirvana's Nevermind. Like Kurt Cobain, Nathan Williams seemingly couldn't care less about fame or commercial success. Like Nevermind, Afraid of Heights is dripping with nihilism and hopelessness wrapped up in catchy pop hooks. Unlike Nirvana, rather than conjuring images of dingy clubs, Wavves makes you feel like laying in the sun at the beach, drinking 40s out of a paper bag.

While we're all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the past few days we've been highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd - 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Fri May 10 2013

Lollapalooza Early Planning: Guards


Lo-fi indie pop band Guards originally came across my radar once I discovered the man behind Guards, Richie Follin, is the brother of Cults singer Madeline Follin (Richie himself was once Cults member as well). Cults' self-titled album is one of my favorite releases of 2011, so I immediately sought out Guards' album to check out what Madeline's brother had been up to. Turns out the siblings aren't the only musicians in the family, either - their step-dad Paul Kostabi was a founding member of White Zombie, as well as punk band Youth Gone Mad with which Madeline herself was briefly involved, along with Dee Dee and Joey Ramone. Pretty impressive background.

In February, Guards released their debut LP In Guards We Trust. While the album shares the same lo-fi aesthetic found in Cults' self-titled debut, In Guards We Trust focuses less on vocals and more on fuzzy guitars and eager hooks. The album is sprightly and optimistic, with choruses like "We're up and ready to go!" on the commercial-ready "Ready To Go" that seem almost crafted to sell coffee or insurance or something. Commercial or not, the band is downright fun, and perfectly suited for the Lollapalooza heat.

While we're all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the next few days we'll be highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd - 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Thu May 09 2013

Lollapalooza Early Planning: Father John Misty


Performing under the moniker Father John Misty, folk singer J. Tillman exudes an effortless flamboyance that makes him one of the most captivating stage presences I've ever had the fortune of seeing live. I like to picture him as a romanticized Hunter S. Thompson type of character. I imagine him traveling from city to city, lodging in seedy hotel rooms with different women in each town, drinking copious amounts of whiskey and taking hallucinogens, surrounded by sex and regret.

This is all merely a projection on my part, but it seems to be the persona Tillman is establishing for this particular project. After seeing Father John Misty live, it is difficult to imagine why Tillman would ever be anywhere but front and center on stage, but he actually spent years behind the drum kit for indie acts Fleet Foxes and Saxon Shore. He released the debut Father John Misty album Fear Fun in May of 2012, but he originally caught my eye because of the haunting music video for the track "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" featuring none other than Aubrey Plaza.

And if Father John Misty is merely character for Tillman, the guy sure commits. Each time I've had the pleasure of catching one of his live shows, he's had a bottle of booze next to him on stage, taking swigs throughout the show. He saunters around on stage with the bravado of someone who knows something you don't. There's a distinct charm about him that will draw you in and ensnare you. Maybe it is all just an act, but I'm buying it.

While we're all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the next few days we'll be highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd - 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Thu May 09 2013

Lollapalooza Early Planning: Jessie Ware


Despite receiving a good share of acclaim in the U.K. following the release of her debut album Devotion in August of 2012, Jessie Ware's music didn't get a proper U.S. release until just last month. The delay was due to some legal issues following a sample on the track "110%", which was edited for the stateside release. However, the postponed release didn't stop the buzz surrounding her from making its way across the pond, with several U.S.-based blogs and magazines placing the album on their 2012 year-end best albums lists.

Jessie Ware has a throwback style reminiscent of an 80's diva. Just check the video for her track "Running", where she's found with oversized jewelry, bold make-up, and an over-the-top hairstyle while her sultry voice guides her through exaggerated poses. With her elegance and the control she has of her stunning vocals, Ware is often compared to Whitney Houston and Sade. This particular track could have easily been released 25 years ago, but Jessie Ware is not living in the past.

While Ware leans more toward the R & B spectrum, her electronic influences cannot be denied. She started out as a vocalist in studio and on the road with electronic acts such as SBTRKT, Sampha, and Joker before stepping forward into the limelight as her own solo artist. The majority of Devotion is emotional, soulful downtempo tracks, but a few songs are straight up club-ready, like "Imagine It Was Us", a recent addition on the American version of the album.

While we're all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the next few days we'll be highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd - 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Wed May 08 2013

Lollapalooza Early Planning: Icona Pop


Last January on a cocaine-fueled episode of Girls, Lena Dunham's Hannah Horvath snorted a line off a toilet seat in a club before hitting the dance floor and singing along to the perfect club anthem to recklessness. "I crashed my car into the bridge. I don't care!" The song is Icona Pop's 2012 summer jam "I Love It", which has been blowing up since its inclusion in the HBO television series. The song is now seemingly everywhere - just recently making its late-night debut on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, as well as Dancing With The Stars, Vampire Diaries, and Glee.

This Swedish DJ duo comprised of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo met at a party back in 2009. They immediately decided to make music together and booked their first gig before they had written even a single song. In 2012, after the success of their debut US release Iconic, the pair left Stockholm for New York and LA. They've been hitting the festival circuit this year after finishing up a tour with Passion Pit and Matt & Kim.

Once the Gleeks have gotten a hold of a song, you'd think at this point it would just be over-saturated. But "I Love It" is just too damn catchy. By all means this is a group I'd typically hate, but Iconic is so infectious I just can't help it. These dance-floor ready songs about ex-boyfriends and break-ups are the ultimate guilty pleasures.

While we're all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the next few days we'll be highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd - 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Mon Apr 01 2013

Lollapalooza Moves Up Lineup Announcement After Leak

lollapalooza 2013 lineup announcement
Thanks to the poster showing the full lineup that leaked out last week (which hey, coincidentally appeared shortly after rival Chicago-based fests Pitchfork Music Festival and Spring Awakening announced their full lineups), Lollapalooza has pushed forward its big announcement up from April 9 to today at noon. Single day passes will then go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, April 3; three-day passes are already completely sold out.

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Lollapalooza Tue Aug 07 2012

Lollapalooza: Day Three Recap

Kaskade
Photo by Will Rice, courtesy of Lollapalooza


The last day of Lollapalooza crept up on me, even with the dehydration, sore feet and sunburn. I spent the last day trying to fit in as much of the festival that I had previously missed as possible. Video games in the Playstation Lounge. Crazy dance party in the air conditioned Sony Tent. Grilled cheese on a stick in the Farmer's Market. The line-up on Sunday had more acts I wanted to catch than any other day but there's also loads of non-musical stuff to enjoy around Grant Park over the weekend, so I made sure to take in as much of the festival as possible to get the most out of my Lolla experience.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Mon Aug 06 2012

Getting Popped the Question at Lollapalooza

Music lovers often find each other, it seems. Chicagoan Stefani Klayman got a surprise when her boyfriend brought her on stage Friday during the Yellow Ostrich set at Lollapalooza and proposed. They got the whole thing on the webcast, too. Spoiler: she said yes. Congrats!

Anne Holub

Lollapalooza Sun Aug 05 2012

Lollapalooza: Day Two Recap

Best of the Fest
Photo by Jack Edinger, courtesy of Lollapalooza


I caught several fantastic performances at Saturday's Lollapalooza, but the day will be remembered for the giant storm that swept the festival and led to the complete evacuation of Grant Park. Festival-goers were instructed to take shelter in three underground parking garages, but everyone ended up flooding all the nearby bars and Starbucks instead. A little over two hours later, the storm passed and we were allowed back in. There were mud people everywhere, but I'm not sure which fields actually contained mud because everywhere I went, the ground was somehow still somewhat dry -- a little squishy but not to the point where my feet were even slightly sinking into the ground.

As we filtered back into the festival, everyone shared stories of their evacuation experience. Who were you seeing when the announcement was made? Where did you go? I attempted to get into a couple daytime Lollapalooza parties going on at the Hard Rock and Angels & Kings, but both were obviously filled to capacity. Most people were just wandering the streets aimlessly until they found a Starbucks or other fast food restaurant that wasn't jam-packed. I ended up at a friend's hotel room at the Marriott Courtyard until we received word that we could get back into the festival to finally start enjoying some music.

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Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Sat Aug 04 2012

Lollapalooza: Day One Recap

Zedd
Photo by Will Rice, courtesy of Lollapalooza


Lollapalooza weekend always sneaks up on me, but here we are at the beginning of August. The weekend of sweat, bruises, lobster corndogs, and fantastic music is upon us. For some reason I had forgotten how many bands I had been stoked to check out on Friday's schedule, which left me running from stage to stage with few breaks. It was worth it. Friday offered many musical highs and hardly any lows, and my legs aren't even sore yet. Not a bad start to the weekend.

Continue reading this entry »

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Fri Aug 03 2012

Pre-Gaming Lollapalooza with Boyd Tinsley

To kick off Lollapalooza weekend, Boyd Tinsley (who you might recognize from his two decades with Dave Matthews Band) stopped by Rockit River North to celebrate the release of his new film, Faces in the Mirror (which debuts August 30, 2012 at snagfilms.com). Boyd has also released a t-shirt line in conjunction with the film with designer Jason Franklin of Sportiqe, which was debuted at the party. I sat down with Boyd to chat about his upcoming film, t-shirt line, and the Dave Matthews Band.


Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Fri Aug 03 2012

Lollapalooza 2012: Festival Preview

lollapalooza_stageclash2012.jpgYou've got a lot to choose from this weekend at Lollapalooza. Here's our Transmission staff's picks for some of the best sets to catch (or skip) at the festival this weekend. And don't forget to keep an eye here later on for reviews from Grant Park.

Friday, August 3, 2012

2:15pm-3pm - The War on Drugs vs. Dr. Dog vs. The Black Angels
Maybe Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, but two Philly bands at Lollapalooza will be battling for your attention as the festival gets its momentum started in the early afternoon on Friday. The War on Drugs with their keyboards, harmonicas, and earnest drumming (served with a side of Springsteen comparisons) and Dr. Dog, with their (for the most part) happy-go-lucky DIY lo-fi recording prowess, will perhaps be happy to split the difference of mellower rockers in attendance. Afterall, they'll be up against the neo-psych rock of Austin's Black Angels in the same time-slot Friday afternoon. The Black Angels' gritty fuzz is so thick and syrupy, you'd think you were drinking hot motor oil, not water, as the sun beats down on that free bandana you just tied around your head. Basically, here's how it breaks down: if you're toting your own hula hoop, head for Dr. Dog. If you'd rather pogo around and do some head bobs with alternating fist pumps, head over to The War on Drugs' set. But if you wanna see how that first taste of rock tastes after you've thrown your tie in the trash, kicked off your shoes in the grass, and nodded knowingly at some band new best friends, then by all means, head over to The Black Angels and let them blow your hair back a bit.
-Anne Holub

Continue reading this entry »

Transmission / Comments (1)

Lollapalooza Thu Aug 02 2012

Preview: Lollapalooza 2012 - Sunday Highlights

lollapalooza_stageclash2012.jpgInto the final stretch at Lollapalooza, and now you really don't want to waste a moment. Here's our best take on what to catch, and what to skip in favor of a bathroom break, on Sunday.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

3:30-4:15pm - The Walkmen vs. Dum Dum Girls
The late afternoon is often a difficult time for me to choose between festival acts; I consistently think to myself, is there an act I'm clamoring to see, or would I rather just sit this hour out and cool off in the shade before the evening's headliners? These two acts, however, are forces that should be paid the attention that they are due, even if it is during that awkward late afternoon stretch. The Walkmen are no strangers to Lollapalooza; heck, you might have even, like me, seen them two years ago during their first Lollapalooza appearance. Though I promise you, you won't feel like you're watching the same set this time around; The Walkmen have developed their style immensely since their last Lolla appearance. Each of the group's albums have displayed the band as consistently honing in on their sound, refining and updating their style each time. Their latest album released this year, Heaven, is a glimmering indie rock gem, an emerging cornerstone of The Walkmen's musical catalogue, and will be a great addition to The Walkmen's second Lollapalooza set.

For Dum Dum Girls, this will be their very first Lollapalooza appearance. This group emits an infectious '60s pop vibe, which will send audience members into a toe-tapping frenzy with their sunny, lo-fi beats. For me, this choice is an easy one; The Walkmen have a beautiful sound, but one that is much better suited for an open, cavernous venue in which each soft sound can be amplified for a hushed, watchful audience. I'd much rather put on my dancing shoes and listen to Dum Dum Girls, who will get the crowd moving and energized for the last night of the festival's reign.
-Sarah Brooks

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 01 2012

Preview: Lollapalooza 2012 - Saturday Highlights

lollapalooza_stageclash2012.jpgIt's day two at Lollapalooza before you can blink an eye. Don't live with regrets, just move onward into the weekend with some loose plan of attack. To help you out, the Transmission staff has culled together our picks for the most head-scratching sets scheduled for the festival. Here's our take on Saturday's most conflicted sets.

Saturday, August 4, 2012


1:30-2:15pm - JEFF the Brotherhood vs. Bear in Heaven
If you want to start off your Saturday with body slamming and headbanging, head on over to the Playstation stage for JEFF the Brotherhood. This garage rock-inspired guitar/drums duo of actual brothers knows how to rock hard. If you need something a little more mellow so early in the afternoon (or, let's face it, morning for most of us), prog rock/electro group Bear in Heaven will fit the bill over at the Sony Stage. Having caught live sets from both bands, I can say Bear in Heaven and JEFF The Brotherhood are perfect opposites — Bear in Heaven's studio work far exceeds their live performance and JEFF the Brotherhood is exceedingly more enjoyable live than on record. Your best bet is to catch JEFF the Brotherhood and save Bear in Heaven to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
-Stephanie Griffin

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 31 2012

Your Lollapalooza 2012 Party Guide

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In case you haven't heard, Lollapalooza is invading Grant Park this weekend. All week here in Transmission we'll be previewing the best acts to see inside the festival gates, but the great thing about Lollapalooza coming to town is that there's still plenty of chances to catch your favorite acts outside of the festival itself. In my dream world, Lollapalooza will eventually become a festival somewhat like SXSW where there are just as many if not more bands playing unofficial festival parties as there are in the official festival line-up. At the rate we're going we'll be there in no time. While there are plenty of official festival after-parties being held around the city, you'll be able to find a list of them on pretty much every Chicago-related website (here's one). This is your guide to the unofficial, mostly free, events happening around town.

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Stephanie Griffin / Comments (4)

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 31 2012

Preview: Lollapalooza 2012 - Friday Highlights

lollapalooza_stageclash2012.jpgThree days of rocking ahead of you, it might prove difficult to figure out how to prioritize your day when you hit the gates at Lollapalooza this year. The Transmission staff has culled together our picks for the most vexing sets of music happening this weekend, and we're more than willing to tell you all about it. We'll start off with Friday's most conflicted sets, and give you a bit more to ponder each day as we head towards the festival's start.

Friday, August 3, 2012

2:15pm-3pm - The War on Drugs vs. Dr. Dog vs. The Black Angels
Maybe Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, but two Philly bands at Lollapalooza will be battling for your attention as the festival gets its momentum started in the early afternoon on Friday. The War on Drugs with their keyboards, harmonicas, and earnest drumming (served with a side of Springsteen comparisons) and Dr. Dog, with their (for the most part) happy-go-lucky DIY lo-fi recording prowess, will perhaps be happy to split the difference of mellower rockers in attendance. Afterall, they'll be up against the neo-psych rock of Austin's Black Angels in the same time-slot Friday afternoon. The Black Angels' gritty fuzz is so thick and syrupy, you'd think you were drinking hot motor oil, not water, as the sun beats down on that free bandana you just tied around your head. Basically, here's how it breaks down: if you're toting your own hula hoop, head for Dr. Dog. If you'd rather pogo around and do some head bobs with alternating fist pumps, head over to The War on Drugs' set. But if you wanna see how that first taste of rock tastes after you've thrown your tie in the trash, kicked off your shoes in the grass, and nodded knowingly at some band new best friends, then by all means, head over to The Black Angels and let them blow your hair back a bit.
-Anne Holub

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Transmission / Comments (2)

Lollapalooza Sun May 27 2012

Lollapalooza Tickets Sell Out, Our Early Festival Picks

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Summer is officially here, which for many of us means the kick off of festival season here in Chicago. Whether you are buying Mexican popsicles over the fence while hiding in the shade at Pitchfork or making bad decisions while dancing in a football stadium to Skrillex, whatever poison you pick guarantees you'll have many a fun summer night. And if you didn't sleep on it, you'll probably be attending Lollapalooza. Tickets officially sold out this past week, so if you plan on spending early August in Grant Park, I suggest you plan on standing outside with a sign asking to buy an extra ticket. But if you planned ahead, you are probably starting to check out the acts playing that you aren't familiar with (or you should be doing this), and that's where we come through with some suggestions. Sure, we'll take a deeper look closer to Lolla, but why not plan early? There are the obvious bands to see, the reunited darlings (At The Drive-In, Bloc Party), the band that always makes me cry live (Sigur Ros), the best live act around right now (M83), and the acts that always put on solid shows (Justice, The Black Keys). But we've got some deeper picks and surefire good acts to suggest checking out now so you'll be ready to enjoy come August.

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Wed Apr 11 2012

It's Official: Here's the 2012 Lollapalooza Lineup

The official 2012 Lollapalooza lineup was announced at midnight at the Do312 Lolla announcement party at Debonair Social Club, and it is exactly identical to the list leaked on Monday, with Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Black Sabbath and Jack White as the big headliners.

Greg Kot reports that the Black Sabbath reunion will include original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. The Afghan Whigs and At the Drive-In are also reuniting for the festival (and their own reunion tours).

Meanwhile, the other three headliners, RHCP, the Black Keys and Jack White, are all Lolla veterans (although White previously played with his band the Raconteurs). Bloc Party, Delta Spirit, Miike Snow and the Temper Trap also return for another go.

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Andrew Huff

Lollapalooza Mon Apr 09 2012

Full Lollapalooza Lineup Allegedly Leaked

The supposed official 2012 Lollapalooza lineup was leaked over the weekend in a grainy cellphone photo. The official announcement will come on at midnight Tuesday, April 10 at the Do312 Lolla announcement party at Debonair Social Club, so this isn't a huge leadtime. In fact, that lends this list more credibility than the @lollaleaks fiasco did. Lollapalooza has been leaking acts itself via ads on the CTA -- all of which are on the alleged leaked lineup except Kimbra.

We'll hold off until the official announcement to do a full analysis, but if this is the real list, it looks pretty good.

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Andrew Huff

Lollapalooza Tue Mar 20 2012

2012 Lollapalooza Secret Sale "Happening This Week"

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According to the official Lollapalooza Twitter account, "The Lolla $75 Secret Sale is happening this week." The exact time and date are of course a secret -- hence the name -- but if you're desperate to get into Lollapalooza for the lowest price possible, now's your cue to go create an account on Frontgate Tickets and put @Lollapalooza up in a separate tab in your browser. The quantity will be small, and they'll sell out almost instantaneously.

UPDATE: And once again the secret sale came and went in a flash. The announcement went out via the Lollapalooza e-list and in what seemed like moments later they were sold out -- which was bound to happen, since only 750 souvenir tickets were released. The festival turn to Twitter and Facebook followers only to announce that passes were sold out.

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Disappointment turned to anger for many music fans when more than 70 of the three-day passes quickly appeared on ticket broker website StubHub, for prices ranging from $375 to $999.

For the multitudes who missed out, the next chance at tickets will be Tuesday, March 27, when "early bird" three-day passes go on sale for $200 apiece.

Andrew Huff

Lollapalooza Tue Feb 14 2012

Lollapalooza Lineup Leaked? Not Likely.

Over the past few days, the supposed 2012 Lollapalooza lineup has been slowly leaked on an anonymous Twitter account, @LollaLeaks. If true, this year's festival would be fairly impressive and as schizophrenic as always.

Acts listed by the twitterer included AWOLNATION, Gaslight Anthem, Guided by Voices, Korn, Missy Elliott, At The Drive-In, Garbage, Sleigh Bells, Antlers, Passion Pit, OFWGKTA and Wale. @LollaLeaks also named Metallica, Beyoncé, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Beck and Sonic Youth as the headliners, with the festival serving as Sonic Youth's final show.

None of this has been confirmed, obviously, but the anonymous account certainly stuck in Perry Ferrell's craw. He retweeted @LollaLeaks repeatedly, adding insults and denials along the way.

perry farrell @lollaleaks tweet lollapalooza

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Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Lollapalooza Tue Aug 09 2011

Lollapalooza in Tattoos

This slideshow comes to us by contributor Niki Fritz, a freelance writer, nonprofit worker, casual yogi, non-bra-burning feminist and, of course, lover of Chicago. Check out her blog dedicated to feminists in Chicago at 3rd Wave in the 2nd City.

Anne Holub / Comments (1)

News Mon Aug 08 2011

Portugal. The Man's Van, Trailer & Equipment Stolen After Lollapalooza

In an unfortunate postscript to Lollapalooza, Portugal. The Man's tour van and trailer -- containing all of their equipment -- were stolen from an attended parking lot near Grant Park sometime after 7am today. The band sent out a plea for assistance via Twitter this afternoon:

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Andrew Huff

Lollapalooza Mon Aug 08 2011

Lollapalooza Day 3: Rain, Mud, and Rock 'n' Roll

Around The Park by Jack Edinger

Muddy Fans by Jack Edinger for Lollapalooza

If you hear anything about Lollapalooza on Sunday, I'm sure it will be that it
rained..twice..hard. But the true brilliance of the rain, was the ingenuity of
Lollapalooza goers to adapt to the torrential downpour. From stacking tables on
top of each other to rooting up fencing to take shelter, fans everywhere seemed
to construct make shift forts to wait out the rains. And after the rain abated, fans
rallied, soaked but ready to take in the last day of Lolla. When the second wave
of storms hit in the middle of Foo Fighters, the field was a mud pit but fans rocked
away with impressive dedication. -Niki Fritz

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Lisa White / Comments (4)

Lollapalooza Sun Aug 07 2011

Lollapalooza Day 2: Massive crowds, Mad Max Cee Lo, and Eminem

Around The Park by Steve Wrubel

Lollapalooza crowd by Steve Wrubel for Lollapalooza

Saturday was off to a difficult start before I even got inside Lollapalooza. I was wedged next to a guy trying to get into the overcrowded Monroe entrance, his toe torn open and bloodied. Not a good sign of things to come, as temperatures crept up and some of the crowd was whiny and clearly on edge. I did appreciate the brutal honesty of the guy out front, who I assumed was selling tickets but instead asked me "do you have a blunt I could buy?" while standing less than two feet from a Chicago police officer. Lollapalooza; where all manners and human intelligence tends to fall to the wayside. Meanwhile Niki Fritz also encountered some problems upon entering the grounds.

On Saturday afternoon, the 20th anniversary wristbands that Lolla organizers no
doubt spent months designing, failed to do the one thing they needed to do: work. A
large majority of wristbands failed to scan. Instead of allowing wristband wearers,
fans $200 invested in Lolla, to pass, they made swarms of hot wet fans wait while
two employees jogged from one entrance to the next scanning people in manually.
EPIC FAIL.
-Niki Fritz

Keep reading to learn how the rest of the day went, and keep checking back for more coverage from Lollapalooza.

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Sat Aug 06 2011

Lollapalooza Day 1: Half days at work, lobster corn dogs, and a little band called Muse

Around The Park by Steve Wrubel

Gateway by Steve Wrubel for Lollapalooza

I kicked off day one like many Chicagoans going to Lollapalooza, heading to my regular day job in business casual festival attire before trekking down to Grant Park after an early exit to jumpstart my Lolla weekend. I'll be reporting all things Lollaplooza this weekend for Gapers Block, along with contributions from writer Niki Fritz. Keep reading for more about Friday at the festival, and keep checking back all weekend for more Lollapalooza coverage from Gapers Block.

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Lisa White / Comments (1)

Feature Fri Aug 05 2011

Lollapalooza 2011 - Your Guide to the Weekend

Lollapalooza's three days of ten hours of music on eight stages is more than any one person could completely experience all by themselves. It all comes down to key decision-making and planning. We've spent the last week running down all of our picks for some of the hardest match-ups over the weekend, and what follows is a full list of our picks for who to see and who to miss. Keep an eye on Transmission all weekend and next week as we review choice sets and after-parties around town.

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Thu Aug 04 2011

Lollapalooza 2011 - Stage Clash, Round 3

lolla2011.jpg As you head into the third day of the Lollapalooza trifecta, there's no need to slack off. Get there early, get your sunblock on, and get ready for some tough choices as where to spend your last day of the festival. See our picks for sets to hit (or miss) and the full Sunday lineup.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7

12:45 - 1:45pm - The Joy Formidable vs. Titus Andronicus
You've got to hand it to the Joy Formidable — even if their name was a little bit jarring for singles like the Bukowski-mauling "My Beerdrunk Soul Is Sadder Than A Hundred Dead Christmas Trees," they certainly found their sunshine for breakthrough single "Whirring", which was released in 2009 but found traction just this past year. If the Welsh rockers won't get onto quite as many mixtapes as their predecessors Super Furry Animals, then it'd be hard to hold up Titus Andronicus to their Jersey counterpart. (But who on earth dares stand up to The Boss?) Unlike JF, the Titus boys (and girl) aren't quite scoring commercials yet, but their hungry rock is gaining critical acclaim, and last year's The Monitor offers some blazing guitars and vocals somewhere between McClusky and...Springsteen? Alright, too soon, but Andronicus will provide if you want to rock out with a cheap can of beer and some Jersey pride.
- Dan Morgridge

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Thu Aug 04 2011

Foo Fighters to Play Metro Saturday Night


Don't say we didn't warn you. Foo Fighters will be warming up for their Lollapalooza headlining spot with an intimate show at Metro Saturday night. Tickets are $60 a pop and go on sale in an hour (11 am) over at Metro's website. There's a two ticket limit, and the ticket holder must show his or her ID at the door to get in. The Joy Formidable opens. Get on it.

UPDATE: Obviously the Metro website is getting a ton of traffic right now, so if the website is slow try this direct ticket link.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 03 2011

Lollapalooza 2011 - Stage Clash, Round 2

lolla2011.jpg The weather this weekend looks pretty manageable for once during Lollapalooza, and you'll have a whole two more days to enjoy it when you wake up Saturday morning. Here are our picks for sets during the day that might require you to make some hard choices. See the full Saturday lineup.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6TH

12:45 - 1:30pm - Disappears vs. Walk The Moon
Chicago's Disappears bring a reassuring psych/garage/punk sound to the Bud Light stage early Saturday afternoon. Their latest release, 2011's Guider, opens up with an echoing vocal stretch overtop droning guitars and cymbal crashes. It's the kind of music I make sure to buy on vinyl and have on hand for sunny afternoon. If you need a solid set of music while you chill out and connect with friends before all the cell phone power gets sucked out of Grant Park, this might just be your jam. By contrast, Walk The Moon (who also play a sold out Lincoln Hall show with Local Natives Friday night), is much more of a dance-tastic rock band with influences by Phoenix, Happy Mondays, or Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. and loads of gnarly keyboard action, they come straight at you with clubby sing-alongs like "Anna Sun" (stream or download their album i want! i want!). The Music Unlimited stage where Walk The Moon will perform is likely where the club kids and loads of teeny tiny backpacks in the shape of teddy bears can be found. If you'd like to get your bounce on, maybe apply a little facepaint before you get all sweaty, head to their stage when you get to the park.
- Anne Holub

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 03 2011

Your Lollapalooza Party Guide

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You don't need a ticket to Lollapalooza this weekend to see all of your favorite bands - most of them will be playing after-parties and smaller clubs around the city. And as for those bearing the heat and going to the festival, Lollapalooza pros know to steer clear of the pricey piece of crap beer selection at the festival, stay hydrated and save boozing for the after-parties, wherein every liquor company or music publication is willing and eager to inject the stuff into your veins for free. At the very least, your chances of an Elijah Wood sighting over the weekend are pretty high.

Want to be in the know and impress all your friends? Keep reading.

Thursday

What: GUESS and Nylon Magazine are kicking off Lollapalooza weekend with a night of free cocktails, a photobooth, a performance by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and DJ sets from The Vaccines and L1ght.
Where: GUESS store (605 N. Michigan Ave.), 6 - 8 pm
How to Get In: R.S.V.P. to guessrsvp@guess.com. Event is free.

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Stephanie Griffin / Comments (7)

Lollapalooza Tue Aug 02 2011

Lollapalooza 2011 - Stage Clash, Round 1

lolla2011.jpg We get going with a set of posts this week to help you decide how to spend your three days at Lollapalooza this weekend, August 5-7, 2011 in Grant Park. Today's breakdown pits bands in clashing time slots on Friday, and helps you decide where to point your flip-flops. See the full 2011 schedule options.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th

12 noon - 1pm TAB The Band vs. Wye Oak
You may want to ease into what will be an epic festival weekend in Chicago this weekend, but that doesn't mean you necessarily want to start out quietly. While grabbing some (yet untrampled) grass by the Sony stage and enjoying Lollapalooza opener Wye Oak would garner you some sweet songs by this dreamy duo, that may or may not be how you want to go. The Baltimore band (whose name, incidentally, comes from the official state tree of Maryland) has occasional fuzz and drums and powerful lyrics, but at the end of the day they are pretty (often very pretty) but not rock n' roll dirty. TAB The Band, on the other hand, might just be the drink of choice as you're psyching yourself up for what's a marathon, not a sprint. While their lead singer/bassist is a member of a royal rock family (Adrian Perry is Aerosmith Joe Perry's kid), he's also got a backup career option that has nothing to do with his ability to play bass &mdash he's an attorney. Adrian's brother, Tony Perry, is also in TAB The Band and the group's 2010 release, Zoo Noises, brings a kind of Southern Rock sensibility to the stage, with some loud harmonies and amplified jangly lyrics. It's likely to be the stage where you first feel the bass in your collarbones this weekend, and that goes a long way to making you wake up, now doesn't it?
- Anne Holub

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Transmission / Comments (2)

Lollapalooza Fri Jul 15 2011

Lollapalooza Artist Preview: A Perfect Circle and Afrojack

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We wrap up our introduction to some of our spotlighted Lollapalooza artist with a supergroup and a house DJ that will keep Grant Park dancing late into the night. The bill this year serves up an eclectic mix of genres and styles, and these two artist represent a taste of the diversity of the festival line-up this year. Check out videos and previews after the jump.

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Sat Jul 09 2011

Lollapalooza Artist Preview: Christina Perri

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Christina Perri's sudden rise to fame is the stuff dreams are made of, lifted straight out of a perfect ending storyline. Her breakout (and heartbreaking) hit "Jar of Hearts" garnered instant fame after being featured on Fox television show So You Think You Can Dance, selling over 100,000 copies within the month. The song clearly struck a nerve with audience viewers, and it's clear to see why when you realize that Perri's words are something that we've all felt when it comes to love and life.

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Wed Jul 06 2011

Lollapalooza Artist Preview: OK Go

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OK Go sure know how to make a spectacle. Whether it's dancing on treadmills or choreographing a huge rube goldberg for one of their videos, the band is constantly coming up with creative ways to express not only their music, but all their facets of art. And although the band no longer calls Chicago it's home, many of us still remember the days when they were just the house band on This American Life or cutting their teeth around town.

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Thu Jun 30 2011

Lollapalooza Artist Preview: Beirut

beirut-pic

If a fairytale was set in the Gulag, the band Beirut would be the perfect soundtrack. Evoking both a breezy sound mixed with Eastern European touches, Beirut has popularized their own brand of old-meets-new indie pop.

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Tue Jun 28 2011

Lollapalooza Artist Preview: Death From Above 1979

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Breakups are hard. The end of any relationship, romantic or not, has similar rituals. Tension mounts, you stop talking, you finish up projects and obligations before you cut ties. Sometimes there is something (or someone else). All situations are applicable even for a band, and especially for the short lived Death From Above 1979.

But just like some relationships, bands also get back together. Just like the breakup the reasoning can be the same; it can be for money, because you miss each other, love, or because you don't even remember why you broke up in the first place. Sometimes it takes stepping away to realize that you've got something really good, and I can assure you the electro dance-punk that DFA1979 churns out is something incredibly good.

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Lisa White / Comments (1)

Lollapalooza Wed Jun 15 2011

Lollapalooza Line-up Drops Sleigh Bells, Gains Le Butcherettes

lolla20th.jpgWe're getting ready to start cranking out some Lolla previews here on Transmission (August is so close in the grand scheme of things), but before we do some changes have already been made in the Lolla line-up.

If you were planning on moshing in the hot sun to the abrasive sounds of Sleigh Bells Friday at Lollapalooza, change of plans. Lollapalooza posted today that due to scheduling conflicts the duo had to cancel their appearance. Replacing them are another female fronted garage rock outfit, Le Butcherettes.

Le Butcherettes were praised by Jim DeRogatis during SXSW, and their first full album was released on the label started by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of Mars Volta and At the Drive-In fame. They're a good act to check out if you're a fan of intense hot chicks singing agressive gritty garage rock. Personally I get my fill with The Kills (or early Yeah Yeah Yeahs, two bands this group is clearly influenced by/ripping off), but it's something worth stopping for and checking out. Or if you miss this set just go over and see The Kills, who are playing 15 mins after Le Butcherettes wrap up.

On another note, I'm still pouting over the Friday scheduling conflicts (Seeing Muse again before they more than likely disband, would have liked Girl Talk or Ratatat as a back up other nights) and the fact that the reformed Death From Above 1979 are playing at four in the afternoon. There are always some conflicts, but so many artist of similar sound are going up against each other this year, and the spacing of variety seems really off. Anything you love or hate about the schedule this year?

Lisa White / Comments (4)

Concert Tue Apr 26 2011

20th Anniversary Lollapalooza 2011 Lineup Announced

lolla20th.jpgThe mammoth festival that takes over our city each August is back again, celebrating it's 20th anniversary with a lineup of something old and something new. Rounding out the already reported headliners of Foo Fighters, Muse, and Eminem are the addition of Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5, and A Perfect Circle.

Given the fact that Muse and My Morning Jacket have graced the Lolla headliner stage before, I was hoping for something a bit more impressive. A big blowout of sorts for the 20th anniversary that Lollapalooza is pushing hard through their time capsule website, or at least something a bit more impressive. If you're going to bring back a headliner, can you at least bring back Daft Punk? Then again I'll always have a small piece of my heart holding out that they'll announce David Bowie and/or Blur headlining. A girl can dream.

The giant plus side of Lolla this year, is the stellar lineup of smaller acts. Whereas I find the headliners a bit weak, I'm really impressed with a lot of the bands billed underneath. Some of my personal highlights are:

  • Death From Above 1979 (Reunited and it feels so good! These guys are amazing live, and if you go to Lolla, make sure you don't miss them.)

  • Ellie Goulding (British electro tinged popstar trying to break big in the US. Charming catchy glittery pop that will be perfect durning a hot afternoon.)

  • Phantogram (These guys blew me away at North Coast Festival last year, so catch them as they rise to bigger and better things.)

  • Young the Giant (Long ago these guys were called The Jakes, and we interviewed them. Now they're playing Lolla following a ton of press and SXSW buzz. It's always nice to see a band mature and grow.)

  • The Joy Formidable (I just saw this three-piece from Wales at Lincoln Hall, and they were a powerhouse of a sound. Lead singer Ritzy Bryan is both badass and adorable, commanding the stage (and her guitar) with finesse and moxie.)

  • Jay Electronica (Another highlight from North Coast last year. When his set was on, he was really on. One of the standout [but sadly few] hip-hop acts at Lolla this year.)

  • Daedulus (Another North Coast act from last year moving on up in the ranks. Probably my top rated act to hit Perry's stage this year.)

Another thing to point out is the fact that so many artist that play North Coast and Pitchfork Festival in the recent years now play Lolla. Granted these acts gain popularity and it makes sense for them to move up in rank, but it almost makes the smaller festivals feel like a trial run for some of these acts. If you miss a highly anticipated act at Pitchfork, just wait a year and see them during Lolla. Some of these bands are already skipping this step though (anyone else surprised that Cults is playing Lolla and not Pitchfork?), so maybe Lolla is wising up to this trend.

So readers, what do you think? What big acts are missing? How does Lolla size up to the other summer festivals? Is it worth seeing all these acts for one price on one day, or wait for them to come back around?

Click to see the full festival lineup after the jump.

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Lisa White / Comments (5)

Lollapalooza Mon Aug 09 2010

Lollapalooza 2010 Recap: Sunday, August 8th

Now that the sun has set on another Lollapalooza weekend in Chicago, we can take a look at the fest's successes and failures. I was concerned about the expansion of the fest across Columbus Drive and the addition of 60,000 more tickets, but it ended up being a wonderful thing. I didn't take the width of the street into account in the space that would be created, which is substantial and made it so easy to get from one end to the other and eased the bottleneck around Buckingham Fountain. And the stages that were moved into the grass and trees on the west side of the street provided so much more room for fans to gather rather than straight back into a narrow street.

As for failures, that's probably too strong of a word because they were relatively minor. Lollapalooza is an incredibly well run festival. Things that could become an issue for fest-goers never even enter the mind because they've already been accounted for. You never have to wait long in line for food or a bathroom, and prices for food and drink are relatively reasonable. Plus, while the food at the refurbished Chow Town may not be quite as good as the real thing at each actual restaurant, it's nice to have a better variety of high quality food offerings than you would get at a typical street fest. One thing I saw many times and heard about many more were bum rush break-ins into the fest. Large groups of people rushing the gate or jumping a fence all at once, and then running like mad once overlooked like zombie attacks. Some would make it in, some would be taken down, and some would retreat on their own.

Let's jump into the biggest positive, and the reason that we were all there in the first place: the music. Sunday was a bit of a late start for me, partly waiting for the morning showers to subside before venturing outside. Luckily though, the rain didn't leave the ground a soggy, muddy mess for the rest of the day.

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Michelle Meywes / Comments (1)

Lollapalooza Sun Aug 08 2010

Lollapalooza 2010 Recap: Saturday, August 7th

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Celebrity Kickball (photo by Michelle Meywes)

My Saturday began at a Celebrity Kickball game just outside the Lolla grounds. Put together by new Chicago event website Do 312, the game featured celebrity musicians (Foxy Shazam, Wolfmother, Kill Hannah and The Lovehammers' Marty Casey), television actors (Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat, Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad) along with some local celebrities (Chicagoist's Tankboy, Rockit's Billy Dec, Clayton Hauck and Miss Wicker Park, Jill Hopkins). As awkward as you might expect a lineup like that to be, it ended up being really entertaining for players and spectators alike. Yes, there were lots of skinny jeans, some short athletic shorts, and of course, beer and big league chew. There were some great catches, some great kicks, and some hilarious misses. A fun beginning to a music-filled afternoon in Grant Park.

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Michelle Meywes / Comments (2)

Lollapalooza Sat Aug 07 2010

Lollapalooza 2010 Recap: Friday, August 6th

I realized yesterday that Lollapalooza as it exists now is basically a three-day pop up musical city. And I like it. I still reminisce of the first year that it was reincarnated as a destination festival and only took up the south half of Butler Field. I watched and cringed as it grew year after year. But Friday, something hit me. A musical city is what you make of it, just as Chicago itself is. It offers a little something for everyone. You can't do it all. But that is not what the intention is.

Ask any attendee and they will have their own, different Lollapalooza experience. Some may stay at one stage the entire day. Some may come strictly for the headliner. Some may spend the afternoon in Hammock Heaven. Some may run from end to end to actually see their "custom schedule." Some may attempt to sample all the fare at Chow Town. And then there are some who may not eat at all and instead live solely on Bud Light for three days.

Here is my day in the city...with a little help from fellow Transmission writer, James Ziegenfus.

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Michelle Meywes / Comments (1)

Lollapalooza Fri Aug 06 2010

Lollapalooza Stage Clash 2010

Every year it becomes harder and harder to decide what band to see during a particular hour at Lollapalooza, partly because the bands are so great, partly because choosing a band on one end of the vast Lollapalooza empire means you just won't have time to hoof it to the other end for another's set. Here's our full preview of what to hit and what to skip at the festival.

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Fri Aug 06 2010

Lollapalooza Stage Clash 2010 - Round 5


So we wrap it up in style. This is it. The final countdown. How will you spend your last few hours as the sun goes down on Lollapalooza this weekend? Choose your sets carefully, remember just how big it all is this year (bigger than ever before). Our suggestions to aid the toughest decisions follow. (Review all of our Lollapalooza picks from the week here.) We'll be reporting each day all we hear and see and smell from the grounds at Grant Park, so check back to read all about it.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8TH: NIGHT

5-6:30pm Erykah Badu vs. Dirty South
The incomparable Erykah Badu, queen of neo-soul R&B, has made heads turn this year. Whether it was for the fact that she stripped nude in her video for "Window Seat" or for the fact that it was at the site of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, she's been making news. The diva, once known for her traditional African hair wraps and bird-like voice, has started bearing all in recent years, with a magnificent afro and stripped down lyrics about sex and politics, not just heartache. She'll be at the adidas MEGA stage as the light starts getting mellow. By contrast, Dirty South, are Aussies with a devotion to House music. If you're one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of mini backpack-wearing dance trance fans who'll be in attendance at the festival, and are in search of a stage where you can crack your glowsticks a little early and get sweaty with your new best friends, Perry's stage across the street will be the place to be.
- Anne Holub

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Lollapalooza Thu Aug 05 2010

Lollapalooza Stage Clash 2010 - Round 4


We're entering the final stretch in our Lollapalooza preview. Sunday, the third day, the day you're struggling to pry your sunburned body up out of bed (or off the floor) and get outside again. But never fear! There are plenty of reasons to shower and get your butt down to Grant Park for your last chance to dance in the dusty softball fields for another year.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8TH: EARLY AFTERNOON

1-2pm Company of Thieves vs. The Dodos
While locals Company of Thieves have been a longtime favorite of mine, The Dodos supply a more complex and eclectic sound and would be a shoe-in for any music fan with experimental tastes. However, CoT singer Genevieve Schatz has one of the most charismatic stage presences of any band coming out of our city. Besides, it seems like The Dodos would be much more enjoyable if you are already familiar with their work, while I can't think of a single reason anyone would not completely fall in love with Company of Thieves upon first listen. This one's a toss-up. It's a total win-win.
- Stephanie Griffin

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Lollapalooza Wed Aug 04 2010

WLUW Live Broadcasts From Lolla Grounds

freeyrradio.jpgChicago's WLUW-FM 88.7 has teamed up with Toyota for Free Yr Radio to broadcast live all weekend from inside Lollapalooza. Festival-goers can stop by their stage just north of Buckingham Fountain to say hi to their favorite DJs and see live performances and interviews from Lolla artists such as The Antlers, Balkan Beat Box and Nneka. Even if you can't make it to the fest this weekend, you can listen in from 11am to 7pm each day locally on 88.7 FM, or globally at www.wluw.org.

Toyota's Free Yr Radio program (now in its fourth year) supports independent radio by providing unique opportunities like this all summer long to stations just like WLUW across the country. This year, in addition to Lollapalooza, you'll hear them at the music festivals Mile High, Outside Lands, Bumbershoot and Voodoo Experience. This will be WLUW's largest remote broadcast to date. WLUW's General Manager Danielle Basci says, "...the opportunity to broadcast live from inside Lollapalooza is something that wouldn't be possible without the support of Free Yr Radio. For three days we'll be able to directly connect with our fans at Lollapalooza while showcasing some of the festival's amazing artists."

Be sure to follow Free Yr Radio on Twitter and Facebook for schedule info.

Michelle Meywes

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 04 2010

Introducing Lolla.me, Your Lollapalooza Scheduler

lolla.meAs we noted, the Lollapalooza App is really good -- but what if you don't have an iPhone? The folks behind the scheduler app SitBy.Us (disclosure: I'm one of them) have created lolla.me, a free web app that works on just about any smart phone, sponsored by Gapers Block!

Lolla.me combines an easily scannable festival schedule with simple maps on which you can check in and give your friends at the show an idea of where to start looking for you. You also have the ability to be more specific about where you're standing or include some other commentary. It's linked into your Twitter account, so you don't even have to worry about adding your friends.

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff / Comments (2)

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 04 2010

Lollapalooza Stage Clash 2010 - Round 3


Saturday night brings more heavy-hitters to the varied stages of Lollapalooza. Our staff ponders to Dookie, or not to Dookie, among other major life choices.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7th: NIGHT

5-6:15pm Deer Tick vs. Metric
Now I'm a big fan of any edgy, badass front woman — especially Emily Haines of Metric — but I can't see how you can pass up Deer Tick's gritty, southern-hued rock 'n' roll set. The Providence, R.I.-based band writes songs of sensibility and heartbreak, then smothers them in indie filth. I saw them live in a dive bar in Iowa, where they broke into an a capella version of "Dirty Dishes" so perfect I nearly exploded with glee — I am easily combustible when it comes to grungy, country blues. See them Saturday at 5pm on the Sony stage.
- Dee Fabbricatore

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Transmission

Event Tue Aug 03 2010

See Chiddy Bang and Hockey Before the Fest

Eblast Chi Lounge_Confirmation.jpgWant to go to an exclusive Music Lounge party this Thursday? Entertainment Weekly is hosting an event event at Rockit with performances from Lollapalooza artists Chiddy Bang and Hockey, and we've got your invitation right here. All you have to do is RSVP to EWLoungeRSVP@ew.com by tomorrow (be sure to include first and last name for you and your guest). The event runs from 6-8:30pm, but make sure you get there early, because even with your name on the list, entry is limited to venue capacity and will be on a first come, first served basis.

Rockit Bar & Grill is located at 22 W. Hubbard St.

Michelle Meywes

Lollapalooza Tue Aug 03 2010

Lollapalooza Stage Clash 2010 - Round 2

We continue our Lollapalooza set battles with the most hard-to-decide sets of Friday night and first thing Saturday afternoon. From Reggae to Ga Ga to Dubstep, it's quite the smorgasbord of musical delights.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6th - NIGHT


5-6:30pm Fuck Buttons vs. Caspa
There is a new saying going around his Myspace page that states, "If you don't know Caspa, you don't know Dubstep". If you have found yourself in the situation of possessing ignorance to this style of electronic music, make haste to the Caspa stage as promptly as possible to get your needed fill of remix action. This English master of beats is said to bring it like no one. Fuck Buttons however, will have you in a daze. Their now classic 2008 release Street Horrsing put them on the map as masters of the drone/post-rock movement. With the ability to still capture their epic sound in a festival setting, the duo is amazing no matter where they play and experiencing them is something that one should do at least once to see why the band has a cult following. You will most likely join.
- Aharona Ament

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Mon Aug 02 2010

Lollapalooza Stage Clash 2010 - Round 1

Every year it becomes harder and harder to decide what band to see during a particular hour at Lollapalooza, partly because the bands are so great, partly because choosing a band on one end of the vast Lollapalooza empire means you just won't have time to hoof it to the other end for another's set. All this week we'll be bringing you our staff's picks on which band to see and which to skip. Hopefully making your hard decisions a little easier.

Without further ado, we bring you picks for

Friday, August 6th: early afternoon


Noon-1pm Wavves vs. Balkan Beat Box
While 2009's Wavves and this year's King of the Beach remain on regular rotation on my summer soundtrack, Wavves turned out a less than stellar performance at last year's Pitchfork Music Festival, so I'm inclined to write them off for this year's Lolla. To their credit, at the time singer Nathan Williams was playing guitar with a broken arm, security was having major issues after the barricades had caved in and I suspect the poor performance was partially due to sound issues that were not entirely the band's fault. Isreali electronica band Balkan Beat Box are guaranteed to bring a sweaty dance party, and offer a much larger variety of musical styles and sound experimentation than Wavves. The best bet would definitely be to get your gypsy punk groove on and head over to Balkan Beat Box's set.
- Stephanie Griffin

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Transmission

Lollapalooza Thu Jul 29 2010

Going to Lolla? There's an App For That.

Lolla-App-Add2Sched.jpgIf you have an iPhone and you're headed to the musical smorgasbord in Grant Park next weekend, the Lollapalooza App is a must have. It's more than just a hand held map and schedule with artist descriptions (which you can add your own notes to), it's actually kind of ridiculous all the things you can do with it.

  • Tweet and update your Facebook status (with pictures!) directly from the app with their pre-filled templates.
  • That Slacker music player you've been listening to all summer on Lolla's homepage? You can stream it on your phone. And if you hear an artist you like, you can add it to your personalized schedule right there.
  • If you want to go but you don't have tickets yet, you can actually purchase tickets through the app! Out-of-towners can even purchase travel packages.
  • Plus, most importantly, it has a virtual lighter for those emotional moments during the headliners. (I probably could have just said that and you would have been convinced...)

Did I mention it's free? Get it early, play around with it, sync your accounts and you'll be all ready to go come 11am next Friday. It'll be a great resource at the fest, assuming you have cell service. Fingers crossed!

Michelle Meywes / Comments (2)

Artist Thu Jul 29 2010

Flosstradamus: A Quintessential Chicago DJ Duo

[This post was originally published on the Lollapalooza news blog.]

When it comes to hometown heroes and proving that the Midwest is the best bet, Flosstradamus is one of the strongest examples for Chicago. The DJ duo of Autobot (Curt Cameruci) and J2K (Josh Young) first popped up on the Chicago music radar in 2005, when the duo formed and hosted the "Get Outta' the Hood" parties at local joint Town Hall Pub. The event was a huge success, a no frills affair where the one guarantee was the night would end in a massive dance party. The Town Hall Pub days might be long gone, but Flosstradamus has kept Chicago moving with their FlosstraPROMus, a yearly event, and the long running Oldies Night that just wrapped up after two successful years. Besides throwing party after party, the duo found time to tour all over the globe with the likes of Chromeo and Kid Sister (J2K's sister), release a slew of mixtapes and singles, and play massive festivals including Coachella, South by Southwest, Pitchfork Festival, and Lollapalooza, where they'll return to the stage this year to keep Grant Park moving Lolla 2010 weekend.

Floss-Hauck.jpg
Flosstradamus (Photo by Clayton Hauck)

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Lisa White

Lollapalooza Tue Jul 27 2010

Just Announced: "Intimate" Soundgarden Lolla Aftershow

charlespeterson.jpgIf you had hoped that newly reunited Soundgarden had been one of the bands chosen for Lollapalooza's rash of aftershows, your wish has come true. Lolla has just announced that the band will play an "intimate" concert at the Vic Theater on Thursday, August 5th, the night before the festival gets underway.

The catch? Tickets will only be available for purchase to those chosen by random drawing on Friday, July 30th. In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must be a member of SG's official fan club (register here, and make sure you check the box to enter the drawing).

There are a multitude of other rules which you can read after the jump, or on Lolla's official website.

Continue reading this entry »

Michelle Meywes

Lollapalooza Tue Jun 22 2010

Lolla Aftershows Announced

Phoenix, The Black Keys, The National, MGMT...my head is spinning. These are just a few of the artists announced today who will be playing those official Lollapalooza aftershows. What better way to keep the party going straight from the festival grounds late into the night?

Our friends at Do312 are the source for all things Lolla-aftershow, and their kickoff party is tonight at Debonair (1575 N Milwaukee). Dont forget to RSVP for your chance to win Lollapalooza tickets.

Tickets for all the aftershows go on sale this Friday at 10am. See the full list after the jump.

Continue reading this entry »

Michelle Meywes

Lollapalooza Tue Jun 22 2010

Lolla After Party Announcement: MGMT

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Sometimes planning your Lollapalooza after party schedule can be just as exciting as finding out the line-up of the festival itself. It's about that time of year for the after party announcements to start rolling in, and we've just received word of the first of the bunch. Lolla has teamed up with charity concert series Dare 2 Dream to bring psychedelic rock duo MGMT to the House of Blues Friday night of Lollapalooza weekend. The concert benefits The People's Music School in Uptown, a tuition-free community school that provides music education for hundreds of children per year. The band will also be playing Lollapalooza's Budweiser stage Sunday, August 8th at 6 pm.

UPDATE! Soon after this posting, the Lolla camp announced a slew of other official after parties, including The Black Keys, Devo, The New Pornographers, Cut Copy, and The National. See the full list here. Tickets for all after parties go on sale this Friday, June 25th, at 10 AM.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Tue Jun 08 2010

Decision Time: Lolla Schedule Announced

Lollapalooza's full schedule was announced this morning, so now comes the time when you are forced to decide which of your favorite bands you will see as they play at opposite ends of the park--or whether you'll be running wind sprints back and forth for three days straight. Single-day passes are also on sale today, if you choose to go that route instead.

We've got your headlining match-ups below, but you can find the entire schedule on Lollapalooza's website (where, as always, you can create your own customized schedule).

Continue reading this entry »

Michelle Meywes

Lollapalooza Tue Apr 06 2010

Official Lollapalooza Line-up Announced!

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Following a lot of speculation and a Hangman-esque teaser game, the official Lollapalooza line-up has arrived. Who's gonna be rocking Grant Park this summer? For starters, we'll be seeing the much-speculated Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, Green Day, and The Strokes. Added into the mix are Social Distortion, MGMT, Spoon, Devo, The National, Cypress Hill, Gogol Bordello, and Jamie Liddell. Locally, we're being represented by Company of Thieves, Mavis Staples, and The Ike Reilly Association, among others. Over at Perry's DJ stage, count on busting a move to the likes of Empire of the Sun, Digitalism, Erol Alkan, Flosstradamus, and Kaskade. View the full Lolla line-up here. Early bird and advance tickets have already sold out, but you can pick up full-priced $215 tickets here. Lolla will be taking place August 6th-8th in Grant Park.

Stephanie Griffin

Feature Mon Aug 10 2009

Lollapalooza 2009 Recap

Reviews of this past weekend's festival are slowly coming in over the wires as our staff recuperates and adjusts our eyes from the glare of the sun to the gleam of the computer screen. Nevermind the blisters, here's our look back at Lollapalooza 2009 (with further updates as bulletins arrive).

Continue reading this entry »

Anne Holub / Comments (1)

Review Sun Aug 09 2009

Review: Dan Deacon Loft Show

IMG_0060

All Photos by William Hasty and his trusty iPhone. Thanks Will!


"This isn't going to be one of my typical shows," announced Dan Deacon as he set up shop in a warehouse loft nestled between the hum of factories in Bridgeport. "It's been a long day, and I know it's hot and dirty, but let's try and relax," Deacon proclaimed over a room full of sweltering Hipsters who came to see him and a laundry list of bands play a last minute after show Saturday night.

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Lisa White / Comments (1)

Review Sat Aug 08 2009

Review: Arctic Monkeys @ Metro

3801375862_70cb1eee4f

All photos by Andy Keil for Gapers Block


Lollapalooza weekend in Chicago isn't just about sweating with the masses in Grant Park. Since the festival retired the touring shtick and rooted down in Chicago, after parties, pre-parties, and general music festivities have been popping up during Lolla weekend. This year the number of events have been staggering and overwhelming, but if you're looking for a guaranteed good time, put your faith in the hands of one of the most respectable venues in Chicago. The Metro is playing host to a sold out weekend of shows, giving audiences the lucky chance to see acts that usually are reserved for a the confines of a larger venue. Last night the Arctic Monkeys stirred up a packed crowd into a rabid frenzy with their brand of infectious post-punk infused rock 'n' roll.

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Lisa White

Feature Fri Aug 07 2009

Lollapalooza 2009: Band vs Band, Round 5

Ding Ding! Imagine this: It's Sunday night at Lollapalooza. You're tired and sweaty and dirty and yet totally charged up and ready to rock. Our team of writers has the picks of which what stages will be bliss and which stages are best to miss. Read on for more.

lollapalooza2009.gif

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Anne Holub / Comments (1)

Feature Thu Aug 06 2009

Lollapalooza 2009: Band vs Band, Round 4

Our fourth round of coverage gets you through the all-important early hours on the last day of this weekend's entertainment. It's a true test of the passionate festival-goer, who by that point is soggy, tired, and maybe not-just-a-little-bit sunburned. You'll need to muster all their strength to get up out of bed before noon and head down to Grant Park, but if you do, you'll be kindly rewarded. Read on for more.

lollapalooza2009.gif

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Anne Holub

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 05 2009

Fuse TV at Lollapalooza


Fuse TV is going interactive this weekend at Lolla with their new application
Twt-a-palooza. The app connects to your Facebook or Twitter, and allows you to interact with other festival-goers as well as receive updates from artists at the fest (and you can customize the list of artists about whom you want to receive updates by importing your Lolla schedule). It's relatively quick and easy to set up and could prove useful this weekend.

Fuse has also put up over 50 downloads from this year's Lolla artists to get you prepped for this weekend, and will be broadcasting "Fuse Fest: The Best of Lollapalooza '09" on their TV network next Saturday, August 15th, at 8 pm.

Stephanie Griffin

Lollapalooza Wed Aug 05 2009

Lollapalooza 2009: Band vs Band, Round 3

Day three in our previews of what to hit and what to quit at Lollapalooza this weekend. The forecast is looking hot and steamy, and so are some of these bands! Keep reading for more on our favorite upcoming stage clashes on Saturday night.

lollapalooza2009.gif

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Anne Holub / Comments (3)

Feature Tue Aug 04 2009

Lollapalooza 2009: Band vs Band, Round 2

Here we go with the second installment of our set-to-set matchup of Lollapalooza's bands. Today's battles rage on as Friday and Saturday's music starts to heat up. Keep reading for our picks on what to hear when.

lollapalooza2009.gif

Continue reading this entry »

Anne Holub

Feature Mon Aug 03 2009

Lollapalooza 2009: Band vs Band, Round 1

I've often said that music festivals are a marathon, not a sprint, and should be eased into with much pre-festival calf stretching. That being said, we're going to give you a full week of Lollapalooza performer previews, each geared to help you choose which stage to spend your time during which set. We're not going strictly chronological here, but we're kind of teasing it out each day this week so check back often.

OK, here we go: It's Lollapalooza 2009: Band vs. Band!

lollapalooza2009.gif

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Anne Holub / Comments (4)

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Feature Thu Dec 31 2015

Our Final Transmission Days

By The Gapers Block Transmission Staff

Transmission staffers share their most cherished memories and moments while writing for Gapers Block.

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