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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We'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?
The 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Chicago'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.
As 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.
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
Want 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.
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
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
If 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!
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.
If 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
A raucous band of cellos. A tuba concerto. A double bass concerto. May is Low Register Month (you didn't know?), and the deep-voiced instruments are full of surprises and rare appearances. Plus, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra kicks off its Keys to the City piano festival. If you survive NATO and Mother's Day Brunch, come back for June.
Every year it becomes harder and harder to decide what band to see during a particular hour at 
