Lollapalooza, Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois

Friday

We arrived at Grant Park a bit before 2pm. As we would have to each day, we waited through the standard bag check, pat down, and wristband scan in order to enter, but it wasn't more than a 20 minute wait. The weather was pleasant, relatively cool and a bit overcast

Since 2005, the festival takes over the majority of Grant Park, along the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, for a long weekend in early August. Currently, the festival includes eight stages of varying size, running along the north-south axis of the park. Food, beverages, and bathrooms strategically located throughout. In the middle is Buckingham Fountain, one of the world's largest fountains, anchoring the park and the festival.

The festival’s sets run between noon and 10pm each day from Friday through Sunday. The four largest stages are located on the furthest north and south points of the grounds, two on each side, facing each other. Set times on those stages are staggered such that when the music on one ends, it immediately begins on the one directly facing it. This generally led to very efficient days; there was always something to see and very little downtime spent waiting for the next show to start.

We started the day in a bit of an out of the way place, seeing a Portugal. The Man mini-set on the Kidzapalooza stage. It was nice to sit in a shady, uncrowded, grassy area to start the day. Children of all ages ran around the area, including those with their parents and others with summer camp youth groups. The band played a few of their own songs and a few covers, including “Dayman” from the TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A bit of an odd choice but much appreciated.

Our next stop was to see Brillz at the Perry’s stage, where most of the electronic dance music was happening that weekend. We immediately recognized that we were among the oldest people there. While we weren't that familiar with the pair of DJs or their music, the youngsters around us knew it all. We also noticed that several of those same songs would reappear in the sets of other Perry’s Stage DJs throughout the weekend, a reminder that they were mostly interested in playing crowd-pleasing hits. Brillz was a good way to ramp up the excitement of the day and kill a bit of time. Even if the experience was short-live, it was a good introduction to the stage, which had much different character as compared to the others.

Before long we headed back over to the BMI stage for Johnnyswim, who I had recently discovered from NPR. It was the first act of the day that I specifically wanted to see. We arrived early and found a spot pretty close to the stage, noticing a complete shift in the band’s target audience, as we were now among the youngest in the crowd. Johnnyswim are a husband and wife duo, Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez, with a few other backing musicians. They remind me a bit of The Civil Wars, though a bit more blues and rock than folk. Sudano is Donna Summer’s daughter. It was a short set but very enjoyable.

Johnnyswim Setlist:
Don't Let It Get You Down
You & I
Trouble
Pay Dearly
Live While We're Young
Diamonds
Home
Heart Beats

We caught a bit of Hozier, mostly from a distance while waiting for Interpol to begin, the latter of which I was also hoping to catch. They were enjoyable, and I was happy to see them, even though I’m not a huge fan. Their set was a bit lackluster for me, perhaps mostly because they played a lot of their earlier stuff instead of anything from their most recent eponymous album, which is my favorite. Perhaps it would have included some newer tunes, but the performance validated not going to see them the previous night at a Lollapalooza pre-party.

Interpol Setlist:
Say Hello to the Angels
Evil
C'mere
Hands Away
Not Even Jail
Obstacle 1
NYC
Anywhere
Narc
All the Rage Back Home
PDA
Slow Hands

We left Interpol early for Chvrches on the Lake Shore stage, our first end-to-end trek across the festival grounds, which I was pleased to find, took less than 15 minutes. It was also our first visit to the southern-most and largest set of stages. The next three shows including Chvrches, Broken Bells, and Lykke Li was perhaps the run of shows that I was most looking forward to all weekend. Though I have been listening to all three bands for a while, I had yet to see any of them live. Now here they were, back-to-back-to-back.

The field was already packed when we arrived, requiring us to squeeze our way through the crowd to reach the far side of the venue where we had agree to meet Sarah and Blair. I was a bit worried that all the shows at that stage would be this crowded, however Chvrches were an anomaly. Like Mumford & Sons at the Which Stage in 2011, they drew a much larger crowd than expected, throwing the festival off its axis. The probably should have been allocated a set on one of the festivals two largest stages. Even though we were pretty far back, I enjoyed their set. Being a newish band, they don’t have a very deep catalogue.

Chvrches Setlist:
We Sink
Lies
Lungs
Gun
Night Sky
Strong Hand
Science/Visions
Recover
Tether
Under the Tide
By the Throat
The Mother We Share

Immediately following on the Samsung stage were Broken Bells, the new collaboration of James Mercer, the of indie rock band The Shins and Brian Burton, better known by his stage name, Danger Mouse. They perform a pretty honest combination of their two independent sounds, which was enjoyable if a bit sleepy.

Broken Bells Setlist:
Perfect World

The Ghost Inside
After the Disco
Medicine
The Mall & Misery
October
Holding On for Life
Vaporize
Control
Meyrin Fields
Trap Doors
The High Road

The sun was setting as I returned to Lake Shore stage for Swedish indie pop singer-songwriting Lykke Li. She was dressed in black flowing leather garments, which combined with her pale skin and the billowing smoke, made her look a bit like a vampire. Her set was much less well attended than Chvrches’ a couple hours before, so it was easy to slide up close to the stage and move about freely. It was another fairly low energy set, but the energy and excitement of the crowd picked up a bit towards the end of the set with her renditions of “I Follow Rivers” and “Get Some.” It was finally fully dark by the end of my three set run of Chvrches, Broken Bells, and Lykke Li. Overall, all three were good but nothing spectacular. Perhaps I set my expectations a bit too high, considering that I wasn’t dying to see any of them, rather they made a nice trio.

Lykke Li Setlist:
I Never Learn
Sadness Is a Blessing
Just Like a Dream
No Rest for the Wicked
Jerome
Dance, Dance, Dance
Little Bit
Gunshot
Never Gonna Love Again
I Follow Rivers
Youth Knows No Pain
Get Some

At Bonnaroo, no other acts play at the same time as the headliner, so attendees are guaranteed to not have to make a tough decision against the weekend’s biggest acts. However, at Lollapolooza, headliners are up against each other every night. It can be a bit frustrating, but realistically, the festival doesn’t have the space to host the entirety of its 100,000 attendees at a single stage. Some evening’s decisions are harder than others. While I’m not a huge Artic Monkeys fan, since I’ve already seen Eminem, it was an easy decision. Like many of the shows thus far, I enjoyed their show and liked hearing more songs than I would have thought, but not a highlight of the weekend.

Artic Monkeys Setlist:
Do I Wanna Know?
Snap Out of It
Arabella
Brianstorm
Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
Dancing Shoes
Crying Lightning
Knee Socks
My Propeller
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Library Pictures
Fireside
No. 1 Party Anthem
Teddy Picker
Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
Fluorescent Adolescent
505
Encore:
One for the Road
I Wanna Be Yours
R U Mine?

Saturday

The weather on Saturday was lovely once again. It was much sunnier, so more important to drink plenty of water. We arrived around the same time and headed directly to Z-Trip at Perry’s stage. I actually remember seeing him at Bonnaroo in 2003, so it was interesting to see that he’s still making the festival circuit, playing to a crowd that was mostly in preschool when I last saw him. His set included a lot of samples from the 90’s and 2000’s. We didn’t stay long so we could head south in anticipation of Australian indie rockers The Temper Trap, enjoying a good part of Phosphorescent’s set from a distance while we waited.

I had seen the Temper Trap several years ago at another festival, but was excited to see them again. They played a nice mix of old and new songs, meaning that if you happened in on any part of their set, you’d likely hear at least one of their popular songs. After they finished up a nice version of “Love Lost,” towards the beginning of their set, I realized it was the first song of the whole weekend that I got completely wrapped up in, forgetting everything else around me for a few minutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to stay much longer, as we headed off to see another Australian, John Butler Trio.

Temper Trap Setlist:
Intro
Rabbit Hole
Love Lost
Trembling Hands
Down River
Burn
Fader
So Much Sky
Science of Fear
Summer's Almost Gone
Resurrection
Drum Song
Rock the Casbah
Sweet Disposition

Despite leaving early from The Temper Trap, we arrived after the John Butler Trio began. Nonetheless, we still heard a few of my favorite of his songs and some good jams, including “Ocean,” another song which I easily get lost in. Afterwards it, John Butler noted, “Never has so much self-indulgence been so encouraged,” which struck me as pretty self-aware, especially compared to the smug hippy blather that he normally feels compelled to share with his audience.

John Butler Trio Setlist (probably incomplete)
Hoe Down
Better Than
Ocean
Zebra
Livin' in the City

We trekked to the other side of the festival for Grouplove, another fun, high energy band that I had seen before. Even though I spent the first bit of their set sitting on the lawn, it was still a rocking good time. They also threw in a few fun covers which I don’t remember from last time.

Grouplove Setlist:
I'm With You
Itchin' on a Photograph
Lovely Cup
Raspberry
Shark Attack
Sabotage (Beastie Boys cover)
Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten
Spun
Tongue Tied
Drunk in Love (Beyoncé cover)
Borderlines and Aliens
Ways to Go
Colours

Back on the opposite end, we caught a bit of Manchester Orchestra while waiting for Foster the People. For me, Foster the People are in the category below even Chvrches, Broken Bells, and Lykke Li. I occasionally listen to and moderately enjoy their albums, even though I never considered them particularly special. So not surprising, compared to some music I saw earlier in the day that I really love, Foster the People fell a bit flat for me. It was also a lot quieter and the crowd a bit less excited than I thought it would be. Perhaps everyone felt the same way that I did. I was on my own for most of the set though, so I took advantage and moved around to see from a few different vantage points, which was a nice change of pace.

Foster the People Setlist:
Best Friend
Life on the Nickel
Helena Beat
Pseudologia Fantastica
Coming of Age
Houdini
Waste
Call It What You Want
Are You What You Want to Be?
Miss You
Pumped Up Kicks
Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)

Saturday was my third time seeing The Head & the Heart, tracing back to Bonnaroo 2011 when they opened Sunday afternoon on the Other Stage, the smallest main stage as the festival. Just a year later they opened up the main stage on Sunday at Firefly. Now they had a similar large stage and a nice set time in the early evening as the sun was setting. Their set was fun as always with new songs included.

The Head & the Heart Setlist:
Cats and Dogs

Coeur d'Alene
Homecoming Heroes
Shake
Ghosts
Cruel
Sounds Like Hallelujah
Another Story
Lost in My Mind
Gone
Down in the Valley
Rivers and Roads

Throughout the day, the subject of the evening’s headliner, OutKast, came up. We kept wondering just how many OutKast songs there were that we actually wanted to hear. As integral a handful of their songs are to early 2000’s pop culture, it had been a long time since came they released any new material or were otherwise relevant to modern music. As revered as the duo, featuring rappers Big Boi and André 3000, are, we had troubling naming more than a handful of songs that we were actually excited to hear. Such songs on everyone’s list included “The Whole World,” “The Way You Move,”  “Ms. Jackson,” “B.O.B.,” and of course “Hey Ya!” Beyond that, we more or less viewed the rest as filler.

We picked a spot pretty far back, such that we couldn't really see much of the rear screen, much less the stage. However, we were in good range of some speakers and could hear quite well. I delayed us from making an early trip to the bathroom between sets in case they opened with something good. As the bombastic drums of “B.O.B.” filled the field, the audience went wild and I knew I made the right call. After their ten or so year hiatus, it was a surefire way to quickly ignite the crowd for the set.

I liked the setlist, as they threw in one of their big songs periodically. After “B.O.B.,” a trip to the bathroom allowed us plenty of time to get back in time for “Ms. Jackson.” After “The Way You Move” we agreed that we would stick around for one more big hit. Shortly thereafter, they launched into “Hey Ya!,” only a bit over half way through their set. Having heard a significant portion of the songs we hoped to hear, we moved along to another show. Not staying till the end to hear “The Whole World” wasn't too disappointing.

Outkast Setlist:
B.O.B.
Gasoline Dreams
ATLiens
Skew It on the Bar-B
Rosa Parks
Da Art of Storytellin', Part 1
Aquemini (with Sleepy Brown)
SpottieOttieDopaliscious
Ms. Jackson
Kryptonite (I'm on It) (Purple Ribbon All-Stars cover)
GhettoMusick
The Way You Move
She Lives in My Lap
Prototype
Hey Ya!
Hootie Hoo
Crumblin' Erb
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Player's Ball
Elevators (Me & You)
Roses
So Fresh, So Clean (with Sleepy Brown
Int'l Player's Anthem (I Choose You) (Underground Kingz cover)
The Whole World

After OutKast, we went over for the dance party that was taking place at Perry’s Stage for Chicago’s own electronic dance trio Krewella. They incorporated endless covers, old and new, and layered on their own vocals. Their covers included many artists that were also at the festival that weekend like Skrillex and Calvin Harris. Since I’m not familiar with their music and many of the covers that they chose, I wasn’t sure where the covers stopped and their music began. They also put together plenty of smoke and lights to create the right atmosphere. Again, it was no surprise that there were so many youngsters at the stage. It was a great time though and I was disappointed when it ended at 9:45. I could have danced for a lot longer.

Krewella Setlist:
Party Monster
Tsunami (Dvbbs & Borgeous cover)
Greatest DJ (twoloud cover)
Henry Fong & Reece Low - Slapjack (Original Mix)
Numb (Linkin Park cover)
Play Hard
Back to Earth (Polar Bears cover)
Alive (Cash Cash x Kalkutta Remix) / Alive (Pegboard Nerds Remix)
Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 / Excision & Downlink - Headbanga
Where We Belong (Zomboy Remix) (Avicii cover)
Warp Brothers - Blade / Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (Kid Kamillion Trap Edit) / Down With Webster - One In a Million (Autoerotique Remix) / ID - ID
M.I.A. - Yala (Bro Safari & Valentino Khan Remix)
Tranz-Linquants vs. Onex & Trax - One More
Turn Back Time (Sub Sub cover)
Live for the Night
Botnek - Through the Night (DallasK Remix) / W&W & Blasterjaxx - Rocket
Snails & heRobust - Pump This
2 Live Crew - Hey We Want Some Pussy / Mercer & Bare - Bangla
Recess (Skrillex cover)
Botnek & 3lau - Vikings (E-VO & Joeyyy Remix)
Heat (Felix Cartal cover)
Ludacris - How Low / Aero Chord - Ctrl Alt Destruction
Legacy (Save My Life)
R3tro (The Prophet cover)
Rock You / Zomboy & MUST DIE! - Survivors
Ring of Fire
Killin' It
Bonfire (Knife Party cover)
Yin Yang (Tyl3r cover)
Bang to Me Nasty VIP (Modulate cover)
20K (Pegboard Nerds cover)
Come & Get It
F**kin' Problems (A$AP Rocky cover)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
Under Control (Calvin Harris & Alesso feat. Hurts cover) (with Hurts)
Dancing with the Devil
Nobody Beats the Fucking Drum (Tony Bennett cover)
Enjoy the Ride
Alive
We Go Down (Darren Styles Remix)

Sunday

The sky on Sunday was overcast and rain looked imminent as we passed through festival security. Being optimistic, I didn't even bother to bring raingear, which I would normally consider a cardinal sin. We arrived a bit earlier on Sunday but didn't have anything we wanted to see until almost 2pm. We killed some time in the grass by the beer garden. Shortly after we arrived, the sky opened up and a brief thunderstorm soaked the festival. We took shelter beneath a large tree for the duration of the storm. Fortunately, it didn't last too long and had mostly dissipated by the time we needed to push off to our first show of the day. It rained periodically throughout the day but never more than a brief shower.

Our first show of the day was Delta Rae. Like The Head & the Heart, they are a folk rock band that Lindsey introduced me to at Bonnaroo, and we have since also seen at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. As detailed in my other posts, she knew one of the band members in college. Their set was fairly similar to their Lincoln Hall show, and the crowd was quite lively considering the relatively early hour and festival setting. They also win the award for most excited band to be there; each member wore a beaming smile throughout their set. It was also the first time all weekend which we were fairly close to the stage while waiting for the show to start. The band was also on stage waiting for the set across the way to end, which should be expected but was still a bit strange to see.

Delta Rae Setlist:
Run
Dance in the Graveyards (snippet)
Is There Anyone Out There / Morning Comes
Bottom of the River
Because the Night (Patti Smith cover)
Any Better
We All Want Love
Chasing Twisters
Bethlehem Steel
If I Loved You
Surrounded/ Magic
I Will Never Die
Dance in the Graveyards

Immediately following Delta Rae on the opposite stage was jazz funk master Troy Andrews, a.k.a. bandleader Trombone Shorty, with his band, Orleans Avenue. Trombone Shorty is always just a fun time. It is perfect festival music, a band that just about everyone enjoys. We mostly sat and relaxed in the grass, though I wiggled a bit as well. He included a completely unexpected cover of Green Day’s “Brain Strew.” His ability to take on a punk song showcased his talent well.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Setlist:
Liar, Liar

The Craziest Things
Buckjump
Sistamamalover (Lenny Kravitz cover)
Hurricane Season
Fire and Brimstone
One Night Only (The March)
Brain Stew (Green Day cover)
Do To Me

We wandered over for our first show at the small Grove Stage, aptly named as it is nestled in a grove of trees. As it started to rain again as we approached, being under the trees was a lucky break.  On stage was The 1975, an English punk emo band. We again found ourselves to be among the oldest people in attendance, even though we weren't at Perry’s Stage. I wasn't really into their set, as it was just a bit too whiny for me. Lindsey mostly came to hear their two biggest songs, “Chocolate” and “Sex.” I’m not sure whether it’s a coincidence or not that the songs are titled two often compared things. We were hoping to hear at least one fairly soon so we could move on to other things, but it wasn't too be. They didn't play either son until the very end, which is pretty annoying. The 1975: I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

The 1975 Setlist:
The City
M.O.N.E.Y.
So Far (It's Alright)
Talk!
An Encounter
Settle Down
Heart Out
Pressure
Robbers
Girls
Chocolate
Sex

We left The 1975 early to see Irish rocker Glen Hansard on the Lake Shore Stage. I had seen him before with his Once co-star, frequent song collaborator, and ex-girlfriend Marketa Irglova, so even though I liked him, he wasn't a must-see for me. That was also partly because I didn't really know what he would play and how it would sound. Upon arrival, I discovered it was a perfect mix of his various musical projects. Backed by a full band, he played his Swell Seasons collaborations with Irglova, music from his days with his band The Frames, and some of his more recent solo stuff. We only caught the tail end of it, but good to keep in mind for next time. Compared to The 1975, this time we were lucky that he saved at least one of him best songs and certainly my favorite, “Fitzcarraldo,” for the end. Again, I lost myself in a song for a good ten minutes. He closed with “The Auld Triangle” a Irish song from the 50’s/60’s which is covered by many artists, Irish and otherwise. After belting out a verse, he gestured towards the Perry Stage and invited the audience to join him in with chorus by remarking, “At the top of your voices; we gotta drown out that shit over there.” He also invited his guitar tech sing a verse.

Glen Hansard Setlist:
When Your Mind's Made Up (The Swell Season song)
Lowly Deserter
Talking With the Wolves
Love Don't Leave Me Waiting
Baby Don't You Do It (Marvin Gaye cover)
Bird of Sorrow
Revelate (The Frames song)
Fitzcarraldo (The Frames song)
The Auld Triangle (cover)

We crossed the field to the Samsung Stage for The Avett Brothers, our only visit to the festival’s largest stage that day. Despite our late arrival for a prime time set, we were able to get quite close, most likely because it was spectacularly muddy near the stage. So anyone wanting to keep their feet clean had to stand quite far back. The entire audience near the stage was standing in a big puddle of mud throughout the length of the set. It
was kind of fun though. Naturally, some people were sliding around in the mud, though we didn’t embrace the experience quite that much. The Avett’s are great performer and always a lot of fun. I know and like most of their songs. They also threw in a few good covers, including ending on “Jump in the Line,” an interesting choice for a folk bluegrass band.

Avett Brothers Setlist:
Satan Pulls the Strings
Talk on Indolence
Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
Down with the Shine
Live and Die
Laundry Room
You Send Me (Sam Cooke cover)
The Race Is On (George Jones cover)
Slight Figure of Speech
Colorshow
Morning Song
Kick Drum Heart
Geraldine
I and Love and You
Jump in the Line (Harry Belafonte cover)

Walking from the Samsung Stage to the Bud Light Stage, I immediately noticed the hundreds of people leaving Perry’s Stage covered in even more mud that me. On the way, I met up with my cousin Andy. Though he was at the festival on Saturday and Sunday, this would be our first meet up of the weekend since our desired acts had little overlap, but we finally both aimed to see the same set – Skrillex closing of the festival. Also in tow were a bunch of Andy’s friends, so I found myself in a
nice sized crowd of fellow revelers. It was basically just dancing like mad for an hour and half. Good fun. His set was also accompanied by a solid visual show – lights, lasers, smoke, etc. Skrillex didn't seem like he was doing a whole lot on stage though. In my estimation, he hit the play button and danced around. He also was a bit too chatty for my taste and for lack of a better term, a bit of a douche. Yes, Skrillex we get it, you’re a rock star and have an awesome life. Thanks for reminding me again. He challenged us to “Scream if you want to be young forever.” Don’t even know what to make of that.


Skrillex Setlist:
Try It Out [Neon Mix] & [Put 'Em Up Mix]
Dirty Raxxx (Snails cover)
Collard Greens (ScHoolboy Q cover)
LOKO
All Is Fair in Love and Brostep
Club Action (Smookie Illson Boot) (Yö cover)
Rebel (TrollPhace Remix) (David Heartbreak cover)
Raptor [SKisM & LAXX Remix] (Zomboy cover)
Make It Bun Dem [Alvin Risk Remix]
King Of Africa / Go (Jack U Mashup)
Choosing For You (Nightwatch Remix) (I Am Legion cover)
NRG (Skrillex & Kill The Noise & Milo & Otis Remix (Duck Sauce cover)
Go Deep (KillaGraham DnB Edit) (Motif cover)
Without Warning (Silver Fox Remix) (Ego cover)
Recess (Valentino Khan Remix) & (Ape Drums Remix)
Intergalactic (Beastie Boys cover)
Muscle (gLAdiator Remix) (Low cover) (Be Faithful Acapella)
Get Low (DJ Snake cover)
My Love (Route 94 cover)
ID [Kill Acapella]
Bang That (Skream cover)
Danger (Habstrakt VIP Remix) (Eptic cover)
The Devil's Den (VIP) (Push It & Change Positions)
Stranger
Salute (Wiwek cover) (Waiting Up)
Vikings (Botnek cover) (Summit)
Hotplate (The Moody Blues cover) (Rock N' Roll)
Trophies (Young Money cover)
Make Some Noise (Valentino Khan cover) (First of the Year Intro)
First of the Year (Equinox)
Tell Me (RL Grime cover) (Kids)
Revolution (Diplo cover)
I Can't Stop (Flux Pavilion cover)
Breakn' a Sweat
Wild For the Night
Survivors (Zomboy cover) (Wild (MUST DIE! Remix) Intro)
Promises (NERO cover)
Freak (Rickyxsan Trap Bootleg) (Steve Aoki Feat. Zuper Blahq cover)
Ease My Mind (Jai Wolfe Remix)
ID [Major Lazer] (Coast Is Clear Acapella)
Ragga Bomb
Kyoto
Aerodynamic (Daft Punk cover)
Saltshaker (David Heartbreak cover) (Ying Yang Twins cover)
Express Yourself (Diplo cover)
Bangarang
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Fire Away (Zero Friendz Remix)
Cinema / Latch / Levels / (Skrillex Mashup)
ID [MUST DIE]

While still one of the nation’s premier festivals, attracting approximately 100,000 people per day, it was incredibly convenient and wonderful to be able to head home at the end of each long day for a show and good night’s rest. These benefits also meant that it doesn't have quite the same vibe as Bonnaroo though. It feels like less of a commitment. Because of this and because many people are only there for a single day, there’s less of a “we’re all in this together” feeling. It’s also a bit of a disadvantage that there’s a pair of headliners each night. As such, there’s no point in time when everyone is all seeing the same thing. Overall, Lollapalooza is a fun festival and for those of us that live in Chicago, very well worthwhile. I look forward to making it an annual event.