I'm back! I decided since I have been really busy this summer with some work stuff and having a lot of events that I have not covered that this would be the perfect time to. So this past weekend I attended Lollapalooza for the second year in a row and I'm going to do this post similar to last year's where I break down each day and each artist. I will say it once and I will say it again, Lolla can be expensive ($336 plus tax), but this fest is completely worth every penny with all the bands and artists they bring for all four days.
So let's begin.
Thursday, August 3rd
Liam Gallagher
To start the afternoon off on the first day, my friend and I went to see the one and only Liam Gallagher since we did not really care for anyone there and I also know a couple of his songs. We get there and instead of going into the pit we sit off to the side in a grassy area and just listened to him for a little bit and talked. He sang about three or four songs and I realized that the music stopped and he was not talking at all. We decided to head up to the pit area and we looked on stage and they were taking his set down completely and he was not even on stage. He walked off without saying a word and I was pretty much confused. We were behind some pretty big Gallagher fans and they asked one of the guards where he went and according to him, a fan had a poster, which said I love Noel (his brother), and it made him mad and walked off. Everyone around us was pretty mad, but it's the only true Liam Gallagher way to walk off the stage.
Cage the Elephant
After Gallagher walked off the stage, we actually got a pretty good spot for Cage and I was extremely happy. For me, this was my fourth time seeing this band and they have never disappointed me especially on this day and I will explain why later. This band can walk on the stage and give the best performance of their lives for every show and can make any person love their music even if no one knew their songs. They set the fest off right for me since it was a little rainy and we only heard three songs before they even started. I will always recommend them to people who want to go to concerts but do not know who are good artists to see because they will have you dancing around and screaming your lungs out.
Lorde
Before I start this post off, I will say I have never been a big Lorde fan or listened to her music besides what plays on the radio, but she was actually really good. I thought I would just stand there for her performance, but surprisingly my friend and I were bopping the entire time she was on the stage. Like I said earlier, it was raining on and off the whole day that day, but as it got darker, it got worse. I was completely soaked from the rain and then the wind decided to pick up and I was freezing for the rest of the night until someone gave me an extra poncho. So Lorde stepped out and the only song I knew played and everyone was dancing enjoying themselves and she was talking and getting ready to say she was going to sing a new song she has not performed yet, her manager walked on the stage. She has to get off the stage and said she would be back and then the giant screen went black and told everyone to evacuate because a storm was coming. The show ended up getting canceled and she only sang three songs.
So if you ever think about getting a one day pass just hope and pray this never happens to you because it was a hot mess minus the Cage set.
Friday, August 4
Moose Blood
This band is more of a punk band from England and the way I found out about them was actually through one of my roommates who told me that I needed to see them when the Lolla lineup was announced. They went on early in the afternoon that day and me, the person who hates mosh pitting, sat in the back enjoying their music. They are the type of band to listen to when you are kinda in that emo mood and just want to relax all day long. I would probably recommend them to people who listen to bands like State Champs, All Time Low, and other bands similar to them since they sound the same as them. They set the mood off right as this day was going to be crazy for me since after this set we went straight to another stage to start our camp out for The Killers.
Jidenna
I have never heard of this man before I saw him start and I was actually surprised at how good he was. When we got there we were close to the stage getting ready and trying to figure out what type of music this person would play. I would say it sounded kinda like Kayne, but minus the autotune and more natural. During his set, I found out he sang the song Classic and I was actually mad at myself that I did not know that was him. Would I ever see him again? Maybe, but I would continue to listen to his music now.
Phantogram
This one again was another band I did not think I knew until they sang the only song I knew. I liked the lead singer's voice a lot, but half of the time I was not paying attention to what she was saying, but still, I would listen to their music. The more and more I started to listen to them after this day I am now starting to like them. My favorite part of this whole set was at the end, Shaun White, the lead singer's boyfriend, stepped out with her little dog to give to her and she held it in the air and I just thought it was cute. This would be another band I would see. But, at the end, I was in the fifth row and ready to see The Killers and I had one more set to go before seeing them.
Run the Jewel
This terrible rap group made me realized again how much I hate mosh pits, especially for rap concerts. This was another group I never heard of and I would never see them again. Their fans complained the whole time before they came on because of people, who have been camping since 11 a.m. that morning, were in the front and they did not know the group. If you want a front row spot for a group then camp out, those people deserved it for their dedication so I did not see any wrong in their doing. Before this awfulness began, everyone was pushing trying to make it to the front, but I was still in my fifth-row spot until the show began. I felt like I was going to get stepped, crushed or at least get something broken during this set and I could not wait for it to be over. I was moved back from my amazing spot to somewhere in the middle and these people truly did not care if you got injured or anything. This rap group was terrible and would never see them again and made the hour miserable.
The Killers
Amazing, outstanding, never been done before, best experience of my life. This was my first time ever seeing this band and I thought I was going to cry because I was so happy about seeing them. I always listen to their songs before and my roommate and one of my good friends got me a little more obsessed with them. I personally think they were another group there that made Lolla worth it as well besides Cage because they again can make anyone love their music. A lot of people complained because they were on at the same time as Blink-182, but to me, it did not matter because nothing can live up to the hype that is The Killers. I would see them over and over again and so happy they announced a tour date in Michigan so I can see them again. I was actually more sad about them and Cage being over and missed them more than Lolla, that's how good they were.
Saturday, August 5
The Japanese House
I consider this band another chill type of band if you are laying around and not doing anything. When I saw them they were the perfect band to just lay down and just listen to because I did not feel the need to get super close to in the pit. Would I ever see them again? Probably not, but I would see them again if they ever play Lolla again.
Vance Joy
I do not listen to a lot of Vance Joy songs, but I always got him and Milky Chance confused, but he was actually good live. I rather listen to him live than listening to him on the radio or on Spotify. He is like Ed Sheeran playing his guitar the whole time and just a good person to listen to and bop around with a group of your friends on a nice sunny day. So catch me at his next tour day whenever that is because he is a little cutie who has a nice soothing voice and catchy song lyrics.
Chance the Rapper
This show was insane. I have never seen so many people gather in Grant Park just to see one artist play before. There was nowhere to move and filled with people ready to see Chance play in his city. I have seen Chance before back in May in Michigan and he put on a good show there, but nothing can compare to a hometown show. He did hype the crowd up and played more of his older stuff than he did in Michigan where people did not even know his newer stuff. To me, I felt like it could have been a little bit more crazy, but again that's what I thought. Another good laugh I got was when people actually thought he was actually going to bring out Kanye. Like people had high hoped, but I think we could all agree that we knew that was not going to happen. I was actually surprised when he did not bring another big name out with him since it's his hometown show, but then again he probably wanted to be focused on him and enjoy his city.
Sunday, August 6
I'm not going to go into every single band I saw this day since it was a more chill day and I saw a grand total of six bands this day so I will only go into the main bands I saw.
NoName
For those who do not know her like I did, she is a chill rapper compared to other female rappers like Nicki Minaj. If I could compare her music style, it would be to SZA where she writes more beak up raps or love type stuff and can be relatable to other people. She was at a smaller stage, but I thought she could have been at a little bigger stage since she drew in more of a bigger crowd than what they probably thought. I never really listened to her and only knew who she was because my friend is obsessed with her and her music. I felt bad for some of the backup singers who came on stage to sing their parts and their mics were actually not turned up all the way and they were really good and did not the chance to show it off.
Charlie XCX
I knew Charlie XCX has some pretty popular songs like "Boom Clap" and her part in "Fancy," but I did not expect her to draw in such a big crowd on the small stage she was put at. She could have of put on a whole show from one of the two main stages and still have a giant crowd gathered around her to listen and dance along. I liked her sound and listening to her, but I made it pretty late to her set since she started right as NoName ended so I just chilled in the back and watched people dance along to her. I am also disappointed in myself and my friend because she brought out Capcakke and we did not even realize it, but still a great performance.
Milky Chance
Milky Chance reminds me of a hipster version of John Mayer. Like he is good and everything, but I just kept comparing them to each other for some reason. I only went to listen to him to hear "Stolen Dance" and he was another person where I ended up liking some of his other songs he performed there. He danced and stuff, but his songs are not bop type songs to jump around to, but more to sway and jam to during a relaxing car ride. I would go see him again, but in a smaller venue compared to the main stage at Lolla.
Arcade Fire
I never listened to this band ever in my life, yet if you saw me dancing in the pit you would have thought I knew every single song. My friend and I were just walking around and did not want to leave early so we stuck around to hear them. At first, we sat on the little hill off to the side of the stage, but we were just excited and bored so we ended up going into the back of the pit in this little circle where everyone was dancing and just joined in. Personally, this was the best band we saw that day because we were just having a blast and just non-stop dancing. They were the perfect way to end the Lolla weekend off.
This year, I felt the crowd was a little crazier than normal and that there were more young high school kids than normal and the adults were a little more aggressive this year and cause more of a scene than anyone else. I had some little aggravated moments with some people there, but overall this fest is pretty good with the crowd, but I hope in the years that it goes on that they make it 18 and over because some people brought their little kids and some of the younger kids do not know how to handle their drinking before coming in and cause more of a mess. I just cannot wait until Lolla next year, August 2-5, and for the lineup to be announced. To listen to the artists I talked about and hear some of my favorite songs by them, feel free to listen to the playlist I made on my Spotify. Also on there, you can follow my playlists I made for other concerts I have been too as well.
Enjoy!
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