CHICAGO- Crowds filled the streets. Either because the sidewalks were overcrowded or out of sheer disregard, thousands of people were hiking down the middle of Van Buren Street. Obscenities rang from taxis.
Chicago was abuzz for the annual Lollapalooza music festival Aug. sixth through eighth. More than 240,000 music fans, an average of 80,000 a day, filled Grant Park in the downtown area to see some of the most popular and acclaimed acts from a variety of genres. With so many acts and styles to choose from, most of the fans could only agree on one thing: consensus was nearly impossible.
The range of genres included hip-hop stars like B.o.B., indie darlings like Phoenix and superstars like Lady Gaga.
Lollapalooza began in 1991 under the guidance of Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell. It served as a touring showcase of heavy and alternative rock bands up until its initial collapse in 1997. In 2003, Farrell and others revived the concept as an annual music festival highlighting a wider array of styles than the original touring version. Farrell remains a figurehead for the show and performs every year. This year’s attendance numbers reached the highest point in festival history.
One aspect that sets Lollapalooza apart from other large festivals, such as Bonnaroo, is that patrons are forced to choose between two large acts at the end of the day, whereas headliners at other festivals generally don’t have any other acts conflicting with their sets. The tension between fans for the “primary” and “secondary” headliner could be felt as soon as the gates opened on Friday.
Friday’s headliners were as opposite as they come: the “fame monster” herself, Lady Gaga, and the forever-hip rockers The Strokes, who were playing their first stateside show in four years.
The most hardcore Gaga fans were dressed in curious getups, much to the vocal chagrin of less mainstream attendees. Many of the bands playing earlier in the day made snide remarks about Gaga and her fans, but it did not prevent her from gathering the festival’s largest crowd.
Gaga’s set was every bit as extravagant and grandiose as the character she makes herself out to be. The set featured countless costume changes as well as three breaks to change the props, including neon-lit tenements, a fountain of blood and a huge, animatronic “fame monster” which she battled.
Gaga performed all of her hits, from “Just Dance” to the encore of “Bad Romance,” all the while interspersing sermons among the songs. A popular topic was her 2007 Lollapalooza performance, which had significantly lower attendance, and how she overcame it. Gaga made sure to inject her party-girl attitude into the performance as well. Her final words to the crowd combined both messages.
“Thank you for believing in us. We believe in you,” she said as her dancers and musicians took a theatrical final bow. “Now let’s get drunk!”
The Strokes had quite a loyal fan base of their own, even with the multitude gathered for Gaga. Even though the band barely broke an hour during its set and they didn’t play any new material after its four-year hiatus, the band’s fans were thrilled as guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. soloed and vocalist Julian Casablancas displayed his cool swagger by wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses (despite the nightfall). Ohio State student Keith Karchella was among those gathered for the performance.
“F—— amazing,” Karchella, a second-year in psychology, said with a grin. “First time in America in four years, I wasn’t going to miss it.”
Saturday featured a contradiction almost as dramatic among the headliners: the French alternative rock band Phoenix and pseudo-punk rockers Green Day.
Green Day couldn’t compete with Lady Gaga’s stage show, but the performance still featured a large amount of pyrotechnics and other fanfare. The band took the prize for fan interaction by bringing children and teenagers from the crowd to help perform. One dubious young man, after helping vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong sing the 2009 single “Know Your Enemy,” was coaxed into stage-diving back into the crowd.
Another was brought on stage to take on the role of vocalist for the band’s ‘90s anthem “Longview.” Armstrong was so impressed by the boy’s stage presence that he gave him his Stratocaster guitar as a keepsake. The band wrapped up well after its 10 p.m. curfew with the hit “Good Riddance.”
Recent OSU political science graduate Erika Price said Saturday’s other headliner, Phoenix, was surprised by the size of its draw.
“They seemed shocked by the size of the crowd. They said it was the biggest they had ever played to before,” she said. “From their excited, bashful performances I actually kind of believe them.”
Sunday’s headliner continued the trend of having a recently reunited band perform at the festival (2008 featured Rage Against the Machine and 2009 featured Depeche Mode). Grunge icons Soundgarden played the main stage in one of the group’s first shows since its dissolution in 1997.
The group avoided several of its most popular radio hits (with the exceptions of standards like “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman”) and the fanfare employed by Gaga and Green Day but the crowd was still satisfied as the group finished with a fan favorite, “Slaves and Bulldozers.”
Many fans were displeased that they were forced to miss the acclaimed Arcade Fire on the opposite stage.
“Soundgarden is one of those bands I would probably choose no matter what,” said Alex Danieskla, a Chicago resident. “I really wish they (Arcade Fire) would have played at a different time.”
Frustration about scheduling conflicts is an inevitable complaint for music festivals. But if Lollapalooza can continue to build on the variety and quality of artists offered at the 2010 festival, 2011 will not come soon enough for Midwest music fans. The event is already planned for Aug. fifth through seventh, 2011.
