Lollapalooza Update #3: Making a Killing

     After an unexpected rainout the night before, Day 2 of Lolla went much more according to schedule. There were the usual obscure(at least for now) acts in the morning, sporting such names as Lard Dog & The Band of Shy, Mura Masa, Slothtrust, Slushll, 3LAU, and(my personal favorite) San Holo. Going later into the day, a few more well-known acts started to creep up, such as Tegan and Sara, Foster The People, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. That last act may not sound too familiar at first blush, but Andrew McMahon is a familiar face. He started Jack's Mannequin back in 2004 and had some respectable success with the group. Ever since 2014 he's been touring as part of his own solo act, which was performing onstage yesterday. Arguably his best-known song with the new act is Fire Escape, which I'm sure was played last night. Then we move into the headliners: DJ Snake, Blink-182, and The Killers. Blink-182 is several years into their second go-around as a band, and they seem to be doing just fine. DJ Snake is firmly into his career, and he executed another fine performance last night. The Killers were the final act of the night, and they gave a great show as well. They've been in the news lately for the fact that their single "Mr. Brightside"(which was released way back in 2003), has a peculiar habit of popping up every so often on the UK singles charts, even 14 years after it came out. I've listened to the song myself, and it is quite catchy. Certainly deserving of being popular all these years later. As for their show, the crowd loved it. "[It was] definitely a great show, The Killers were amazing" said Leah Wineland, who attended the show. And to top it all off, it didn't get rained out! Lollapalooza is rolling along today for Day 3, with arguably the biggest act of the weekend up tonight. But more on that in the next entry.

Lollapalooza Update #2: When it Rains, it Lordes

     After infesting the regional rail system with loud teenagers, Lolla got around to its intended purpose with some music yesterday. The first couple of hours were, as usual, filled with acts that people really haven't heard of(though you could always find a future star out there, like a 2007 Lady Gaga for instance), interspersed with a couple more notable acts. As the evening rolled in, Cage The Elephant played on one main stage, while Wiz Khalifa was whizzing away on the other.Then, the day's final acts took the stage. Muse succeeded Cage The Elephant, and Lorde took over for Wiz. However, both acts ended up featuring the same surprise guest: Mother Nature in the form of torrential rain. In short order, things went from being a re-enactment of Woodstock to a recreation of the first night game at Wrigley Field. Without much warning at all, Muse and Lorde both had to cut their acts short and send fans scurrying to safety. Lorde has said she would try to be back, but no steady plans have been made as of yet.

Lollapalooza Update #1: Shitheads on a Train

     It's the first couple of days of August. That means that Chicago's annual attempt to re-enact Woodstock in Grant Park is underway. For it's 27th year, Lollapalooza is back. And it's bringing, Lorde, Chance the Rapper(no word yet on whether Malia Obama will be in the crowd this time), The Killers, and hordes of other acts(including Andrew McMahon in The Wilderness). Of course, it's also bringing thousands upon thousands of people to the city, many of whom are taking the train. Over at Chicagoist, they're reporting that the Metra system is quickly turning into The Walking Dead, just with over-hyped teenagers instead of zombies. For those of you unfortunate enough to be using commuter rail this week, you have my deepest sympathies. Just remember, it'll be all over by Monday(all except the court proceedings, that is)

Lolla Recap 3/3: Monday Morning Coming Down (to the Courthouse)

And now, the final Lolla recap.  Cheers!
    
     Most people think that Lolla ended on Sunday night. Well most people would be wrong. Monday morning saw another time-honored Lollapalooza tradition: the court appearances for those folks who got busted with drugs over the weekend. This show featured only one stage, manned by the Honorable Adam Bourgeois Jr. Over the weekend, 34 different people were arrested on various levels of drug charges. On Monday, 6 people came before the judge, including: the 23-year-old Tennessean who was arrested with 27 Ecstasy pills and 11 grams of marijuana(proving that everything is NOT better with a bag of weed) and ordered held on $50,000 bond, or the 23-year-old Michigander who was busted at Lolla with $500 worth of cocaine and was held by Bourgeois Jr. with $10,000 bond, or the 3 suburban kids who were all booked for dealing ecstasy/cocaine, or finally, to the 19-year-old Houston native who was fingered trying to sell several pills of ecstasy. All in all, Judge Bourgeois Jr. was kept mighty busy with all the Lolla-related cases coming through his courtroom.

Lolla Recap 2/3: Inside the Music Zone

And now, for the second Lolla vignette of the day: 


     When the skies opened up on Friday's set list, Cage The Elephant was unfazed, taking to their set like seagulls to food on a beach. The ferocity of their play impressed many. Meanwhile, Rich Homie Quan left some things to be desired in his set, falling back on his DJ for the final 20 minutes of his act. One of the most committed fans there was Rich Viola, who camped out in the front row early for one of the shows-in full gorilla costume. Another fan who was committed in an, um, different way was a follower of Portugal, The Man who was determined to go full on groupie with the band's front man. Just one problem: she was plying her skanky trade in the front row-of the kid's stage. You stay classy, Lolla! One of the most anticipated acts was Calvin Harris, who did not disappoint. At one point, his bass drop was so intense that it rendered one reporter's camera inoperative for a few hours. Which makes it even more astounding that a girl was seen TALKING ON THE PHONE in the FRONT ROW of Harris' show. Additionally, many different things were held up by attendees, including sex dolls, dolphin balloons, and fake Gary Busey heads. Speaking of the attendees, there was another interaction of note: after the Calvin Harris show, one of the exiting girls drunkenly fondled someone's face. Of course, what would people-watching be without quotes? So, here's an apt one to round out the piece: "It's Sunday. Please enjoy. The struggle is real". Yes indeed. The struggle is most definitely real.

Lolla Recap 1/3: The President's Daughter

     On Sunday during Chance the Rapper's set, Valparaiso teenager Meghan Lomas happened to glance to her right. Upon doing so, she was greeted by the sight of several imposing men in suits who looked like they meant business. After consulting with several of her friends(who've seen this stuff in movies), and saying hi to this mysterious(yet well-protected) person, she figured out that it was none other than Malia Obama. The First Daughter was present for the proceedings in pigtails and a sunflower-pattern dress, and was there to see Chance, who is from the South Side as well. All reports have Malia being chill and down to earth, until her presence was made public and the Secret Service closed their ranks.

Get Ready for your Lolla down-low

     Okay folks, as I mentioned this morning, tomorrow is the day that my analysis of Lollapalooza goes live.  But it won't just be any old piece.  No, I'll be releasing it in 3 parts tomorrow, so make sure to stay tuned in to Chicago 365 all day long.  And this won't be like most of the Lolla recaps you've been reading, I won't be droning on about how this act did this, and this act did that, etc... No, I'm going for slightly more interesting entries.  Think of them more as vignettes than anything else.  Anyway, the first entry goes live early tomorrow morning.  Get ready, it's gonna be a Lolla-riffic day tomorrow.

Trivia Tuesday: The Flames of December

     Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday.  First, here's last week's answer: Arsenio Hall was discovered in 1978 at Zanies Comedy Club by jazz singer Nancy Wilson, who proceeded to launch him on his way to stardom.  And now, this week's question:

 

Which two infamous fire disasters (that I have written about) have befallen the city in the month of December?

 

 

     Think about it, and I'll be back next Tuesday with the answer.

 

 

Author's Note: For those of you wondering where my post-mortem on Lolla is, stay tuned, for it will be coming soon...

Lolla? Holla!

     If I were to ask any of you what is going on in Chicago this weekend, I might get answers ranging from the Chicago French Film Festival, to a Chicago Sky game, even to the Bears Family Fest.  But let's be honest.  The big deal here is Lollapalooza.  Now I won't be doing my big analysis piece on it till later on in the weekend, but stay tuned all throughout the weekend for flash updates, minor posts, tweets, and Facebook updates related to what's going on, as well as some fun Lolla facts. No matter what platform, all Lolla-related posts of mine will be put under #chicago365, so they shouldn't be that hard to find.  With that, see you in a few days, and happy festing!