While so many festivals struggle these days, Lollapalooza not only perseveres, but has boomed. One of the biggest music festivals in North America, this year it enjoyed a three-part documentary about its entire history, from touring alt-nineties roots to its twenty-first century version in the center of Chicago at Grant Park. Yes, it’s not what it was, but that’s because instead of wallowing in the past, it has embraced today & tomorrow, with more music than you could possibly catch, Thursday-Sunday, August 1st-4th:
All the headbangers of the nineties lament that Lollapalooza no longer brings the harder sounds (as if Woodstock ’99 never wrecked that sound at festivals…), yet you can still find it, such as the up-and-coming Militarie Gun on Day Two at the IHG Stage. The singer was impressed by all those standing in the heat in the early afternoon, ready to do it all day, saying he could barely take doing his set. There was a song about not being normal, a cover of Blur’s iconic “Song 2”, a mosh pit – it could have been Lollapalooza ’94.
Lolla ’24 also had time for alt-country – something that you might not have found in the nineties edition. Wilderado brought it to the big Bud Light Stage, while The National Parks had their own sweet Toyota Music Den set. Nice guys don’t always finish last.
Still, this year, this fest was kind of designed for gorgeous, energetic alt-pop – particularly female-led (a gender that the original Lolla sorely lacked…). The BMI Stage had the likes of Taylor Acorn and Ava Maybee, while Blu DeTiger at the Bacardí Stage was kind of made for modern Lollapalooza. And then there was McKenna Grace at the Toyota Music Den (even if she looked nothing like her rather mousy Ghostbusters character…).
There were also those who looked to class up the joint, even if less clothes was the order of the day among the fans. Raye brought real class to Tito’s Bandshell, in her long blue dress and tuxedoed bandmates (even if she twice had to pause her show when fans went down at the hard, hot, staring-into-the-sun Bandshell). Meanwhile, Tiny Habits delivered their choral embrace at the BMI Stage.
And then there was Sexyy Red. Booties were shaking even before she came on the Bud Light Stage, and she came out under her sign “SEXYY FOR PRESIDENT” accompanied by faux Secret Service – and her own booty-shaking dancers.
That made for an interesting contrast with the classiest artist of the day (or even whole fest), Laufey, who had the Chicago Philharmonic with her on that same stage. Symphony and even jazz aren’t exactly well-known at Lollapalooza of any era, yet Laufey & co. made it special, including bringing out Raye for jazz cover “It Could Happen To You” by Jimmy van Heusen.
And once again, K-pop came to dominate Lollapalooza. What was a risky surprise a few years ago with J-Hope (QRO Lollapalooza ’22 photos) and Tomorrow x Together (QRO Lollapalooza ’22 photos) has now become a staple, in ’24 with Stray Kids on the Bud Light Stage. Super-fans were in force, and so were the Kids, the eight-member group giving a more rock take on their cross-continental hits (complete with fire & fireworks – and yes, expertly coordinated dancing…).
-words: Ted Chase
-photos: Amelia Baird (save BMI Stage photos, courtesy of Erika Goldring, and Toyota Music Den, courtesy of Mallory M Turner)
