Chicago is a fantastic setting for a music festival like Lollapalooza. With the skyline in the background of the big stages, and then the smaller stages feeling more intimate, Grant Park is incredible. Walking from one main stage to another, you cross through Buckingham Fountain which glows different colors at night, and as you approach your destination stage, the view is often unobstructed and goosebump-inducing. There’s a certain kind of magic about a collective music experience.
Fashion: Cutoffs and crop tops ruled. Guys and girls wore bandanas, and sunglasses were a must. Everyone has awesome sunglasses. Some groups dressed up in themes, but due to the heat, the general attitude was “less is more.”
My favorite acts:
Metric – Lead singer Emily Haines is amazing. She was running around the stage in a completely sequined top with leather shorts and burgundy suede slouchy booties with gold bedazzled sunglasses. Everyone around us (especially the gentleman) kept referring to how awesome she was. High energy, great set. The crowed erupted when they played “Help, I’m Alive.”
SBTRKT – Held at the more intimate Google Plus stage, this set gave us the opportunity to be in the shade a while. The first “dance” set, this experimental group wore African tribal masks and pounded on drums. They got the whole crowd grooving and ready for the night ahead.
Passion Pit – Fresh off releasing a new album, they’d cancelled all their concert dates prior to Lolla. Performing in chinos, shirts and ties, this set was every bit as awesome as we expected, although we only stayed for about half of it, as M83 was our big “must see.”
M83 – No words to describe this set. They were the best of the day.
