So after attending
Gov Ball the first week of the June, I
began experiencing the longest concert drought of the summer. I went from June
9
th – July 30
th without seeing a show. That’s nearly 8
weeks, which is ridiculous considering the activity 2014 has seen. I believe
the only thing that got me through this drought was the promise of an excellent
light at the end of the tunnel:
Lollapalooza.
After an amazing time at Lolla 2013, it was clear that this
should become an annual event on the calendar. Grant Park, Chicago truly is a
perfect venue for a music festival. It’s large enough to hold 8 stages without
conflicting sounds, but it’s also small enough to make a busy day of seeing
many bands on different stages manageable. Plus it’s located right in the Loop
of downtown Chicago, so lodging and transportation are easy. And don’t even get
me started on the aftershows. Pretty much, it’s an epic weekend that any music
fan needs to experience at some point.
So this year I traveled up to Lolla again but took a
slightly different approach to the weekend. As I mentioned in my
Music Festival Power Rankings, I was not overly impressed with the Lolla Headliners. I had already
done the Outkast thing twice, so I spent more time focusing on the bands that
made up the middle of the lineup.
Here’s who I was able to catch: Bombay Bicycle Club,
Warpaint, Portugal. The Man, Chvrches, Lorde, Arctic Monkeys, The Districts,
Vance Joy, Temper Trap, Fitz & the Tantrums, Smallpools, Jenny Lewis, Cut
Copy, Bear Hands, Bleachers, Trombone Shorty, Cage the Elephant, Avett
Brothers, Bronze Radio Return, Young the Giant, Kings of Leon, Chance the
Rapper and Skrillex.
I usually do a Top 10. But I realized there was such a large drop-off between 9 and 10, that I decided to shorten this list to just the Top 9. Enjoy:
One of the earliest sets of the day on Saturday drew one of
the day’s largest crowds. It was Australian singer / songwriter Vance Joy.
Vance is very mellow and has yet to release a full length album. All he has is
a 5 song EP, led by his hit single “Riptide.” This indie hit had the crowd
singing early in the day and has put Vance on the map.
8. Bleachers
I would have been alright with seeing or without seeing
Bleachers at Lolla. I caught their performance at Gov Ball, and thought they
were impressive for a new group that had only released 2 songs. I’m glad to see
them again though after they've gained some more popularity. They kept the
crowd entertained during their hour long set with catchy singles – “Like a
River Runs,” “Shadow” and a cover of the Cranberries classic “Dreams.”
Lead singer and former Fun. Guitarist Jack Antonoff departed
the stage and went into the first few rows of the audience for closer and first
single, “I Wanna Get Better.”
7. Portugal. The Man
This was one of my favorite performances of the weekend.
This wacky alternative group from Alaska came out playing the
Pink Floyd classic "Another Brick in the Wall,", and that was just the start of the covers. They also performed
Queen's "We Are the Champions," “Day Man,” yes the song from
Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and one of
my favorite songs of all time in
Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” where they
actually encouraged the Gallagher Brothers to get back together.
They spent plenty of time on their own material as well.
PtM’s Evil Friends was one of the best albums of 2013, and they performed 6 songs
off that album.
6. Cut Copy
So the big decision on Saturday night at Lolla was between
seeing Outkast or Calvin Harris. I found myself at neither location, but at my
favorite stage – the Grove, seeing electronic rock group, Cut Copy. I could not
have been more pleased with the choice. Cut Copy has a dance music feel, but I
appreciate being able to see the band members play their instruments vs just a
DJ. It semi had the feel of a Empire of the Sun show.
5. Smallpools
Saturday afternoon was packed for the alternative rock fan.
Fitz and the Tantrums, Grouplove, Manchester Orchestra and Smallpools were all
playing in the same time slot, taking fans away from each other. But for the
fans in attendance at the Grove, Smallpools put on an excellent performance.
Similar to a Vance Joy, Smallpools has yet to release an album. Fortunately,
the 9 songs they do perform were very entertaining.
Right away, opener “Mason Jar” let you know that these guys were
no joke. They added some familiarity with a cover of New Radicals “You Get What You Give”
and ended with lead single “Dreaming.” These guys definitely have the feel of a
young Grouplove before they hit it big. I’m expecting a bright future.
I was blown away by the crowd that Lorde drew at Lolla. She
does appeal as almost the perfect Lolla artist, popular with the teenage girls
but actually playing music that’s good enough to persuade any music fan to
check her set out. The crowd for Lorde stretched across the entire field built
for 2 stages, and overflowed into the vendor areas and walkways. I wouldn't be
surprised if despite not even being a headliner she still drew the largest
crowd of the weekend.
Lorde sure is talented. I’ll admit that I do own her debut
album, Pure Heroine, and even listed it as one of my favorite albums of 2013 at the
end of last year. She went through that album, touching all the hits, and even
seemed humbled by the opportunity to play in front of so many people.
3. Avett Brothers
So last year at Lolla, the reason for the trip and winner of
the power rankings was
Mumford & Sons. You may not think it, but an
acoustic band definitely is capable of entertaining a festival and killing it.
The Avett Brothers Sunday evening set was reminiscent of the Mumfords.
Playing tunes that spanned the entire career of the Avetts,
the group had everyone dancing in the rain to good old-fashioned folk rock.
They featured the hits – “Live and Die,” "Down With the Shine” and “I and Love and You,” but
they also played so many lesser known tunes that sounded amazing live. Seeing
Avett’s on a headlining tour is definitely on the to-do list for the future.
2. Cage the Elephant
I first saw Cage the Elephant about 3 years ago, and I have
memories of front man Matt Schultz being wild. What I didn't realize was just how
unpredictable Schultz would be at Lolla. He came out on stage, with his backing
band, in a dress shirt and jacket. Eventually, both the shirt and jacket were
off, and Schultz took advantage of the rainy and muddy Sunday by rolling around in
the mud and using the entire stage to his advantage.
Schultz performed multiple stage dives and traveled into the
crowd at multiple times, all while singing some of the group’s best tunes.
Going through all of Cage’s material, and with entertaining on-stage antics,
this group really showed off as a great festival rock group. (Tampa friends –
they’re headlining Coral Skies in October)
You knew these guys were gonna be tough to beat. While half
the crowd went over to see Eminem headline Friday night at Lolla, I stuck
around the Bud Light stage to see my favorite band of the year – Arctic
Monkeys. I saw these guys back in January as one of the first shows of the
year, and have been itching to see them again ever since.
I was not at all disappointed. The boys played 10 songs off
my favorite album of the year – AM, and they also mixed in a greatest hits
collection from their first 4 albums. The opening drive of “Do I Wanna Know?”
“Snap Out of It,” and “Arabella” to start was epic. And Alex Turner was made to be
a front man, captivating the Lolla audience with his hair-combing and pristine
voice. It’s good to see these guys finally receiving a major headlining slot in
the US. It’s deserved.
