Biggest Lollapalooza Yet Underway

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 11:54:58 PM EST
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Lollapalooza opened today in Chicago, the biggest one yet. The Chicago Tribune will be live-blogging it all weekend. Here's the lineup.

Will Sen. Barack Obama make an appearance? He's nuts if he doesn't. Rather than pitching them on his candidacy, since most probably already support him, he ought to welcome them to his home town and use the opportunity to encourage them to register to vote. And reach out and text a friend with the same message.

Three-day attendance is expected to top 200,000 for the first time since Lolla made its Grant Park debut in 2005.

8 stages,120 bands, 700 journalists and record high heat. Last year, we were all at Yearly Kos in Chicago when Lollapalooza kicked off. Too hot with too much humidity for me, but I can see why it's such a big deal.

Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine,Wilco, Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails seem to be among the more well-known groups. The clip above is Radiohead's House of Cards.

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Biggest Lollapalooza Yet Underway | 30 comments (30 topical)

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You were there last year, Jeralyn? (1.00 / 1) (#1)
by TheJoker on Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 11:57:07 PM EST

What was your favorite musical act?

No, I was a block away (none / 0) (#2)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:10:03 AM EST

at Yearly Kos. Way too hot and humid for me to attend an outdoor rock concert. I'm also not familiar with most of the groups.


Sorry. I misunderstood. Never been to (none / 0) (#4)
by TheJoker on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:14:25 AM EST

Chi-town so I don't know the area. What exactly were
you doing(if I'm not getting personal) ;)


attending Yearly Kos (none / 0) (#5)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:18:09 AM EST

Yearly Kos. This year they changed the name to Netroots Nation.


Yearly Kos (none / 0) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:20:26 AM EST

From the link above:

The YearlyKos Convention is an annual convention gathering people from all walks of life who belong to the netroots community, the US-based (but globally focused and inclusive) non-partisan grassroots community that uses the internet and blogs as primary tools for expressing viewpoints; building consensus; acting to change the status quo; mobilizing huge numbers of people and informing each other and the world about current events, grassroots actions, networks, meetings, policy and more.
YearlyKos Convention 2007 will take place August 2-5, 2007 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to the forum, the conference will include panels and caucuses led by national and international experts; prominent nationally recognized political, issue and policy-oriented speakers; a progressive film screening series; and the most concentrated gathering of high-profile progressive bloggers to date.

Hey when do they decide the location (none / 0) (#8)
by TheJoker on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:21:44 AM EST

year to year? Do you know next year's location yet?


: Pittsburgh (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by Teresa on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:26:52 AM EST

He'll show (1.00 / 1) (#30)
by Bornagaindem on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 03:13:17 PM EST

Oh I am sure Obama will show up because then his campaign can claim that all those people came out to see Obama and not just the bands, just like in Seattle and Berlin. It si too good an opportunity to miss.

Going to see Radiohead (none / 0) (#3)
by coolit on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:11:54 AM EST

later this month in Los Angeles and San Diego. Definitely great shows whenever they play.

I remember the first Lollapalooza back in 91 (none / 0) (#6)
by Key on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:18:20 AM EST

Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Living Colour, Ice-T & Body Count, Butthole Surfers, Rollins Band. Unfortunately, someone from Siouxsie & the Banshees was "sick" when the show came to Boston, so they didn't perform.

92 was another good year with Pearl Jam, the Peppers, and Soundgarden. But still, nothing beat the first year....

Good times with crowds of just a few thousand. I had no idea it's grown so large.

In another five years (5.00 / 0) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:23:56 AM EST

it will be as big as Woodstock. I wonder if they let you sleep over like they did back then, or if you have to leave at night when the shows stop.

One of my favorite Woodstock songs is the Jefferson Airplane's Volunteers...it's the version with them coming out first thing in the morning and Grace Slick yells, "Morning Maniac Music" and they launch into the song. I have it on my iPod but haven't found a video of it.


can you link an audio file? (5.00 / 0) (#12)
by nycstray on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:49:15 AM EST

who needs video with that one?! I think we can handle just audio :)

Funny (to me) aside: whenever I hear something about the Airplane, Dead, etc, it reminds me that I actually lived on the corner of Haight-Ashbury. And other past passing associations. :)


I just found the song on my ipod (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:34:52 AM EST

It's on the album 2400 Fulton Street

She comes out and the music is playing and she says,
Alright Friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you will see the morning maniac music. Then she walks out to the stage with the music playing louder and she yells, Good Morning People. Believe me, it's a new dawn.


Great quote! (5.00 / 0) (#20)
by nycstray on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:55:27 AM EST

"Good Morning People. Believe me, it's a new dawn."

I'm going to put that on a tee for my early mornin' Dot (dog) walks! :)

And now of course, I need to check the 2400 Fulton addy on google maps. I moved from Haight to Oak, and iirc, Fulton was right across the panhandle strip. My sister emailed me after a "Summer of Love" type event in GG Park (last summer?) her account of it was too funny!

and yes, I will be searching for a DL based on your info, THANKS!


here's the quicktime version (5.00 / 0) (#23)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 02:56:32 AM EST

it sounds a little better to me. Now I'm going to sleep, it's 1:55 am!



Oh wow, you just made my (none / 0) (#25)
by nycstray on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 03:05:55 AM EST

life so easy. It just went straight into my iTunes (which I really never use, but HotDamn!) That's an easy transfer for me! THANK YOU! And yes, once around the block with the Dot (dog) and I'm off to bed also. Work done, CSA pickup in a few hours and a day of cookin' :)

Thanks again, really appreciate it :)


: my pleasure (none / 0) (#26)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 03:08:31 AM EST

I love learning how to do new things. 'night!

I just uploaded it for you (5.00 / 0) (#22)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 02:51:03 AM EST

Took me from when you sent your comment until now, 1:49 am, to figure out how to get it off my ipod, onto a computer, saved on a cd, converted to mp3 and quicktime, and uploaded to the server.

Here it is, enjoy.


: ThankYou!!! (none / 0) (#24)
by nycstray on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 03:00:42 AM EST

I most def enjoyed! And thanks for all your effort to get it uploaded! I haven't dealt with audio files for a bit and my whole night has been unfriendly graphic files.
Transferring the file to my phone hopefully after I take the Dot (dog) for her walk before I sleep :) Or after I wake up and in prob better mode to figure it out, lol!~

It already is. (none / 0) (#14)
by lobary on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:34:12 AM EST

Lollapalooza's been huge for a long time, Jeralyn, but it's become massive as a result of the tectonic shift the internet triggered in the music industry. These bands are big time. You may not know them, but if you watch TV, I guarantee you've heard quite a few of them on various commercials.

See: Volkwagen (Wilco). Or Cadillac (Explosions in the Sky). Or any number of bands on Ipod commercials....


No slumber parties allowed. (none / 0) (#21)
by lobary on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 02:04:12 AM EST

But they do allow overnight camping at the Coachella Festival. It's the closest thing to Woodstock.


It's become a statement that sticks out (none / 0) (#11)
by Edgar08 on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:45:05 AM EST

even in the most arbitrary of settings....

Catch if you can -- Wilco (8:30 p.m., Bud Lite): Last year's show at Millennium Park was a keeper, plus you never know if Barack Obama will show up.

Context (1.00 / 1) (#18)
by lobary on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:45:23 AM EST

Later at a Lincoln Park nightclub, Obama spoke to a raucous crowd of music fans, who paid up to $500 per person to see a performance by Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy, and two other band members.

"Before these guys go, I want them to know that I had heard a rumor that they had suggested that I had nothing by them on my iPod," Obama said. "That is not true. I love Wilco."

http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/obama-i-love-wilco/

As a die-hard Wilco fan who's seen them numerous times over the last decade, often in front of small crowds in intimate clubs, I don't know if I'm more offended by Barack's pandering on this one or the $500 price tag.


: Obama has to pull votes or $ 5 ways til Sunday (1.00 / 1) (#28)
by thereyougo on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 10:39:03 AM EST

In Berlin, they got the huge crowd because they had free bratworst and beer plus 2 popular groups.
I mean, really, Obama screams get me elected ANYWAY possible. Its pathetic how politics has just turned into this cheesy media event.
http://tinyurl.com/5k572j

They still do this? (none / 0) (#13)
by Steve M on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 12:53:01 AM EST

Does Liz Phair still play?!?

didn't courtney love play one year? (none / 0) (#16)
by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:35:45 AM EST

That was '95. (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by lobary on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:52:10 AM EST

Hole played, along with Sonic Youth, Pavement, Cypress Hill, Sinead O'Connor, Beck, Yo La Tengo, and a bunch of other bands that I don't remember.


: i remember camping out (none / 0) (#27)
by free the wm3 on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 04:14:00 AM EST

for tickets in 96. Gas was less than a dollar, and i saw my personal heros, Ramones, before they broke up. Lars from Rancid played the Pinhead. i would have paid every bit of my minimum wage salary for 2 months to have bounced around on stage wih a rubber mask and a "Gabba Gabba Hey!" sign.

I think so (none / 0) (#17)
by Steve M on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:40:47 AM EST

I seem to remember it was right after Kurt Cobain died, actually.

Looking at the lineup I've heard of maybe a half-dozen acts. Sometimes I feel so old. Actually I laugh sometimes imagining my 2-year old saying to me someday, "Kanye West, that's old people music!"


I live in Chicago... (none / 0) (#29)
by Marco21 on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 01:13:29 PM EST

and Lollapalooza is fricking fantastic for this city. I am so glad we landed it. But this year's lineup is uninspired for my tastes. I may attend Sunday for Love & Rockets and NIN, the former I love, but I fear despite attendance levels, the new incarnation of Lolla may suffer the same fate of its previous series. Too mainstream and expected.

The 2007 fest was awesome. Amy Winehouse was sober and spot on. The Stooges ruled the festival. Iggy pop at 60 ran circles around his much younger competition. Other highlights were the Cold War Kids, Patti Smith (in the rain) and The Roots.

My only regret was not running into dreamy Max Blumenthal who was in my hometown just minutes away. Okay, not Lolla's fault, but c'mon.