Once failed road show now Chicago’s summer highlight
The three-day concert event, Lollapalooza, is the place to be this weekend for contemporary music fans at Grant State Park in Chicago, Illin. Lollapalooza’s 2008 festival lineup features over 35 headlining acts and 100 bands ranging in style from alternative rock, punk, hip-hop, country, and blues, and promises to be one of the summer’s most thrilling and memorable live music events.
Lollapalooza first appeared on the alternative music scene in 1991 when “grunge” was breaking onto the airwaves and hip-hop was emerging from the underground. The festival’s concept was similar to a modern-day carnival, caravanning North America with the most cutting edge music throughout the summer. Lineups included Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cypress Hill, Primus, and Tool. Non-musical acts were also included such as comedians, circus shows, and dance performance, which helped create this neo-Woodstock happening. The live performance was enhanced by tents filled with art exhibits, crafts vendors, and non-profit information booths making Lollapalooza the cultural event of the 1990’s.
The word Lollapalooza is defined as “remarkable person or thing” and sometimes refers to an oversized lollypop. The concert was created by Jane’s Addiction’s vocalist, Perry Farrell in 1991 as a farewell tour for the bands’ six-year career. Due to the tour’s enormous popularity, it continued to run every summer until 1997. 2003 saw the rebirth of the event, though poor ticket sales the following summer in 2004 lead to its eventual cancellation, as larger multi-day festivals such as Bonnaroo which were modeled after European mega-festivals grew in popularity. Along with a team of concert promoters, Farrell reinvented the show in 2005 as three-day destination festival in downtown Chicago.
2008’s lineup includes mega UK band Radiohead, who in an effort to be more green, are touring this summer utilizing what are basically gigantic rechargeable batteries to power their mesmerizing lightshow. Radiohead are known for having an amazing live performance and have been included on many “must see” lists including Q magazine’s Top 50 Bands To See Before You Die.
Radiohead are joined by Rage Against The Machine and Nine Inch Nails, both who headlined the tour in 1991 and 1992. RATM revolutionized rock and roll all throughout the 1990’s infusing hip-hop beats with Tom Morello’s electric guitar edge and Zach De La Rocha’s potent and unforgettable lyrical rhymes. The band broke-up in 1999 and reunited last year at the 2007 Coachella Festival and have been playing a few highly anticipated dates since. Meanwhile Trent Reznor and camp from Nine Inch Nails have been supporting their latest album “The Slip” which they released for free download to fans on their website in July.
Other main stage acts include hip-hop artist and producer Kanye West, The White Stripes’ Jack White, performing with his other band, The Raconteurs, alternative country rock band Wilco, and groovey hip-hopsters, Gnarles Barkley. Tickets to the show are $80 bucks for a day-pass or $200 for a three-day pass. If heat, gas, and ticket prices can be overlooked, Lollapalooza 2008 looks to be a summer music festival not to be missed.
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