Lollapalooza sucks. Or at least that’s what I have been telling myself since 2019. I have been attending Lollapalooza almost every year since 2016. As a mere 16-year-old, the festival felt grand in a way my little mind had never experienced. I grew a deep love and appreciation for what the yearly event had to offer. It was a privilege to experience music in such an overwhelming way with thousands of people as crazy as I am. What a wonderful way for me to spend the latter half of my teenage years.
Then COVID-19 shut the world down. Just like many other Chicagoans, I anticipated the return of the biggest music festival in Chicago, only to be utterly disappointed by the 2021 lineup. It felt lackluster, weak, and as if it was betraying what the festival originally stood for.
When Lollapalooza announced its 2024 lineup, something changed. For the first time in five years, the lineup felt exciting.
Of course, I didn’t know everyone on the lineup, but for the first time in a long time that was exciting! I bought a four-day pass and immediately began exploring the artists on the lineup. Despite being somewhat against Lollapalooza since 2019, I gave in to the four-day experience. It was the furthest thing from perfect, but all in all, I knew there would be a lot to write home about.
There was an obvious joke about not knowing many of the artists. But for me, the joy of Lollapalooza is discovering new acts in all genres.
This year provided many opportunities too! Including the infectious Southern hip-hop beats and flow of XXL 2024 freshman BigXThaPlug and the beautiful voice of Venezuelan singer Carmen Deleon. Even at the headliner level, I was completely blown away and surprised by SZA’s incredible performance despite not being too familiar with her music.
Taking place during the hottest time in Chicago will always be a massive inconvenience to festival goers. Yet on day one, I experienced one of the biggest turnouts in Lollapalooza history. Starting the day off with the perfect blend of shoegaze and hardcore metal that is Fleshwater kicked ass. Next up was BigXThaPlug briefly before dancing along with Tyla at the T-Mobile stage. Following that was Chappell Roan, who had one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend.
Closing out Thursday night at Lollapalooza was the majestic Hozier.
This performance gave me hope for the rest of the weekend. Having seen Hozier three times already, I still find it very impressive how moving his show is. It was as if nothing in the world mattered but the music at the Bud Light stage. Not the impending rain storm, not the music coming from other stages, not whatever stress life and work have been causing me. All that mattered was Hozier’s show. If day one ended so wonderfully, the rest of the weekend was sure to be just as amazing. Technically my first day at Lollapalooza did not end in Grant Park. Instead, it ended at Metro for a Lollapalooza aftershow
One of the things I admire about Lollapalooza is the aftershows they throw throughout the weekend. Sometimes I find it to be way more exciting than seeing the band at the festival. When Deftones announced an aftershow at Metro two days prior, I immediately bought tickets. Seeing one of my all-time favorite bands at one of my favorite venues in the city? Come on! Not to mention in what was one of the most violent pits I have been a part of! It was an adrenaline overdose I would have gladly let kill me.
Even though the show killed my voice, I still had three more days and one aftershow to conquer. So far, Lollapalooza felt worth it.
Day two saw me running all over Grant Park. Splitting my time between Geese and Militarie Gun in the early afternoon was a tough choice, but in the end, it allowed me to see two bands I feel are bringing excitement to new music. Moving over to the Bacardí stage, it was Blu DeTiger, then off to the Bud Light stage for Sexyy Red and Laufey. The two wildly different women brought two wildly different yet euphoric energies. Sexyy Red put on a vibrant show, suffering from many of the common tropes many modern hip-hop artists fall into, yet saved by her unmatched charisma and humorous lyrics. The show was loud and nasty, much like the St. Louis rapper herself.
Following her set on the same stage was Laufey with the Chicago Philharmonic. Laufey took the Bud Light stage citing her love for orchestral music fulfilled her dream of playing alongside one. Props to the Chicago Philharmonic for playing these beautiful arrangements, which I’m sure took lots of time and effort to perfect. Laufey’s soaring and painfully exquisite voice captured the hearts of many people within earshot. Even more exciting was her duet with singer Raye on “It Could Happen to You.”
Closing out Friday night was SZA, an artist whose music I’m familiar with but never appreciated enough.
From the fantastical nature imagery to the Prince cover, SZA was incredible! As I watched from the hills of Grant Park, I was so far away from SZA that I was essentially watching the screen the whole time. Next to me, a group of festival goers wouldn’t stop complaining about how crowded it was and how far away they were. They said they could get this experience from home. I get it. It’s disappointing not being able to get close. But why whine about it? You’re there! A lot of people wanted to be there and many people couldn’t afford to. As the years go by it gets even more pricey. This festival is a privilege, and I think people like that need to do a better job of understanding that. Sorry for the rant, but I had to get that off my chest!
Destroy Boys dominated the IHG Hotels & Resorts stage with their infectious punk riffs and badass stage presence. After wandering around aimlessly, checking out artists like TV Girl, and eating some amazing food, I parked at the T-Mobile stage for my most anticipated set of the weekend: Deftones. While the crowd was significantly less crazy (and admittedly disappointing), the band put on a spectacular performance. Their youthful energy and unfathomably heavy riffs beat the living shit out of me. Every bass drum hit, every chugging riff, and every piercing scream by frontman Chino Moreno was electrifying!
As The Killers closed out day three, it was refreshing to see people of all ages simply having an amazing time across the Grant Park field.
“Mr. Brightside” live never fails to ignite the crowd (even the people who claim to be too cool for that song). That is a band that never disappoints live. The set from The Killers was enough to give me a kickstart for another night of aftershows.
Reggies Rock Club was hosting Hanabie, a Japanese metal group, with local opening act We Weren’t Invited. The Chicago-based metal group impressed the eager crowd, but nothing could have prepared me for the massive reaction Hanabie was going to receive. There was something humorous about the audience of mostly buff metalhead dudes going to see the girl group-esque metal band, but it made total sense. Do not judge a book by its cover, as Hanabie is a metal force that is equal parts heavy, cute, and badass. This was the exact energy they brought to open up the festival the next day.
Day four saw me extremely exhausted and Lollapalooza was proving to be a lot more fun than I had anticipated.
Seeing Hanabie win over the main stage was wonderful, giving me hope for the future of metal music and the future of this festival. Later I finally checked out the Toyota Music Den, a small tent allowing smaller artists to give even more intimate performances. Performing there on the last day was Carmen Deleon, a Venezuelan singer who I went to see simply because we share the same last name! Talented and charismatic. Delon had a killer voice and an equally talented band, making me want to discover more of her music. The gems of Lollapalooza are in the early afternoon. These are the artists that music festivals need to invest in if they want to continue having music festivals years from now.
Speaking of newer artists, Teezo Touchdown commanded Tito’s stage to a massive crowd shortly after Carmen Deleon. The American singer-songwriter has been gaining lots of momentum, having performed at SXSW and having toured with Tyler, the Creator. This show felt like the witnessing of a future megastar. The crowd was enthusiastically singing and engaging in his witty stage banter. Then they went crazy when he brought out Chance the Rapper to thank him for supporting his music.
To close out my Lollapalooza weekend, I stood at the T-Mobile stage to see Pierce the Veil and Blink-182.
As someone who goes to a lot of metal shows, I usually tend to be disappointed in Lollapalooza’s lackluster crowds. It always seems like they’ve never been to a metal show. They’re either standing still or recording the set on their phones. That being said, Pierce the Veil had the single craziest crowd I’ve ever experienced at Lollapalooza. The surge to the stage was that of a disaster movie, as crowd surfers crawled their way to the front and moshers let out what little energy remained after a four-day weekend. The pyrotechnic-filled show accompanied by a beautiful Chicago sunset made the experience so much more whole. After all the craziness, security sprayed water throughout the crowd as people desperately tried to leave or get medical attention
Admittedly, I’ve never been too big on Blink-182. The festival had been proving me wrong on all the shit I had been talking about for the last five years, so maybe Blink-182 would prove me wrong as well. While they weren’t anywhere near as awesome as other artists I saw that weekend, Blink-182 was a fun way to close out the weekend. Despite being in their late 40s, the group committed to the bit they built their career on: being foul-mouthed motherfucking (literally) douchebags. They never lost their youthful spirit, and I find that kind of admirable. As they played their hits and set off countless fireworks, their performance winded with “ONE MORE TIME,” which was surprisingly melancholic. While the show hasn’t changed my opinion of Blink-182, I am glad to say I saw them live.
Lollapalooza has allowed me to make some wonderful memories. And just like my teens, I left the weekend euphoric and hopeful.
Life is a lot different for me than it was in 2019. I graduated from college and had surgeries along with countless injuries. Work sucks (I know) but the weekend made me realize that I never lost the energy I had when I was younger. I’ve simply just been letting life get too in the way. A lot of cynicism has boiled in me since 2019, and I’m sure the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t help. Sure, we’re all a little weathered but attending this festival got me back in touch with why I fell in love with live music to begin with. Lollapalooza might be far from what it used to be, but it is still a destination music festival for true music lovers.
Believe me, there are plenty of valid criticisms I have about the festival. Entitled people, expensive tickets, and food prices amongst other things. My biggest gripe this weekend was my friend and I getting kicked out of the medical area after she suffered a heat-induced panic attack during Chappell Roan’s set. The staff handled the situation ungracefully, especially when my friend looked unwell as we were forced to leave the secure, uncrowded shade. That definitely left a bad taste in our mouths. Compassion is everything.
Despite all the negatives about the festival, and the absurd heat all weekend, all I can reflect on are the good times.
I’m privileged to attend this year’s Lollapalooza. I got to see some of the biggest names in music while discovering smaller artists who are sure to break into the mainstream at any moment. I witnessed a wonderful rise in metal and punk music at a festival that’s been catering too much to pop and indie (at least for my liking). But most importantly, I once again got in touch with the grandness of the festival that little 16-year-old me first experienced. There are a lot of things in life that are going sideways, but for a single weekend, I had the opportunity to let loose and simply have a great time. After all, is that not the point of enjoying live music?
All photography by Oscar De Leon
