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8 friends, 2 cars, 1 hotel room, 2 beds & 1 ...
I had been working @ UPS for several weeks in my hometown of St. Louis... Hated the job! A few of my closest friends were all... More
acid dropping friends
lollapalooza.irvine,ca. my senior year in high school.it was me and a couple of other friends i remember getting pretty high... More
Lollapalooza Before I Ever Heard It Called "...
It was August 20, 1991. I had graduated from high school just 2 months prior and was engaged to be married in 3 months. It was ... More
Magical sing-along after Chili Pepper's set in 2006
It was 2006 and it was the end of a mind-blowing three-day experience at Lollapalooza in Grant Park. The weekend had been an intense one with huge acts like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, Kanye West, and Death Cab for Cutie playing to huge crowds. After the Chili Peppers rocked the place as the last band, on the final night, I was on my way back to the hostel with my friends. We got on the “L” which was soon packed with other Lollapalooza goers. It was very silent inside the train as everyone was tired after three amazing festival days. As we headed down the track towards our beds, one guys voice broke the silence with the opening lines to the Chili Pepper’s song, Under The Bridge; “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have a partner. Sometimes I feel like my only friend is the city I live in the city of Angels. Lonely as I am together we cry.” Then, like something out of a movie, the rest of the train joined and started singing the chorus, “I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day. Take me to the place I love take me all the way.” I don’t usually sing in public but something about the camaraderie I felt with the people I had danced with, and talked with, and sweated with over the last three days made it possible for me to sing my heart out. After we finished the chorus the train fell silent again but I looked around and everyone had this grin on their face that nothing, not even exhaustion could wipe off. It was the most magical moment that I’ve ever experienced.
The Summer I Found Me (Lolla 1991)
The Summer of Lolla 1991 was the defining moment of my life. I can trace the beginning of me from that festival. I was an awkward Korean teenager about to begin my Senior year of high school. My life was dictated by grades (to get into the "good" colleges!), who I could associate with ("that is a good girl; you need to be more like her), and a wardrobe of button up shirts and pressed everything. I could say I was a geek; but, I was a robot. Instead of having a group of friends to enjoy summer with, I was bombarded with college applications and pamphlets. My only solace was MTV on Sunday nights (120 Minutes) with the volume at 1. Music was my rebellion against what was "expected" of me. One of the expectations was to have a job. I was expected to work and save every penny for my college education. To further monitor my actions, I worked at a pizzeria with my new stepfather (who was not Asian). He was annoying at best. I liked him less than the piles of college pamphlets on my desk. I can now appreciate his attempts at parenting. At that time; however, he was a creepy guy that my mom married and was appointed moral watchdog at work. I did have a group of friends I talked to at school. These were the outcasts and wierdos, the punks and metalheads, the artsy and unique. If my mother ever knew of this group, I was positive I would be sent to the nearest Christian school to be reprogrammed. I was accepted by this group without questions or snide remarks. I stood out in the group, but I was comfortable. I was given various mix tapes of the latest industrial, punk, alternative music by my friends. I listened to every tape on an 8 track stereo, because that was the only stereo equipment in my new home (my stepdad had an 8 track adapter that held cassette tapes). I secretly played the tapes until they were warped and worn. I was introduced to Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Liz Phair, The Ramones, Public Enemy, and so many other great artists. The music was my contact with the real world, the world I was sheltered from and expected to conform to. One day I was at work and a school friend came in for a slice of pepperoni pizza. She had no idea I worked and thought I was hidden in a schoolroom with piles of tests I had to finish. We talked for almost an hour before she told me about Lollapalooza playing in Dallas, TX. She was going with a few friends and invited me to come with them. I asked for times and dates and got her phone number to give her an answer later. I was bursting with excitement and happiness. All the artists that were playing were all my musical friends on tape. Lollapalooza was the one thing I wanted more than a car, more than a perfect grade, more than a boyfriend. I wanted to see these artists perform the songs of my heart. I just did not know how I could get permission to leave town with strangers my mother did not know. I went from pure happiness to dark sadness in an instant. The stepdad watched this whole episode happen from the pizzeria kitchen. He saw me jump around and act like a teenager (his words). He was surprised that I could actually smile and talk. I told him about the festival and how I didn't know if my mother would approve. "Go to this Lollipop Festival. I'll take care of your mom." My jaw dropped to the ground and I started crying. I was in shock; I could do something I wanted to do! I called my friend and we planned the details. I could ramble on about our 6 hour-roundtrip- drive to the middle of Texas, getting lost, not sleeping for almost 48 hours, and the highway patrol knocking on the car window to tell us we left our lights on (we were trying to sleep in a Taurus on the side of Hwy 287). The most important thing about the concert was that I discovered my voice and who I was. I came back from the festival with an awakened sense of who I was. I was not a robot, I was a unique individual. I had ideas and my own thoughts. I had a purpose to be me, not what I had been molded into all my life. Music was what brought me to that crazy group of people. I have remained friends with the Oklahoma Taurus group of Lolla 1991. We talk about that trip like it happened yesterday, even though it was 20 years ago. We all still have our original Lolla 1991 fractal t-shirts and we still love the music that brought us together. I did go to college, graduate with a Bachelor's Degree, and now crunch numbers at my job. I eventually married and had two children. The one thing I have learned was to let them be themselves, to be creative and listen to whatever music they want, without my censorship. They've developed their own musical tastes and tease me about some of my music. I see the happiness in their eyes when they hear their favorite songs. I see their smiles when they are belting out the lyrics of their favorite bands. I see the memory of me and my friends at Lolla 91.
Tears of Euphoric Joy
Last year we lost one of our dearest friends, Allie* to unknown causes after being in the hospital from September to April. One thing that kept her pushing through was the fact that her and her boyfriend Josh* were going to return to Lollapalooza that summer with thier friends, and so she had to get better for Lollapalooza, she just had to. Unfortunately she lost her battle in April, and the whole world got a little darker-- she was just the most lively, affectionate, honest person, and she wasn't going to be there anymore. Josh debated on not going to Lollapalooza, but he knew that she would have wanted him to go, so he invited my boyfriend Brian* in her place. I wanted to go too because I knew that Lollapalooza would be a great way for all of us to reconnect and just enjoy life without worries, so I saved up money to purchase a ticket too. So, we can now fast forward to August, when we all arrived in Chicago ready for the best weekend of our lives. Every single show we saw was beyond words, but the show that resonates the most was our experience at Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. We had been reading the program that morning and the write-up in the program stated that "Fans are known to be so overcome with emotion at their live shows that tears or euphoric joy are not uncommon." We all were anticipating this "euphoric joy" and that phrase seemed to be the joke of the morning. Well, 6:30 on Saturday, when their set began, we knew that it wasn't a joke. From the moment their 10 piece began playing, I had chills and I think I can speak for the whole group by saying that we all did because none of us spoke once the set began. When "Home" started, I got so excited that I convinced my boyfriend to put me on his shoulders so that I could see clearly. About halfway through the song, I looked down to see all of my friends hugging eachother and crying and I knew immediately what was happening. I tapped Brian to let me down and we joined the huddle. It was at that point that I knew this was the culmination of the grieving process. A song like "Home" has so many meanings to so many people, but it was very dear to us since we all knew that a person like Allie has definitely made it home and we don't have to worry anymore. I don't mean for this story to seem like a sad one, because really that moment at Edward Sharpe was almost like a happy sigh of relief. * = I changed their names since anyone can access the stories and read them. I hope you don't mind, this is just something very personal for all of us involved. The photo I attached here was taken just before Edward Sharpe
It was only the beginning...
In '91, I met this dude named Jeff. He was pretty cool; tall and skinny just like I like them! Only thing was, he partied hard and way too much for me to take him seriously. Plus, he didn't have a job and hadn't had one for a while. I let him know those things were obstacles for us to become anything of importance. I figured he'd just be a good time for a little while. His buddy had just returned from the war in Iraq (the first one) and a bunch of us got this wild hair up our asses to check out Lollapalooza in Kansas City. We were way into Jane's and none of us had been to a large multi-band concert outside since the days of Texas Jam several years earlier. About a week or two before Lolla, Jeff tells me he got a JOB and won't be going to Kansas City with us. WHAT? Needless to say, I was pissed. So while the rest of us loaded up several cars for the ride, Jeff stayed home...alone...to work. The concert was incredible. One of my favorite memories was watching Ice T. He was killer. And it was even cooler when later he was out amongst the crowd. My girl friend and I missed most of NIN because we were standing in line to get something to drink. In later months, we would become obsessed with them and bemoan the fact that we actually missed seeing them. The booths were cool, the atmosphere was kickin, and we all felt empowered to make a difference; to be different than the generation before us. Gosh, we were gonna change the world with our activism, weren't we!?! Saddest part of the event was when the drivers started rounding us up during the stage change before Jane's Addiction. They wanted to beat the traffic. I didn't want to walk home, so we didn't get to see Jane's. In the parking lot, we busted a spliff while listening outside to the tunes inside, then headed out. I think I brought Jeff home a t-shirt or something. And I ended up marrying the dude. 20 years later, I still get crap about going to that concert without him. We ended up going to Lolla '93 together, but that's another story! We're still listening to NIN and Jane's, and we're sharing it with our teenage daughters. The only difference between now and then...they know Ice T as Fin from Law & Order, we know him for "Cop Killer." Peace ya'll!!
didn't even bring a blanket....
Lollapalooza 1991 was my first festival concert...i was 15 and my friend and i called out sick from work to go to Waterloo Village in Stanhope, NJ. We didn't even have driver’s licenses so we convinced her dad to drop us off and my dad to pick us up...all the way from Philadelphia! Since we had only been to indoor shows we were totally unprepared and didn't bring a blanket or anything to sit on…but we didn't care! We were there to see NIN, Siouxsie and the Banshees and of course Jane’s Addiction but loved Butthole Surfers, Fishbone, and Henry Rollins performances…and I think the tickets were less than $25! Awesome day with awesome weather until after dark when the skies opened up and a downpour started while they were setting up for Jane’s…they started playing Peter Gabriel’s ‘Red Rain’ through the amps and the crowd went crazy!! Went to the shows in 92, 94, and 95 but the first Lollapalooza was absolutely the best…thank you Perry Farrell!!!
1991
Lollapalooza Is Born
Initially planning a farewell tour for his band – the groundbreaking alternative rock group Jane’s Addiction, frontman Perry Farrell’s ideas for a final show grew in scope to become a multi-city, “traveling” music festival. Naming the new festival Lollapalooza – a word meaning “something or someone very striking or exceptional” – the festival’s debut established a knack for finding up-and-coming artists that would become par for the course in coming years. The result? A consistently diverse array of performers from hip hop, alternative, electronica, rock and pop music.
More than just a music festival, tolerance and diversity for new ideas and communities would become a hallmark of the Lollapalooza experience over the years. The festival’s appearance in multiple cities, an anomaly in music festivals at the time, allowed fans that wouldn’t usually travel long distances to see a concert a chance to expose themselves to new and unique artists. The success of alternative acts like Nirvana and the growing popularity of Grunge placed it firmly on the cutting edge, where it has remained for almost two decades.
The first Lollapalooza show took place on July 18 in Phoenix, Arizona. Tickets were $25, and there were 30-minute breaks between acts to allow time for stage setup - due to the lack of a second stage (it was the only Lollapalooza that featured this scheduling, as more stages were added in the following years).
Things got pretty wild that first year. During The Butthole Surfers set, the band fired blanks from a rifle into the air, and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and his backing band destroyed several instruments and left the stage in the midst of their song “Sin”, due to some technical glitches during their set. Adding to the carnival-esque feel of the tour, there was even an actual “circus” with live zoo animals to entertain fans.
Bucking the recession of the early 90s, Lollapalooza was one of the few successful music festivals of the year, selling out most of its 22 dates.
Festival highlight
Nine Inch Nails Gets Sinful
Things got pretty wild that first year. During The Butthole Surfers set, the band fired blanks from a rifle into the air, and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and his backing band destroyed several instruments and left the stage in the midst of their song “Sin”, due to some technical glitches during their set. Adding to the carnival-esque feel of the tour, there was even an actual “circus” with live zoo animals to entertain fans.
First Stop: Pheonix, AZ
The first Lollapalooza show took place on July 18, 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona. Tickets were $25, and there were 30-minute breaks between acts to allow time for stage setup - due to the lack of a second stage (it was the only Lollapalooza that featured this scheduling, as more stages were added in the following years).
Bucking the recession of the early 90s, Lollapalooza was one of the few successful music festivals of the year, selling out most of its 22 dates.
Culturally Speaking
- Rodney King beating by LAPD officers ignites riots.
- Nirvana's Nevermind is 1991's album of the year.
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System debuts.
- Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, dies.
- Pagers are all the rage.
- Beverly Hills, 90210 gains popularity on TV.
tour stops + dates
- 07/18/1991 – Compton Terrace, Tempe, AZ
- 07/20/1991 – Devore Stadium, Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA
- 07/21/1991 – Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, Irvine, CA
- 07/23/1991 – Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, Irvine, CA
- 07/24/1991 – Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, Irvine, CA
- 07/26/1991 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
- 07/27/1991 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
- 07/30/1991 – Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
- 08/01/1991 – Harriet Island, St. Paul, MN
- 08/03/1991 – World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL
- 08/04/1991 – Pine Knob Amphitheatre, Clarkston, MI
- 08/05/1991 – Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
- 08/07/1991 – Canadian National Exhibition, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
- 08/09/1991 – Great Woods, Mansfield, MA
- 08/10/1991 – Great Woods, Mansfield, MA
- 08/11/1991 – Waterloo Village, Stanhope NJ
- 08/13/1991 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
- 08/14/1991 – Waterloo Village, Stanhope NJ
- 08/16/1991 – Lake Fairfax, Reston, VA
- 08/17/1991 – Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC
- 08/18/1991 – Lakewood Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA
- 08/20/1991 – Central Florida Fairgrounds, Orlando, FL
- 08/22/1991 – Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX
- 08/23/1991 – Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX
- 08/25/1991 – Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village, CO
- 08/28/1991 – King County Fairgrounds, Enumclaw, WA
