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"This is shaping up to be the most fun I've ...
The Hold Steady was my favorite band in 2008. There was so much of the Springsteen sound that my dad raised me on in their son... More
First music festival and a family bonding mo...
The year I gave birth to my first child, Gibby, was frantic. I had her in March (at the young age of 19) and was extremely exci... More
Rage Against Lolla: a love story
As one can tell by the title, my story revolves around the Rage against the Machine concert of 2008. But this is not a story of... More
NOTHING LIKE RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE......THATS HISTORY!!!!!
wow!!! 2008 my first lollapalooza what an amazing experience!!!. In 1999 I went to see Rage Against the Machine I was so young (a minor) but the band captured my heart and soul, when the band separated it broke my heart but lollapalooza made my dream come true after almost 10 years and now old enough to party I was able to see once again my witness their amazing talents. The show was insane the multitude of crow going crazy, I even broke my camera when I was push, but I have to say that security did an amazing job. I believe Zach de la Rocha stop the show 2 or 3 times. For a second my heart dropped I thought he was going to stop the show but like a true artist no matter what the show most continue. Its hard to describe the beauty of watching your favorite band surrounded by the beauty of my city watching their show and in the background our amazing downtown (Chicago Downtown) was surreal. Even thou many people were acting foolish I never felt like I was at risk like the news portrayed the concert as insecure, violent and out control it was not that bad yes I broke my camera but samething like that can happen at any concert is like if you are in the pit. As I mention earlier the way security and the staff handle the situation was a A+. I have to say that was the most amazing concert I have ever attended RATM had the best set list ever sang all of my favorite songs as soonest I heard Testify I even went crazy what an amazing, amazing time!!!. I am originally from Chile and all of my cousins went to the Lollapalooza in Chile they all had an amazing time and call me the next day to tell me how lucky I was to have Lollapalooza in my city, but what they don’t understand how amazing it is that the actual festival is located in the most beautiful spot of the city. This Lollapalooza is extra special again I would get to see another amazing band that hasn’t had tours in years A Perfect Circle!!!! And also my favorite bands from Chile are coming truly a dream come true. Lollapalooza is full of surprises and fulfills the heart of music lovers, especially when the lineups are bands that the possibilities to watch them are not often. I hope for many and many more Lollapalooza to come because the true they always have the best of the best and give the opportunity to many fans to watch and witness band that have not played in a long time that’s why Lollapalooza is a legacy and Lollapalooza 2008 is one of those legacy a story that my son will hear, and hopefully when he gets older he will be able to enjoy and be part of that Lollapalooza legacy!!!!!
Radiohead: The single best, and worst, day of my life.
A 19 year old college student, embarking on his first ever music festival, goes through hell and back, briefly slips away from reality, only to be revived by the best band in the whole world- Radiohead. My journey to Chicago started at 2:00 am on Friday, the first day of the festival. Joining me were three buddies, all equally obsessed with the main attraction. We were coming from Detroit, so there is no reason to complain about the drive. It was quick, and relatively painless, until the maddening morning rush hour on Chicago's ridiculous 7 lane highways. I drove from about 4 - 8 in the morning, when we finally found our way into the windy city. We parked the car at the hotel parking lot, and instantly started the walk to Grant Park. We got there, and we had a pretty decent spot in line. All of us resorted to taking short naps on the concrete sidewalk, but we were drained. It was early, hot, and none of us had slept or ate or drank much. Pretty stupid....but we did not care. The best night of our lives was ahead. So was one of the worst days (at least for me). The doors are finally opened. All of the intensely dedicated fans starting flooding in like a collapsed dam. This meant there was a dead sprint race to the stage that Radiohead was playing at. I’m not sure exactly how far it is from the entrance to the south end of the park, but it was a tough run. I was about the 20th person or so to reach the stage (a decent accomplishment for an out-of-shape college kid with his freshman 15 (lbs) on. What was more shocking was that I beat my three friends there. But above all, I was euphoric about being in the second row, center stage, a mere 8 or 9 hours away from seeing my favorite band of all time. The space behind us quickly filled, and it was obvious that we wouldn't be able to leave our spot at all. No water. No food. No big blue plastic bathroom. We tried to take turns holding down the spot, but that didn’t work all so well. So we sucked it up and planted ourselves. The first band on was Holy Fuck (12:15). Never heard of them before, but they were tight. Super creative. Next up was Yeasayer (2:15), who delivered an even better set. The day was off to a killer start. Mid-afternoon (4:15), the hottest part of the day, the mood changed. Gogol Bordello was up. People started moshing and aggressively dancing all around us. We were in the pit so this was not surprising, but damn was it hot. Hotter than a sauna. It had to have been about 115-120 degrees in the center of the madness, and we were quickly dehydrating. I was noticeably worse than my buddies. I started nodding in and out a bit, getting really light headed and pale. I couldn't bare the heat. Every instinct in my body told me to walk over to one of the hundreds of concessions to buy a couple 3 dollar waters. The bigger price was leaving the glorious spot. I managed to stick out (it helped that I was completely surrounded by people to lean on). I was scared though- I had never been as light headed, or as close to collapsing before, so I was scared. It didn't matter though; actual death was probably the only thing that would take me away from that stage. I made it to 6:15, and Bloc Party came on stage. Another quality set, though nothing special. I was in horrible shape though. I could hardly muster up the strength or desire to talk to my friends. Still, I stood there and took the abuse. Bloc Party wrapped up, and the light was at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately for me, so was my maximum tolerance. I dropped my head in shame, and stumbled half-blindly over to the concessions, and then to the nearby fence and open patch of grass. Water was chugged, and I collapsed. All of that work for what? I was close to death, definitely feeling the effects of heat exhaustion and dehydration. I was out, deep, and suddenly at 7:30 I jolted awake. My brain reconnected to my body, and told me to get my ass back to the stage before I make the worst mistake of my life. I barreled in, and worked my way through the sea of people. After about 25 minutes of navigation, I settled at about the 15th row (far behind my friends, but an incredible feat nonetheless). Then Thom's voice rang through the air and through my soul. I went from feeling like a sack of bones and flesh to a kid on Christmas morning with tons of gifts to open. It was incredible. Absolutely mind blowing. The best concert, hands down, I had ever been to. I was living out my dream, and in a complete state of nirvana. Just like that, Radiohead cured me. The single best, and worst, day of my life.
Rage creates Harmony...
I'd lived in Huntington, WV my whole life. Huntington was a one-horse town along the ohio river. I work for a local radio station, so I'd seen several concerts before. I thought I'd seen everything... My friend talked me into going to Chicago to see Lolla 08 around March of that year. I was terrified. Of all the cities, I'd loved Chicago, but thought I'd never get to go there (finacially). Espescially since I was a huge Batman freak and Christopher Nolan had just released "The Dark Knight". LOL. My story is the night Rage Against The Machine played. I'd been a huge Rage fan for years and they were definately the band I was looking forward to seeing. I'll never forget...my friend and I had just finished watching the Racontuers (I think) and we did a FULL ON SPRINT to the other side of Grant Park and still ended up about 20-30 rows back. Well, my friend had bought this cheap-ass Igloo cooler at Walmart that day to put bee.....pop in for that day. As soon as LaRoca came on stage, the crowd merged into one and went crazy! The closest thing to total anarachy I had seen in my life was the Red Hot Chili Peppers during their "Californication" tour. My friend looked at me square in the face and Threw the entire cooler of water on me and about 10 other people! What did we do? We all started laughing and hugging each other! It was one of the greatest times of my life. The next day, we picked up a Chicago Tribune and the headline said "Musicians encite riot at Grant Park for Lolla". My friend and I looked at each other and started dying laughing. That was the beauty of it! What regular people considered a "riot", my friend and our new friends we met that night, considered a family gathering. Lolla does something to people. It's unlike any other festival I've been to. So many people sharing the same great taste for music and the cultural freedoms the festival gives us. I've since become married and have a small son, Samuel, who I love very much. It's not as easy for me to go out of town for 4 days as it was 3 years ago. I'm trying to go to Lolla this year with that same friend and would love to have some freebies! Either way, thanks to Perry and all the folks who make this concert series possible. You gave me one of the greatest memories of my life. I only hope I'm able to create a new one this year. Rock on, Ryan Zipperian
Broke college grad-with music luck
My name is Isaura Salinas aka Izzy. I have been going to concerts my whole life- from Paul McCartney, Elton John to Lady Gaga and of course Lolla. My first Lolla happened by luck. I tried to purchase tickets in 2008 to see Kanye, but by the time I was able to afford tickets they were sold out. I stuck around everyday and listened from the outside. On Kanye's day to perform, right before his performance, a man and woman were leaving the fest and offered their wrist bands and my sister and I made it in to catch a fantastic half hour of what was left of the show. We also got lucky because the wrist bands were VIP, which made it easier to get in from anywhere letting us catch the entire show. The following year I was not going to miss out, 2009 I purchased my tickets on time and was able to enjoy the entire fest, Thanks to the Music God's-they do exist. In 2010, I purchased a ticket for my sister, she graduated high-school and it was a gift from me, a poor college student. That year was awesome. We got to see so many amazing things. My friend got to go back stage and take a picture with Perry Farrel himself. I also discovered my new favorite band, Semi-Precious Weapons who are the best live- Thank you Lolla for exposing them to me. Unfortunately, here is where my story lies, during the performance I lost my friends and instead of enjoying the music I had to look around for them, because of fear of losing them. You may not know, but I purchased my tickets with my school loans. I recently graduated from UIC with a BA in Communication and a Minor in Moving Imaging Arts (film studies). During Lollapalooza 2010, I was unable to afford a telephone and other amenities. Basically, I was at Lolla for the music, I couldn't afford any of the cool shit and food. Because of this economic crisis, I was forced to miss the EPIC LADY GAGA appearance and am too embarrassed to admit. When I found my friends and sister they thought I had gotten some great pictures of Lady Gaga in the crowd because they thought I made it to the front, when in reality I was by Buckingham fountain and the entrance and bathrooms making sure I don't lose them. That's my story- broke college grad-music head, who spent so much money on her education and can't find a job for the life of me- but doesn't mind spending her money on Lollapalooza- I just really regret ever leaving the stage because I could have been one of the lucky fans to see Lady Gaga up-close and be apart of that epic musical Lollapalooza history ); tear- It was hard to accept-especially because my friends and sister got to see Lady Gaga- it made me cry but I kept it down like a big girl-Lollapalooza is my life and I encourage people every year to come-this year I got more people to come-bigger groups=more fun and stories- Thank you Perry for this 3 day party in my city- you really make Chicago phenomenal to live in :) You bring me closer to all kinds of different people through Lollapalooza, and my friends and I truly appreciate the diversity that brings us together- my selected image is a picture of our wrist bands from 2010-when we officially made the Lolla crew- BTM
You may not even let me win with this story. Just please dont arrest me and/or ban me from future Lolla's, this was almost 3 yrs ago!
The weekend of my 29th birthday, a few friends and I headed to Chicago with tickets only for the Bloc Party and CSS concert at The House of Blues Saturday night, my birthday! With every intention to go to Lolla, it just didn't work out financially. However, on Saturday morning, a friend decided that he would make wristbands using Photoshop. We printed, dirtied and tattered those wristbands with hopes nobody would be able to tell it was made of paper. We even made the little bead thingy with sections of Bic pens and a sharpie. We hid a few of the wristbands in random hiding spots around the outside of the park for other friends scattered across Chicago to pick up at their convenience. It took us a couple of minutes to compose ourselves as we made our way towards one of the entrances, nervous as all hell. But we skipped our way through, acting as if we belonged, right into the Girl Talk show! In the end, out of the seven fake wristbands made, only three of us made it into Lolla. And as the birthday girl, I won! The cat who made the wristbands, from that moment forward, attracted anything we wanted. I could go on and on! We ended up in some VIP section towards the end of the day--our broke asses eating and drinking for free. After Lolla came to an end, like most people, we had the impossible task of finding a cab to get to the House of Blues. I walked right up to an obviously frustrated cabbie who was surrounded by beggars and simply asked him, "Look, I don't know where you are going, and I'm not going to be demanding, but can you please just get us out of here?". He replied, "I like your style, hop in!" I swear we barely escaped with our lives--numerous tired and pissed of Lolla goers wondering why they were denied and we weren't. Off to the House of Blues we went! We only had two tickets to the show... but there were three of us. No problem! Our human magnet was even able to talk his way into The House of Blues to see Bloc Party and CSS! The night continues. After the show, our human magnet met two dudes who had a stretch Hummer limo who wanted to take us to a party. We get there and we got one dude from Chromeo on the ones and twos! We danced for what seemed hours! We closed the night by hopping back into the limo and heading to the Marina as the night clearly must go on! To close it all out, we cruised Lake Michigan on a Yacht that could have belonged to Puff Daddy as the sun rose! I am still shocked by the thoughts of everything that just fell in our laps that day... night... and into the next. Best birthday ever. Ever. For some reason its not letting me upload the pics--no JPEG... but they are JPEG! Grrrrrrrrrrrr! Here is a link to the pic: http://www.myspace.com/laylag/photos/49967041#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A49967041%7D
2008
RADIOHEAD & RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE PACK GRANT PARK
Selling out for the first time since its 2005 re-launch and playing to 225,000 fans over three days, Lollapalooza’s 2008 lineup was one for the ages. Olympian brit-rockers Radiohead rocked the main stage, along with legacy acts like Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine, pulling in fans from many different musical backgrounds. Both the Radiohead and RATM sets packed Grant Park like never before - with fans watching from the stage front all the way back to Buckingham fountain. Hip-hop icon Kanye West became the first solo artist – and third artist overall, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction – to headline the festival multiple times.
Over at the Kidzapalooza stage, artists like festival founder Perry Farrell performed alongside Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash, and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy paid a visit, playing a solo acoustic set of Wilco songs to over 500 parents and their children.
Festival highlight
PERRY’S DEBUTS
This banner year for Lolla also featured the debut of Perry’s, an area that would become a festival staple in the years to come. An anchor point for electronica, hip-hop, and DJ acts, its debut brought together popular artists such as DJ AM, Flosstradamus, and VHS or Beta, demonstrating Lollapalooza’s flair for anticipating fan’s fare.
Culturally Speaking
- An economic crisis grips the country.
- Barack Obama becomes the first African American U.S. President.
- Micheal Phelps wins eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games.
- January 22, 2008 - Actor Heath Ledger dies.
- John McCains chooses Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate.
- Twilight is released.Vampire mania ensues.
- Hulu launches.
tour stops + dates
August 1-3, 2008Grant Park, Chicago, IL
- Louis XIV
- Love and Rockets
- Gnarls Barkley
- Bloc Party
- The Black Keys
- Broken Social Scene
- Flogging Molly
- Mark Ronson
- Cat Power
- The National
- G. Love & Special Sauce
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
- Explosions in the Sky
- Brand New
- Gogol Bordello
- Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
- Dierks Bentley
- Okkervil River
- Amadou & Mariam
- Blues Traveler
- John Butler Trio
- Girl Talk
- Your Vegas
- CSS
- Battles
- Steel Train
- Toadies
- Jamie Lidell
- Bang Camaro
- Butch Walker
- The Blakes
- Mates of State
- Tally Hall
- Spank Rock
- White Lies
- Brazilian Girls
- Magic Wands
- Chromeo
- Electric Touch
- Duffy
- Innerpartysystem
- The Kills
- The Postelles
- Rogue Wave
- The Parlor Mob
- The Go! Team
- Holy F*ck
- DJ Bald Eagle
- DeVotchka
- Mason Jennings
- Krista
- The Gutter Twins
- Ha Ha Tonka
- Yeasayer
- Witchcraft
- Saul Williams
- Iron & Wine
- Grizzly Bear
- Wild Sweet Orange
- We Go To 11
- MGMT
- Sofia Talvik
- The Weakerthans
- Booka Shade
- Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
- The Enemy UK
- FREE SOL
- Black Kids
- Black Lips
- Dr. Dog
- Nicole Atkins & the Sea
- The Ting Tings
- Kid Sister
- OFFICE
- The Cool Kids
- What Made Wilwaukee Famous
- Does It Offend You, Yeah?
- The Whigs
- Manchester Orchestra
- Foals
- Uffie
- The Octopus Project
- Cadence Weapon
- Ferras
- De Novo Dahl
- Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
- K'Naan
- Serena Ryder
- Newton Faulkner
- Willy Joy
- Zebo
- James Curd (Greenskeepers)
- MILLION $ MANO
- VHS or BETA (DJ Set)
- Dani Deahl
- Devlin & Darko
- Dash Mihok
- Perry & Special Guest
- DJ AM
- DJ Momjeans a.k.a. Danny Masterson
- The Glamour
- Small Town DJ's
- E-Six & Roan
- DJ Mel
- Franki Chan
- Flosstradamus
- Suzy Brack and the New Jack Lords
- Paul Green's School of Rock All-Stars
- The Dream Jam Band
- The Terrible Two's
- Jeff Tweedy
- Tiny Masters of Today
- The Jimmies
- Special Guest
- Homemade Jamz Blues Band
- Q Brothers
- Peter DiStefano & Tor
- Perry Farrell
