Collage by Shannon Delaney
Venus Zine 2009 Lollapalooza Headquarters
Running coverage from Lolla – check back frequently for updates!
By Genevieve Diesing & Selena Fragassi
Published: August 7th, 2009 | 2:10pm
For day-by-day coverage of 2009 Lollapalooza with images, please read individual articles.
Day 3, Part 4
Before the much-anticipated Jane’s Addiction reunion that would close out the final night of Lollapalooza, Venus Zine was invited backstage. In the band’s trailer, Etty Farrell gave us an exclusive, behind-the-scenes peek at the elaborate costumes she and a handpicked, lookalike dancer would premiere onstage — and insider scoop on the helicopter stunt work that would open the show. Stay tuned for the full story of our time with Etty, later this week on venuszine.com!
As the sun finally set for the night, and eager fans picked their places on the wilted lawn to catch a moment in music history, Band Of Horses had to go and pretty much ruin it. Through no fault of their own, the group’s set ran late due to an extended visit from Lou Reed — but their “one more song” promise couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the 17-years-overdue reunion of Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins, and Eric Avery was caught right in the web of Horses’ woven melodies — causing a near drown-out of sound.
As a helicopter flew sluggishly overhead with blinding spotlights, it was not exactly what had been expected from the master stuntman that was hired to do the trick. But as soon as the distractions wavered, it was all forgivable and forgettable as the real action had its day center stage. Playing in front of a hallucinogenic, swirled backdrop, it was surreal seeing Perry on stage again, instead of behind the scenes, as the Lollapalooza creator brought his vision full circle (the original ’91 festival was borne as a farewell show for Jane’s Addiction).
“We gave up a lot to be here together again tonight. We swore off women to get in shape, we swore off liquor, and we swore off stealing,” Perry said before thrilling the crowd with the Jane’s classic, “Been Caught Stealing.” Since the band has not produced new music together in decades, the night was merely a celebration of recorded memories and old friends.
Following suit, near the end of the set, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry made a surprise appearance and the group onstage asked that people’s prayers go out to singer Steven Tyler — who had broken his shoulder in a nasty spill in South Dakota that past week. Soon after, Perry and Etty brought their two children onstage as Perry made encouraging comments about the city’s 2016 Olympic bid, saying ”Chicago deserves it!” Finally, Perry’s friend — introduced simply as Barry — gave the last surprise to his girlfriend by proposing to her onstage.
After a long (yet incredible) three-day affair, it was the perfect way to show that, in the end, Lollapalooza is just one big love fest. — Selena Fragassi
Day 3, Part 3
Although baby boomers were a minority in the Lollapalooza crowd, one of the most important performers of that generation, Lou Reed, went onstage at the north end of Grant Park around 6:30 p.m. With a career spanning four decades, Reed is evidently still relevant — he shared the same time slot as Snoop Dogg, one of the festivals’ biggest draws this year.
Reed, who has worn many hats in his musical career — first in the Velvet Underground, then a successful solo career followed by a daring foray into experimental and distorted sound — presented the crowd with the fruits from most of his labors. These included the early Velvet Underground hit, “Sweet Jane,” and the classic “Walk On the Wild Side,” from Reed’s second solo album. Instead of relying on the catchy simplicity of the original tune, the song was made fuller, and less intriguing, with the addition of keyboards and synthesizers.
Toward the end of the set, Reed and his band wore still another hat, with about 15 minutes of tripped-out instrumental distortion. The sound slowly evolved into another long, bluesy groove of drums and keyboards. Reed’s performance, though not cohesive, was at least a fair representation of his long and storied career.
Indie rock group Band Of Horses followed shortly after, and they had no problem rousing the audience to clap and stomp in time with their alternative country sound. Tinkling keyboards and singer Ben Bridwell’s melodic vocals kept the audience enraptured — one fan even shimmied up a light pole and pumped his fist to the music in support. The crowd favorite was hit song “The Funeral,” which motivated much of the audience to sing and sway in time.
Chaos ensued near the end of the group’s set when Jane’s Addiction began playing at the Budweiser Stage, adjacent to the PlayStation area where Band Of Horses was still performing due to Reed’s extended set. The noise bled over, and Bridwell asked fans if they should keep going. The answer was a resounding yes; so for about 15 minutes, the two stages’ sounds mixed and confused concertgoers.
Over on the South end of the park, the Killers were whipping up their own brand of chaos at 8:30 as one of the last two headlining bands of this year’s Lollapalooza. Couples danced and friends jumped on their toes to the songs, which were drawn mainly from last year’s record, Day & Age (Island), and broken up here and there with one of the band’s few chart-topping singles.
Vocalist Brandon Flowers told a story about meeting guitarist Dave Keuning for the first time, through a classified ad in a Las Vegas newspaper. “He gave me a cassette tape that had about five of his ideas on it, and this was the first thing on there,” Flowers said, as the band began to play “Mr. Brightside,” the irresistibly catchy single that garnered the Killers so much of their initial success. This, of course, caused the already thrilled crowd to go nuts, and brought the solid, high-energy performance to an emotional climax. — Genevieve Diesing
Day 3, Part 2
In contrast to the oppressing sun on one of the hottest days of the year, Friendly Fires lived up to their name just before 1 p.m. by heating up the crowd in a much more comfortable way: through carefree dance beats that sound like the culmination of several well-known ’80s influences. The group’s straightforward electro-pop dance songs featured undeniable Prince hooks, dominant synthesizers, and the swanky touch of a saxophone. Laced with a funky edge and a disco groove, this U.K.-based pop group’s sound is heavily reminiscent of Erasure, No Order, and the Killers. With their audience practically melting in front of them, Friendly Fires’ effortless, non-cerebral groove was just right.
The Kaiser Chiefs launched their 2:30 set with “Never Miss a Beat,” the hit song off their new record, Off With Their Heads (Universal), which has kept their legacy of defiant rock relevant. Also featured were older hits like “Ruby,” with its catchy, insistent chorus.
“At least it’s not freezing, right?” singer Ricky Wilson joked, making light of the searing heat that kept many fans huddled under trees for relief. Kaiser Chiefs are known for an accessible sound that alternates between murky pop songs and aggressive, punk-fueled anthems. With that in mind, the group sampled evenly from both genres, captivating the audience with raging guitar riffs blended into melodies, thumping beats, and catchy keyboards. Kaiser Chiefs spaced out songs with a merging of rampant cymbals and wailing guitars. Commanding the crowd with a sometimes cooing, sometimes yelping voice, Wilson and his band held the firm attention of all who watched.
As if in a dream, the Raveonettes — a Danish duo whose name is a combination of the Ronettes and Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” — put forth their distorted rush of sensual sound. Their fuzzy, slow notes floated across the crowd and the spans of open grass that many had left in favor of tree-paved shelter.
The band’s loud and booming beats, blended with mysterious, haunting guitar chords, were consuming and beautiful. With a sound clearly influenced by ‘60s pop, brilliantly blurred with elements of noise pop, the Raveonettes drew more heavily from their dark, romantic sound, lulling their audience with numbed, dreamy chords and jolting them awake with arrestingly loud guitars. The group offered up older hits, such as the even-tempoed “That Great Love Sound,” but deviated into more of a commercial dance pop sound with “Last Dance,” a newer song with a lilting, hooting chorus.
Neko Case, a folk singer and former Chicagoan whose fame multiplies exponentially with every album, is still riding the waves of critical acclaim surrounding her most recent work, Middle Cyclone (ANTI-). Lollapalooza was the last stop on her tour to promote the record, and she was met with all the stops of a highly anticipated yet still up-and-coming performer: a pre-performance poem by Thax Douglas and a gushing introduction by WXRT DJ Marty Lennartz.
Case led the set with “Things That Scare Me,” a haunting track from her 2002 country noir album, Blacklisted (Bloodshot), and followed up with “Maybe Sparrow” from the more recent Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (ANTI-). She cast her spell over the herd of listeners with her powerful voice and typically silly stage banter. “Man, I did not expect you guys to feel so frisky on such a hot afternoon — so thank you for your friskiness!” she called to the audience.
Case tended toward slow, yearning songs like “Teenage Feeling” and “Pharaohs” —tracks that would have been riveting in the dark, smaller clubs that she’s used to playing, not a sun-drenched festival stage with hundreds of audience members. But Case’s famous voice prevailed, overpowering an unlikely setting with the sheer beauty of her strong vocals. — Genevieve Diesing
Day 3, Part 1: Sunday, August 9
Lollapalooza Day Three was another scorcher, and people were flocking to water fountains and beverage tents, taking the heat wave warnings to heart. “A hospital bill is a lot more than what a bottle of water costs,” cautioned one worker, when a man opted to save his three dollars instead. It was said that the day would reach a temperature of 96 degrees, with a heat index of 104 — but that didn’t stop tons of people from crowding each of the festival stages.
When Ra Ra Riot appeared on the Chicago 2016 Stage, they were the look of a calmer summer sway as violinist Rebecca Zeller and cellist Alexandra Lawn, in flowy dresses, used their bows like arrows to beckon cool breezes from the lake.
The band’s name and look is dripping in New York style and their orchestral pop sound is a geographical match as well. Songs like “St. Peter’s Day Festival,” from last year’s The Rhumb Line (Barsuk) were as colorful and sunny as the band was happy to be playing them. Vocalist Wesley Miles offered lucid vignettes that would have been interesting to hear with female backup, yet the ladies used their strings to add a sensual touch to the well-rounded set.
Bat For Lashes could have easily taken the award for the prettiest set of the day. The Pakistani-born, London-raised siren ponied up behind an entrancing set of material from her two releases, 2009’s Two Suns (Echo) and 2006’s Fur and Gold (Astralwerks). Singer Natasha Khan’s haunting, Björkian vocals spiced with dashes of worldly flavor provided a taste of the Orient for her dark-edged art pop.
Wearing a ‘70s-inspired, light-reflecting, sequined unitard and slinky royal blue leggings, Khan decorated her eyes with geometrical lines of electric blue that hinted at her former art school instruction. Songs like “Glass” and “Horse and I” reveled in heavy-hearted melodies that tearfully hung onto Khan’s longing wails. With silver tinsel decorating her mic stand and lifelike twin dolls and crows adding eerie décor, Khan shook maracas and conjured spirits with chains of bells, her ethereal yodel bouncing off the volume produced by her all-female backing band.
Next up was L.A.’s Airborne Toxic Event, who brought its popular alterna-rock to the Chicago 2016 Stage. Their sound had the voracity of Arcade Fire with the anthemic feel of Bruce Springsteen and swirled through rich lyrics from principal songwriter and sometime novelist Mikel Jollett. Dressed all in black, minus violinist Anna Bulbrook’s white shades, the look was deceptive of the band’s lighter load on songs like “Gasoline” and “This Is Nowhere.” Before ripping into crowd favorite, “Sometime Around Midnight,” Jollett flung fresh water bottles for the people below and asked the crowd to “jump around with us — we’re just a bunch of monkeys.”
Inarguably, the biggest highlight of the day that far was Dan Deacon. The classically trained Baltimore DJ brought at least a 20-person crew with him, which huddled together for a pre-show pow wow. “Hello, I’m Dan Deacon and this is the Dan Deacon Ensemble,” he said. “I guess we should have thought of a better name.”
In a day rather lacking in band-audience comradery, Deacon was a venerable MC who used pre-song warm ups to bring people together. At first he asked the crowd to “raise your hands in the air, bend at your knees, and blow out a low, ominous tone,” before he himself became a blow horn. Later, he appointed leaders to form a human tunnel of festival goers — a feat that, logistically, seemed impossible to pull off. Yet, that is the determination of Deacon. Ever a perfectionist, Deacon stopped after the first song to appropriately tune each section of the stage, which was decked out in various instruments and manpower. “I don’t care how long it takes,” he told the crowd, before yelling toward the sound tech, “the kickdrum, the kickdrum!” Then, rationalizing his pushiness, he said, “I know I may seem like a dickhead right now but I don’t care.”
After asking people to forget the first 10 minutes as he started over with the first song, Deacon put extra effort into his rewind attempt, producing two sweat stains in the shape of angel wings on his back — an appropriate accessory for the lovable crowd pleaser. — Selena Fragassi
Day 2, Part 5
Saturday, like every other day of Lollapalooza, offered two headliner options — Tool on the Chicago 2016 Stage and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs across the park at the Budweiser Stage. Unlike Depeche Mode’s slimmed-down audience the previous night, the crowd for Tool had been growing since midday, and was paralyzed by the time the ‘90s mainstays hit the stage. The band, who surprised many by hitting the festival circuit this year after a long drought of performances, started their set several minutes early —just enough to irritate Animal Collective fans at the adjacent stage, as the experimental pop band was practically drowning in the thick syrup of Tool’s near industrial-strength rock compositions.
Tool packed its set with an arsenal of fan favorites, from “Stinkfist” to “Forty-Six & Two” and “Schism,” and the approving applause was nearly as loud as the songs themselves. On the stage, the band was decked in white ensembles with dark backdrops and menacing video footage that made the perfect contrast. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan was at perfect pitch, and successfully used his rich voice to balance aggressive riffs and Danny Carey’s ruthless beats. “We’ve just gotten clearance — it’s OK for you to take off your clothes now,” Keenan said to the sweaty crowd, and no doubt some people followed suit, both to cool down and to celebrate the long-awaited return of the alterna-metal leaders, who closed out Day Two with the bang heard round the park. — Selena Fragassi
Day 2, Part 4
Santigold — formerly Santogold — drew an unprecedented crowd at the PlayStation Stage at 5:30 p.m. The mass of people extended well beyond the perimeter of the stage area and even spilled kittycorner into the Budweiser Stage grounds. Instead of dancing to Santigold’s first song, “L.E.S. Artistes,” most of the crowd was locked in congestion and trying to find some breathing room.
Amid the chaos, many were incredulous that Santigold was drawing such an enormous crowd. But once the area calmed, it was obvious the fans were all there for her. Practically every track from her 2008 self-titled debut album is laced with catchy hooks, and the live version brought to life its irresistible dance-rock-ska vibe that is so expertly woven together in each song.
Brooklyn-based singer Santi White — the voice, face, and partial name of the group — has a smooth, cohesively danceable style. And dance the crowd did; a cluster of fans even climbed atop a tall crew’s platform area to in order to get down. White, who was getting down herself, appeared genuinely touched by such a warm reception. “This really means so much to me,” she said. White admitted she was also relieved to make Saturday her final stop after two years of touring.
Next up on the festival’s north side was TV On the Radio at the Budweiser Stage. This electro-soul indie rock group (who is also from Brooklyn) is known for powerful live performances and Saturday was no exception. The group sampled heavily from their critically acclaimed 2009 album, Dear Science (4AD), such as the high-pitched and politically charged “Crying.” Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe, dressed sharply in a white suit, spun across the stage and waved his arm vigorously, overflowing with kinetic energy.
The audience was hopping with him for “Wolf Like Me,” the standout hit from 2006’s Return To Cookie Mountain (4AD). Featuring horns, guitars, and cooing harmonies, this quintet’s sound is so much richer than plain old indie rock, and when live, is at its most compelling.
Crowds flocked to the Vitamin Water stage at 7:30 p.m. to see Animal Collective, the electronic-rock group from Baltimore whose sound is ever-evolving. Known for capitalizing on unusual sounds and turning them into songs with the aid of layered rhythms, echoes, and synthesizers, the group took a different route for their second event on Saturday (the first an afternoon DJ set at the Perry’s Stage). Eschewing words in favor of floating, indistinguishable chants across a repetitive background of synthesizers, the songs bled into an ongoing, reverberating lull.
After about 30 minutes of trance-like tones, the crowd began to lessen. But the hardcore Animal Collective fans who remained embraced it by nodding along, many with their eyes closed. Those far away from the stage didn’t have an opportunity to glimpse the band, as the screen featured abstract video footage in place of live, but they weren’t missing much of the show. The group’s members stayed securely behind their synths.
Headlining the festival Saturday night were the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as last-minute replacements for the original headliner, the Beastie Boys. Lead singer Karen O didn’t disappoint. Starting off the set with songs from this year’s It’s Blitz!, Karen O leapt around stage and sang wildly to the music. She used her voice like an instrument, squealing and shouting as she pointed to the sky and luxuriated in the spotlight.
The group played several dance songs from It’s Blitz!, showing a more commercial sound than the rock for which it is known for. But Karen O didn’t tone down the attitude along with the music. She swigged water and sprayed it out with her head back like a fountain and held the mic head between her teeth at the climax of song.
“We weren’t even supposed to be here,” she mentioned about an hour into the set, “but we’re very happy we are.” Karen O proceeded to dedicate a YYYs’ love song to several people, including TV On the Radio and, of course, adoring fans. That love song ended up being a slow and meandering take on “Maps,” the song that actually put them on the map. Judging by the sea of hoots and applause, the YYYs succeeded in their quest to induce excitement and adoration. — Genevieve Diesing
Day 2, Part 3
Quickly following Ida Maria was art pop trio Chairlift, who burst onto the scene last year after their song, “Bruises,” was featured in an iPod commercial. The saccharine innocence of their most popular song-to-date is misleading of the band’s dreamier soundscape, which they brought to the Citi Stage on songs like “Planet Health” from last year’s debut, Does You Inspire You (Kanine). The song, with its ‘80s-inspired loops and synth, was dedicated by singer Caroline Polachek to the memory of John Hughes.
Although Chairlift was more engaging in this setting than in smaller club venues, at times the trio got lost in its own dreamy melodies, and could have fared better by waking up the crowd from the sleepy set, which often fell prey to feedback issues. Props are due for pulling off an ethereal version of Sunday headliner Snoop Dogg’s “Sensual Seduction.”
The Citi Stage favored the female of the species on Saturday, and came to full climax with the last act, Lykke Li. Another in a line of brilliant Swedish imports, Li stood head and shoulders over many performances of the day with her witchy and haunting songs of love and longing — and utter jubilation.
The mood was set with an opening train of meditative hymns until Li appeared on stage, dressed in her usual Stevie Nicks meets the Olsen twins—inspired garb of flowing black sweaters and scarves. As soon as Li opened with “Dance, Dance, Dance,” from her album, Youth Novels (LL Recordings), the winds picked up for the first time of the day, telling of a Nordic sorceress who held spellbinding powers over the atmosphere and crowd. By the time she brought out “I’m Good, I’m Gone” for the third song, the knee-deep fleet of people could as well have suffered from motion sickness from all the dancing in the concrete aisles.
Li herself proved to be an admirable showstopper, at times beating her partner’s drums, at others blowing through a kazoo or singing sweetly through her megaphone on tracks “Breaking It Up” and “Complaint Department.” Although her new song was a sleeper, Li made it up to the crowd by bringing out Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt for a soaring cover of Kings Of Leon’s “Knocked Up,” proving that these two need to collaborate more together. — Selena Fragassi
Day 2, Part 2
On Day Two, the sweltering afternoon heat called for a toast. Raising a Budweiser can, Living Things singer Lillian Berlin praised “the heartland, Obama, the troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the American Dream,” before draping a weathered American flag over his shoulders and ripping into single “Bom Bom Bom.” The neighboring St. Louis band, made up of three brothers named Berlin and guitarist Cory Becker, is not shy about their liberal political leanings, and make a point to include their subjectivism in both their lyrics and onstage rants.
Doing his best Joey Ramone, Lillian paired his intelligent vocal poetry with saucy, Michael Hutchence undertones as he slivered along the stage and jumped down to be face-to-face with the crowd. With powerful support from greaser-looking bandmates and three leatherette backup singers, the band synchronized in a high-octane set that showcased an original blend of glam punk. The best example was the guitar riffs on “Mercedes Marxist” (stuff that garage bands dream of), which were met with power pop anthems like “I want the good life!” Later, Lillian paired “HMO, PPO, CEO, USA” in one mouthful and begged the audience to bare their peace signs while declaring, “Everybody, let’s keep the peace!” Whether or not you agree with Living Things, one thing is for certain: with a passion like theirs, you have to respect them for meaning what they say.
On the way over to check out Miike Snow at the Vitamin Water Stage, a very friendly patron doused weary travelers with a spritzer gun and offered treats from the leather tool belt attached to his waist. As his shirt declared, he was the bearer of “Liquid Lollapops Love” and people were literally falling head over heels for his courtship gifts under the high-noon sun.
Miike Snow was a bit, well, scary in its Lollapalooza debut, shocking a curious audience with Phantom Of the Opera masks and matching black bomber jackets before lightening the mood with a barrage of bubbles. Perhaps it was another stunt in the members’ obsession with anonymity, having spent the better part of their career as DJs behind the scenes, writing and producing tracks for the likes of Madonna and Britney Spears. One thing’s for certain: it couldn’t have been an identity crisis, since the American-Swedish outfit has a very clear idea of who they are musically, and played song after song of dark electro-pop with a jumping, house twist. Although singer Andrew Wyatt can sound a little Gabriel Byrne-ish, once he removed the mask, the image was quickly dashed by a dark, brooding, bearded man who was a fitting spokesperson for the sound.
Venus Zine staple Ida Maria was next on the Citi Stage. The Norwegian newcomer entered the stage to a round of applause — but whether it was for her unabashed reputation as a stage destroyer, or for her pink peek-a-boo bra was the lingering question. Maria’s bold rasp was the highlight of the set, as the pop punk singer wore out her voice as she screamed, hollered, and growled her way through most of the songs off her debut, Fortress Round My Heart.
The set started off somewhat slow with more subdued flavors of songs like “Morning Light,” “Keep Me Warm,” and “Forgive Me,” but picked up quickly thereafter with bold songs that earmarked Maria’s love of sex, drinks, and rocknroll. More than one song was dedicated to whiskey, including “Queen Of the World” which she said was about, “dancing on tables and being drunk, but still feeling like you’re queen of the world.” With the heat hitting an afternoon high, Maria tried to convince sweaty patrons to strip down, and even offered a quick glimpse under her gold dress before ripping into “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked” and following it with the newly-branded summer single, “Oh My God.” Although she saved the two best songs for last, it was well worth the wait. — Selena Fragassi
Day 2, Part 1: Saturday, August 8
One of today’s first performances was preceded by a special Chicago tradition: an 11:45 a.m. reading on the Playstation Stage by Thax Douglas, a Chicago poet whose odd, pre-show prose has been a staple at independent music events for years. Douglas’ reading prior to Ezra Furman & the Harpoons’ set was especially welcome, since a rumor had recently been circulated that Douglas had died. For anyone who didn’t see him at Pitchfork, those waiting for Ezra Furman and company debunked the rumor of his death firsthand.
In case that wasn’t enough to lift concertgoers’ moods, Ezra Furman & the Harpoon’s punk-edged folk rock performance was. Furman’s vocals are heavily reminiscent of Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes, but with Furman’s own optimistic twist. The songs were perky with a punk-fueled, hyper-energetic backbeat, and Furman’s knack for storytelling enthralled the audience. He shared personal stories — some amusing, some bittersweet — such as a song about accidentally boarding a plane to Africa, instead of Japan, with his former fiancée, which eventually prompted them to break up.
Dressed in an oversized, yellow raincoat and yellow-edged sunglasses, Furman was irreverent, goofy, and completely captivating. “I think in metaphors, kind of,” he admitted, before singing a song that began: “I jumped into your heart like a pool / But there was no water in it, and I fell like a fool.”
Though delving into romantic and sentimental territory, the band kept the punk edge, and the audience wasn’t prepared to let the group leave. It applauded and hollered well after in an anticipation of an encore, but eventually left to see Delta Spirit at the Budweiser Stage.
The Southern California band began playing at around 12:30 p.m. to an enormous sea of people under a blazingly sunny sky. “We’re used to playing in front of, like, 200 people,” singer Matt Vasquez confessed. “This is fucking weird. So, hi!”
If Delta Spirit was nervous, it didn’t show, but that may have had to with the crowd’s unanimously positive feedback. The group’s slowly unfolding rock songs, powered by a double-duty rhythm section, convinced the crowd to clap and sing along. The three electric guitarists and bassist hunched over their instruments, angrily slashing at the strings. At one point, the two drummers were joined by a guitarist to form a dominant yet still incredibly precise percussion section.
Thundering keyboards and a booming backbeat framed lyrics that covered political and sentimental concepts, and the group wrapped up the set with “People, Turn Around,” a somber song pleading to end violence. “Hoping for love to find a new voice / ‘Cause the song that needs singing has already been sung before,” Vasquez crooned.
Vasquez mentioned that his brother was getting married that same day. “I said don’t book the eighth, and the motherfucker booked it on the eighth,” he joked. To compensate, he dialed his brother Travis’ phone and had the entire audience congratulate him.
Los Campesinos! arrived on the Budweiser Stage shortly after their scheduled 2:30 p.m. time. This youthful, seven-member band attracted a big crowd, despite the 95-plus degree heat. Their straightforward indie pop sound was made bigger-than-life with keyboards, electric guitars, and a violin.
Like a coed cheerleading squad with instruments, the band delivered their songs with the kind of youthful enthusiasm that only a troupe of youngsters is capable of. The songs burst with raw screams, pumping guitar riffs, and incredible exuberance, although their melodies weren’t particularly catchy.
The group paid homage to both Elliot Smith and the Smashing Pumpkins, although no trace of those groups’ brilliance was evident in Los Campesinos!’ sound. Their soaring melodies, while attention-getting, continued to fall into the same repetitive groove. — Genevieve Diesing
Day 1, Part 5
There was no shortage of surprises in Of Montreal’s late-evening set. For one, the rain stopped — and just in time to welcome a barrage of sunny characters onto the Vitamin Water Stage, including an unidentified man in an animal mask, two female players wearing Medieval wench costumes, and singer Kevin Barnes, dressed in his own royal getup and carried on the shoulders of two escorts. Next were the constant string of stage props and audience distractions like the billowing streamers, a mini–Christmas tree, a flock of ninjas, and a barrage of colorful balloons brought out by surprise guest Janelle Monáe, who nearly stole the show with her stunning vocal style. Dressed in her trademark suit and pompadour hair, Monáe belted out high notes and low on Of Montreal originals and (surprise!) a David Bowie cover. In true form, Of Montreal was as colorful as the warped cartoons playing on the side screens, and thankfully weren’t detoured by their Sergeant Pepper costumes, to give a solid set with noteworthy tracks like “Bunny Ain’t No Kind Of Rider” and “The Party’s Crashing Us.”
For the final act of the night, Depeche Mode took over the Chicago 2016 stage, proving why they have long been and still are one of America’s biggest festival bands. Although some feared Dave Gahan might bail on the set due to a reported cancer battle like the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch was forced to do, the 47-year-old was in top form during a stunning two-hour set that spanned the band’s impressive catalogue. Although it started slow with new numbers like “Wrong,” Depeche Mode finally got to what the sea of fans had been waiting for — old gems like “Walking In My Shoes,” “It’s No Good,” “A Question Of Time,” and “Fly On the Windscreen.” Bare-chested in his black vest and matching pants, Gahan fueled the set with his long-perfected sensuality and stage antics that at times seemed more choreographed than natural. Next to him was longtime bandmate Martin Gore, who played the guitar with the same flashy attitude as the sequined two-piece that he wore.
Tracks like “Precious,” “Policy of Truth,” and “I Feel You” were richly satisfying, with lush synth work and heavier-than-normal guitar riffs. Although some of the tracks tickled around with new arrangements, most of the songs were the same old, same old — which is exactly what the night called for. Even Gore, who sang on his penned song, “Home,” proved that his voice has wavered after years of consistent touring. Throughout the set, there was also endless video feed which, at times, gave a black-and-white perspective to the live action onstage, and at others, showed pre-recorded graphics that accessorized the performance.
After ending the first set with an audience sing-a-long of “Enjoy the Silence” and “Never Let Me Down Again,” Depeche Mode returned for their final numbers, including “Stripped” and “Personal Jesus,” whose contagious melody caused outbursts of dancing and cartwheels in the street. After a long day of persistent rain and gloomy skies, there was nothing like the harrowing gothic flavor of Depeche Mode to put a seal of approval on Lollapalooza Day One. — Selena Fragassi
Day 1, Part 4
One of the most celebrated albums to debut last year was the self-titled album from Fleet Foxes, a Seattle band with a penchant for harmony. The group shared its distinctive, atmospheric sound at the Playstation Stage at 5 p.m., treating a wide-spanning audience to its soft, mysterious melodies. Fans closer to the stage seemed to deeply appreciate the music by singing along — one even bopped a rubber chicken to the beat — but toward the outskirts of the crowd, it was just a stop in Lollapalooza’s ongoing party of drinking, chatting, and smoking.
To Fleet Foxes’ credit, their sound was distinctive enough to carry, where other bands of that ilk were not so lucky earlier in the day. Jangling tambourines, the gentle strum of acoustic guitars, and the clear cooing vocals on favorites like “White Winter Hymnal” rounded out a solid set. Though the vibe was soft, slow, and meditative, Fleet Foxes’ wall of harmonies comprised enough vocal power to keep people’s attention.
Directly following, and just a giant mud puddle away, were the Decemberists on the Budweiser Stage. Hailing from Portland, this band was made for the large venue and festival atmosphere. Like a troupe of actors, they switched musical roles with changing songs, and their costumes seemed cinematic as well, much like the group's recent concept album, The Hazards Of Love. Member Jenny Conlee was decked out in a wedding dress and veil, and the other band members were outfitted in dark suits and a dress.
Lead vocalist Colin Meloy regaled the enormous crowd with folktale lyrics while accordion, guitar, and even a cello backed him up. The Decemberists have a knack for drama, and it came through in their sound as well as their outfits — whether in the form of a quivering soprano against a heavy metal guitar riff, or the amped-up energy levels of the band members as they traded places, pounding on drums or manning the mic.
But the commotion ended where it began. Subtlety returned again at the Playstation Stage, this time in the form of singer, violinist, and renowned whistler Andrew Bird. This was Bird’s last stop before commencing on a three-week long European tour, although he mentioned that he already missed the Midwest.
Bird’s optimistic melodies sound like simple little ditties to the untrained ear, but they are the result of a great deal of multi-tasking. Bird acted as a one-man band (although he was not alone onstage) by recording his trilling whistle and then playing violin and alternately singing over the loops. His “Fits and the Dizzy Spills,” from his newest album, Noble Beast (Fat Possum), includes such a catchy whistle of a chorus that it’s instantly recognizable. During this particular show, however, his throngs of fans weren’t up to whistling along.
Kings Of Leon, dueling with Depeche Mode as the headlining attraction, opened their set on the Budweiser Stage a little past 8 p.m with “Be Somebody,” off their latest album, Only By the Night (RCA) — a song about yearning for success. The irony must have been intentional. Now, after years of minimal recognition, Kings Of Leon have risen meteorically to fame.
Singer Anthony “Caleb” Folowill’s layered and rich voice has taken to a more smooth, commercial tone lately, in place of its previous, more rock-friendly raspyness. Sampling slow songs from older albums, Kings Of Leon seemed to be trying to give a plug to their past before busting out the single that everyone wanted to hear: “Sex On Fire.” With the stage drenched in flashing red lights, the audience sang along unanimously to the chorus, capping off a long day of rain and crowds on an uplifting note. — Genevieve Diesing
Day 1, Part 3
Although originally hailing from Alaska, Portland’s the Builders and the Butchers were one of the first bands on Friday to warm up the grumpy and miserably wet day that plagued Chicago. The five-piece (mostly bearded) band was gruff yet simplistic in its approach to reinvented honky-tonk folk on songs like “Vampire Lake,” from their new album, Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well (GTC). They relied on a working man’s modesty to build their full-on sound, at times using a split-line audience to create “ooh” and “ahh” effects; at others, doubling up the drummer seat for an overflowing dose of beats that drove the lines of vocalist-guitarist Ryan Sollee and banjoist Harvey Tumbleson. Although their name might imply otherwise, nothing about the band or their set could come even close to butchered. Instead, the folk re-mixers were masters at building energy and keeping it right at the peak of audible pleasure.
By the time Heartless Bastards hit the Vitamin Water stage — which tried hard as it could to create a meditative destination with its obvious Taj Mahal and Buddha banners — the rain had hit its stride, turning former softball fields into muddy slip ‘n’ slides that claimed more than a few victims. Singer Erika Wennerstrom was the calm in the storm, a convincing siren whose deep register moved people to peaceful afternoon reflection on bluesy rock numbers like “Out At Sea,” “Hold Your Head High,” and the title track from this year’s The Mountain (Fat Possum). Wennerstrom’s effortless vocal delivery was met with nearly perfect guitar chops that floated into the cloudy sky above. One improvement felt in the Heartless Bastards’ set was Lollapalooza’s advanced sound system and scheduling arrangements, which allowed each band to play one at a time instead of simultaneously on nearby stages, eliminating the sonic bleeding of years past.
Audible perfection was not kind to Crystal Castles, however, the next band to take on the Vitamin Water stage. The intensive loops and chaotic drumming completely overpowered singer Alice Glass and sounded, at times, like a dying robot. Add to that a dead Jumbotron, which left people behind umbrellas peeking through small clearings to see a fraction of the action that was causing the uproar. With Glass’ unpredictable pogoing and a thick fog of smoke, it was nearly hopeless; at the same time, given the duo’s catchy beats and electro magnetism, it didn’t matter — there was at least something to dance to. — Selena Fragassi
Day 1, Part 2
This is the third year Atlanta-based indie rock quintet Manchester Orchestra has treated Lollapalooza to its angstful rock melodies, and judging by the large crowds braving the rain to see them this year, it won’t be the last. Fans huddled under umbrellas just after noon at the Budweiser Stage, braving the rain to bop their heads along with the methodical rhythms and lead singer Andy Hull’s sonorous cries. With the Chicago skyline spread behind them, Manchester Orchestra screamed and raved — the keyboardist even headbanged — as pot scent wafted through the early afternoon crowd.
“Our band has never had this many people like us at the same time, at the same place,” Hull gushed before launching into — believe it or not — “I’ve Got Friends,” one of the liveliest tracks off Manchester Orchestra’s new record, Mean Everything To Nothing (Favorite Gentleman).
A little less angst, and a little more love, was on tap for Zap Mama, lead by Belgium-raised performer Marie Daulne. That is, the angst disappeared once Zap Mama’s set began. Scheduled to go on at 1 p.m. on the Playstation Stage, the band kept fans waiting for 30 minutes, presumably because of technical difficulties. After about 20 minutes, the crowd began to thin, but when Daulne finally took the stage — preceded by backup singers in brightly colored, wide-brimmed hats — she was worth the wait. Decked out in a neon green halter dress, her signature record “hat” fixed at an angle on the side of her head, and with neon green–laced tennis shoes strung decoratively over her right shoulder, Daulne jumped into song.
Performing cartwheels, swishing her dress to reveal scarlet petticoats, and leaping into the air, Daulne’s performance was just as much about theatrics as it was music. Which, by the way, was impossible not to dance to. With booming bass and Daulne’s powerful voice reaching high and low, the melodies were just as infectious as the rhythms. For a group that started as an all-female a capella group a decade ago, it has certainly evolved. Today’s performance featured big-band overtones paired with Brazilian stylings, which are present on the group’s newest record, ReCreation (Heads Up) Daulne’s smiling, powerful presence was infectiously positive. She preached about the limitations of modern society after kicking off her silver heels to change into those green-laced sneakers. If the crowd had any resentment about being kept waiting, it was surely overpowered by one of the most energy-fueled performances of the afternoon.
Bon Iver took the Playstation Stage at 3 p.m., drawing enough umbrella-toting fans to become one of the biggest draws of the day. Fans crowded centimeters apart to catch a glimpse of the quiet singer, whose intimate sound was not suited to the crowded setting. Singer Justin Vernon was an ant on the stage, and his soft folk songs didn’t carry much better.
With so many clustered in the rain to see the singer, fans began to get frustrated. It couldn’t have been a better time for Vernon to sing, “I told you to be patient / And I told you to be kind,” the all-too-forgettable words from one of his most popular songs, “Skinny Love,” off of 2008's For Emma, Forever Ago. The high-pitched melodies were, for those who could hear them, soothing and appropriate for the cloudy-skied setting. — Genevieve Diesing
Day 1, Part 1: Friday, August 7
Day One of Lollapalooza started rainy, but 11:15 a.m. opener April Smith (and her male backing band, the Great Picture Show) didn’t let the weather ruin her parade of alluring cabaret pop. “We hope you don’t get rained on too much,” she said to the slow-growing crowd camped out under trees looking for shelter. “We’ve been doing our rain dance, but I don’t think it’s working.” But as soon as she hit the bluesy chorus of “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” there was no hiding from her contagious melodies and honey-dusted vocals. The name of the song could just as well have described her bewitching voice, but instead the lyrics captured her taking-no-shit attitude from her brethren in the female pop pack: “Is there anything going on in that pretty little head / If you’re just drop dead gorgeous / Just drop dead!” And later, on “Dixie Boy,” she warned, “Keep your darn hands off my Dixie boy … When it comes to my boy, I’ll fight like a man.”
But don’t be fooled — though this Brooklyn songstress talks smack, she’s in touch with her feminine side, too. Dressed in an outfit that was half-ballerina, half-sailor, Smith was endearing in the sweet-lipped “Colors” and vulnerable in “Stop Wondering,” which she claims was written after making out with the Jonas Brothers and waiting for them to call back.
Video interview with April Smith
While waiting for the Stillwater, Oklahoma, outfit Other Lives to start on the Citi Stage, a distant guitar riff of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” could be heard milling about the park, except this time it was coming from the kids’ stage, with a high-pitched wail of a girl (or boy) that couldn’t be more than 12 years old. It was probably the most entertaining part of the hour as Other Lives’ morose, dreamy folk set just reminded the crowd of how depressing the weather was around them. The saving grace was cellist Jenny Hsu, who used her bow and strings to direct the otherwise lost jam sessions. — Selena Fragassi
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For more photos from Lollapalooza 2009, visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page
Video interview with Peter Bjorn and John
Find out how to ask Lollapalooza's biggest bands questions
Issue #35
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moemonty (7 months)
Great coverage on the Playstation stage. I hope to see more for tomorrow!
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