Grant Park is HUGE. Lolla utilized half its space last year, but this time it’s the whole park (and even more artists!). Walking from one main stage (AT&T) to the other (Bud Light) is a task of miles and minutes — but the bands at either end (and the characters and concessions along the way) make the trek oh-so-special. We’ll let the pics do the talking.
Well, not all the talking. Ryan’s Dead-drenched set drew a massive crowd of fawning ladies — and his “He’s Gone” was great — but man are those Bud Light speakers powerful! The mild musings of Iron and Wine (who Whitney said was spectacular) suffered from being on a nearby stage, but we didn’t mind hearing the end of Ry’s set while waiting for the tardy Lady Sov to grace us with her presence. And though y’all were hatin’ on “Gatheration”, Sov was five feet of fury on the Playstation stage. An unexpected highlight!
But the set of the day belonged to Jim James and My Morning Jacket, the Best Live Band in America (yeah, we said it). Jim poured every ounce of his reverbed vocals into the epic performance, and regaled us with a tale of his Lolla past. “Being a young youth at my first Lollapalooza, I saw amazing bands like The Verve, Flaming Lips, Smashing Pumpkins. A Tribe Called Quest was there too,” he said. “And I just dreamed of being able to play this festival one day. Twelve years later, here we are, and we just want to say … thank you so very much.” Which was a great story because it was incredibly sincere and because it was incredibly awesome to hear Jim James say “A Tribe Called Quest.”
More tricks and treats with Lolla Ween, but the media — and the high school girls — were all about the Death Cab. More soon.
CURSIVE
PANIC! AT THE DISCO
WHATEVER IT’S RYAN ADAMS
LADY SOVEREIGN
SECRET MACHINES
AN ANGRY FARMER-CLOWN FIDDLE-TOTING EX-CON
THE RACONTEURS
MY MORNING JACKET
HOW TO GET A DATE AT A CONCERT FESTIVAL
SLEATER-KINNEY
FRONT ROW AND WAITING FOR GIBBARD
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
WEEN
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You guys have been covering way to much panic! at the disco.
seriously what the fuck are those cirque de sole people doing there? they’re so about image….
Panic! Doesn’t know the difference between a music video and a show, apparently.
I met Jim James at Bonnaroo by the portapiss in the press area. Cool Cat, that Jim James.
Two Jack pictures, none of Brendan?
W-E-A-K.
When will folks learn that Jack is the second-best songwriter in the Racs?
Great shots! FYI, I’ve got a (pretty much) real-time Flickr photostream (tagged: Lollapalooza) playing at http://everythingbetween.com
All these great shots, sets, and that gorgeous skyline are making me JEALOUS!
After seeing My Morning Jacket when they were fairly unknown about 4 years ago at an in-store during SXSW I was blown away. Luckily I had the foresight to videotape the set which they were very cool about. I later at another show a year later gave them a copy of it. But they totally blew me away and I haved not missed a chance to see them since. Definately agree they are the best live band around cause they always bring something new to the set each and every time.
As for Nick Harmer he is a very cool and sincere guy. Being a DCFC fan since Something About Airplanes I have had the great joy of seeing them over 20 times and loved every show. I once found out Nick collected Nightmare Before Christmas stuff like I do and at one show gave him a couple of rare figures. He was cool enough to keep them on his amp for the whole show. Also a band that was always very cool about being taped and often allowing soundboard patches which is aces in my book.
Can someone tell Jack to shave off his chin strap, it is creeping me out.
Collin’s collection of figurines from Nightmare Before Christmas is creeping me out.
i concur. the underbeard has to go.
1. i hate panic, too- but i bet they put on a better show than anyone on the pforkfest bill.
2. brendan benson can’t write rock songs.
3. since when has jack white not been creepy as shit?
MMJ the best live band today? Someone hasn’t seen the Magik Markers.
I disagree, I think that the chin strap is awesome.
Gotta agree, MMJ’s set was incredible. Best set of the weekend so far. (Though the energy at today’s Flaming Lips set was great.) Glad you specified they’re the best live band in America — because I’ll still take the Frames any day.
I really hope you didn’t miss Mute Math
Steve’s right …. The Frames are uncontestable. But for the USA, MMJ put on a reliably amazing show.
uncontestable. heh.
please god no more panic at the disco.
I’m glad to see Jack White getting away from the Zoro look and moving towards a Bible-belt Robert Smith.
what is with gibbard’s hair?
Dude. You had to be right by me at the SOV. I was front row. The art guy in her posse gave me champagne. Sweet, by far one of the amazing sets of Lolla.
not as good as Flaming Lips but yeah. I can’t even put that into words yet….
Ew. Lady Sov? Aren’t her fifteen minutes as novelty act over with?
And yeah, the chin-strap is freaky as shizz.
Ween takes it as the best band there.
panic! at the disco, my morning jacket…. what high school sophomore hijacked your taste?
wow. I had no idea that the ceo (don’t forget it) of stereogum, was a five star shithead. Congratulations.I still like the blog (don’t forget it). But you know, it’s a shame that it’s documented by a cunt.
wow. I had no idea that the ceo (don’t forget it) of stereogum, was a five star shithead. Congratulations.I still like the blog (don’t forget it). But you know, it’s a shame that it’s documented by a cunt.
Yes I am blind. I will find you if the above is censored. dodn’t mean to post twice though.
bible-belt robert smith…heh!
not sure of the origin of the vitriol towards stereogum suddenly…
good palooza coverage regardless.
CURSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, you can watch a few more performances today at this link:
http://blueroom.att.com/mainstage/index.php
Not many to choose from, but Wilco is on tonioght. I watched some shows on Friday on it. I saw Raconteurs, Cursive, Deadboy, Ryan Adams, & Sleater-Kinney for free. Like a front row seat without the heat.
more picks of high school girlies, thank you.
i like gibbard’s hair.
I did notice, not only in this blog but in others as well, that Panic! is getting way too much coverage. Not only are you about 9 months behind the teeny-bopper bandwagon, you’re 3 months too early for it to be trendy to like something trendy. And oh yeah, major indie points for collin, really soundin’ like he knows his stuff. I’ll be sure to name drop rockstar run-ins and in-stores next time around as well.
“panic! at the disco, my morning jacket…. what high school sophomore hijacked your taste?”
how can you put those two within the same universe of capability and taste?
lot to learn my friend, stick to building
“how can you put those two within the same universe of capability and taste?
lot to learn my friend, stick to building”
hey dude, it wasn’t my fault the get up kids broke up. cheer up.
Hey, what does Ryan’s t-shirt say?
Hey, what does Ryan’s t-shirt say?
i was referring to mmj being leagues above panic at the disco….i dunno what you’re getting at
i was referring to mmj being leagues above panic at the disco….i dunno what you’re getting at, i don’t even like the get up kids
underbeard looks like an attempt to camoflauge carbface/rock bloat.
I believe RA’s shirt said Love A Nurse Today.
Ahh, Panic at the disco. I saw them at summerfest. Actually I didn’t see them. I heard them while staring at the people standing on the bleachers. my cousin who got pushed up all the way to the fence said they put on quite the show. I finally got out about three quaters of the way thru a girl in front of me passed out and her friend and I carried her out… but I DID hear seether play Fine Again after first aid came and got the girl.
I want Ryan Ross pictures! Saw them a week ago-am in lust
They’re almost finished, and I still couldn’t care less about Sleater Kinney. Be gone, no talents.
chin strap or no chin strap, Jack white looks creepy. period.
I had a great weekend helping out clean,safety,and medical,plus get signatures for globalwarming, and beat Bush. However, the last 10 min. on sunday before i was going to help the clean crew at AT&T I got my black Eagle purse stolen.(with ID, and Cell for safety) The police and securety were very rude saying it was my falt. I was the one who wore the three day pass on my ankle to be different. I was treated bad, not right when you are trying to make a difference and help the new generation today. Im sure Perry would have been mad.
I had a great weekend helping out clean,safety,and medical,plus get signatures for globalwarming, and beat Bush. However, the last 10 min. on sunday before i was going to help the clean crew at AT&T I got my black Eagle purse stolen.(with ID, and Cell for safety) The police and securety were very rude saying it was my falt. I was the one who wore the three day pass on my ankle to be different. I was treated bad, not right when you are trying to make a difference and help the new generation today. Im sure Perry would have been mad.
oh, god, yes.
lady sovereign made my fucking life there!
if you saw the moshpit, i was the one who got smashed in the head. well, one of the ones, but i was the one bleeding like fuck.