When I was in eighth grade, a few friends and I decided we were going to have a yard sale to collect money to go to Bamboozle Music Festival. After all of our hard work, we made a total of one dollar. ONE. Needless to say, we didn't make it to Bamboozle. However, we promised ourselves that once we had cars and jobs, we would finally attend a festival. That's why this summer, my friend Jon and I exclaimed, "FOR THE YARD SALE!" as we spent a sizable chunk of our savings on two tickets to Lollapalooza.
Lollapalooza is a music festival that takes place every summer in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois. The festival is typically a three-day event, but this year a fourth day was added in honor of the festival's 25th birthday. This year's headliners ranged from LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead and Red Hot Chili Peppers to Major Lazer, Lana Del Rey and Disclosure. The festival is massive: seven stages, an Art Market where artisans can sell their creations, Chow Town food court with an expansive variety of local restaurants and vendors, and Lolla Cares, where nonprofit organizations can interact with festival goers and recruit volunteers. Overall, Lollapalooza is full of people with a passion for music all sharing a wonderful experience together. Here a few of my personal highlights from Lollapalooza 2016:
Big Grams
Big Grams is a band comprised of rapper Big Boi and electronic duo Phantogram, a strange combination that is actually phenomenal. Big Grams has undeniable chemistry on stage that, when paired with their fun and upbeat attitude, makes for an incredible performance. Not to mention Sarah Barthel's style is on point--she donned an all-black ensemble consisting of a strappy bodysuit, lacy kimono, strappy heels and round sunglasses paired with pin-straight, platinum blonde hair and a flawless red lip. I give it a 10/10.
G-Eazy
G-Eazy put on a hell of a performance, hitting the nail on the head with a perfect balance of new hits, old favorites and iconic stories about his career as a rapper. Not to mention, he performed an energetic rendition of his remix of YG's "F*** Donald Trump," so I clearly approve. "Sorry not sorry," as Young Gerald would say.
Major Lazer
Pro Tip: If you ever attend Lollapalooza, GO TO AFTERSHOWS. You might be an exhausted, sweaty mess, but believe me, it's worth it. I was lucky enough to see Major Lazer at the Aragon Ballroom Thursday night after the first day of the festival, and it was a blast. However, it was just a taste of the madness that would ensue the following night when Major Lazer shut down the Bud Light Stage--and I do mean "shut down." The moombahton trio rolled the bass so hard that the stage lost all power not once, but twice! The crew had to bring in three industrial powered generators to support the insanity that was Major Lazer's set, but it was definitely worth it. The guys also brought out MØ to close with their viral hit "Lean On," which was nothing short of incredible.
Flume
Flume was by far my favorite set at Lollapalooza. I have never experienced something so fun yet spiritual and breathtaking all at the same time. Flume brought out both Vic Mensa and Vince Staples for their features on his new album "Skin," and the crowd went absolutely nuts. Flume's set left me speechless, and I honestly still don't even have words to describe the perfection that he blessed us with on the final day of the festival.
Flosstradamus
During his Thursday night closing set at the Perry's Stage, Floss brought out a whole slew of special guests: Chance the Rapper, Post Malone, Dwayne Wade, Michelle Williams and Gabrielle Union! Lengendary.
Connie's Pizza
What would a music festival in Chicago be without some kick ass deep dish pizza? Connie's is where it's AT. I'll never look at a slice of pizza the same again.
Toyota Music Den
Thanks to the stellar schedule at the Toyota Music Den, I got to see my two favorite artists up close and personal at Lollapalooza in addition to their regular sets. On Friday, we got to see our favorite DJ duo, Chicago natives Louis The Child go back-to-back with fellow Chicago DJ Whethan. By the end of their set, I was dripping sweat and smiling from ear to ear. On Saturday, the folks at Toyota blessed us with a 6 p.m. acoustic set by my very favorite band, The Front Bottoms. Somehow I was lucky enough to meet both Louis The Child and The Front Bottoms throughout the festival as well, so I'd say I had a pretty successful weekend.
Honestly, I could go on for hours about all of the spectacular sets I got to see at Lollapalooza--Halsey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rufus Du Sol, Grandtheft and Lana Del Rey, just to name a few. However, just take my advice and attend a festival one day. It's much better than letting me go on and on about it, and you'll have memories to last you forever.
