Last year, I went to Lollapalooza for the very first time. All of my friends had gone consistently throughout high school, but I never had the chance to attend. I went all three days, and although that might cost a few hundred dollars (including transportation and food costs), I highly recommend going the three-day route.
With Lollapalooza 2015 headlining superstars like Paul McCartney and Metallica, the popular music festival is sure to attract more first-time visitors than ever before. Rightfully so, many Chicagoans will likely have their Lolla cherry popped the evening of Friday, July 31st listening to Paul McCartney strum sweet melodies on his guitar.
As appealing as having Paul McCartney pop your cherry sounds, don't let him be the first and only performance you watch. While you might be enticed by Paul and some of the big names on the big stages (The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Kid Cudi, A$AP Rocky, Tyler The Creator – to name a few), don't count out the up-and-comers at Lolla's small stages.
It's easier to get close to the stage for the earlier acts, not to mention these artists are lesser known and will put on a great show in order to get their name out there.
Here some under the radar artists that you should definitely check out this year:
Lion Babe – This New York duo consists of singer/songwriter Jillian Harvey and instrumentalist Lucas Goodman. The production on their music allows for easy listening and mass appeal. The vocals are beautiful, like Erykah Badu in her prime. Listen to “Treat Me Like Fire" once and you'll feel like you already know the whole song. Listen to “Jump Hi" (feat. Childish Gambino) and you'll ask yourself “Badu-who?" Lion Babe performs on Sunday, August 2nd
Chet Faker – This Australian native and recent winner of five ARIA awards (including Best Male Artist) is in a league of his own when it comes to experimenting with his music. Watch his live set of “1998" or “Talk is Cheap" on Youtube and you'll realize that unique does not even begin to describe his sound. He's produced tracks with Flume (“Drop The Game") and has already made a name for himself internationally. He'll prove his talent to Chicago when he performs on Saturday, August 1st.
SZA – The sole female signed to Top Dawg Entertainment surrounds herself with elite musical company; TDE houses artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. But this soulful singer isn't known for her rap talent as much as her male compadres. Instead, you can expect her soft voice to sway your body with songs like “Babylon" (feat. Kendrick Lamar) and “Childs Play (feat. Chance The Rapper). You can expect to hear “Julia" from her (and a poor rendition of “Julia" from me in the crowd) on Friday, July 31st.
Mick Jenkins – Southern born but Chicago raised, Mick Jenkins raps are deeper than Lake Michigan. His debut mixtape – The Water[s]" is a must-listen, featuring tracks like “Jazz", “Dehydration", and “Martyrs". Lollapalooza is known for rewarding hometown artists for outperforming and overcrowding their small stage in their debuts. In 2013, Chance the Rapper killed it at The Grove, a smaller stage, and in 2014 moved up to headlining at the Bud Light stage. Last year, Vic Mensa packed The Grove so far back that I couldn't even see his face from where I stood. Expect the same from Mick Jenkins on Saturday, August 1st.
If you want to expand your musical taste and listen to music that you'll most likely hear at this year's festival, check out this Spotify playlist that I've been jamming to the past week: Lollapalooza 2015
