LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, FRIDAY 8/4

With day two of Lollapalooza featuring a more promising weather report, eager Bishop Briggs fans filtered in and were treated to quite the show from the London native, who captivated the crowd with her vocal stability being nothing short of superhuman. Meanwhile Majid Jordan barely made it to their gig, with vocalist Majid Al Maskati informing us that they’d driven 10 hours to make it to Chicago after a flight cancellation before fans were serenaded with tracks like “Phases”, “Forever”, and an exclusive stripped-down version of “Pacifico”. Local indie rockers Whitney pulled a significantly large crowd shortly after, with hordes of Chicagoans arriving early to support them (as well as unexpected special guest Joey Purp, who joined them on stage for “Red Moon.”) At the opposing end of Grant Park, Phantogram rocked through a solid set in a shimmering performance that included stunning visuals, lo-fi video effects on the big screens, and a carefully curated assortment of hits both old and new. El-P and Killer Mike of Run The Jewels ushered a lucky superfan on stage to perform with them after spotting his “Let Me Rap Legend Has It” sign amongst the crowd, and Yukimi Nagano and the boys of Sweden’s Little Dragon turned up the bass with an electric performance complete with Day-Glo apparel and neon lighting. The full moon and strobe lights acted as a brooding backdrop for high-octane electronic duo Crystal Castles who, in keeping with their social anonymity, donned creepy, sock-like masks which revealed just their eyes (and tufts of vocalist Edith Frances’ fluorescent hair.) The Killers paid tribute to Muse’s cancelled set with a cover of “Starlight” as well as a rendition of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm” sandwiched in between a rowdy set of fist-pumping bangers that ended with “Mr. Brightside”, and Blink-182 finished off the night in style with a booming fireworks spectacular. BY DANIELLA THOMPSON–PHOTO BY CHARLES REAGAN HACKLEMAN/LOLLAPALOOZA 2017
Previous: Lollapalooza Day One—Next: Lollapalooza Day Three

LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, THURSDAY 8/3

Lollapalooza 2017 got off to a more than bumpy start, with Migos’ set being pushed back half an hour due to a flight delay. Meanwhile less than 20 minutes into his set, Liam Gallagher abruptly ended his performance, stating that he “had a difficult gig last night which fucked my voice.” Rapper Wiz Khalifa got things back on track, performing through half-shut eyes but providing inspirational words in between hits like “See You Again” and bringing out Ty Dolla $ign to perform then-unreleased single “Something New.” Later on, Canadian DJ/producer Kaytranada maintained a consistent level of energy despite a semi-lackluster crowd. Despite the success of her hit record Melodrama, the Bud Light stage sported a relatively sparse attendance as Lorde began to set up. In what became a full day of cancellations, delays, and rain downpours, her promising set (along with everyone else’s) was cut short after just three songs, with her last words before news of the festival’s abrupt evacuation broke being: “I’m gonna play a song I’ve never played before.” Disappointed attendees were hurriedly queued out of the park, with day one being evacuated an hour early due to a “weather emergency”. A considerably heavy thunderstorm soon followed, sending soggy fans pouring into the streets and dashing for cover — leaving everyone thinking (and hoping), “the rest of the weekend can only go up from here, right?” BY DANIELLA THOMPSON–PHOTO BY ROGER HO/LOLLAPALOOZA 2017
Next: Lollapalooza Day Two

Chicago Gets Jazzy This September

Chicago may be known for raucous rock festival like Lollapalooza and Riot Fest, but the city also is home to a number of more laid-back jazz festivals that are lining up latent this September. So if you’re looking to kick back in style this fall with some cool tunes and crisp autumn breezes, look no further than the city’s September jazz festival triumvirate that is the Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and Englewood Jazz Festival.

ARCADE FIRE

by Justin Trudell

Arcade Fire was born to headline Lollapalooza. After finally making the complete transition from cult indie rock darlings to stadium-filling hit-makers, the sprawling Canadian art rock collective has only grown more massive. Their new album Everything Now continues their assault on your stamina with tracks like “Creature Comfort” and “Everything Now,” which will fill the Lolla night sky with the pulsing beats and unrelenting emotion we’ve come to expect from them. They always deliver the goods, and few bands are more deserving of a headlining slot. Frontman Win Butler conducts the evening with a controlled chaos, bouncing around stage with an intensity and passion not seen from many, if any, current lead singers. Everything seems like it could unravel at any moment, from the flailing guitar riffs on “Wake Up” to the tranquility of “The Suburbs” to the hypnotic popping drumbeat of “Rebellion (Lies).” Expect heady smiles as far as the eye can see.

8:30-10:00 PM
Grant Park Stage