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Riot Fest and Star Events Launch Würst Music & Beer Fest

Riot Fest’s ever-expanding empire has entered the Chicago street festival scene, with Riot Fest teaming up with local street fest promoter Star Events to launch the new Würst Music & Beer Fest September 8-10 at Randolph and Ogden (outside the Plumber’s Union) in the West Loop. The 3-day fest (taking place the weekend before Riot Fest) will feature a stout lineup of bands including Murder By Death, The Anniversary, and Diarrhea Planet, plus beer offerings from Guinness and bratwurst from local restaurants including Chubby Weiners, Chicago’s Dog House, and The Radler, as well as a bratwurst competition to see who will be crowned “The Big Wiener”. Riot Fest and Star Events also co-produce Chicago’s premier Latin music festival, Ruido Fest, which concluded its third year in July. Würst Fest tickets are on sale now for $25 for a 3-day pass, with special beer and brat pairing packages available as well as exclusive ticket offerings via email for Riot Fest ticket holders.

LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, SUNDAY 8/6

On the final day of Lollapalooza, guests were greeted with plentiful sunshine and a comfortable drop in temperature, as girl power was in the air with big-name pop acts pulling out all the stops early. Swedish singer Tove Lo served an emotionally invested, barefoot performance which included songs from her new record Lady Wood — and at one point she even performed topless. UK pop phenom Charli XCX also returned to the Lolla stage, equipped with a few tricks up her sleeve including a surprise visit from Halsey, with whom she performed a well-received rendition of the Spice Girls classic “Wannabe”. (Chicago’s very own Cupcakke was also there, urging the crowd to “moan with her”.) Big Sean made the crowd “bounce back” over at the Bud Light stage and debuted an unreleased new track which featured guest vocals from Travis Scott. Yet it wasn’t until Arcade Fire took the stage that one of the best Lolla performances in recent memory unfolded as they delivered a life-affirming, power-packed show that included songs from as far back as fans can remember. From the moment their set kicked off with a furious rendition of new hit “Everything Now” until the time it concluded with a beautiful cover of John Lennon’s “Mind Games”, the crowd was captivated by the sprawling Canadian art rock collective as Win Butler climbed atop amps and Regine Chassagne thrashed around stage in a red leather jumpsuit. As the crowd existed their set, emotionally drained with huge smiles on their faces, the disappointment of night one was a distant fading memory — replaced by something much more powerful and lasting. BY DANIELLA THOMPSON–PHOTO BY CAMBRIA HARKEY/LOLLAPALOOZA 2017
Previous: Lollapalooza Day Three

LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, SATURDAY 8/5

Lethargic music seekers continued to maneuver through Grant Park as we moved into day three of Lollapalooza, with the affable tuneage of Glass Animals filling the open space of the Grant Park Stage with their unique beats echoing throughout their hour-long set. Rockers young and old united to pack the adjacent space over at the Lakeshore Stage, with English blues rock band Royal Blood absolutely shredding the stage. (There wasn’t a single hand in the air not locked into devil horns at some point during their set.) Over at Perry’s, Aussie DJ Alison Wonderland reworked tracks (including her own) and infused the crowd with a manic energy, which only continued to thicken in response to forthcoming performer 21 Savage as the sidewalks became lava in what I would call the largest surge of attendees heading to a stage that I’d witnessed thus far. Sylvan Esso returned to Lollapalooza and performed new music to a dedicated crowd of onlookers before R&B’s dark goddess Banks enveloped the crowd with her empowering lyrics and captivating dancers with a stage presence far more commanding than her 2015 Lolla debut. The xx took stage production to another level with a magical set that included lasers, rotating mirrors, and reflective components to complement their artistic vision. Hometown hero Chance The Rapper appropriately shut down the night, performing to a massive gathering of loyal fans in a triumphant set which featured a cameo from Vic Mensa, who joined Chance on stage for a slick performance of “Cocoa Butter Kisses”. BY DANIELLA THOMPSON–PHOTO BY GREG NOIRE/LOLLAPALOOZA 2017
Previous: Lollapalooza Day Two—Next: Lollapalooza Day Four

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

Riot Fest and Star Events Launch Würst Music & Beer Fest

LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, SUNDAY 8/6

LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, SATURDAY 8/5

LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW DOES LOLLAPALOOZA, FRIDAY 8/4

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