Lollapalooza 2008

Ah, there it is. Tha familiar all-over body soreness that can only mean two things. Either a) I’ve been moving to a new apartment all day or b) I’ve been at a music festival. Luckily for me, tonight’s soreness is due to Option B as I spent the whole day trolling around Grant Park in downtown Chicago as Day 1 kicked off Lollapalooza 2008.

Lollapalooza 2008 Chicago 2

By noon I was already wandering around, soaking in the atmosphere. I was also already soaking in my pants, which were a poor decision despite their breathability. Seeking shade and Atlanta’s inaptly named Manchester Orchestra, I took in the show at the Citi Stage. Their upbeat southern garage rock was the perfect way to start the day – enough jangly guitar and pounding drums to get the heart pumping (and facilitate more sweating), and plenty of rhythmic changes and vocal ticks to keep the mind from drifting. After a quick walk to the BMI Stage, I caught a few songs of retro rockers The Parlor Mob. The ample pot smoke drifting through the crowd certainly matched the sound put out by these Jersey rockers.

The Parlor Mob at Lollapalooza 2008

Parlor Mob

Having spent much of my day, so far, taking in smaller shaded shows and other non-musical aspects of the fest (a hammock village, which was amazing), I decided to jump in the proverbial deep end. This involved heading to the farthest south section of Grant Park and the AT&T Main Stage where Yeasayer was performing. Considering Radiohead would later grace this stage, I assumed my vantage point would be less than stellar, but I was able to get a decent spot and enjoyed more than an hour’s worth of their experimental psych folk, including an amazing version of “2080.”

Yeasayer at Lollapalooza 2008

Yeasayer lollapalooza

After a short meal in an air conditioned establishment, I was rejuvenated. I was in pursuit of Free Sol and a return to the Citi Stage. After dancing with the most active crowd of the day so far, Free Sol was followed by Grizzly Bear. The Lolla program unfortunately labeled them the “Beach Boys on painkillers” and the band attracted nearly every indie kid in the whole park. Chinsy neon sunglasses, shameful beards (mine included), and plaid was everywhere. I could only stand the direct sun on my back for half their set and I unfortunately moved on.

Free Sol at Lollapalooza 2008

Free Sol Lollapalooza 2008

This finally brought me to the last stage of the day, the monstrous AT&T Stage. While we tried to move closer to the stage every chance we got, die hard Bloc Party fans sang and danced while lead singer Kele Okereke showed off his great, but ultimately pointless political leanings with an amazing Barak Obama shirk. Finally, with Stephen Malkmus playing behind us, we inched slowly closer for Radiohead’s set. And at exactly 8:00, as the sun set behind the buildings to our left, the bleeps and blips of a computer echoed around the field and 15 Steps began. For two straight hours that included nearly all of In Rainbows, two encores, a huge fireworks display during the climax of “Fake Plastic Trees” and a phenomenal finish of “Idiotech,” Radiohead held 75,000 people captive. Some danced (me, badly), some just watched, others were carried out either due to extreme heat or being overwhelmed by the show that included an amazing light show. Only Pablo Honey was ignored as they played at least two songs from every other album including an amazing version of “The Gloaming,” my personal favorite “Optimistic” opened the final encore, followed by 2+2=5 and Idioteque.

I could go on for days about this show. Every picture I took turned out blurry and practically unusable, so instead, here is a picture of my feet with the most room I had all show. Did I mention pants were a bad idea?

My Shoes