Lollapalooza 2012, Aug 5-7, 2012
Grant Park, Chicago
Like Amazon.com and Monster.com, when Perry Farrell named his big alternative rock festival “Lollapalooza” in 1991, he was no doubt thinking of the definition “something great and/or wonderful,” rather than the Three Stooges reference to “a giant swirling lollipop.” But like both those dot-coms, which Farrell’s massive fest pre-dates, the word has since taken on the simple meaning: big. Bigger than big. And that’s where the Lollapalooza fest stands today.
These days, anything can be a Something-palooza. In fact, the Urban Dictionary defines “-palooza” as “an all-out crazy party; partying at one place with a ton of people like there’s no tomorrow…” And hey, the party is (more than) half the fun of a big outdoor rock festival. And if hipsters were looking for their kin, Lolla2012 was their Mecca.
But at $95 per day, the promise of major acts like Black Sabbath, The Black Keys, Jack White and Red Hot Chili Peppers is why kids pay the big bucks. ‘Cause, let’s face it, no one would pay those prices for my favorites Sigur Ros, Florence + The Machine or Washed Out. But with massive crowds approaching 100,000 a day, Lolla-goers had to make some tough choices to be in the right place at the right time to catch their faves.
The Lollapalooza mobile app helps manage your time, as the intrepid iPhone or Android-equipped fest pest could schedule their day accordingly. But travel times between the large stages (where the best acts play), from one side of Chicago’s stellar Grant Park to the other, can approach a mile. Very doable on a lovely summer day, but add 100K avid music fans traveling back and forth across the same park and your travel time can approach 30-45 minutes between acts. Something has to give. You might be able to get to your next act, but now you’re in the back of the crowd. Fans have started to arrive early at the headliner stages to get anywhere close to a good spot, starting around 3PM for the 8PM show, and camping out there for whichever band comes on in the interim, inevitably missing out on other acts performing on stages a mile away.
This is nothing new for multi-stage fests, so tough choices will have to be made. Another challenge for organizers using Grant Park, situated in the heart of Chicago’s fabulous Loop, just yards from Lake Michigan, is the city ordinance to stop the noise-making at 10PM each night. So the only acts that get any bit of dramatic evening darkness, and the opportunity to use the requisite light show, are the last artists on the bill. No doubt saving on production costs, this flattens out the performances and extends the gulf between the few big names who can take advantage of lighting and video effects, while everyone else is playing a daylight gig.
Lolla 2012 will probably be remembered as much for the Saturday storm evacuation as for the music. With recent highly publicized stage collapses in Indiana, Belgium, Canada, Oklahoma and others, it’s obvious that preparations were in place for such contingencies. By all accounts, plenty of warning was given and an orderly exit was coordinated by officials. One wonders what the economic impact of 100,000 fans sent scurrying through Chicago’s streets generated, even for a few minutes. The Mayor extended the noise curfew so most bands were able to perform their sets unimpeded once the storm passed. Bravo.
While average festival-goers are shooting YouTubes with their iPhones, authorized journalists are essentially discouraged from shooting photos, video or even writing about the music much, with the focus firmly on the festival itself. But some musical commentary is essential. Jack White may have disappointed some fans by sticking mostly to his solo work, but his trick of starting with his all-male band and transitioning to his all-female band was impressive, and improved his sound! Ozzy was a stumbling, bumbling Ozzy as Black Sabbath, in their only appearance this year and minus drummer Bill Ward, focused on early classics, much to the delight of Midwestern metalheads.
After Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s brief introduction, Akron’s The Black Keys dispensed with the rest of the band so Patrick Carney & Dan Auerbach could get down to basics. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, shirtless as ever, and coming off their recent induction into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had as much energy as the youngsters. While nothing matched the pure theatrical triumph of Lady Gaga’s 2010 set, hearing the assembled crowd singing along with the opening lines of “Under The Bridge” is one of those chill-inducing moments that keeps you coming back for more.
So with Lollapalooza contracted to use Grant Park through 2018, there’s plenty of time for Farrell and his crew to tweak the program and make improvements. The event is well-organized and security is adequate. Since tickets were sold out weeks before the concert, the kids obviously feel bigger is better. With the beautiful Chicago skyline looming on three sides and Lake Michigan on the fourth, Lollapalooza probably can’t get any bigger. We’ll see if it gets any better.
Highlights on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/lollapalooza