TVD Live: Lollapalooza at Grant Park, 8/2

It was another hot day in Chicago, but that didn’t stop the masses of fans from flocking to Grant Park for day two of Lollapalooza. Friday’s lineup boasted a pretty eclectic mix of genres. Fans will see the increasingly popular K-pop genre represented once again on the north side of the park, with the 8-member group the Stray Kids dancing the night away. Battling out for the same headlining spot on the south end of the park is SZA, who’s sultry mix of hip-hop and R&B brought a pretty mellow crowd, with most fans dancing and vibing along to the music.

4:00PM: What’s nice about Lollapalooza is that in addition to all of the stages around the park, there are several activations located in various spots. Some of these activations have a small stage where they invite some of the artists playing that day to do a shortened set in addition to their main set.

This was great because I was able to catch McKenna Grace at a different time, since her main set clashed with another set I was trying to catch. When I first saw McKenna Grace‘s name on the lineup, I was a bit confused. Surely this wasn’t the same McKenna Grace, that we have watched grow up on our screens through her various acting jobs. But it was!

And I was happily surprised by how great of a singer she was. I have known her for years as playing the younger version of some actresses in various movies and TV shows, but I never knew that she was also skilled in music. For being at such a small stage, the space was packed. I managed to snake through the crowd so I could grab a spot where I was able to perfectly see and hear her set.

A funny moment during her set was when she acknowledged that we were in the Toyota music den, and said that while she “doesn’t have a license, if [she] did, [she] would drive a Toyota!” This really solidified that she is still a young woman, however, her vocal chops sound like she has been doing this for decades. I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow as an artist and what the music world holds for her future.

4:45PM: Next up was Sexyy Red at the main stage on the north end of the park. It was so tightly packed at this stage, before the show even started the event organizers had to display text on all of the screens, telling the crowd that they needed to take several steps back before the show could go on.

There was also a man on stage, talking into the microphone, guiding the crowd as to how many steps to take back several times. You could see that the medics were being kept busy by pulling so many people from the crowd that felt crushed by the sheer volume of people that were waiting for the set to start.

Luckily, the crowd was able to safely make room so no one else could get crushed and the show was able to start. Once the show did go on, it was quite fun! Sexyy red was led onto stage by her group of dancers as well as a man acting as a bodyguard/Secret Service member, since her stage was a play on the presidential race. She really engaged the crowd and danced along with her back up dancers perfectly in sync.

6:45PM: I was very excited to see Reneé Rapp, who just reprised her role as Regina George in the movie adaptation of the Mean Girls musical. She did not disappoint! She even performed one of the songs from the musical that featured Megan Thee Stallion, who coincidentally headlined the same stage the previous night. It was great to see so many women in the crowd with smiles plastered on their faces, happily belting the lyrics to their favorite songs along with her.

Reneé Rapp is also still pretty young herself, and much like McKenna Grace, her vocal abilities seem to be well beyond her years. She is a triple threat, having already starred on Broadway, acting in various TV shows and movies, and her blossoming music career. She is one to keep an eye out for.

Later in her set, she brought out Chicago native Chance The Rapper to perform his song “No Problem” after talking about how much she loved his album Coloring Book, recounting the time when she was about 16 years old and stayed up late so she could buy it when it first dropped. Afterwards, she continued to fan out about what had just transpired. It’s always so heartwarming to see people reacting to their favorite artists, and it’s not solely limited to the fans in the crowd.

7:45PM: Kevin Abstract, popularly known from the group BROCKHAMPTON, is doing some great things with his solo career. His stage presence is infectious. Not even five minutes into his set, he is jumping off the stage and running to the crowd, leaning over the barricade and sharing the mic with his fans. You can feel the bass vibrating through the ground as he spits into his mic. I’m not sure how he’s able to have so much energy to run all over the stage while wearing a sweatshirt when it’s 85 degrees out. Truly a sight to see!

7:45PM: Playing at the same time as Kevin Abstract on the opposite side of the park, it was hard to make it to Brandi Cyrus, but I made sure to still catch a bit of her set. She’s getting the crowd warmed up for Stray Kids, playing hot songs from the 2000’s over booming bass to get the crowd moving. Brandi put on a classic DJ set while still engaging with the crowd.

8:30PM: It’s no surprise that the crowd is packed with screaming fans holding light up sticks and fan-made cut outs of the members of Stray Kids, patiently waiting for their set to start. Some of these fans have been here all day, waiting it out to get the best spot possible. I’m happy to see the security guards handing out water to the crowd, making sure to take care of them so they can have a good time once the show starts.

The lights finally go down and a banner covers the stage so the members can get into position before the banner drops. I’m wowed with how in sync these guys are, considering there’s 8 of them! They don’t miss a beat and they do a great job trading off different lines and swapping out the center position, perfectly highlighting each individual member’s talents. They’re making me want to dance while I try to capture pictures of their set! I’m finally understanding the big hype surrounding k-pop. Consider me a new fan!

McKENNA GRACE