TVD Live: Lollapalooza at Grant Park, 8/3

Just past the halfway mark for the annual festival in Chicago Illinois, the heat still didn’t let up for those that attended this year’s Lollapalooza. With most of the stages in the direct sunlight without any type of shade, it was clear as to why the lines for all of the activations that had some sort of shade were astronomically long.

It was also easy to see why so many groups of people were huddled under the little shade the existing trees all offered, nevertheless everyone (hopefully) lathered on their sunscreen and drank plenty of water so they could brave the sun shining down while the different acts performed. I was happy to see so many Camelbak’s being actively used and refilled throughout the duration of the day. I was also happy to see that many of the artists that were performing were also primarily drinking water rather than opting for their included alcoholic beverages, encouraging everyone in attendance to stay hydrated.

2:00PM: I started my day off with Destroy Boys, a punk rock quartet hailing from Sacramento, California. Even though they were in an earlier time slot, the crowd still packed in to watch as Destroy Boys rightfully destroyed (in a good way) their stage. Guitarist Violet Mayugba really stands out as she whips around her long hair while simultaneously jumping around the entire stage and not missing a single note while playing her guitar. Singer Alexia Roditis matches Violet’s energy as they also amaze the crowd with their electric dance moves, nearly going into a backbend as they get into the music. It’s no shock that the crowd goes wild for the entire set.

2:55PM: Next up I wanted to check out Dylan Brady DJing at Perry’s stage, which has actually been transformed into Sonny’s stage for the day because Grammy award winning DJ Skrillex, aka Sonny Moore, has curated all of the acts performing on the stage for the day—including two sets of his own. While Dylan Brady is known as one half of 100 Gecs, he’s also a skilled producer and DJ. What I liked about his set is he mixed a good variety of older fun songs with current top hits, infusing his signature hyper-pop sound within it all. The crowd loved it just as much, as I looked around I saw circles forming in the crowd with people dancing in the center of them.

4:100PM: Kenny Beats followed Dylan Brady and was able to perfectly keep with the vibe and continue the party at Sonny’s stage. It was peak sun outside, so many attendees gathered under the trees that surrounded the stage, but they were still moving and jiving along with everyone in the crowd. I noticed a security guard that was handing water to the crowd was dancing along with everyone. This for sure is the place to be if you’re wanting to have a great time and let loose.

5:45PM: I was excited to see what Ethel Cain had in store for her set, as her music is eerie and ethereal. She did not disappoint. The themes explored in her music are oftentimes pretty dark and heavy, but she makes them sound so pretty. It’s funny to see the juxtaposition of her singing in a lower voice about serious topics and how smiley and thankful she is of the crowd between verses. Her music is intense and emotional, making multiple fans in the crowd openly weep as they sing every word back to her.

6:30PM: I feel like I’m collecting members of The xx this summer since I just saw Jamie xx at Pitchfork, and now Romy at Lollapalooza. Romy’s set is a great mix of ambient beats and electronic dance music. Rather than singing and playing the guitar, Romy was behind the mic and joined by her DJ. This allowed her to move around the stage freely, raising her arms above her head and dancing to the beat between verses. I loved her energy and look forward to what she does next.

6:45PM: I quickly moved back to the south end of the park to catch Deftones, the metal/rock act that last played Lollapalooza in 2011, and it was apparent by the massive crowd that many others had the same plan. While Lollapalooza typically books acts that are more pop, hip hop, or indie centered, each year they have a handful of heavier acts, and this year Deftones fit the bill. Having been around longer than most of the people in the crowd have been alive, they had a hefty catalog to choose from. A moment sure to be talked about is when they played “Passenger” from their critically acclaimed album White Pony, something they haven’t done in years. Overall, their performance was full of energy and the band truly looked like they were having a ton of fun up on stage.

7:45PM: I was looking forward to catching Killer Mike solo, especially after the release of his Grammy award winning album Michael. Knowing how fun he is performing as part of the duo Run The Jewels, I knew we would be in for a treat during his latest solo release. Backed by 5 wickedly talented backing vocalists, this set felt like a gospel, effectively bringing everyone in attendance to church. He actually released an album with these vocalists the day before, so it was only fitting that they debuted a handful of those tracks. A highlight of the set is when Eryn Allen Kane came out to duet “Scientists & Engineers” from Michael, of which she is also featured on the studio recording with André 3000 and Future.

8:45PM: Future X Metro Boomin didn’t start off smoothly. At their scheduled start time, the stage crew was still putting together the stage. Allegedly there were technical difficulties tearing down the stage from the previous performance, and that’s what led to the delayed start. After about 30 minutes of waiting after the scheduled start time, the lights finally went down and the show began.

Much like the crowd at Sexyy Red the previous day, this audience was so tightly packed and dangerous, security had to stop the show a handful of times and ask the crowd to take many steps back before they could continue. You could feel the heat radiating off the crowd when you walked by, so I can only imagine what it felt like to be in the thick of it. Luckily the crowd complied and the show was able to continue. Young Metro in particular really shined during this performance, bouncing off every corner of the stage and engaging with the audience. Due to the strict curfew, their set had a hard stop at 10pm, meaning their set was cut short after the late start. Hopefully Chicago will be treated to a proper tour stop from this duo in the future.

DESTROY BOYS