Lollapalooza 2014 Review

By Josh Kohn

The 10^th year of Lollapalooza took place at Grant Park on August 1-3 in Chicago, Illinois. Over 300,000 attendees scattered around the park to catch their favorites artists. 130 plus artists took over eight stages all in a three-day span. Headliners included Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Skrillex, and more.

Friday started with music fans patiently waiting outside the Grant Park gates at 11:00am who were all ready to start off a long and thrilling weekend. Those who couldn’t catch the music in person had the opportunity to stream Lollapalooza through the Red Bull livestream on their computers with three different channels to choose from.

After a few rain showers passing through in the afternoon, one of the more excellent acts on Friday were Portugal. The Man. The entire audience was very spirited as everyone yelled out the lyrics to “Purple Yellow Red and Blue.” Later in their set was followed by a funny cover of “Day Man” from the TV show, ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’’ At the end of their set, they played the more popular songs of “Modern Jesus” and “Creep in a T-Shirt.” They were without doubt a fan favorite on Friday.

Returning to Chicago after his 2011 Lolla debut, Eminem was the one of the most hyped performers of the weekend. He played a 90-minute set full of classics and a few new songs from, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, his latest album. Little did everyone know, Lolla fans were in for a treat as Rihanna arose on stage to perform “Monster” and “Love the Way You Lie.” Afterwards, a guest appearance was made by Royce da 5’9” to surprise the crowd with more fun. Unfortunately with the debacle of scheduling issues, we ended the night by running across Grant Park to catch the 2^nd half of Artic Monkey’s performance.

The Arctic Monkeys were already putting on an incredible performance as we were quickly approaching the Bud Light Stage hearing the ending of “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”. They continued to play a very compelling set that put the crowd into a mellow trance. Soon the crowd was back into a groove by singing the lyrics to “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” AM then concluded Friday with an encore of “R U Mine?” as a nice way to end the night.

After a very long and hot Saturday consisting of acts such as Gramatik, Martin Garrix Spoon and more, one of the acts many were looking forward to on Saturday were the talented hip-hop duo of Outkast. A disappointing performance at Coachella had some worried that they wouldn’t live up to expectations at Lolla. They began their set with “B.O.B” and “ATLiens that had the crowded dancing all over the place while trying to sing the lyrics at the same time. Unfortunately, with a huge crowd filling the Samsung Stage we were very far away and felt the same way as many did at Coachella. Outkast wasn’t entirely bad but wasn’t entirely good. We decided it was best to leave and finish Saturday night by catching the last 35 minutes of Calvin Harris’s set. He gave a solid performance spinning EDM songs from the DJ booth that had the bass booming at the crowd. The crowd loved him, dancing to his radio-hits such as “We Found Love” and “Summer” at the Bud Light Stage to end Satuday at Lollapalooza.

Sunday started off with a downpour of rain scattered across the park. The rain came and went as it ruined shoes, phones, and filled the grounds with muddy swamps. This wasn’t going to stop the performers or the fans from leaving the park like it did in 2012. Everyone did what they could to relocate to dry areas such as standing under trees or even tables but it wasn’t a big help at times.

During the afternoon, Chromeo put on an unbelievable live performance filled with disco and funk music. The duo used an electronic guitar, keyboard, a unique voice box, and a DJ controller, which had the crowd boogying to the disco. They finished their set by playing the popular radio hit “Jealous” to end the performance.  

A few hours later, the rainstorms left and it was time to catch one of the most talented rising electronic DJ’s of today. We made our way to the Grove Stage a bit early so we were sure we had a great spot to see Flume. His set was absolutely breathtaking. Each song flowed perfectly to the other and the entire crowed were singing along the entire time. Most underrated performer of the weekend.

Lollapalooza was finally coming to a close and the Sunday headliners were ready to end an unforgettable weekend. Now the decision was to see Skrillex or Kings of Leon? We had to see Skrillex, a king of the EDM scene. Weird beats and noises echoed the Bud Light stage speakers as we tried to get as far to the front as we possibly could. Everyone was jumping up and down and waving their arms. He was making the crowd go crazy to his crazy songs. He played a few of his old songs, some new songs from his latest album, and many wild EDM songs. I think everyone left his performance with a big content smile on his or her face, as Lollapalooza finally came to an end of an incredible weekend.

August Concerts in Chicago

August Concerts in Chicago

      

     Are you sick of summer yet? Despise concerts? I didn’t think so because it’s only getting better! August is just around the corner and is bringing the heat with some of the best music events to your favorite city. Here are a few events to make the rest of your summer unforgettable.

1.  Lollapalooza

August 1-3 at Grant Park

One of the biggest and most historic music festivals in the U.S. is right around the corner. Lolla did it again with another outstanding lineup including headliners such as Outkast, Eminem, and the Kings of Leon.

2.  Flume, Duke Dumont, & Anna Lunoe

August 2 at Concord Music Hall

Rising in the Electronic music scene, Flume along with Duke Dumont & Anna Lunoe are ready to take on a groovy Lolla after-party. Don’t sleep on getting your ticket and get ready to bring your best dance moves!

3.  Drake & Lil Wayne

August 10 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

The video game themed tour begins on August 8th shortly after the two both released new singles off their next albums that got a lot of hype. Are we going to see a few rap battles between the pair?

4.  Arcade Fire

August 26-27 at United Center

After releasing an admired Reflektor, the indie rock group is ready to take their talents to a North American tour, bringing supporting acts of Devo and Dan Deacon. The group will surely put on a thrilling performance.

5.  North Coast Music Festival

August 29-31 at Union Park

The 5^th annual music festival is perfect for EDM and Indie lovers. An underrated lineup consisting of Bassnectar, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Little Dragon, and 60+ acts you don’t want to miss. Move over Lollapalooza, because North Coast is ready to celebrate the end of summer with a bang.

July Concerts in Chicago

Ah, summer is here. The warm weather has finally started to hit Chicago. Now, you should take this opportunity by attending some exciting music festivals and concerts! Lots of great artists are coming to the Windy City in July. Below is a list of some events you don’t want to miss. Let’s go out and see some of the finest acts this summer.

1.    Dave Matthews Band

July 4-5 at Firstmerit Bank Pavilion

What’s a better way celebrating July 4^th weekend than a thrilling set from Dave Matthews Band along with an incredible view of the city?

2.    311 feat. Ballyhoo!

July 11 at Firstmerit Bank Pavilion

   

90’s alternative-rock band. Good vibes. Mellow jams. Classic sing-alongs. This is certainly going to be an energetic show worth seeing.

3.    Pitchfork Music Festival

July 18-20 at Union Park

From indie to hip hop, this three-day festival includes 40+ powerful acts. Beck, Kendrick Lamar, Neutral Milk Hotel, Grimes, and the Tune-Yards, just some names you can’t miss.

4.    Phish

July 19-20 at Firstmerit Bank Pavilion

A new 12^th album that was recently released at the end of June, you can expect to hear a lot of Fuego this summer. Every set they play is always so fresh and unique in its own way. Let’s get groovy!

5.    Nine Inch Nails feat. Soundgarden

July 24 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Since headlining Lollapalooza 2013, Nine Inch Nails are taking on a 23-date summer tour along with Soundgarden. One of the first stops being in Chicago, it’s undoubtedly going to be a great performance by the two.

6. Jay Z & Beyoncé

July 24 at Soldier Field

The famous hip-hop couple will be joining together for their “On the Run Tour” this summer. You can expect a jam-packed set list that will certainly get the crowd singing along. This is going to be an epic night.

How I Found www.PlaylistHQ.com

When I was in college this semester, at one point I decided it was the time to start looking for a full or part time internship this summer. Browsing on various websites on the computer, I found one called Internmatch.com. Opening it up I thought, "wow this website is never going to help me find the right job." I decided to make a profile and just started looking at the companies that interested me the most and fit the criteria I wanted. One of the companies that popped out at me first was a company called PlaylistHQ.com. I typed in the website and I saw how intriguing it was to see what this company did. I found out that PlaylistHQ was a startup company based in Chicago. PlaylistHQ uses data to generate Spotify/Youtube playlists based on upcoming concerts/festivals, and includes the ones you are attending. As an advertising major and an avid music lover, I thought that this could be a great internship opportunity for me to pursue. Soon after, I decided why not and apply for it. Little did I know, a few weeks later I landed a new internship.

Now that festival season is just starting, I've started to use PlaylistHQ more often to make playlists for all the concerts or festivals I want to or am attending. These instant playlists are excellent sources for discovering new music and artists I've never heard of! I've even uncovered new sub-genres I've never heard of before based on the artists from the new playlists I generated. I'm definitely opening up my taste of music and all the new music I am currently listening to all originated from the playlists I've made.

Honestly, new music web apps like PlaylistHQ.com are mandatory tools you need utilize if you like finding or listening to music. If you only listen to the top 40 radio then I understand how irritating it can be to listen to the same overplayed songs continuously. They all lack variety and I guarantee they'll start to all get stuck in your head, how annoying is that? Please. Expand your horizons. Utilize new music apps like PlaylistHQ for your music!

PlaylistHQ -- Concert Playlist Generator

PlaylistHQ is a neat and impressive website that lets you create playlists based on upcoming concerts, and includes the ones you are attending. You can enjoy listening to your created playlists on Spotify or Youtube and can share them to whoever likes your hopefully good taste of music as well. This is a great way to find underground artists and some of the best music you've never heard of. Without a doubt you'll begin to attend more local concerts. Perhaps you can drag your friends along so they can see what all the commotion is about. Music startups are truly initiating a positive impact in the music industry today.

Using Spotify API to get its data, PlaylistHQ creates the perfect playlist using your Songkick or Youtube login. You can use your created playlist and search it by the criteria of venue name or a local location. The site allows you to view all the concerts that are in the general area you desire. If you only like to see shows in Los Angeles, then you can use the search criteria to find the artists playing in Los Angeles for the next few months. PlaylistHQ even has their own pre-made playlists of some of the most popular festivals in Chicago, (where the company is based out of).

Well we can all agree the Top-40 radio sucks and is so obsolete, right? If you just discovered who Pharrell Williams or Zedd are, then you're a bit behind. Have you even listened to the band N.E.R.D before? You can thank me later after you immediately bookmark PlaylistHQ and you listen to artists like Flume and Cashmere Cat for the first time. Be useful for once and use an awesome web tool that you won't regret!