2010 Lollapalooza

July 25, 2010

Cool Music in Hot Chicago: A 2010 Lollapalooza Preview
By Kristi Kates
It’s road trip time once again for Northern Michigan music fans. The
much-revered big-time Midwestern music fest is back for its 2010
incarnation, this year scheduled for August 6-8 at its home locale of
Chicago’s own Grant Park.
Still the domain of Lolla king and founder Perry Farrell, the 2010
version of Lolla - easily accessible to Michiganders via car or even
more comfortably via Amtrak train from Grand Rapids - is another big
buzz event, with a couple of major headliners and all the usual Lolla
components you’ve gotten to know and love; all we need now is for the
heat to stay below the 100 degree mark.

HAPPENING HEADLINERS
It’s going to be difficult to pick which headliners you’re going to
want to see, with two playing simultaneously on opposite ends of the
park each of the three evenings. On Friday, you’ll have to pick
between New York melodic-rockers The Strokes (their only U.S. date so
far this year) and sensationalist singer Lady Gaga; Saturday’s choice
will be between punks-gone-big Green Day and French alt-rockers
Phoenix; and Sunday will be the conundrum of Canadian indie-rockers
Arcade Fire versus a reformed, Chris-Cornell-fronted Soundgarden.
Once you’ve settled your three headliner picks, you’ll still get to
sift through the remaining 118 bands that make up Lolla’s 2010 roster
- a roster that skims a wide range of genres for music fans of all
stripes.

SUPER STAGES
For stripes that run to the indie-rock genre, you’ll be well-served at
this year’s Lolla. Ironic hipsters will appreciate the likes of Devo,
Drive-By Truckers, Balkan Beat Box, and Spoon, while the more earnest
indie-pop fans will dig The National, Rogue Wave, the return of Hockey
(who will hopefully get functioning stage equipment this year), and
Company of Thieves. Electro-soul fans will be glad to see Jamie
Lidell, Raphael Saadiq, and Hot Chip, while those more tuned into
focused electronica and synth-pop might like Cut Copy, Mutemath, and
Minus the Bear.
Traditional rockers are few and far between at Lolla, but Blues
Traveler or The Cribs might fit the bill; and those looking for more
exotic rhythms will find them via gypsy-punksters Gogol Bordello, the
reggae of Jimmy Cliff, and Venezuelan band Los Amigos Invisibles.

DJ BEATS AND MORE
Also back this year are Perry’s DJ Stages, which will feature the
likes of Digitalism, Kaskade, Beats Antique, Wolfgang Gartner, Caspa,
and of course Perry Farrell himself; and, surprisingly, food is
actually proving to be another interesting component of the 2010 Lolla
experience.
Although the fest has always offered an impressive variety of festival
food, including ethnic offerings, this year’s event has snagged
renowned Chicago chef and TV personality Graham Elliot Bowles as the
first “Culinary Director” for Lolla’s Chow Town Food Courts.
Bowles has reportedly rallied several of Chicago’s favorite
restaurants to join him at the fest for the first time, giving patrons
the opportunity to dine at booths manned by the likes of Burrito
Beach, More Cupcakes, The Metropolis Cafe, Franks N’ Dawgs, and Smoke
Daddy Rhythm and Bar B Que.

GET YER TIX
Of course, in addition to the music, upscaled dining, and late night
DJ dancing sets, Lollapaloozers will be able to visit environmental
area Green Street, several beverage stations and water fountains,
various Lolla stores and an autograph booth, and the loungeable areas
of Grant Park itself.

Ticket options still available at
www.lollapalooza.com vary from single day tix at $90 (perfect if you
just want to pick one day with the bands you like best) to Lolla’s
classic three-day passes; if you want to live like King Perry
yourself, you can snag a pricier Lolla VIP or Cabana pass, which gets
you great sightlines to the stages, snacks, seating, and more if
you’re willing to dole out the bigger bucks.
Tickets and hotel rooms are going fast, so get the details now at
www.lollapalooza.com.