My plane was delayed out of Philly due to bad storms in Chi-town but all that was forgotten when upon arriving at the airport, Sergio greets me with the amazing news that we get to see The Gutter Twins at a Lolla after party sponsored by Spin Magazine. Once over my disbelief, I couldn't believe my luck! I was going to see The Gutter Twins at a club in Chicago, after a day in the park and for free! I'm exhausted just thinking about how exciting that was.
Ok, so Day 1 started with getting oriented to the CTA (Blue Line!) and the layout of the festival in Grant Park. My music consisted of The Black Keys (rock!), a little bit of Cat Power, The Raconteurs (major rock - I was blown away) and ended with none other than Radiohead!! This was my first time seeing Radiohead and they did not disappoint. Of course the field was huge and I was way in the back but the light show and set list were great, and it was supplemented by fireworks over Lake Michigan, not that the show needed any more atmosphere. Wow. But the night was young.....
The crowds on the streets were insane after the show. All 3 days sold out, so that's 75,000 people let loose in Chicago each night. After wandering around a bit, we found a cab and made our way to Reggie's for the after show. Our names were on the list! Does it Offend You, Yeah? were supposed to do a DJ set but somehow lost their equipment and made do with a CD player. Spin even had free drinks, but they weren't really drinkable. By the time the Gutter Twins took the stage, the club was packed. My second wind had taken hold. Dulli seemed to be in a good mood and the band was real tight. They played several new songs that I'm hoping will be on the forthcoming EP: Feathers, Flow Like a River, and Change Has Come. Mark's voice was intense, I wish I could remember which song it was but at one point, he blew me away more than usual. At the end of the set, I snagged the set list. Yay! After a long ass train ride, we arrived back at our hotel and completely crashed.
Day 2 - I woke with a start. Oh shit, gotta get ready and go see the Gutter Twins again! Sergio and I barely made it to the park for the GT's 2:30 show. I was running across the field when I heard the music start. Why does nothing excite me so much as music? I was talking to a guy at the airport and he referred to his musical obsession as his 'problem'. I'd prefer to call it a 'passion', but really at this point, shouldn't I engage in a more philanthropic pastime? Even in the midst of all this excitement, I can't help the inane pondering.
After the Gutter Twins set we made our way over to Perry's, a dj tent, but we had just received a text that Slash was going to make a special appearance during Perry Farrell's set. After waiting forever, Slash finally showed up but never played a lick because something was wrong with the sound equipment. Apparently Slash and Perry won the kids over on Sunday at Kidzapalooza. After much texting and phone calls, we finally met up with my friend Justin with a chance walk by. He took us over to see Explosions in the Sky, which are a progressive instrumental band that now qualify as the biggest find of the festival for me.
Ok, here's where it starts to get a little hazy, but still totally fun. We hung out at green street for a bit, did some shopping and catching up with Erin. Next up was the Toadies but not before a stop at the bar for some beer and wine. I was feeling no pain. When the Toadies launched into Possum Kingdom, it was all over for me. For years I've said that song was at the top of my 'to do' list, and though its not checked off yet, to hear it live and at Lollapalooza was definitely the next best thing. From there it was directly to Rage. Now I've seen Rage at Coachella 2007 and as insane as that was, Lolla was more so. Zack stopped the show 3 times pleading with the crowd to take steps back and take care of each other. Luckily my altered state of mind provided me with a no-fear mindset. But Sergio and I did bow out of the crowd early - the porta potties were calling my name. (I've finally figured out a way to overcome the gag factor.) Making our way out of the crowd was no easy feat though. The after Rage wind down consisted of a long, fast walk to Navy Pier and tons of grub. Then another long ass walk and long ass train ride before crashing could be commenced.
Day 3 - We decided to take it a little easier today being Day 2 was chock full of constant action and no rest. From a nice spot on a tree covered slope, I took in the Jon Butler Trio and Iron and Wine. From there it was an attempt at Saul Williams, via the Flogging Molly crowd. We eventually settled at Blues Traveler, for a traditional, rocking show. Gnarls Barkley were next and I finally redeemed myself after being lame and tired and missing their set at Coachella 06.
Gnarls were another highlight for me. Surprisingly, they covered Radiohead! Then it was another trek through a tight crowd partying at Girl Talk on the way over to NIN. Trent is calling this tour "Lights in the Sky over North America 2008". And it lived up to its name. I've seen NIN a few times and this was the best. The music, the lights, the sound, the Chicago skyline framing the stage - a perfect way to end the festival. Trent even got a little nostalgic about the first Lollapalooza and all the years that have passed - and then he went right into Hurt - brought me to tears.
Yet again, the night was still young. After resting on the lawn at Millenium Park, we stopped at the fountain to see what all the hooting and hollering was about. People were having tons of fun. The night finally ended after a feast at Miller's and the last long train ride back to the hotel. I had an amazing time. Can't wait till next year!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment