When this old man, a veteran of the inaugural, third, and two other Lollapalooza festivals, scanned the 2023 lineup, the easy decision was – no thanks. I have already seen the Red Hot Chili Peppers two times and no other act would activate my credit card to charge more than $125 for a single day ($700 for a four-day pass). I’d go see Kendrick Lamar at a club. The other two headliners – Billie Eilish (boring!) and ODESZA (who??) – ‘nuff said.
Also, this year’s iteration included a front-and-center VIP section at the main stage, which the Chicago Tribune wrote, “only 40 people watched [rapper Skizzy Mars] – few enough so that each fan could find a spot on the guardrail a few feet from the artist. There were about 20 yards of empty space behind them.” The article failed to mention a ticket price.
Once again, Lolla dismissed the rock genre. An article by a “feelance critic” who appears in the Chicago Tribune wrote that this year’s lineup had “amassed a bro-heavy audience” due to a noticeable EDM lineup. I am not totally unfamiliar with EDM music (and its sub-genre of dub step) as my son occasionally sends me links to acts he enjoys such as Griz, Figure, and Kai Wachi. In this area, I do like the head-banging energy, industrial vibe, and overall rawkishness of Nanostorm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pU-IfBKNPU) and Brecc; both appear on the Dutch label, The Third Movement.
I went to my office building on Friday where I work on the 37th floor, which overlooks Lolla’s footprint in Grant Park, the museum campus, and Lake Michigan. At lunch I walked to the heavily secured festival site. In this connection, when I went to Lolla last year to see Green Day, I did not witness a single incident of fighting, aggression, or any melee. So the Chicago cops get paid overtime to look at their phones, yet again.
Of course, Lolla means lack of clothes and, conversely, the “look at me” outfits. If this old man had a daughter, I would say, “You’re not leaving the house wearing THAT!” Then again, I went to school when classmates wore tube tops.
On the horizon I plan to spend my money on shows such as The Sadies, Boris/Melvins, and Skinny Puppy/Lead Into Gold. Creative differences and different eras, I guess.
