Lollapalooza Rookie Recap

**EDITOR'S NOTE** Today, friend of the blog Mark Vangeloff joins us fresh off of his return from Lollapalooza 2013. This was his first major festival so I asked him to give us a few thoughts on the weekend in Chicago. Obviously if it was one of the many Lollas we went to, me or Matt Sonnega (and to a lesser extent, Nate Winter) would provide much better coverage, but I thought I'd give the rookie a shot since he was actually there. 

Lollapalooza 2013: A Rookie Recap 

By Mark Vangeloff 

Before you continue reading, I want to preface this post with a few things, even though I’m 95% sure that I will personally know every person that reads this

• This was my first time going to Lollapalooza
• I didn’t go to a show before 2 o’clock
• I’m a huge Electro/House music fan, I’m going to use EDM in this post
• Please direct any and all corrections, counterpoints and death threats to my editor – Albert Vontz IV at Awv644@hotmail.com

Favorite Stage - The Grove

I found the Grove to be awesome because of the sense of isolation created by the surrounding trees. You become disconnected from the surrounding chaos of the festival and able to focus more on the show at hand. This was especially effective for 2 Chainz (But that’s a different story). Plus I saw some drunk girl get boosted into a tree way higher than I think she intended. As she looked pleadingly to the crowd from the 11 foot drop that awaited her, all I could think of at that point was a certain Bluth brother in her head saying… “I’ve made a huge mistake”.  She got down with everything in tact except her dignity…she was wearing a dress.

Favorite Show - Steve Aoki

Again, I love EDM and it stands to reason that the Asian Jesus would be my favorite show. BUT Steve Aoki did a couple things better than any other performance I saw this weekend.

1.     On stage collaborations. He performed new music with Flux Pavilion and the classic staple, (and song I hold dear in my heart) Turbulence with Lil’ John – yes Lil’ John was actually on stage. I envisioned myself crushing two cans of beer over my head at the drop, in a manner similar to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Then I realized that would have been sixteen dollars worth of beer and a man has to have principles.

2.     Energy – Aoki was everywhere. The man is a performer through and through. He was interacting with the crowd, doing his signature pump up, and tossing out inflatable mattresses for people to surf on. I think something I see less and less these days is a performer (or band) that looks like he’s having a better time on stage than the people in the crowd.  

3.     Light show – I know what you are thinking, “But Mark, How can anyone possibly compete with EDM light shows.”  Well the simple answer is you can’t. BUT, you can be better than all the other EDM artists, which is what Aoki did. The lights captured the ebbs and flows of the set and really enhanced the overall pace of the show, which Aoki crafted masterfully.  Unlike Steven Angello, who, I’m convinced, spent an hour and a half trying to force my body into having a seizure.

New favorite band – Disclosure

If you haven’t checked these guys out, you should. The song that really captured my attention is Latch. Although I may or may not have heard it in a commercial first and just not realized it.

Favorite performer I pretended to like and now actually enjoy because I saw them – Phoenix

            Who the F&*% is Phoenix? I wanted to say that to everyone who wanted to see them headline. Instead I just nodded my head and said “Oh yeah, they are great”. I had never even heard of them until this year’s lineup came out and proceeded to not listen to them.  Since my senses couldn’t handle another amazing EDM show, which I’m sure Knife Party put on,  it was between Phoenix, the Cure (yeah right) and Cat Power (Who the f%&$ is Cat Power?). I’m not sure if it was the booze, the music or the atmosphere but I really enjoyed the Phoenix show. I don’t really remember the specifics, so I hesitate to critique the show; all I know is that I will continue to listen to Phoenix. Is that okay? Are hard core Phoenix fans going to shun me?

**Editors Note: Alright, there's no question the call on this timeslot is Phoenix, sorry Chan. The France-natives have been rocking in English for 5+ albums at this point and they put up one of the most energetic rock concerts around today. I really wasn't sold on their new album Bankrupt! but I'm relatively disappointed in you here Vange, although it wouldn't be the first time. You want white-people soul? Rock? Or just some Nate Winter friendly Synth? 

 Phoenix first emerged as a rock-synth band trying to copy The Strokes, but it ended up that The Strokes attempted their best Phoenix-Impersonation in this past year's Comedown Machine. Anyways, the answer to your question is yes, but I'm glad you had fun anyways. **

Favorite performer who I said I didn’t like because I never actually listened to them and now I think is awesome – Kendrick Lamar

            Okay so I heard that stupid Swimming Pools song by Kendrick on XM radio like a thousand times and grew to hate it (I still do). Consequently, I never listened to any of his other music. Well, after the show I was walking away with the voice of that same certain Bluth brother in my head… “I’ve made a huge mistake”. Kendrick’s Show was probably the most fun I had in terms of interacting with the crowd and hearing new music. Everyone was having a blast; singing the lyrics and really connecting with Kendrick’s songs. One of the many things I noticed back when I was touring with the Up in Smoke Tour in 2000 was that rap fans have a deeper connection to the music than any other fans. It also helped that Kendrick stopped the show so that two people in wheel chairs, that were being CROWD SURFED, could pass the security line and “enjoy” (as Kendrick put it) m.A.A.d. City up close and personal.

Best Song Performance – Turbulence (Steve Aoki ft. Lil John)

I think I explained this above. The sentimentality of the song and hearing Lil’ John live is hard to top.

Worst Overall Performance – Imagine Dragons

            “Yeah dude, I can’t wait to hear Radioactive!” Oh cool, you can’t wait to see the one passable song Imagine Dragons has, which has also recently ruined by Lebron. Well, let me tell you I didn’t wait around to hear Radioactive. This show started out marginal at best and was quickly downgraded to pitiful after the power went out 15 minutes in. Once the power came back on, you would think Imagine Dragons would bring out a hit. But instead of busting out the big Radioactive guns, Imagine Dragons decided to shit the bed and play some weird ballad.  I don’t even know what the name of the song was, I just vaguely remember the lead singer (name?) singing acapella about how he thought his life was going be to so different or something like that. So we left early to go to Disclosure, which was possibly the best move of the weekend.

Favorite Track – Get Me Out of Here (Steve Aoki ft. Flux Pavilion)

I’m listening tothis song as you are reading this post.

Biggest Regret - Not going to Mumford and Sons

I was pretty excited for this show. Unfortunately, Kendrick went long, a few pit stops were made and we arrived to Mumford late. I can usually navigate crowds pretty well, but this crowd was like something out of Lord of the Rings. *Puts on nerd glasses* Imagine how Frodo felt when he saw how many orcs stood in the way of Mt. Doom *takes glasses off*.  Sorry, that is the only way I could illustrate the dread I felt when I saw it. Unlike Frodo, we didn’t make it to Mumford and Sons and that is what led us to Steve Angello and the world’s largest epilepsy test.

Lollapalooza is definitely an experience I will never forget. Tensions ran hot, musical tastes were challenged and ultimately mistakes were made. Even though I will 100% make the same mistakes again, I try to take away at least one lesson from every mistake. If you bothered to read this entire post, I’ll leave you with the one thing I took away from Lollapalooza: 

Imagine Dragons is terrible.