Lollapalooza
Chicago, IL, USA
August 3-6, 2023
Review by Natalie Zalewski Photos by Ismael Quintanilla III, Pooneh Ghana, Miranda McDonald
Festival season wouldn't be complete without Chicago's annual Lollapalooza fest! Festivalgoers worldwide gathered together in the heart of Grant Park earlier this month to see a plethora of sensational acts over the festival's 4-day span, including Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and so many more. I was fortunate enough to attend on day 2 with my friends; here are a few highlights from the Friday lineup.
PHOTO BY ISMAEL QUINTANILLA III
Our day began around 3:45 p.m. at the Coinbase stage to see Peach Pit. The Canadian indie-pop band instantly grabbed everyone's attention by opening with a riveting instrumental cover of Slayer's Raining Blood to get the crowd amped up, then gracefully transitioned into the title track off their first full-length album, Being So Normal.
Peach Pit is well known for disguising their melancholy lyrics behind their breezy, catchy melodies – just give Black Licorice and Give Up Baby Go a listen, for instance. Hearing these live, you can't help but bob your head and sway side to side a little bit; listening alone in your room, though, peels back an extra layer and gives the listeners a whole new experience.
The contrast between the band's energy versus the crowd's during this set was an interesting dynamic to witness. Lead vocalist and guitarist Neil Smith danced continuously alongside bandmates Chris Vanderkooy, Mikey Pascuzzi and Peter Wilton, headbanging through every guitar solo. On the flipside, the crowd's energy was more tame and laidback; it was as if they were soaking in the band's energy rather than exuding too much of their own. No one was bored or uninterested, though – simply just living in the moment!
The quartet finished the performance off on a high note with Shampoo Bottles, one of their more popular tracks off of their 2020 project You and Your Friends.
PHOTO BY POONEH GHANA
Sabrina Carpenter later took the same stage around 5:45 p.m., and delivered an absolutely electric hour-long performance. Carpenter strutted out in a pink bedazzled heart-shaped top, a matching metallic pink mini-skirt, and white go-go boots – a classic staple in her hyper-feminine aesthetic.
She opened the set with Read Your Mind, an upbeat pop track off of her most recent record emails i can't send, and the crowd instantly went wild. The hyped energy remained consistent throughout the remainder of her performance; if there's one thing for certain about her fans, it's that they are incredibly passionate and dedicated, screaming every lyric back to her loudly.
Carpenter gave her Lolla debut her all: from choreographed dance numbers during Feather and Looking at Me, to powerful vocal delivery and stunning background vocals during fan favorites because i liked a boy and tornado warnings, and even sneaking a cover of ABBA's Lay All Your Love On Me into the setlist (appropriately dedicated to her cats Bennie and Björn, of course), her stage presence was never lackluster.
She closed out the show with her biggest hit Nonsense, which has gone viral online due to her customized (and explicit!) lyrics in the outro for each city she's in. Fans waited in anticipation as she sang:
"Turned that d— to stone, call me Medusa Choking on it, need Heimlich maneuver Sorry, I don't date Lollapalooz-ers"
PHOTO BY MIRANDA MCDONALD
Moving on to one of the most anticipated acts of day 2... The 1975! The headliners kicked off the show at 8:45 p.m. at the Bud Light stage with Looking For Somebody (To Love), a high energy synth-pop track off of their latest album Being Funny In A Foreign Language.
The rest of the setlist incorporated a well-balanced blend of songs throughout their whole discography. Ranging from their breakout single Chocolate off of their self-titled album, to their most popular hits including Somebody Else and The Sound, and all the way up to their latest tracks About You and I'm In Love With You, their set was guaranteed to satisfy both older and newer fans alike.
Frontman Matty Healy said it best himself before If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know): The 1975's music truly is "the soundtrack to your teenage years." There was a nostalgic feel in the air, especially during Robbers, as everyone in the crowd collectively gathered to witness Healy's classic onstage theatrics of swigging a bottle of wine in one hand and taking a drag from a cigarette in the other, all while passionately singing and stumbling through the song's duration. If you've ever been to one of their shows in the past, no matter 1 ½ or 10 years ago, this exact display of angst and edginess has always remained constant in their performances, and suddenly you feel as if you're 14 years old again discovering their music for the very first time.
PHOTO BY POONEH GHANA
All in all, day 2 of Lollapalooza was a success – the performers were awesome, the crowds were enthusiastic, and the weather was perfect! If you ever have the chance to attend this festival, whether it's only one day or all four, I recommend it!
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