By: Brady Lavin
Photos by Faraz Chaudry
Lollapalooza’s last day was certainly a slop fest. The place was already muddy at the start of the festivities on Sunday due to an early morning downpour, and after an oppressively hot and sticky afternoon, the skies opened yet again at about 5:30 or so to thoroughly soak and muddify the entirety of Grant Park.
The Lolla crew had their shit together, though, ready with tarps to cover the Arctic Monkeys’ gear at the Music Unlimited stage. After a small but powerful storm of 40 minutes, the Brits got their chance, delaying their planned hour-long set by only 15 minutes. They pounded through their huge hits, including “I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor” and “Fluorescent Adolescent,” with a heaviness not present on their records. Singer Alex Turner looked like a true rock star, putting on a great vocal performance while looking like he doesn’t give a damn.
Check out our Lollapalooza 2011 Day 1 and Day 2 recaps!
Earlier in the day, before swamps popped up in all the low areas (seriously, the water was a foot deep or more in some places), Irish native Imelda May surprised what seemed like a crowd mostly made up of people unfamiliar with her music with her rockabilly express. Backed by a group of talented Irish instrumentalists, including Al Gare on bass guitar and slap upright bass (!), and drummer Steve Rushton, who could not have been having a better time, May’s vocals were really the spotlight. Her call-and-response sections certainly captivated, exposing her impressive pipes to the Lolla crowd’s greedy ears.
Imelda May’s guitarist, Darrel Higham
Continuing with some more lighthearted fare, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. tore up the Google+ stage. With a band name like that, they kind of have to be a bit goofy, and they were, but more importantly they were incredible performers. The duo had a drummer and the occasional backing track to help them out live, and even brought out a horn section and jungle-drumming line for a couple songs in the middle of their set. Their quirky indie pop made great use of both Daniel Zott and Josh Epstein’s crystal clear falsettos, with even a couple Fleet Foxes moments here and there. Amazing moment: closing with a super heavy, super dancey version of their dream pop single “Nothing But Our Love.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
And then came the worst part of the festival. Not because the bands were shitty, in fact it is because of the opposite. Portugal. The Man or Cage the Elephant? Arctic Monkeys, Damian Marley & Nas, or Sam Adams? Explosions in the Sky or Manchester Orchestra? This stretch of four hours was torturous. At least there were no regretable decisions.
Help Portugal. The Man find their stolen tour van and trailer!
Portugal. The Man were intense. Singer John Gourley’s piercing voice is reminiscent of Claudio from Coheed and Cambria, but the music is less prog-rock, more psychedelic. Explosions in the Sky were captivating despite being completely instrumental and not dancey at all. They reverbed and delayed their guitar-heavy sound until it was like a musical blanket covering the crowd, penetrating ears and making thoughts stop.
Explosions in the Sky
And then came the headliners. Foo Fighters rocked so hard. At a festival filled with band’s using backing tracks, drum machines and heavily reverbed vocals, a straightforward rock band was a breath of fresh air. It was especially rock ‘n’ roll when dark, evil-looking clouds began to roll in as the Foos were pounding out their riff-heavy huge new hit, “Rope.” When it started pouring even harder than the first storm, the thought was that they would have to stop, because the first storm delayed many sets across the festival. But the Foo Fighters played right through it, not letting the fact that you could barely even see the Chicago skyline from Grant Park get in the way.
That second downpour did delay the start of Cold War Kids’ set, who were in the unenviable position of playing at the same time as the Foo Fighters, superstar DJ Deadmau5, and rapper Kid Cudi. After drying off their equipment, they launched into a set filled with equal parts despairing dirges and uplifting anthems. The constant throughout was Nathan Willett’s powerful, clear voice (backup vocals from Jonnie Russell were also incredible). Willett’s vocal style conjures thoughts of Florence and the Machine, but Cold War Kids were on the scene for three years before Ms. Welch and company began their assault. Their set included all their bigger hits, including a huge singalong for a completely appropriate “Hang Me Up To Dry.” There’s no way to close Lollapalooza 2011 like being soaked and filthy, feet inches deep in mud, singing along with the amazing Cold War Kids, “Careless in our summer clothes/Splashing around in the muck and the mire.”
