Lollapalooza: The Highlights - Now With Pictures!

With Lollapalooza having come and gone, and Grant Park now significantly cleaner than it was a few days ago, it is time for us to reflect on the best moments and aspects that the fest had to offer.

Best Stage: Playstation Stage
Despite giving every performer a delay of ten or fifteen minutes, it somehow worked out that each one I saw had been more surprising and enjoyable than the last. Electric Six, the Rapture, High Class Elite, Rhymefest, Los Campesinos! and the Wailers all wowed me from the modestly-sized stage. To boot, the crowds were always small and the performers always energetic. It’s really more of a coincidence than anything, I know, but it also helped that the security guard captain dude was pretty cool and gave props to diehard Rhymefest fans, and another security guard was dancing with Rapture fans.

Most Pleasant Surprise: Ghostland Observatory
Every other performer who surprised me I had at least guessed might be fun, but Ghostland came right out of goddamn nowhere. For a morning show on a main stage, the crowd wasn’t the largest, but it was definitely one of the most intense. Good to see them playing at Vegoose later this year—odds are they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Moment That Will Put Lolla ’07 In the History Books: Iggy Pop Inviting the World Onstage
When Iggy Pop gestured for audience members to come onstage, I admit, I didn’t think they’d actually do it. And then they did. The most terrifying moment of the fest was when jerk was climbing over the crowd to get ons tage, knocked my glasses half off my face and nearly destroyed my $600 camera as I held it up, frantically trying to get a decent shot. (Later that day, during the Wailers’ set, I’d be scratching behind my ear and find a thick layer of dirt caked on.) Fans persisted on staying on stage with Iggy, hugging him and grabbing the mic to yell stuff… they then began a chant of “Iggy Pop, Iggy Pop!” without realizing that Iggy Pop could be performing for another 20 minutes if they had just gotten off the goddamn stage.

Most Surprisingly Intense: Tapes n’ Tapes
You wouldn’t think it from listening to “Manitoba”, but those guys get pretty into things. They’re leagues better live than they are in the studio.

Most Epic Moment: Tie: Rain Accompanying Muse’s Set / Pearl Jam’s Finale
People didn’t think it could get much more epic after Muse’s set was brought to a whole new level of intensity—just as Matthew Bellamy began to sing “Feelin’ Good”, a light rain began to shower the crowd and we sang along happily. As “Feelin’ Good” ended, “Bliss” began, and the rain only came down harder. On the final night, Eddie Vedder brought on Ben Harper, Dennis Rodman, Thomas Young and a slew of audience members (he mentioned something about Iggy Pop in the mix) for possibly the loudest playing of “Rockin’ in the Free World” this free world has ever seen. Well done, Vedder.

Moment That Best Proved the Beauty of Music: Rodrigo y Gabriela’s “Wish You Were Here”
When Rodrigo began to strum the first few chords of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, I’m not sure if anyone—Rodrigo included—thought he’d play the rest of the song. He looked at Gabriela with an open-mouthed smile, and almost instinctively began to play the song some more—like he couldn’t help himself. Neither he nor Gabriela spoke a word, and the crowd sang the song up until the end of the first chorus, with Rodrigo all the while staring out at everyone with amazement.

Expect more retrospective analysis—and more awesome photos—later this week.