Lollapalooza 2016 Review

The 25th anniversary of Lollapalooza delivered on all fronts. With a newly added day, myself and the over 400,000 festival goers were put to the partying test. Each day offered a new experience in music and all the best acts you could ask for. 

Onward to the Fest

For the most part, a majority of people headed to Lolla took the trains from the suburbs. Like any good party, the real fun starts before the gates even open. The train was accommodating as regular schedules were switched up.

Roving bands of all ages left the train stations a few blocks down to party central. Lolla completely changes the city, it's what makes this such a good party. Multiple streets are shut down in and around Grant park, setting the stage for the fest. 

Enter Lollapalooza

The first two days there was nothing but rain, which was amazing. The infamous Perry's Stage threw down some turn up music all day. Crowds grew a lot more since last year, but find the right people and there were dance circles for days. 

EDM spread across the entirety of the fest this year, more so than past years. Flume commanded the main stage, bringing out collaborators like Chicago's own Vic Mensa. Later he brought out Vince Staples, both of them killed it up there.

Boundless Genres 

One of the great aspects about Lollapalooza is the fact that it caters to all kinds of music. If you've ever had too much bass, there was so much to chose from. The main stage was a blast. Watching Bastille's incredible energy leading up to a stellar performance by G-Eazy was unforgettable.

Artists like these command an amazing sound and often have EDM caliber remixes on new singles. The line between traditional and electronic is just about gone.

A major highlight was Grimes, with her experimental sound and show. One moment with her high pitched voice, she'd be asking the audience to dance if they want to, the next writhing on the floor screaming to the crowd. 

Beneath a wooded area, lay a stage that brought out the enigmatic Zhu. The show began with a guitar rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that would have make Jimi Hendrix nod in respect.

Traversing the Grounds

After the rain subsided, Chicago let out its signature summer heat. Local vendors supplied us with some of the best festival food you could ask for. Sure, there were a few times the sun turned me into a dazed walker, but there were plenty of filling stations to keep the party going. 

Lollapalooza is for everyone. It's an all-age festival that has plenty of areas to sit back and relax, catch up and experience whatever you want to do. It's easy to disperse and go do your own thing if conflicts collide for different acts.

Next year catch the festival again in its new formatted four day glory.