Lollapalooza 2015: The music is ours

The midst of summer has approached signifying that it is time to dance around in the sun and relish the melodies of live music. Lollapalooza is the music extravaganza of the summer, and I was there to take it all in. This music festival takes place in the very heart of Chicago. Skyscrapers surround Grant Park, while thousands of individuals have a weekend where the music is theirs.

Prepalooza: July 27-30

I began this journey by venturing through the complex metropolis of Chicago with my best gal pal. Thankfully my sister lives in the city, and she gave us a tour prior to the festival. We walked and walked and walked until we ended up places authentic and fascinating, such as urban coffee shops, art museums, and peculiar stores filled with little knick-knacks. We ate at the best restaurants and nearly exploded, but it was worth it.

The dynamic of Chicago is very different from Los Angeles in the sense that the weather is humid, the food is better, trains were the main source of transportation and homeless people are scattered everywhere. On the train, each individual had a different method of listening to music. If it was twiddling their thumbs, boastfully singing the lyrics, or simply closing their eyes, everyone had a special appreciation for it. The city is packed with creativity and art (music, sculptures, paintings, plays) . The few days I had to explore opened my eyes to the random quirks of the city. I began to really appreciate Chicago and all the memories it gave to me.

Lollapalooza: July 31-Aug. 2

The anticipation leading up to the weekend came to an end when I entered the gates of Lollapalooza. People were everywhere like hordes of ants in the summer, and each person was ready for the music that awaited. Lolla introduced a large variety of music ranging from EDM to Indie/Alternative. Each act presented something different in its own individual way. Some acts, such as Alt-J and Tame Impala, called for lying on the dead grass and conducting your emotions with the lyrics of the song. While others, such as Kid Cudi and DJ Mustard, caused you to dance until your feet disconnected from your dehydrated body.

Some of my personal favorite acts were Alabama Shakes, Tame Impala and Father John Misty. Though these acts may not be the most popular, the musical talent that these artists possessed absolutely astonished me. The lead singer of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard, had such a commanding voice that it was as if her vocals traveled throughout the whole city. Tame Impala and Father John Misty exhibited musical poetry that allowed you sink into the lyrics and sing along.

The food at Lolla was tasty and inconvenient. The whole process of getting food took an excessive amount of time due to the influx of people wanting a lobster corn dog or tamale. Though the lines to get food were painfully long, it was worth it when finally indulged in the yummy food while taking in the live music.

The style at Lollapalooza didn’t make a significant impression on me. Including myself, the majority just wore shorts and a shirt due to the unbearable heat. No lavish pieces caught my eye, which I appreciated because this festival was more focused on the music, rather than an unspoken fashion contest.

The location of the festival was engrossing, filling the air with an unexplainable energy. I have always been used to music festivals, such as Coachella, which are in a vacant space with no outside world surrounding it. Lollapalooza is pinned at the core of downtown Chicago. Buildings full of lawyers, realtors, and entrepreneurs surrounded eight stages of live music and 300,000 individuals rejoicing in the melody. Lollapalooza is surrounded by a concrete jungle, yet as you enter the gates the environment blurs the outside world, highlighting the music.

This music festival opened my eyes to new experience, new people, and of course new music. Lollapalooza was pleasurable, exhausting, hot, funny, exhilarating and seemingly ended all too rapidly. Lolla brings thousands of individuals together to share a love for one thing; music.