It’s official: Lollapalooza is lame
The Lollapalooza lineup was officially announced Monday and, yes, Mumford & Sons is a headliner. Granted, the big fest hasn’t been cutting edge for years but can we agree that Saturday’s headliner, Mumford & Sons, is a new low? The other top acts are Friday’s headliner the Killers and Sunday’s top act, the Cure. I’m sorry. I just nodded off thinking about it.
Nine Inch Nails, the Postal Service and Phoenix are also listed near the top of the bill. No doubt at least two of the days will feature competing headline acts. Others with prime slots include New Order, Queens of the Stone Age, the National, the Lumineers and Vampire Weekend. I’m happy for the National, which appear to have a late show for Saturday night.
With an event as big as Lolla, there are certainly some shows to get excited about. New Order could be a highlight. Grizzly Bear probably will play a number of songs from its excellent 2012 album Shields. Hot Chip was a blast at Pitchfork last year. I’m sure it will be just as fun this year at Lolla. I’m curious how Father John Misty comes off live. I’d love to see soul man Charles Bradley. There are several early day acts worth catching, including Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Tickets are reportedly selling fast and all three-day passes are gone. Single-day passes go on sale Wednesday, April 3. See the lineup for the August 2-4 fest here.
The National is a bright spot among an otherwise disappointing list of acts at this year’s Lolla.
Vampire Weekend, Feist, Grimes, Cloud Nothings to play Pitchfork
It looks like Vampire Weekend will be closing out this year’s Pitchfork Festival at Union Park in July. Pitchfork released its initial lineup of bands playing the annual three-day show in Chicago and the preppy boys are initially scheduled to headline Sunday, July 15. Feist is the top name Friday and Godspeed You! Black Emperor plays Saturday.
I’m a bit underwhelmed by the top of the bill but the list is far from being complete. I’ll be more excited to see Grimes and Cloud Nothings, artists who just released exciting new albums. Both play Saturday, July 14. Rounding out the Saturday schedule is Hot Chip and Liturgy. Sunday’s lineup also includes AraabMUZIK, Kendrick Lamar and the Field. The fest’s opening day, Friday July 13, features A$AP Rocky, Tim Hecker and Willis Earl Beal.
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 9 at this website.
Lollapalooza gets it wrong again
Maybe this is too obvious to point out but Lollapalooza’s headliners mostly suck. Can this festival that once championed new music become any more of a clueless, corporate money-making machine?
Lady Gaga? Really? Green Day? Soundgarden?
The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot reports Arcade Fire and Strokes also may headline. It’s hard to say what the reunited Strokes will sound like. The Arcade Fire is the exception and is always amazing live.
Granted, Pitchfork snagged Pavement, and it’s not as though Lolla has been pure with indie spirit in recent years. But the Billboard chart-topping Lady Gaga is antithetical to what I thought Lollapalooza is or used to be about.
Just for the sake of comparison, look at the Sasquatch! headliners for that Memorial Day weekend festival: Pavement, Massive Attack and My Morning Jacket. The full line-up is unbelievable.
To be somewhat fair, we don’t have the full Lolla lineup yet.
And on the bright side: According to Kot, there are a few other non-headlining Lolla bands that we like here at ATYP. That list includes Yeasayer, Dirty Projectors, xx, Hot Chip and Cut Copy. All of this is unofficial so far.
Massive Attack leads strong release day
Massive Attack’s Heligoland is my top pick for new albums out Tuesday, a big day for strong releases.
I’m a little surprised at my own recommendation because I’ve never been a super huge fan of trip hop, but I can’t stop listening to Heligoland. It’s that good.
I also recommend Yeasayer’s Odd Blood and Hot Chip’s One Life Stand.
