The Chicago Blog

There was a soggy beginning to the final day of Lollapalooza last Sunday in Grant Park. The morning rain cleared by 1pm, but left the ground muddy and slippery. Though this was a set-back, it did not keep many music fans from enjoying their favorite acts. The park was crowded and the bands put on great shows considering the dynamic weather conditions.

By the time Minus the Bear went on at 3:00, festival goers were huddling in the rare spots of shade to escape the beating sun. Many still had their umbrellas out from earlier — Though now using them for sun protection rather than rain protection. Creating your own shade became an art form as the day went on, with the temperatures peaking at 92 degrees. On the lawn in front of the Adidas Mega Stage, listeners sat on blankets or in the muddy grass while Minus the Bear gave a pleasant and energetic performance. People directly in front of the stage stood and swayed their arms above their heads for much of the alternative rock band’s set list.

The scathingly hot atmosphere was sometimes interrupted by a light cool breeze — Enough to keep people alive so long as they also kept hydrated. Some festival goers brought hand-fans or got the electronic personal fans that were available at the Sony Bloggie tent. There were other ways of preventing heat exhaustion, such as leaving the stage areas to relax under shaded tree-filled areas and the Q101 Hammock Haven let visitors cool down away from the action. Water-bottle re-fill stations at the park were generally busy, but kept festival goers happy. There were two food vendor locations on opposite sides of the park. I had a falafel pita from the Goose Island booth which was definitely worth $5. Water was about as expensive as you’d expect, but they let you bring two factory sealed bottles of your own into the park and you could re-fill them. A tip for next year: get cash before you come – ATMs at the festival had a $4 surcharge.

On the north side of the park, MUTEMATH played a considerably great-sounding set. The low-end was perfect especially for songs like “Reset” and other instrumentals which count on big bass sound for added groove. The band was active on stage which made them exceptionally fun to watch. Lots of people were dancing either in their place or as they walked by. At one point the lead singer said “Okay Lollapalooza, we’re going to turn up the volume now”, which was a cute addition to the elevating energy the band’s performance created. When they played the song “Typical” the whole audience lit up — It’s a popular song and it got even more people up and moving. By the end of their set the sun was starting to go down and the air was finally cooling off for the evening.

Next on the larger Budweiser Stage was MGMT. The “space-rock” duo’s popularity was evident as seemingly the whole park swarmed over to see them. Several members of the audience were dressed like extras from their music videos — such as the psychedelic jungle people from the “Electric Feel” video. The first two songs they played were off their newest album, but they played some favorites from their older album as well. As it went on, the crowd got larger and there were more people standing than sitting. During the song “Kids” some audience members made a long conga-line through the crowd — it was a funny and interactive part of the experience.

Much of the audience from MGMT pivoted and stayed for The National’s performance (the stages were set conveniently close). Their chilled-out, conventionally appealing songs were a nice break between the hyped MGMT and Arcade Fire sets. The National drew a generally older crowd — perhaps because of the later time, but also because of their wide-appeal. At times the singer would pause so the audience could sing along, this made the crowd feel involved and comfortable. It was a fun and relaxing performance, which was great for gearing up for Arcade Fire’s headlining set.

It was significantly darker outside when Arcade Fire went on stage at 8:30pm. The stage lights shone bright across the lawn as people gathered to find standing room. They began with the hit single “Ready To Start” from their new album. It was a fantastic way to begin, the crowd clapped along with the band members enthusiastically. The screen on the back of the stage changed with each song giving a personalized effect to the show. During “No Cars Go” odd images of black and white faces were superimposed over live footage of the band as they played. It was a unique effect and it added to the spectacular lights-show. The harmonies were perfect, as were the live accordion and horn parts, just like on the albums. The big, full sound of the performance rang through Grant Park as they shouted in unison “Let’s Go!” The performance overall was amazing — a mixture of old and new, sound and visual entertainment; Arcade Fire put the cherry on top another great year of Lollapalooza.