@ZackTeibloom “We just saw the striped sweatshirt go bounce, bounce, bounce, back.” That’s Jeff describing watching me try to use an already-scanned 3-day pass on Saturday. On the third bounce, the guy scanned the ticket, said “This was first scanned Friday” and ripped it in half. I then retreated back to Jeff and Jordan and we started the trek to the media entrance. We had to walk all the way around the park, and decided to check out the Volunteer entrance, but even that had a gate with wristbands we didn’t have.

20 minutes later, we came to an impass. We were at the far end of the field at a bridge that connected to the media entrance, but they weren’t letting anyone in there, since media check-in was closed. Never mind the fact that there were three of us and none of us had media credentials. I had slipped on a green SXSW ’11 wristband and a blue Rock ‘n Roll hall of fame wristband in addition to my commemorative Lollapalooza laminate that said “Not valid for entry to the park” written plainly on it. Why? It never hurts to have extra passes. Someone could just assume it’s the right one. Security wasn’t buying it. They made us go even farther around. Every 15 feet, there was a guard waiting behind the fence, with this sign, clearly posted everywhere. Not a great start. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Eminem often gets put in the GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation. I never saw it. No, not because he was white. The Beastie Boys belong in that conversation too. It’s because my first impression of Eminem was goofy, juvenile songs that my friends loved in junior high. The truth is, his content got deeper as he grew as an artist. He resonates with my generation. The cameras even caught one girl on the screen in tears. As I turned to my friend last night during the show to confirm just how awesome Eminem was, a stranger turned around and added: “We grew up with him. He is ours. This IS fucking awesome.” Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore If there is one thing I learned from seeing Coldplay at Lollapalooza, it’s never underestimate the power of a simple melody that a large crowd can sing along to. Coldplay has made a career of it. Their fans love them for it. At many points during the evening the band sat back and enjoyed the chorus of fans. Being so close to the stage, we could hear just how loud the singing was. We all sounded great, if I do say so myself. For me, Coldplay is one of those bands that has more hits than you ever remember them having. Part of it is because it’s easy to forget how long they’ve been doing for. I guess I’m just old enough now that I remember these bands coming onto the scene. My body agrees right now with how old that makes me feel. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Female singers make me melt. It’s why we made sure we had a great vantage point for Grace Potter & the Nocturnals…and didn’t leave it for the Kills. I’m fairly certain at some point yesterday Potter and Mosshart had a make out session on stage. Or maybe I was daydreaming or hallucinating from dehydration. Fantasies aside, I was quite excited to see the Kills at Lollapalooza this year. I have seen Allison with the Dead Weather a few times. Watching the live stream of their Bonnaroo made me realize she’s even better when I like the music more (sorry Zack–you know TDW aren’t my jam). Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Andy and I couldn’t be more excited to be back in Chicago for Lollapalooza this weekend. We hope to see as many friends as possible and see some shows and share a sandwich and catch up and all that jazz. Having said that, we’re gonna have to go over some things to make this as easy for all of us as possible. First off, we’re here to see music and we know what we want to see. We’ve made our schedules and we’re sticking to them. If you want to go to Eminem, talk to Andy. If you want to see Coldplay, I’m your guy. (Wow, never thought I’d say that.) And you better get to the Coldplay stage early, because I’m likely staying there from Bright Eyes on, unless I decide to make a dash for OK Go. Our schedules are below. Here’s a few things to consider and we’ll see you out there. Let’s get our festival on.  Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom It’s quite possible that this is the 20th Lollapalooza, girl, but for Chicagoans who saw it become a destination festival, it’s a fact that it’s the #7 one. It’s quite possible that it’s the best collection of rock, hip-hop and electronica from top to bottom. But it’s a fact that it’s Grant Park’s seventh one. It’s quite possible that Michigan Avenue will erupt with whoops, but it’s a fact that it’ll be ridiculous amounts of fun. Right now you could care less about this, but soon enough you will care by the time I’m done. I’ll find a soapbox where I can shout it. Let’s have a ball and a biscuit, sugar*.

Alright, let’s get down to business. This is part one of a two-part Lollapalooza 2011 preview from me, with this half covering the 12 bands I’ve seen live and love enough to see again this weekend. If you notice Girl Talk, Muse and Ratatat missing, it comes down to scheduling. I’m buying into the Coldplay experience to give up two favorites and one flashy, overrated show. Girl Talk is a pantheon festival show for me, but I’ve blown the moon up there already. Ratatat is one of the most exciting instrumental acts around and “Loud Pipes” may be my most played track on Turntable FM,** but they don’t have the capacity to put on the show of the festival. Muse does, but … twice was enough for me on this tour. I started this list with 12 names, kicked off these three, Damian Marley and Nas (All I had to say was that Damian’s solo stuff is far better than their collaboration), cut off Arctic Monkeys (who could easily outperform Explosions in the Sky) and now we’re at 7 and my “Ball and a Biscuit” analogy makes slightly more sense. Let’s get into the top 7. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore The fact that I am able to string more than a few words together at this point is nothing short of a miracle. All my brain can focus on right now is Lollapalooza. I will keep my explanations short. The videos I have chosen should do enough convincing (and hyping) on their own. Lolla. So. Soon. Cannot Wait. I haven’t been to a festival with (or seen) Zack in 10 months. I apologize to my Chicago friends in advance. My focus is on live music. I will not waste any time trying to meet up with you. I will be where I want to be, when I want to be there. Please don’t try and stop me. As Zack and I often say, “we’ve done this before.” Try and keep up! Read the rest of this entry »

Guest post by Monte Monreal

There is a short list of American icons whose stature looms so large, it somehow swallows their catalog: John Wayne, Elvis, and Louis Armstrong. It’s an awkward place to hold in the pantheon. Even after decades, these men haven’t disappeared from the public consciousness like so many before them, but the other, and perhaps more tragic part of this phenomenon is that this sustained awareness is built around some flesh and blood caricature of that person versus the tangible work left behind. These men have been reduced to shaking hips, a funny singing voice, and the apocryphal line “Well hello there, pilgrim.” (So yeah, they riff the shit out of the ‘pilgrim’ bit in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but yeah….no….)

In so many ways, these guys allowed it to happen. John Wayne never dared to evolve into a character outside of himself. Louis was perhaps a little too eager to puff out his cheeks and bulge his eyes for every photo-op. Elvis basically did an Elvis impersonation for the last five years of his career, but if you can peel back the self-parody, there is the core of the core truth. These men are bigger than legends, they are fixtures. And I use fixture in the most commonplace way possible. Like, these men are the sinks and electrical outlets and toilets of the “America as a house” analogy. They are so ever present, we’ve forgotten what a marvel they are. The shockwave generated by these men ripples beneath the American identity, and still, the at times invisible body of work is the reason why any of these men matter. It’s the power when John Wayne first shows on screen in Stagecoach It’s the moment in that sweaty summer of 1954 when stylus hit the groove and “That’s Alright (Mama),” came out of the speakers. It’s that day in February of 1928 when Louis Armstrong walked into O’keh studios to record side #8597 and forever change the direction of American music. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom The first thing that drew me to Little Lo was the incredible interplay they have between their seven members on stage. The way Josh bounces side-to-side on his heels as he plays his bass with a smile. How Ian is often scrambling to grab the next of his many instruments, but playing each of them with aplomb. The way Bailey’s keyboard and vocals strike the perfect balance with Ryan, who leads the group with a quiet confidence and a young, budding stage presence. Don’t forget Stephanie and George filling the gaps with just the right touch on the strings, xylophone and accordion, as Sam keeps it fun, tight and energetic behind the drum kit. It’s why I can’t focus on one of them for more than 10 seconds at a time when I watch them play live. They’re all so intoxicating and they share the spotlight so well, it feels like the truest sense of a band. The kind of organic closeness that grows from living together and hanging out all the time.

That interaction made me a tad concerned to see them recording almost all their parts individually in their home studio, when they invited me in to see a day of their recording process a couple months ago. By eliminating the live element, would it miss something? Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Ryan McGill acknowledged that was indeed a challenge, and only the third track (of 6) “Roots, Trees, Wires” was recorded almost entirely live, with horns overdubbed later. After listening to the EP over and over Wednesday, I can confidently say the whole thing captures their interplay beautifully. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Caitlin drives us down to San Antonio, knowing we were going to get to meet the legendary Earth, Wind, and Fire at Bjorn Electronics and that they were partnering with Monster Cable. That’s all we know. We get there 45 minutes early and are not on the list, so Bjorn himself lets us in. We find our way to two of maybe a couple hundred seats in this make-shift press conference room that is normally an electronics store. Wheel of Fortune: Las Vegas is playing on a couple dozen screens and I guess the first clue of “We’re just getting warmed up” and gleefully note the irony. Then I notice there’s free wine, a fruit spread and chocolate covered strawberries and load up and check out the attendees. Read the rest of this entry »