First Time Lollapalooza Impressions
By: Johnathon Kelly – 30 Seconds To Mars by Ashley Osborn for Lollapalooza 2023
Never having attended Lollapalooza before, I had received many suggestions and tips before attending. This was one time when none of what I was told was enough to prepare me for the magnitude of this festival, but it was all good, and it was a great time.
Getting into Lollapalooza went pretty smoothly, considering how many people lined up in the early hours of the morning to ensure their spot up front for the headline bands.
With the heat blazing down, I took time to familiarize myself with where everything was in relation to the map and found myself situated at the Coinbase stage for Bad Neighbors. While they’re not a band I usually listen to, their energy on stage was impressive, and the audience was very into everything they were doing.
It didn’t take them long to go out into the audience and stay there, singing and jumping along with fans. I give a lot of respect to them for that; great set!
It was very crowded for this early in the day, and as Chicago native J-Worra started her set, she greeted fans while dancers in red impressed the crowd with their moves. When she returned to her deck, the dancers left, and the intense sounds commenced. Like a sea of turbulent waves, the crowd jumped and waved their arms to the beats; giving all their energy back to her, it was very impressive.
Many of those in the crowd did not leave after her set as Acraze began his set only fifteen minutes later. The giant crowd packed in tighter, grew even larger and continued jumping along now without missing a beat.
Sofi Tukker performed on the Bud Light stage and announced that they rate their audiences by their singing, ass-shaking, loudness, and overall involvement. Lollapalooza was up against Summerfest who had thirty points.
Throughout the set, Tukker would award Lollapalooza with three points here or five points there. With their high-energy dance music, the competition was in the bag as they performed songs like Original Sin, Emergency, their remix of Aqua’s Barbie Girl, Swing, and Batshit. The whole show went into overdrive with their final song called Purple Hat, as Sofi, Tukker, and their dancers turned up the volume on the sound, their dancing, and the overall intensity and speed of the beat. Sofi Tukker have such a fun vibe you can’t help yourself when you hear their music. Lollapalooza ended up beating Summerfest, thirty nine to Summerfest’s thirty points. Yay, Lollapalooza!
Friday was another hot one filled with great sets from bands like Junior Mesa, Band-Maid, beabadoobee, and Sabrina Carpenter. Thirty Seconds To Mars started their show with a sixty-second countdown, a choir took the stage, and when the countdown reached thirty seconds, it repeated thirty several times and increased in speed. The band took to the stage and started the song, Walk On Water. While the audience heard Jared Leto, he was not on stage. People pointed up, and Jared was perched on a small ledge, standing in front of the Bud Light sign.
Suddenly, he asked, are you ready and dove off the ledge. It seemed like there was a collective gasp, but after getting his harness off, he returned to the song, not skipping a beat. This was the tone of the Thirty Seconds To Mars set; wild and breathtaking as Leto even called fans up on stage later in the set.
Saturday was met with cooler temps finally, but also steady rain, and Hoosh set the tone for the afternoon. The Miami-based, Sudanese rapper was backed up by the Beach Club who kept the chill vibes so smooth that no one minded getting rained on.
Thee Sacred Souls’ soulful sounds complimented the vibe that Hoosh started the day with, and I am a new fan of this band as a result. Singer, Josh Lane’s vocals were perfect for the sound of the band and backing vocalists. It was very surprising when Lane jumped over the barrier and sang among the crowd. You should check them out if you’ve never heard them yet.
Some of the other artists I saw on Sunday were Sarah Kinsley, Upsahl, and Alvvays. The variety of each artist on each stage really made the entire festival something truly unique, and I am very glad I was able to experience it.
Location, Location, Location
The location of where you stay during Lollapalooza can have a great impact on your overall enjoyment of the festival. I stayed at the Congress Plaza Hotel across the street and enjoyed a great view of the festival. Despite any rumors about the Congress Hotel being haunted, I was unfazed, and there were no paranormal experiences for me during my stay there. It’s proximity to the festival made it so much more convenient and allowed me to enjoy my time more.
What I did observe though, was a very clean, comfortable room and a very friendly and helpful staff. The hotel is beautiful nonetheless and it keeps in touch with the past in its making and style of old-fashioned luxury.
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