The suspension did have some irreparable effects. Several
performances – including those by Alabama Shakes, B.o.B., Temper Trap
and Neon Indian – were cancelled, and others were pushed back a few
hours or shortened. There was also the reality that Grant Park was now a
full-on mud bath. Still, despite being one of the most chaotic days in
Lollapalooza's storied history, when Red Hot Chili Peppers took the main
stage in late evening, the earlier trouble hardly mattered.
These weren't the same Chilis that last played Lollapalooza in 2006:
guitarist Josh Klinghoffer was added to the mix following the departure
of John Frusciante in 2009. The Anthony Kiedis-led crew delivered a set
comprised largely of the classics, aside from opening with the
otherworldly percussion of new tune "Monarchy of Roses" (off 2011 album I'm With You),
and their trademark fusion of rock, punk and funk riffs was on full
display. The setlist included everything from the melodic ("Snow (Hey
Oh)," "Under the Bridge") to the mosh-pit friendly rockers ("Can't
Stop") and even the Afrobeat-inspired ("Throw Away Your Television").
The city of Chicago had extended the festival's curfew in light of
the day's earlier evacuation, so the band plowed on into the night,
finishing their set with a two-song encore that included "Brendan's
Death Song" and "Give It Away." Kiedis donned his usual attire, or lack
thereof: the singer was shirtless and wore a mesh hat saluting the Los
Angeles punk act OFF! Flea expressed his love for the fans and pleaded
that everyone continue supporting live music "because it's all we got."
After kicking off with his monster hit "Levels," which liberally
samples Etta James' "Something's Got a Hold on Me," superstar DJ Avicii
shifted through a familiar formula: searing, emotional vocal samples
with giant synthesizer riffs. Each track sent more young fans scrambling
towards the Bud Light stage, many caked with mud. As his visuals lit up
the night sky, framed by Chicago's beautiful skyscrapers, fans reacted:
"Avicii is one of the hottest techno acts in the world," explained one.
Another put things in perspective: "Deadmau5 is cooler, man."
Fellow EDM leader Calvin Harris inspired mud-dancing and excessive
fist-pumping at Perry's Stage. "Lollapalooza, I wanna see you jump up
and down," the Scottish party-starter instructed the neon-clad masses.
Over the past year, Harris has been able to successfully bridge the gap
between progressive house and pop music, and his Saturday set mirrored
his genre-crossing: when he wasn't unleashing bass-throbbing beats
during "You Used to Hold Me," the DJ was dropping the needle on his
radio hits, Rihanna's "We Found Love" and his own "Feel So Close."
As Avicii and the Chilis battled it out for main-stage supremacy,
Frank Ocean took to the more intimate Google Play Stage. "I see we had a
little rain," the breakout R&B singer remarked, wearing his usual
red and white bandana. "I'm glad you all came back." Ocean's set was an
entirely suave affair: he began by sitting on a chair, serenading the
adoring crowd with a cover of Sade's "By Your Side" as acoustic guitars
backed him lightly. Later, thanks to his crack four-piece band, Ocean
brought a heavier hand to the Channel ORANGE cut "Thinkin' Bout You" and the nostalgia, ULTRA
hit "Novacane." Ocean capped his set with the gospel-tinged "Bad
Religion" – which he said spoke of his previous love affair with a man –
and the tragic epic "Pyramid."
The Weeknd, also known as the Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, is often
compared to Ocean for his floating falsetto and mysterious air. When he
played the Red Bull Stage earlier in the afternoon, he peppered his set
with cuts from his trio of popular mixtapes, beginning with House of Balloons in early 2011 and concluding with last December's Echoes of Silence. After a winsome "High for This," the Balloons opener and first song many heard from Tesfaye, the singer blew an adoring kiss to the crowd.
Fittingly enough, no band appeared to enjoy Lollapalooza as much as
Fun. The "We Are Young" group had the unenviable task of reopening the
festival post-thunderstorm and more than succeeded in the challenge.
Frontman Nate Ruess, wearing neon yellow sneakers and unhinged
suspenders, bounded onstage to open with "One Foot," followed it up with
"Why Am I the One?" and, despite volume issues, never let up until he
brought the house down with the band's breakout single.
Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand played an expectedly energetic set
that mostly stuck to the basics of mid-2000s dance-rock. Lead singer
Alex Kapranos, clad in a black button-up, shook off the post-storm
humidity with ease, offering career highlight tracks like "Michael" and
"Take Me Out" early in the set, then tossing out a surprise cover of
Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" before concluding with an impressive drum
solo feature.
Star Slinger took to Perry's Stage in a blue-striped polo shirt. His
performance seemed disjointed, varying between predictable and
electrifying. At some points, he covered obvious tracks, including the
hip-hop staple "Crossroads" by Bone Thugs N Harmony and Nicki Minaj and
2 Chainz's current hit "Beez in the Trap." He was most interesting when
he invigorated the set with British rave concepts, mixing transcendent
piano lines and helium vocals into his emotionally fraught atmosphere.
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