Lollapalooza is three days of music and fun, but in order for that to happen, there has to be some planning involved. The bands are scheduled close together, and in distant areas of Grant Park. But it’s not only the music that you have to worry about, food and water also have to be priorities since it will be three long, hot days. In order to ease your decision-making and stressful planning, I’ve outlined my top picks for all three day’s schedules and compiled them into playlists. Occasionally I picked two bands playing at the same time, and I’ll write an explanation as to why you shouldn’t miss either, or so you can make an educated decision on who to see and who to skip. Also *=BEST BAND EVER. Ok, probably not really, but you definitely shouldn’t miss them. Here we go!
Friday
1. “My Body“ by Young The Giant (1:00-1:45 Bud Light)
2. “Trashcan” by Delta Spirit (2:15-3:00 Music Unlimited)
3. “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People (3:00-4:00 Sony)
4. “Dance Away“ by Smith Westerns (3:30-4:30 PlayStation)
5. “Sour Cherry” by The Kills (4:30-5:30 Bud Light)
The Kills are more of a punk rock band that have a twisted and dark feel that you won’t want to miss.
6. “What You Know” by Two Door Cinema Club (5:00-6:00 Sony)
Rather opposite of The Kills, Two Door Cinema Club has a more rock/pop/electronic feel, but I would still try to see both of these bands. That way you’ll get the edge of The Kills and the electro-beats of Two Door Cinema Club.
7. “Crimewave” by Crystal Castles* (7:15-8:15 Sony)
8. “Loud Pipes” by Ratatat* (8:45-9:45 Google+)
Saturday
1. “Naked Kids” by Grouplove (12:00-12:45 Sony)
2. “Quesadilla” by Walk the Moon (12:45-1:30 Music Unlimited)
3. “As Far As I Can See” by Phantogram (1:30-2:30 Sony)
4. “Money Grabber” by Fitz & The Tantrums (2:30-3:30 Music Unlimited)
5. “The Ills” by Mayer Hawthorne & The County* (3:30-4:30 Sony)
6. “Saddest Summer” by The Drums* (4:45-5:30 Google+)
7. “World News” by Local Natives (5:30-6:30 Sony)
8. “Satisfied” by Cee Lo Green (6:30-7:30 Music Unlimited)
9. “Get Some” by Lykke Li (7:15-8:15 Google+)
10. “East Harlem” by Beirut* (8:45-9:45 Google+)
Beirut is one of my favorite bands because of their sweet melodies and the musical backing of all the different instruments that they play. To see them playing live would be absolutely breathtaking.
11. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem (8:30-10:00 Music Unlimited)
It’s Eminem…in eighth grade I asked for the 8 Mile soundtrack solely for this song. Enough said. I’ll definitely be making my way to both of these shows.
Sunday
1. “Titus Andronicus Forever” by Titus Andronicus (12:45-1:30 Music Unlimited)
2. “Mayhem” by Imelda May (1:30-2:15 Sony)
3. “5 Years Time” by Noah & The Whale (2:30-3:15 Bud Light)
4. “Bassment Party” by The Cool Kids* (3:00-4:00 Perry’s)
This hip-hop/rap duo was a late add to the Lollapalooza line-up, and thank goodness for that. They have awesome beats with creative verses, just look at the title of this song with the emphasis on “bass”.
5. “Vocal Chords” by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (3:15-4:00 Google+)
If you’re more of an indie/pop/dance fan than you are of hip-hop, I would check out this band. Their set may overlap with The Cool Kids, but I would still highly recommend seeing them, since not only their name rocks, their music does too.
6. “Playtime” by Young Man (3:45-4:30 BMI)
7. “Lay Me Back Down“ by Portugal. The Man (5:00-6:00 Sony)
8. “This Is Real” by Best Coast (5:45-6:30 Google+)
Best Coast is an alternative band with a punk rock feel, whose lead singer is, to put it quite simply, a badass chick. I’ve seen them before and can vouch that this will be a fantastic show.
9. “Fake Tales of San Francisco” by Arctic Monkeys (6:00-7:00 Music Unlimited)
Arctic Monkeys are British rock band that will just make you want to dance. They may overlap with Best Coast, but with this pair you should definitely try to make time to see both.
10. “Your Hand in Mine” by Explosions in the Sky (7:00-8:00 Sony)
11. “Hospital Beds” by Cold War Kids* (8:30-9:30 Google+)
Now that you know my schedule for the weekend, think about yours and consider my suggestions. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!