The Weekend of Wonderful Sounds

As summer finds itself in full swing, I've seemed to have upped my concert repertoire over the recent months, and rather swiftly, I might add.

I've headed to shows all throughout the city [and a few burbs] that include: Tool, Rhiannon Giddens, Gary Clark Jr., Air, The B-52's, Gorillaz, and Natalie Merchant [Phish is on deck for Sunday]. All of these were fantastic shows. I'm going to delve into a few details about two of them, which is particularly easy because I saw both artists this past weekend.

Gorillaz

I'll take you over to Northerly Island where I saw Gorillaz on Saturday, July 8th. Now this was a band I had been quite enthused with over the past decade and then some. I remember being 18 [yeah, I was late to the party] and running into the Jamba Juice I was working at, only to Zach Braff my co-workers by putting my headphones in their ears and playing 'The Sounder', insisting that they needed to hear it. I remember hearing that for the first time and it being a song I had to listen to over and over.'Ghosttrain' was another favorite at that point in time.

I'm pretty amped on their latest album, as it possess a glorious hype and overall different vibe from their former work. Saying that, Gorillaz always tend to do their own thing and it's rather difficult to compare songs as they vary significantly, as do their albums. Please, let us not forget 'M1 A1' which always enthusiastically scares the hell out of me, but gains a groovy rock ability mid-way. Their concert delivered for new fans and those who have been there since the beginning. They kicked it off with 'Ascension' where I thoroughly lost my shit. There are so many great songs to dance to on Humanz that it really accentuated my hype. I believe I danced the entire concert. You couldn't not.

When they slid gloriously into 'Last Living Souls', it warranted another mind-losing session as I've loved that song for too long not to see it played live. 'Charger' was a serious shock to my system because I didn't even see that coming and it's one of my favorites off the latest. I fell in love with 'Out of Body', which I had heard before, but apparently not thoroughly enough. That was a song that required some righteous grooves. Everything continued to be outstanding all the way until they closed it up with 'Demon Days', which could not have been more appropriate. Such a beautiful song and a great way to send us off. It's always fun being the first U.S. show, we were the fun experiment for the new setlist, which is pretty lovely.

Lollapa-OH YEAH! {2016}

Ah, yes, yes yes. One of my favorite posts of the year, one of my only posts of the year these days, is about Lollapalooza. While late to give it the sum-up, it couldn't be neglected.

The fest got another day added on this year in honor of the 25th anniversary (which we have now found out will be an on-going occurrence) and while I was amped on a good majority of the headliners and various other artists, money was a factor this year. One day was going to have to do it, and since I had seen Radiohead and could settle for not seeing RHCP (I know, I KNOW). It was all about LCD Soundsystem. I had been wanting to see them for so long, and after their retirement, I never thought the chance would come around. LOW AND BEHOLD!! 

Sunday was the obvious choice, because not only had I really wanted to see LCD Soundsystem, but I also was pretty amped on the idea of seeing Flume. His album, and recently, albums, have been in heavy rotation over the past year. Another sneaker-peaker was Bloc Party and Third Eye Blind, which means aspects of my younger self were very, very satisfied. There's not too much to say, I had a great time, the skies were blue and the breeze was light. Delightful company, great music, and solid surroundings. Who wouldn't have great things to say? So let's break this down;

Third Eye Blind: Well, this hardly counts, but we (by "we" I mean Dan and I) were DEFINITELY there for all of 'Semi-Charmed Life', which is what we all wanted to be there for. Honestly? That was the only full song that we saw by this group that helped epitomize my youth. We got there later than anticipated, but isn't that always how it goes? 

My obligatory festival pose. Give me all the music.

Flume: He played a great set, majority of what I wanted him to play, which was fantastic. It was so satisfying to see him live after listening to him SO much recently. I really just had a great time throwing down constant grooves out in that field, along with the rest of the crowd gettin' down. This was a perfect way to get settled in. Listen to: 'Take A Chance'.

Bloc Party: My high school self was more than satisfied hearing these guys play live. I never really thought that chance would come around. I thrived on Silent Alarm (and it's dandy remixed version) in my teen years and haven't stopped listening to them, just not as much. Since I had really only clung to certain songs off certain albums since then, their setlist didn't strike me as much as I had hoped, but then I had to remember I wasn't seeing them in 2006...Listen to: 'Pioneers'

Dan and I waiting for LCD Soundsystem.

LCD Soundsystem: OH, THE GLORY! The groovin' began immediately. It's hard not to channel David Byrne (Stop Making Sense) when you're dancing along to those beautiful beats. The song selection was perfect, as was the execution of each song. James Murphy's voice floated on summer air better than I could have imagined and the rest of the band filled in the gaps with electric magic. The satisfaction of seeing artists you'd never thought you'd see, is immense. There wasn't too much time to think, as my mind was being flooded with musical greatness, a tinge of herb (contact, of course), and the bottle of wine dispersed into 5 different cups. T'was a phenomenal evening, and I am so happy that I chose the final day of Lollapalooza, as my day. Listen to: 'Dance Yrself Clean'

This year the mood was so different. Normally I have to "come down" from the Lolla experience, but perhaps it was the whole one-day thing. Needless to say, much has been neglected in terms of writing. I have been to a plethora of shows, all worthy of saying something about, in the past three months. Summer always comes as an onslaught. Nice weather is here so briefly, that I'm trying to utilize it the best I can. Frankly, this has been the best summer I've had in years. Perhaps ever. It's been chocked full, and the people I've seen and met! I feel lucky. I am lucky. I am grateful that I got to attend this festival at all.

Here's to next year, although I can hardly believe this year's has already come and gone. TG

A Dose of Sweet Spirit / The Empty Bottle / Chicago

On Wednesday night, I got a righteous dose of Sweet Spirit.

Here's the story;

A buddy of mine, Robbie, messaged me earlier in the month about this band I needed to check out, along with the link of upcoming tour dates. They were a band from Texas called Sweet Spirit. He had seen them open for Spoon, as they opened on a number of their shows, and he had fallen in love with them. I was informed that Britt Daniel was a big fan of the band and would come out and jam with them during their sets. I love Spoon & I love Britt Daniel. I also trust the hell out of Robbie's musical opinion. I went ahead and purchased the tickets and decided to trust him even further by not even listening to them. He was completely confident that I'd dig the hell out of them. I wanted to walk in without having heard their music and fall in love on the spot. I am normally not that kind of girl. Normally I like to be really familiar with what I'm about to go and see. I even go as far as looking at set-lists ahead of time, which is horrible. I don't know why I cannot seem to go with the element of surprise anymore. I suppose it just depends on the show.

I was able to go without listening, with bubbling curiosity for weeks, until HOURS BEFORE THE SHOW. I CRACKED. I could not resist. I needed to know what was about to go down. I put on Cokomo and fell in love instantly. Check out Bandcamp for their EP, and donate some extra money, would ya? I went from excited to stoked and continued to play them until it was time to head over for the show, which was over at The Empty Bottle. This is a great little spot to go and check out artists that are rolling through Chicago for the first couple trips through and/or get exposed to new music of both local artists and those on tour.

SHOWTIME:
We got there early and were able to see the two bands that went on ahead of them (there were four bands playing that night); Skip Church, which had this really incredible raw sound that made me think they were on the brink of something real good. The Mad Doctors were there reppin' Brooklyn and throwing around sound (and toilet paper), and third was Sweet Spirit, and sweet it was.

Now, I like to be hospitable for artists I love, along with those rolling through Chicago early on. This was a tasty combo of both. They were here back in April at The Burlington, but unfortunately was completely off my radar. I am glad I was able to catch them on this tour, while it's still nice and intimate. Next time they come through, I doubt that will be the case. I decided to bring them some boxes of cookies from my work. I figured I'd likely be able to leave them somewhere that they would be able to get them or pick them up, but then I realized it would also be a possibility to actually just hand them off to them. I wanted to make sure that they got some of that sweetness back and had some good to enjoy on the road. Luckily, the plan went off without a hitch and it was totally worth carting them around all night. I was able to hand them to Sabrina during their setup, which resulted in a quick, yet nice exchange. I didn't want to hold them up during their time to get prepared, but they sat on stage through the duration of the show and she even came back over to make sure I got a picture of them with her boots (they were some pretty rad boots).

   

They kicked up the set up with 'Poor' which is such a great starter jam, gets you right into the thick of the groove. The dancing started immediately. The kind of music that just kind of takes you and moves you. The stage presence is fantastic, definitely engaging and full force. Sabrina has a wonderful way of entertaining the crowd and taking command of the environment. Her vocals are right at home on the stage and they hold a unique sound. She belts out fantastic lyrics whilst dancing and throwing her body around in wonderful ways. The rest of the band compliments everything so well, they have a rather large group, and they all work together so well. There was this phenomenal energy that really takes you in. The crowd was definitely feeling that momentum and others joined in the fun of making their bodies move about.

Mid-set she says from the stage she gives me a shout-out from the stage and notes the cookies and gives a shout-out to the Bakery. It was a lovely moment and totally unexpected, since she had already thanked me and had chatted briefly. Hell yeah.

Highlights for sure included 'Chained & Tied'. 'If You Wanna', & 'Take Me To A Party'. It was such an enjoyable experience from beginning to end. I had such a great time and really absorbed everything that was being thrown down musically. I was lucky enough to snag their set-list, which was HANDWRITTEN! Oh, the glory!

We also bought a fair share of merch; a tshirt, 10" EP, & their 7" single with Britt Daniel (!!!), and we were more than happy to give our money to that band. I ended up going back and trying to get a picture with Sabrina and she was more than happy to comply. It was the cherry on top of a rockin' night and it was all exactly what I needed.

All in all, it was a great show that left me ridin' high. My ears were ringing and my brain was shaken about, rattled up by righteous tunes. I am so thankful that Robbie got at me and told me to check them out. I look forward to seeing where they go from here. They have such an awesome support base and I know that they have some real solid ability. Cannot wait to see them next time they swing through.

Their tour has pretty much wrapped, however, keep and open eye and ear to what is going on with this band. They will be well worth your time and energy! Here's to 'em! 

THANK YOU FOR ROCKING MY FACE OFF, SWEET SPIRIT! COME BACK SOON!

-T

[REVIEW] The Musical Journey: Joan Armatrading

Last Wednesday night, the musical glory was all mine.

I saw THE Joan Armatrading at City Winery. It was the first show of her three scheduled for Chicago. I believe it was her 197th show of this tour. Also, THIS TOUR IS INSANE. I doubt I will ever see a concert shirt like this again.

The anticipation for this show was incredible since I had bought my ticket so far in advance. I never thought that would happen. I remember tweeting;

tessa ♫ ‏@Tessa_SMASH  Dec 6

@93XRT can we please rally for a Joan Armatrading concert??

12:27 PM - 6 Dec 2014 · Details

I had NO CLUE she was on tour. I assumed she would remain on my artist bucket-list and that I would never have the glory of seeing her perform live. When I decided to see if this was a possibility and then saw that she was actually on tour, I lost it a little (okay, a lot) and frantically looked up tour dates. However, her Chicago shows in April had already been sold out and I could not afford what they were going for from other sources. I also expressed this anxiousness via twitter (yeah, I know) and was informed by Ryan Arnold (THANK YOU!) over at XRT that she would indeed be coming back to City Winery in October. Assurance was mine and I realized that this could actually happen. I snagged the ticket when they went on sale and let the excitement build. I had planned to go solo to this show for a multitude of reasons, which really just consists of the fact that no one I knew had really ever heard of her or wanted to spend the money to do so, but also, I figured it was something I needed to do on my own. I knew it was going to be an emotional night and wanted to just soak it all up without any distractions. 

Six months later, the time had come. October was just getting into gear and the 7th rolled around as quickly as I had wanted it to. I was absolutely over the moon for this show. I had been excited for plenty of other shows and artists before, each one holds their own bit of magic and unique talent. This felt different. I never thought this would happen. I had grown up with her music and then came back to it at a later age and re-connected with it. The songs that were once words and melodies became entangled with meaning and emotion. I needed to see her play those songs live before me. I needed to have that musical closure, the pleasure of seeing it happen.

If you haven't noticed, shows mean A LOT to me. For some people, it's just something they do. For me, it's some serious shit. I want to experience the hell out of that band. I want to dance, I want to feel the vibe of the crowd, and capture the energy in the room. I want to dress according to artist and venue. It's a lot of preparation, mentally and emotionally. So while I'm already rather giddy about shows in general, having a bucket-list show is something I can't necessarily put into words, but here's me trying.

I had never been to City Winery before this event. I had no idea what to anticipate or really where or how I'd be sitting. First of all, I don't like sitting at shows. It's just...sad. Initially, I had purchased a ticket near the back of the venue so I COULD dance. I thought "Perfect, this way, I will only disturb this back group of people!" I arrive and find that the seating is extremely close together, like, airplane style. I was squeezed in there pretty good and knew that this would simply not be my thing. I immediately asked where I could stand or if there was some sort of "groove spot" because dancing, or, well, moving, would not be happening in that seat. She pointed me to an area and I decided to check it out (don't worry, I ordered wine first). It was the most ideal space; tons of room, groovy lighting, and high-top chairs lined along the sides. It was also way closer and had a killer view of the stage. I decided this would be my spot for the show. I had gotten there much too early, it started later than I anticipated, but that's my own fault for not actually looking. When it's Joan Armatrading, you don't have time to read, you just find out a date and a location, and you just show up there. I had two glasses of wine, a fantastic staff, and a lovely crowd of people to keep me company in between sets.

The opener, Kristina Train, was quite fitting for Joan Armatrading. I love when opening bands blow me away. It's such an unexpected feeling, because you're pretty much just there to be there, and then you walk away getting wrapped up in a new artist. Satisfying feeling for sure. That girl was great.

It was requested that no photography took place, and I figured I'd respect that. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the actual concert, but I'm glad didn't have my phone out. I've learned to leave that to the professionals and to just enjoy the experience as it is. Take it in as it's happening.

Once the opener left the stage, Joan's guitars were polished, and the lights were dimmed, the show was ready to start. Joan took the stage to the sound of worthy applause and I dropped to my knees in excitement. That's just some of the random occurrences that will happen for me at a show ("I'm up here!", "I'm down here!", "I'm crying!", "I'm dancing!"). She was about to strum and sing her way into magic.

I had been sincerely hoping that she'd come out and play 'All The Way From America'. It's just the perfect intro song and what I always imagined she'd open with. AND SHE DID. It was absolutely what I had wanted. It reminds me of when I listened to it as a kid, a musical comfort for sure.

She continued to play all of my favorite songs, especially 'Love & Affection', 'The Weakness In Me', & 'Down To Zero', with the exception of 'Prove Yourself''. It was a killer set and it consisted of her doing it all herself. I would have loved to have seen her with a band, but it was nice seeing her up on stage, cranking it out solo. As expected, I cried, I danced, and I sang along. 'Down To Zero' was the one that tugged at my emotions the hardest. I was not expecting that, which made it even better, cathartic even. The range of emotions this show took me on was just as I expected. I'll refer to it as the emotional slap"I was in complete awe the whole time. I could not grasp the fact that it was happening, but I am so glad that it did.

Set-list chocked full of stellar tunes. I was so happy she played 'Rosie' and 'Drop The Pilot' back-to-back. That was a righteous little groove session. We all sang along to 'Willow' for the closer and it was a beautiful experience from beginning to end. Her fans are lovely people and I had some marvelous encounters. I always meet the best people at shows and it's an experience I am grateful for; great conversations about music and life, which for some, is one of the same.

I do have to say, that this time, unfortunately, I did NOT get the set-list. I was caught up in conversation with an awesome woman who stood next to me during the show and missed the chance. And so it goes... There was only one set-list and it belonged to Joan. The guy who got it was just as into the set-list game as I was and beat me to it. While it would have been the cherry on top, it was easy to be happy for him, for I knew how much it had meant to him. I even went to the sound check booth before the show started to see if they had one available and if they'd put it aside for after the show. No such luck. Oh the downfalls of technology (as I write an ONLINE blog)...

Once everything had fully wrapped, my t-shirt was purchased, and the building had cleared, I decided it would be worth it to stay after and try to meet her. I had gotten lucky at shows before and met some of my absolute favorite musicians by doing this. I went out by the tour buses to discover, luckily, that there were a few other people waiting already. I really didn't want to wait that out by myself, but figured that no one there would be into it. I believe I was the youngest one there. People literally came up to me after the show and thanked me for being there and for dancing (my pleasure, folks). I waited amongst some really rad people for a solid 90 minutes with no such luck. She seriously snuck out of that building stealth-style. There were so few of us, so it was a bummer that there wasn't a quick hello or a meet n' greet, but I completely understand that some artists are simply not into that vibe at all. While I understand it, I still wanted it to happen. I do not regret the time waiting one bit. The people I shared that time with made it so much fun. I love the bonds that come from the shared love of music and shows and hearing about show experiences from other enthusiasts.

A top-notch occurrence! At this point, it's like, "Who do I see now?!". I have seen so many musical artists that I never thought I'd get to see live and now I'm just filling in spaces. Trying to see any show and add on to the long lists of artists I've seen. Here's to the next wave of show excitement!

ON DECK;
Oct 21. Sweet Spirit @ Empty Bottle
Nov 20. James Bay @ The Riv
Jan 22. Vance Joy @ The Riv

-T

The Lolla Laydown / 2015

Ah, what a weekend! What a glorious weekend that has so many aspects that I absolutely live for; sunshine, live music, groovin' amongst the people, and SO MANY GOOD VIBES. Yes, Lollapalooza took place this past weekend and it's safe to say that it is my ultimate happy place. While I've only attended three years now, I feel that I've made the absolute most of them, soaking up every ounce of the glory. The glory is always mine!

Easily one of the best line-ups ever for me.

The line-up came out in, oh, I don't know, March? I remember that day. I remember thinking that it was something I needed to check immediately at work and did not care of the repercussions of checking material that was not relevant to the job itself. When I saw who was expected to play, I believe I literally squealed, or made some unbearably loud noise for being in a store-front environment. Then I think I took it to another level by running around and verbally expressing my excitement in words that probably didn't make sense, very likely I was just attempting to string sentences together involving Florence and drooling on myself in the process. IT WAS HAPPENING, MY QUEEN WAS HEADLINING! FINALLY.

However, while Florence + The Machine sealed the deal, SIR PAUL McCARTNEY?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Alabama Shakes? Oh yeah! Alt-J? For sure! Glass Animals? Sign. Me. Up. The bands looked solid and I needed to be there. Luckily, all went well with acquiring tickets and I knew I had a way into the happiest weekend on earth, well, two tickets. I decided that Friday and Sunday were my best routes to go and they certainly did not disappoint.

See, the thing about Lollapalooza, is that it serves as something you look forward to all summer. It's something you endure, something you do in the name of loving music. So many amazing artists come together and beat the heat to give us some of the best festival performances we've ever seen. We meet new people while running into old friends. It's the range of options you have before you, the different types of music, where there's truly something for everyone. It is the best feeling to be under that skyline whilst observing and taking in everything that is going on around you. LOLLAPALOOZA IS MAGIC.

But it's also unbearable heat and humidity in between the evacuations from the festival due to thunderstorms. It's going with the flow, checking out artists you've never heard of, and finding a place to groove in the lawn. It's planning your bathroom breaks accordingly so you don't have to leave your favorite artist when you're near the front in a sea made up of thousands of people. It's having to deal with the Bud-Light only beer options. It's grabbing a slice of Lou's deep dish or a pulled pork sandwich from Smoke Daddy and sittin' on the curb promising yourself that this is all totally great for your immune system. It's all part of the glory, the MAGIC.

______________________________Friday, July 31st

2:15. Glass Animals: YES. I am so glad I got to see them in time. I was actually quite worried because I wasn't sure how early I was going to go and whether or not I was going to go solo. I ended up going early to catch them because I knew I could not miss them. I got EXTREMELY lucky with timing. I walked up as they played my three favorite songs; 'Gooey', 'Pools', and 'Hazey' - they also threw a Kanye cover in there 'Love Lockdown'. They did a hell of a job making it their own style, it was delivered exceptionally well. I wish I could have seen them in a more intimate setting, like the Bottom Lounge for their pre-show, but groovin' in the field to their tunes was quite fantastic, and groove I did. Things got funky.

3:30. Father John Misty: I checked him out for the sole purpose of checking him out. I have heard a lot of wonderful things about him but have never given his music a fair chance. I figured seeing him live would be a wonderful way to do that. I dug his grooves; definitely something you see with a best friend or a sweetheart, and not necessarily solo unless you're more familiar, but that's okay. He was fucking hilarious. He said some of the funniest stuff from the stage that made it that much more worth it.

::crowd member shouts out question::

FJM: "Oh, so you wanna ask questions, do you want like a fucking Q & A session? Is that what you want? Okay, what?"

Random crowd member: "Do you want to go to brunch?"

FJM: "They asked if I wanted to go to brunch. I don't eat brunch. ::long pause:: I eat lunch twice. Let's hear it for that!"

::crowd cheers::

FJM: "This is way too easy."

The crowd waiting for Alabama Shakes against that glorious skyline.

5:45. Alabama Shakes: OH, HELL YES. This was just one of the reasons I was so revved for this festival. I saw them back in March at my beloved venue, The Chicago Theatre. I even was lucky enough to meet Brittany outside after the show. She is a beautiful human being. Despite being blown away by them in that venue, I knew that they thrived in an outdoor setting. QUEUE IT UP! I hadn't heard Sound and Color before the previous show from a few months ago, but now, having become very familiar with it (okay, in love with it), my excitement was on point. As usual, they were phenomenal. They experienced some technical difficulties, but was fixed in a matter of minutes and seemed even better when Brittany boomed "BROKE THE FUCKIN' P.A. SYSTEM!". Perfect.

7:45. Sir Paul McCartney: I can tell you right now, that going in Friday, I never expected to get rocked that hard. I mean, I was expecting him to be awesome, I just didn't fathom that it would be as life-changing as it was. The crowd around us was chocked full of beautiful people who were looking to groove, share the spirit, and soak up every ounce of what was happening before us. We danced endlessly, sang along to every song, and LOST OUR MINDS.

Let me tell you, my number one show will always be Florence + The Machine, December 4th at Chicago Theater, HOWEVER, this was just a different circumstance and experience.

I have never had an experience like this at a show before, and that could be for a few different reasons. I am so grateful that I was there that night. So many tears of sheer joy. It really took so much out of me in the best possible way. Let's not forget how he pulled Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes on stage to accompany him in rocking the hell out of 'Get Back'. MINDSPLITTING.

Me and Dan were happy clams watchin' Paul McCartney.

(except, yeah, we're not actually watching him in this picture, I get that)

_____________________________Sunday, August 2nd

YAY! FLORENCE DAY!

While the weather looked nice and tasty that morning, people who had looked at the weather (it's Chicago, so EVERYONE), knew we were expecting storms. I saunter in with my two friends just as they announced evacuation. BEAUTIFUL! Of course, you could see the storms brewing to the west, getting ready to charge at the "Lollapalooz-ums (thanks, Paul)." We all dealt with it, found some shelter somewhere, and came back in at 3:30 after standing unbearably close in humid conditions at the gate front. Crowd mentality at its finest. They got things moving real quickly though. You can't blame them for taking such precautions. This jived up the schedule a little bit, so times below may not be accurate, just going off memory. Sunday was really just vibing with what my friends wanted to do. There's a handful of bands I wanted to see, but there's always only so many you can get to. Sharing the experience with friends makes these shows that much better it seems. 

3:30. Moon Taxi: Okay, sure. Why not. We were there, we wanted a field to sit in, and the tunes sounded good. REALLY good, actually. I was pleasantly surprised. That's what I love about festivals. Your ability to never hear of someone, decide to check them out on a whim, and fall in love with their tunes. Our goal was to sit in the lawn, I ended up groovin' instead.

4:30 (give or take). Angus & Julia Stone: a friend in the group wanted to see them and I wanted to ride their vibe for awhile. They ended up being pretty rad. Of course, everyone was over the moon when they played 'Big Jet Plane'. I loved that song without paying proper attention to who it was. It will happen when it keeps coming up on your Rdio playlists when you aren't paying attention.

5:15. Odesza: Okay, we really just wanted to sit down and hang out because someone in our group wanted to see A$AP Rocky, who was playing on the same stage a bit later. I think we just really wanted to hunker down in one area, which was perfectly acceptable in yesterday's heat. However, they were rather engaging, and I liked them, and if I wasn't trying to preserve my legs for Florence, then I would have been womp, womp, wompin' all around that lawn.

6:30. Gogol Bordello: Watched his set from a distance while we sat in-between both stages. He's always a funky performer. Of course, I was quite stoked when he played 'Start Wearing Purple', because, well, who can disagree with that?

7:15. A$AP Rocky: Initially, I did not think I'd be seeing him, however, when you have a friend who really wants to see with it, you go, and you're more often than not, pleasantly surprised. While this would have been something I don't think I would have gone to other wise, I'm glad I did. It's just a fun time, especially when you're with two girls who dig the groove.

Bre, Me, and Bailey waiting for ze Queen!

9:00. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE: WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR! MY SIXTH FLORENCE SHOW! I always get extremely anxious and emotional when I see Florence. I don't know why, but I think I just want everything to go really smoothly and enjoy every minute of it without anything getting in the way of that. Basically I treat it like it's a damn wedding day or prom moment or something.

I wanted to be really close in the crowd, but not so close that I wouldn't be able to move or dance. I require plenty of that, especially room to cry and get down on the ground in fetal position. Weird things happen for me at Florence shows, but they're always epic. Last night was no exception.

By the time she had come on, the sky had turned into a tumultuous mix of gorgeously dispersed lightning, strong winds, and distant storms. Here is the thing, Florence is really her own force of nature, and having the meteorological spectacle going on behind us as she performed was just, well, electrifying to say the least. She never fails to bring full force energy when she comes to Chicago, hell, when she goes ANYWHERE. I was so happy that SO many people got to be exposed to her live performance last night. So many people were absolutely blown away, and as usual, so was I. The real cherry on top was when she said she'd be playing 'St. Jude'.

That song carries so much weight for me. I have been listening to it constantly for weeks straight and am absolutely in love with the song and the music video (it's rare to have both). It's just heavy. It's pure emotion. The first chord played, and I lost it. Immediately burst into tears and just rocked back and forth, taking in the musical glory. Of course, during this, I fell to my knees and sobbed a bit more. I love when this happens at shows. This is pivotal. One moment you're up dancing around and singing having a great time, and the next song has you completely caved, on the ground, sobbing. THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF MUSIC. Your favorite artists should be able to move you like that. That's what Florence does for me. And I am so grateful for that.

That moment where she mimicked the video and put her fingers in her mouth and extended her hand outward toward the crowd - THAT WAS EVERYTHING.

While the lightning provided a glorious backdrop in addition to our city skyline, it's ultimately what ended up cutting the show short. She was going to play until 10:30 with the schedule re-do, but due to the approaching storm, got cut off around 9:45/50. This meant only 45 minutes versus the 1hr 30min that was planned. However, even seeing her at all was a such a treat. They played a glorious array of songs and the ones they did play were quite perfect and fitting for the setting. She kept spirits and energy high by bursting into the crowd, running through the aisle, and of course, taking off her shirt during 'Dog Days', making the security guard sprint for his job. So. Glorious.

1) What The Water Gave Me 2) Ship To Wreck 3) Shake It Out 4) Rabbit Heart 5) Cosmic Love 6) Delilah 7) St Jude 8) What Kind of Man 9) Dog Days Are Over

Florence's Scoreboard (taken from her Facebook)

All in all, this weekend was fantastic. I am so glad that I got to experience another wonderful year at Lollapalooza. I really don't have too many pictures; I tried to experience as much as possible without taking pictures or trying to get video. There were some things that I do feel had to be captured, and of course, I always need a picture of me looking overly excited in a field!

I hope everyone who went had an amazing time this weekend and had some sort of life-changing musical moment. I certainly did. Here's those who live for the music!

-T

Lollapa-OH YEAH! [2013 review]

It's time to break down 

LOLLAPALOOZA.

My summer had been drenched in Lolla excitement. The tickets were purchased before the line-up was released (as were everyone else's that day) and then it was only time for the line-up to be unveiled, and then the anxious anticipation of seeing that actual schedule. I had started predicting the line-up since the last Lolla ended (and I got a lot of them right) and when it was actually released, it split my mind wide open. 

"WAIT WAIT WAIT, SO LANA DEL REY, NIN, THE POSTAL SERVICE, AZEALIA BANKS, ALT-J, DEATH GRIPS, THE CURE, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE NATIONAL, 2CHAINZ, AND CRYSTAL CASTLES ARE GONNA BE THERE?!" 

I had requested off work for Lollapalooza for both of my jobs in February. YES, FEBRUARY. I've worked at jobs where somehow four months advanced notice isn’t enough. Once that was done, it was really just smooth sailing and waiting in major anticipation. At first, there was some real stress over the whole interference in scheduling with Lana Del Rey and NIN, but once I had snagged my ticket to Lana’s solo show I felt infinitely reassured that I’d get to see both. Conflict resolved! Game on!

You see, Lollapalooza is made for people like me, and there’s a lot of us out there, who need to just get in the field, gather with a shit ton of people, see an array of bands, meet a bunch of new people, and just dance around like crazy for a few days. I am always so happy to be a part of the whole experience. Dancing is always somewhere within my day, and at this festival, I really amp it up. There are no restrictions; you are just there to listen, to be, and to dance an infinite amount. This year was so much better in terms of its seamlessness. The weather was exquisite, the fest fashion was aplenty, the line-up was absolutely sick, and I was just so happy to be back there again, versus experiencing it for the first time. I went in hard this time. I tried to pack it in and have as much fun as I could. It really paid off. This Lollapalooza was absolutely epic and all I want to do is go back and re-live it. I can tell you, it feels good leaving with only a few regrets of the bands you had missed. This year, there were a handful of shows I wanted to catch, but didn't quite make ‘em work. So let’s delve in!

.       .       .

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

Bands Seen: Timeflies, Jessie Ware, Atlas Genius, Crystal Castles, Thievery Corporation, Queens of The Stone Age, and Nine Inch Nails

Bands Regretting Missed: New Order and Flux Pavillion

Timeflies: Essentially I had wanted to see this band because of the song called "The Chase". I love that song so much and I really REALLY wanted to dance my heart out to it in Grant Park that day. It's just a good anthem to motivate and make you feel larger than you are. As Lolla goes, you tend to know a lot of the bands, but just a handful of songs from the lesser-knowns. Unfortunately, I missed this jam, and don't even know if they played it, but it was a good set none-the-less. To be honest, I would love to choreograph the next "phenomenon" dance to that song. Can you imagine everyone in Grant Park rockin' my moves? I can.

Jessie Ware: I had heard some hype about her on Spin about a year ago. I downloaded her album and bounced from song to song as it would come in shuffle. I had liked her, but I hadn't really given her the proper listen she deserves. Sometimes when a new female artist emerges, it takes a certain something or an odd amount of time for me to accept it and get into it. However, the song 'Wildest Moments' always caught my attention and unfortunately I missed that in her set too. I also really dig the simplicity of her music video for it. It's hard when you go in the middle of sets or leave early because there's already a chunk of songs you already missed or ones you will be missing out on. Jessie was extremely chatty and friendly with the crowd and seemed genuinely stoked to be included in this years Lollapalooza. Good, she deserved it. I think she will be a few slots higher in the years to come.

Atlas Genius: Didn't we all just go to hear 'Trojans'? I have their EP, but I have only given it a handful of listens and fell in love with their main jam last summer, so dancing to it in Grant Park was a must. I went over there to hear the last three songs of their set after Jessie's. Of course it was their final song and everyone was way amped to hear it live. Let's talk about that music video for a second...my god. I love it. I have never watched it until I linked it in here, but it's captures nostalgia beautifully and makes me feel about 4 different ways. 2:48 has always been my favourite part of that song. I will be watching that video a few more times this month.

Crystal Castles: HOLY MACKEREL! Awesome. I loved dancing to their beats for sure. The way Alice Glass carries herself is very "to the wind" so to speak. She just kind of has that effortless rock and roll thrash-ability to her that makes her very engaging to watch. I have their self-titled album, but couldn't tell you every song on it. It served its purpose as we all let lose in the park. I need to delve into more of their stuff for sure.

 

I was trying to text a few people at the same time, but the
reception, as always, is horrific. I noticed Dan was filming.
I think the train of thought here was; "Oh, you're filming?
Phone away...let me dance then."

Thievery Corporation: Okay, so it's not really "fair" to say that I saw them, because I was technically sitting in the grass patiently awaiting QOTSA, but since they were on Petrillo, it basically took a turn over the shoulder to see the stage. I haven't heard anything that they have done in awhile and I'm most familiar with  The Richest Man In Babylon and the song I fancy the most off that album is 'Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes'. I also knew the likelihood of them performing this would be slim. It's a gorgeous song that I perpetually use as my "takeoff" song when I travel. If you're about to take off in an airplane, listen to this. (break the rules and do it- if you time it right, the wheels will lift off the ground as the main beat hits on 2:19). When I saw them, they seemed to be playing something that I was much more unfamiliar with when it comes to Thievery Corporation, but was still fun to listen to and rather funky. Now that's always fly.

Queens of The Stone Age: WOW. I loved their most recently dropped album and knew that this show was going to be absolutely awesome. Our plan for the day was to camp for QOTSA into NIN and hope that Dave Grohl was going to come out and drum his heart out. However, it still rocked regardless. My high school self was SO happy 'Go With The Flow' and 'No One Knows' were played along with songs from ...Like Clockwork. They were phenomenal and Josh Homme has a double win in my book for rocking a duet with Florence for 'Jackson' (it's a still picture video, you're not going crazy). I don't know what happened during this set, but I got like, "nap-time" tired. I sat down for a lot of the set, rocking out from the ground. I just wanted to take a breather because I knew that NIN was going to rip my face off. It was the perfect set to introduce them and I'm stoked I saw them.

Nine Inch Nails: OH. MY GOD. I was really stoked to catch them because I regretted missing them in 2008 at the last Lolla they were, at which was pretty much the last time NIN toured. I've also been amped on their singles that have been creeping out off of Hesitation Marks. I knew what I was in for because I got the tiniest taste when I saw How To Destroy Angels back in April and it was beyond mind blowing. I knew that if Rob Sheridan was behind the next event and the rest of them for time to come, that it would be absolutely delicious to take in within Grant Park as the city was aglow around them. Dan and I had delved into NIN to get a better idea of what we were in for in the days ahead of the show. We watched the FUJI show which allowed us to confirm our undying excitement. I love knowing that they borrowed their idea for their opening sequence from Stop Making Sense, one of my favourite films ever and how they changed it in a way that made it their own. 

1.      1. Copy of A 2. Sanctified 3. Came Back Haunted 4. 1,000,000, 5. March of the Pigs 6. Piggy 7. The Frail 8.The Wretched 9. Terrible Lie 10. Closer 11. Gave Up 12. Help Me I Am In Hell 13. Me, I’m Not 14. Find My Way 15. What If We Could? 16. The Way Out Is Through 17. Wish 18. Survivalism  19. Only 20. The Hand That Feeds 21. Head Like A Hole 22. Hurt.  ....AKA EPIC.

Set favourites included 'Copy of A', 'Came Back Haunted', 'Closer', 'Piggy' 'Terrible Lie' 'Only', 'The Hand That Feeds', 'Help Me I Am In Hell', 'Head Like A Hole', and of course 'Hurt' made everyone cry at the end. A hell of a closer. I thought they were phenomenal. A huge upset was the fact the monitors weren't turned on, likely due to the band's request to fulfill their ideal stage setup, but I wanted to see them in some closer way. All in all, NIN rocked my face off, and my neck felt the repercussions for days. I really gave myself to the music during this set.

.       .       .

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

Bands Seen: Adventure Club, The National, HAIM, The Postal Service

Bands Regretting Missed: Ben Howard and Matt and Kim

This was kind of a lazier day for us and we strolled in during Ellie Goulding's set, who initially I had wanted to see, but I had cat-napped through the day and got to hear the final songs from a distance.

Adventure Club: we had just sort of sauntered over there to hit Perry's to kick it off. I always love the energy around that area, and I'm so glad it's more open now so people have the opportunity to go nuts. It's a great people watching area too.

The National: I'm a huge 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' song and fell in love with it a couple years ago when XRT played it all summer and I have their album, but have just glossed over it once in the past. I just love his voice and the depth it has to it. Fortunately I was able to hear my jam. Delicious success. As the festival unfolded, I had much better luck of hearing what I wanted.

HAIM: Holy Shit. I had heard A WHOLE BUNCH of hype about these three sisters from a lot of people, and the majority of those people were from the Twit. I didn't know anyone personally who had jammed to their music, but from what I had heard, they seemed very worthy of checking out. I also enjoy waiting to save things for live if I know an appearance will be made soon. These girls were outstanding. I loved their spirit and enthusiasm for playing on that very stage and I can't wait for them to blow up over the next couple years. They would deserve every ounce, I mean, they're only going to get better. Here was a good write-up of the show.

Dan was able to snag this awesome video of the end of their set.
These girls really knew how to take command of the stage and
I'm glad that Dan was impressed with them as well, since I had
wanted to go to see this set. I'm stoked I got this video in here.
Thank you!

The Postal Service: Honestly, this had to have been one of my absolute favorite shows of even the past year or two. I had initially planned to see Azealia Banks, but she cancelled, HAIM moved up, and Death Grips was going to fill in for Azealia. THEN DEATH GRIPS CANCELLED and off to The Postal Service I went. It was sort of a huge blessing in disguise, because I would have chosen TPS over Death Grips, but Azealia may have trumped. Since that had now been tossed around, there was no question. They came on the stage and 'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight' starts up and the crowd was in all their glory for sure. It was memories of 10+ years ago flooding back to you in that field. A sense of ease and memories came over us as we swayed against the skyscrapers. They played EVERYTHING you wanted to hear that night and my high school self was so beyond satisfied. You know, when you aren't going to shows yet, and then all of a sudden they become a huge part of your life, you can't remember the times where you never even fathomed seeing certain artists live. That's exactly how I felt. If someone told me when I was 15 that I would be seeing Postal Service live at Lollapalooza in 10 years, I would't know how to comprehend that. Even seeing them on the line-up didn't proper ignite my excitement- until I heard that song. Then I remembered, and it was love all over again. Just thinking that show makes me so damn happy, it was exquisite. 

1. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight 2. We Will Become Silhouettes 3. Sleeping In 4. Turn Around 5. Nothing Better 6. Recycled Air 7. Be Still My Heart 8. Clark Gable 9. Our Secret (Beat Happening cover) 10. This Place Is A Prison 11. There's Never Enough Time 12. Tattered Line of String 13. Such Great Heights 14. National Anthem (utterly phenomenal) 15. (this is) The Dream of Evan and Chan 16. BRAND NEW COLONY! [I was hoping so hard they'd come out and end with this. I danced my face off to this whole set and completely lost it when they came back on and did the final two and closed it how they did. Definitely some tears for 'Brand New Colony'.] 100% Worthy. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

.       .       .

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Bands Seen: Alex Clare, Alt-J, Vampire Weekend, 2Chainz, Major Lazer, The Cure

Bands Regretting Missed: Grizzly Bear, Phoenix, and Knife Party

Sunday was all about kickin' it with a group. Dan and I had solo-ed the first two days, and went with Dirk and Sara to the fest on the last day. We ended up meeting up with Erin and Bailey later in the day for Alt-J and a few other sets. It was good to go solo, and it was good to have a group. Both had their advantages. I was so stoked I found Erin and Bailey and got to hang out with them at the festival. It was a definite Sunday highlight.

Alex Clare: WOW! What a gem. I had no idea, because I think we were all too busy falling in and out of love with 'Too Close'. His other jams were excellent and it was reminiscent of the whole Gotye thing. What I mean by that, is that 'Somebody That I Used To Know' is NOT even near his best stuff and unfortunately, that's what everyone knows. Alex Clare has a lot of other great stuff, but it's just not mainstream yet, and likely never will be. It never quite seems to work out how it should, but it was great to be exposed to more of his music and see the huge crowd he drew in. He was beyond stoked. AWESOME.

ALT-J: Oh, Alt-J, how I love you so. I am so stoked they snagged a spot within this year's Lollapalooza. They absolutely deserve it, and I can't wait to see them higher up on that list in years to come (I can only hope). I saw them back in March and could not wait to see them again. Of course, it's tough to see your favourite bands at such festivals because you either have to make some serious sacrifices, or you have to settle with what you get when you end up meandering up to the stages. I saw them further back than I would have liked, but was with a great group of people that made the spot awesome. I loved dancing to their music out in the park. What an honor to see these guys again.

Me, Bailey, and Erin not taking life too seriously.

Vampire Weekend: Let's be honest, I stayed for about two songs, I wanted to check them out...and they're great, but there were 2Chainz to be seen...

2Chainz: Okay then! Talk about packing them into The Grove stage! My god. Was this show ridiculous/fun, oh absolutely. Was it chocked full of talent? Ehhhhhh...  however, this was an artist to just go see because they were there and it was time to throw down to some rap. Let's talk about how elated I was when the DJ threw on 'Bandz Make Her Dance'...SCREAMING. I was stoked. I didn't expect that, but it made it all very worth my time.

Major Lazer: Rad. I'm not overly familiar with his work, but a buddy of mine briefly introduced me to it and I had kept my eye on the name. It was great to dance to before we headed over to see The Cure. As I said, Perry's is kind of the stage where you don't really have to know the artist in anyway to have a good time and dance. This is also the only stage where neon MIGHT be appropriate.

The Cure: BECAUSE HOW COULD YOU NOT?! I was really excited and thought it was actually going to be packed full of people. To my surprise, the second half of the field seemed more open. I had a ton of room to groove my heart out to 'Just Like Heaven', 'Pictures of You', 'Mint Car', 'Lullaby', 'Love Song', 'Friday I'm In Love', 'Lullaby'...wow, how exhilarating. That's a band I don't anticipate seeing live ever again or can even fathom a time they might choose to tour in the future. It was an excellent choice. I knew Phoenix was rocking out in their usual fantastic festival fashion, but I also knew that Phoenix would be back and The Cure wouldn't. I'm stoked for the people who have been waiting over a decade to see them tour again, and getting the chance to do so this weekend. We ended up leaving a smidge early to beat the enormous crowd that makes it's way out of Grant Park at 10:00pm each festival night. We had seen what we wanted to see and left with overwhelming content. What a great closeout.

All in all, Lollapalooza this year was absolutely incredible. I had the fantastic luck to run into 6 random friends over the course of the festival out of 300,000 people, got to move to a whole bunch of awesome jams, I heard some of my favourite bands absolutely lay it down and send some of the best grooves and tunes into Chicago's summer air, and I had a wonderful ease about things this past weekend. It was so great to experience another Lolla this year and I only hope it continues to be just as awesome in the future.

 Did you go? Who did you see?

x X