If social media hasn’t reminded you already, Lollapalooza was this past weekend. The four-day festival at Grant Park in Chicago kicked off July 28 and lasted until July 31. It hosted great acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and The 1975.
It was my first time attending the famous music festival in the great city of Chicago, and it was a time I’ll never forget. So to save you the time of looking at more photos of your friends at Lollapalooza, here’s some of the best things you missed this weekend at Lollapalooza.
1) The 1975 set
I’ve seen The 1975 twice, and every time, I’m blown away by the production of their show. Yet this time, it wasn’t the production that made the show great, but the fact their drummer George Daniel has returned. Daniel has been unable to play for most of their U.S. tour over the past couple months due to a broken shoulder — so you can bet everyone lost their minds when they realized Daniel was playing.
2) The Struts
First off, THE STRUTS HAD THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND. If you’re unsure of who The Struts are, here’s the low down: They’re a band from Derby, Derbyshire, England and they’re basically Queen in another life. The lead singer, Luke Spiller, performs with an energy I have never seen. The lyrics are catchy, the beats are great, and the outfits are a detail you can’t forget.
3) Cheesie’s Pub and Grill
I’m a frugal person, but when it comes to food, I’m willing to spend whatever to satisfy a craving. Behold, Cheesie’s Pub and Grill, the ultimate grilled cheese eatery at Lollapalooza. Cheesie’s was serving the best food at Lolla — from plain grilled cheeses to grilled cheeses with chicken tenders — and it was incredible. I was able to bask in the glory that is known as their “Sexy Tots,” tater tots with cheese and bacon, and it was definitely worth the trip.
4) The power outages at Major Lazer
I’ve never been super into EDM, but I knew I had to go witness the men behind the songs I hear in almost every video that is filmed with a GoPro. The act itself was great. It’s exactly what you expect from guys who play no musical instruments whatsoever and have girls dancing around them 24/7. Their set would’ve been even better if it wasn’t for the three power outages they had during the set, which called in the need for two generators. Walshy Fire, one of the three in the group, joked to the crowd that Lollapalooza needed to pay their bills in order to keep the party going.
5) M83’s killer saxophone
Everyone knows M83 for the classic banger “Midnight City.” It’s the perfect song for a nighttime drive or the background tune in a movie when the geeky guy finally kisses the girl. I was not prepared for this performance in the slightest. From the vocals to the cute guitarist, M83 was hitting all the right notes. What really captured the essence of M83 was the saxophone player. He was incredible, and in my 19 years of life, I have never seen a man play with such passion. Truly a performer I will never forget.
6) T-ts and d–ks out for Harambe
If you haven’t been hiding under a rock, you’ll recognize the name Harambe. He’s the gorilla who was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo after a child fell into his enclosure this May. You would think there is no way a dead gorilla could possibly be made into a meme. Then again, it’s 2016, and the Internet has no boundaries. (Yay!) All throughout Lollapalooza, festival attendees made signs in tribute to the deceased gorilla, with the expression “T-ts out for Harambe!” or “D–ks out for Harambe!”
7) The girl power of HAIM
Nothing screams girl power more than HAIM’s set on Sunday. The sisters came out with not only a love for each other, but a love for their audience as well, as baby Haim explained that the audience was now a part of their family. The trio played all their classics from their first album, “Days Are Gone,” and two new songs from the album they’ve been working on this year. They finished out the set with the most bangin’ drum set ever, as each sister hit the drums as the sun set.
8) There was a basketball game I did not know about
Fashion-wise, the basketball jersey trend seems to still be a big, weird trend. While I do love me a good basketball jersey every now and then, a music festival is not the place to shoot some buckets. Ever corner I turned, I seemed to run into some man wearing a Steph Curry jersey. This left me in despair, wondering, ‘where was my dream man in tight jeans and nice T-shirt?’