Back in February, I wrote about the rumored Lollapalooza headliners for their 20th anniversary show this August in Chicago. Eminem, Muse, and Foo Fighters were the names circulating at the time, and I was less than thrilled about the potential lineup. Lollapalooza always seems to be the last of the big festivals to release their lineup, but last night(or is it this morning?) at midnight, the complete lineup was annoucned, and sadly, it looks like the rumors were true. Luckily, there are plenty of other bands playing over the three day festival to keep you happy. A forth headliner, Coldplay, was also added to the top billing. Coldplay are one of those bands you either love or hate. I happen to like the British band quite a bit. Their last album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends was a HUGE step forward from the Brit pop sound the band made their name on, especially after the sub par X/Y album. The band is set to released their fifth full length album in the fall, so expect some new songs to be sprinkled into their set.
As for the rest of the lineup, the initial stand out is My Morning Jacket. Those who have seen the Kentucky band perform know how incredible their live shows are. Later this spring, MMJ will release Circuital, their follow up album to the extremely polarizing Highly Suspicious, and upon first listen of the first two leaked tracks, they are back to their vintage sound. Other acts of note are mash up artist extraordinaire Girl Talk, Bright Eyes and The Mountain Goats, both of whom will be playing a free show at Art Park this July, a handful of indie buzz bands from the last two years including Sleigh Bells, Cults, Smith & Westerns, and Drums, instrumental post rockers Explosions in the Sky, and one half of the Gnarls Barkley duo, Cee Lo Green.
Being that it is this is the 20th anniversary of the alternative rock festival, it would have been nice to see some bands from the era on the bill. Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, who helped to start the festival back in the 90's, is always involved in some way, so we could see him take the stage at some point, but the lack of alternative/grunge acts from the first couple years of Lollapalooza, who are always seeming to do reunion shows these days, is a bit surprising Of course, acts all always being added to lineups, and although my plea for Radiohead went unanswered, you can expect some additional bands to be added in the weeks to come.
Lollapalooza will take place in Chicago's Grant Park on August 5-7. Early Bird and Secret Sale tickets have already sold out, but you can still buy a 3 day pass at the regular price of $215. For the complete lineup and additional info on all things Lollapalooza, you can check out their website here.
~mm
I am excited for The Vaccines this year! There set is super early on Friday, but if you are there early, you should check out their set! These guys blow my mind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK2CJjcFVwU