Lollapalooza: My Day 3 adventures

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lolla-sun2-arcadefirecrowd

Sunday’s Lollapalooza was what music festivals are all about: quality, variety and … well, quality and variety. It rained early in the day, then turned sunny and mercilessly muggy. Only the Windy City’s breeze and Lolla’s generous portions of shade kept this geezer from wilting. But my schedule had me too excited to notice my uncomfortably wet feet or sore legs.

Highlights:
‣ Arcade Fire [see below]. Walking slowly back to the hotel with a throng of people singing the “Whoa-oh” chorus from “Wake Up.”
‣ Frightened Rabbit. Epic, but on a smaller scale.
‣ The National. When you’re picking your way through a massive crowd, alone and tired, and you hear “Mistaken for Strangers,” you just stop in your tracks.
‣ The Ike Reilly Assassination, whom I’ve followed since Reilly’s debut album in 2001. He remains one of my all-time favorite lyricists.
‣ Hanging out backstage want watching Perry Farrell and Dhani Harrison’s band, Thenewno2, do a quick rehearsal for their cameo on the Kidzapalooza stage. And laughing along the Farrell and his entourage when he can’t remember the lyrics to “Sweet Jane.” (Aren’t iPhones wonderful?)

Lowlights
‣ Missing the Cribs
‣ Missing Health.
‣ Only catching a snippet of Frank Turner, who probably deserved more of my time.

My scribblings:
Fans genuflect at the alter of Arcade Fire
Items on Frightened Rabbit, the Ike Reilly Assassination, Yeasayer, Freelance Whales and Miniature Tigers in the Best & Worst, Final Day

In the interest of making an overall Lollapalooza highlights list of things I witnessed:
1a. Arcade Fire
1b. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
3. Frightened Rabbit
4. The National
5. Peanut Butter Wolf
6. The Ike Reilly Assassination
7. The Morning Benders
8. Social Distortion
9. Yeasayer
10. Phoenix

Below: Perry Farrell and Dhani Harrison backstage