Happy Music Monday to all! I went to Lollapalooza the first
weekend of August, and let me tell you, it was magical. This was my first year
going and I will definitely return in years to come. Here’s a review of all of
the bands I saw (I saw a lot, so this post is going to be long. Sorry):
San Cisco: San Cisco hails from Australia and consists of
four members, ranging in age from 18-20. This indie-pop group’s songs are
insanely catchy and they are all so stinkin’ adorable. Since they are so young
and so Australian, and their music is so rockin’, watching them perform was an
absolute treat. Going into the show, I was only familiar with one of their
songs, but they were so cute and sounded so good that I fell in love anyway.
Grade: A
Twenty One Pilots: Twenty One Pilots is a duo consisting of
Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, both from Ohio. I’m not exactly sure how to classify
their music because it is so eclectic and varies from song to song, but I
suppose they are the indie pop/indie-hip hop type. Their songs vary from spoken
word, to rap, to singing sweetly with a ukulele. These two were INCREDIBLE
live. I had only ever heard maybe two of their songs going into the show, but
it proved to be one of my favorites all weekend. Their high energy and unique
sound was so fun to be apart of. I’m kind of obsessed with them now.
Grade: A +
Imagine Dragons: Imagine Dragons are a fairly popular band,
but just in case you don’t know who they are, they are an American alternative
rock band widely known for their album, Night
Visions, featuring songs such as “Radioactive” and “It’s Time.” I was
honestly disappointed with this concert. The band didn’t sound bad, but their
energy seemed to be lacking slightly. In their defense, halfway through their
second song, the sound system shut down and they had to wait for it to be
fixed, so that probably cramped their style a bit.
Grade: B-
Lana Del Rey: Another well known artist, Lana Del Rey is an
American singer/songwriter known for her weird, slow kinda tunes. She is also
notoriously known for her supposedly awful performance on Saturday Night Live a few years ago. I quite enjoy Lana’s music, so
I was excited to see her. I was also skeptical because I often heard that her
live performances were awful. I thought she sounded really good! She came out
on the stage looking like an ethereal goddess in a long dress and slowly moving
across the stage. At one point, after finishing a song, she announced she
needed another cigarette and continued the show while smoking. God bless.
Grade: B+
Ben Howard: Ben Howard is an English singer/songwriter with
a soothingly unique voice. All of his songs are fairly laid back and soothe my
ears so much. His concert was really nice. It was very calm and laid back, and
his band was incredibly talented. One woman in his band played guitar, bass,
stand up bass, drums, and piano. Meanwhile, the main drummer played guitar on
his lap and paused periodically to play the drums.
Grade: A
Local Natives: Local Natives are a five-dude indie rock
group from Los Angeles. Going into this show, I was only familiar with one of
their songs, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The group had a great energy and were really fun to watch. They sounded really good and I was pleasantly
surprised by how much I liked the show since I wasn’t very familiar with their
music.
Grade: A
The Lumineers: The Lumineers are a popular folk rock band
from Colorado. They became super popular this past year with the release of
their song “Ho Hey.” I quite enjoy the Lumineers, so I was pumped going into
this show. They were so, so great. The lead singer sang a few songs in the
audience, and the guy playing the accordion climbed up on top of some
scaffolding with lights on it. They were definitely one of my favorites all
weekend.
Grade: A+
The Postal Service: The Postal Service is an American
electronic pop/indie-pop type band that joined forces again this summer in a reunion
tour. Apparently, the Lollapalooza show was the group’s second to last
performance ever, so the fact I got to see it was pretty cool. I honestly don’t
know too many of their songs, but the concert was pretty good either way.
Grade: B
Tegan and Sara: Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie-pop duo
consisting of twin sisters Tegan and Sara. They are both super cute and chatted
briefly with the audience between songs, which I always enjoy. They also seemed
really happy to be there and thanked the audience between every song. I don’t
know many of their songs either, but I really enjoyed their show.
Grade: B+
Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend is an American indie
rock/pop band consisting of four members. This concert was one of my favorites
from the weekend. No one in the band looked particularly like rock starts, more
like average dudes hanging out on a Sunday afternoon. All of Vampire Weekend’s
songs are so fun, so hearing them live and being surrounded by thousands of
people singing along with them was stupendous! A highlight of the show was when
a random audience member somehow made it onto the stage and was tackled by
security.
Grade: A+
Phoenix: Phoenix is an alternative rock band from France. If
being from France and having catchy tunes didn’t already give them enough
street cred, their concert surely did. This was the last show I saw all
weekend, and everyone at the concert was
dancing and singing like crazy people. Phoenix sounded so good and the vibe from
everyone at the show was wonderful.
Grade: A
Lollapalooza was so incredibly magical. If you are even slightly considering going, I highly recommend you do. It was certainly the greatest weekend of my summer and I am already anxiously awaiting next year!
