I’m a 17-year-old music fan, and this will be my first year attending Lollapalooza all four days. My editor asked me to share my experiences as I get ready for the show. So here goes.
I purchased my Lollapalooza tickets during the pre sale event, when they are cheaper because the lineup is not yet known. Being the risk-taker I am, I took a chance of either wasting my money or having a good time.
The lineup for 2019 was revealed in March, and it includes many radio stars such as Twenty One Pilots, Ariana Grande and the Chainsmokers. There are also less recognized artists, such as YBN Cordae, Smino and Joji.
Before the lineup was unveiled, I followed a Lollapalooza Speculation page on Twitter, and as it says in the username, the account shared artists that were speculated to be headliners, and artists that were expected to attend the event. It was rumored many of my favorite artists were coming, so I was already hooked on buying my wristband.
Lollapalooza officially dropped its day-by-day lineup for 2019 in April. If you weren’t disappointed already, it just gets worse. The biggest disappointment was Tame Impala and Childish Gambino headlining the same night. When artists are headlining, they are being placed at the exact same time to avoid conflict or thousands of fans at one stage. It truly tore me into two because Gambino announced the end of his music career and the start of an acting career.Tame Impala has this distinctive psychedelic sounds that induce me into a deep imaginative rollercoaster. But Childish Gambino and I have a history. From his raps to the psychedelic soul he presents, his music always keeps me hooked. So you see my problem. Making me choose between my two favorite artist is worse than a heartbreak.
Lolla was trying to approach this event as an alternative/indie vibe this year. They have a rule of an artist never playing twice so I wasn’t expecting anyone from 2018’s lineup. I appreciated Lolla inviting underrated or unrecognized artists and giving them the spotlight, but many people were very disappointed in the lineup. Honestly, if you have a diverse music taste, this lineup is incredible. But for those who aren’t a fan of indie, rock or alternative and/or aren’t open to listening to similar artists, this lineup isn’t for you.
I thought to myself: ‘This has to be a mistake.’ But this mistake never changed no matter how many angry emails I sent. (haha). This has to be one of the worst overlaps in Lollapalooza history. Fans – myself included – were so upset about the Tame Impala-Childish Gambino overlap that it almost went unnoticed that Ariana Grande and Flume are playing at the same time as well. These overlaps totally can kill the experience for someone.
Here we are now, one day before Lollapalooza, and I am still undecided on who to see. I became very overwhelmed which made the waiting experience more conflicted then it should have been. Even though the waiting game was against me, it gave me time for a very important task – finding detailed outfits. One of the days, I am wearing my “Flower Boy” inspired jeans painted by me. I painted an album cover created by Tyler The Creator on the back pocket of my vintage jeans. I believe it can be a great conversation starter to meet new people as well.
Overall, I am just excited to expand my taste and learn a little more about myself and the music I listen to. I am excited to attend Lolla for the first time and to meet new people. The experience is really what I am looking forward to.
Concerts and festivals seem to have the same goal – to be with people you love and enjoy the moment. I’m ready to live in the moment these next four days with the people I love and the music I love. It might not have been the ideal perfect festival because of the lineup mistakes. But these moments I am going to look back on and cherish.
Here’s to Lollapalooza 2019!
(Naima Woods, a rising senior at Senn High School, is a RogersEdgeReporter staff member.)
