Lollapalooza Music Festival Recap

So I arrived the Thursday before the festivities began, and took the train from O’Hare airport to the college dorm were I was staying. I got so lucky to find this place it was literally a ten minute walk to the Grant Park entrance. So I checked in and settled in my usual way I grab water, from the 7’eleven right next to where I was staying. Then I hopped in the shower and was ready to hit the down. The first thing I did was walked to Forever21 to exchange a pair of shorts I bought for my Saturday outfit for a bigger size. Of course while exchanging the shorts I was distracted by a Powerpuff Girls muscle tee, to match my mug I got in Tokyo.

Then I headed to the festival site to scope out the different stages and of course grab some great pictures while no one was there. I then attempted to look for the Lolla Shop and buy the official Camelbak seeing as I had forgotten my Hydration Pack and did want to spend ridiculous music festival prices on water. The bottle was $15.00 dollars before taxes which is not bad, considering it and original Lolla design. I then headed back to my university dorm to drop off the stuff I purchased. Then I decided to walk to Trader Joe’s to pick up some grocery's. I picked up fruit for breakfast each day along with coconut water and Trader Joe’s pesto pizza which is my absolutely favorite grocery store pizza.

Yes, thats my selfie stick shadow, and Chicago is throughly the windy city even in the summer.

Day 1

So the avoid a repeat of Govball I woke up super early by my standards 9:00am, as the first set I wanted to catch was SZA who went on at 12:45pm. I also like to arrive early for sets as to ease my way to the front. Luckily since she was the first on that stage there wasn’t much of a crowd, except for the fokes camping out for Paul McCartney. Which was really annoying because its 12:40pm and SZA is about to perform and the crowd was not having it, everyone stated to step on peoples blankets to get closer to the stage and they had no choice but to get up. Luckily even I got super close and caught these great shots of SZA in action. Her performance was great she had such great energy and you could tell she was enjoying herself.

After leaving her set I saw this girl with the perfect Afropunk style and I had to take a picture of her, so I asked her. We began to talk and she was also attended the festival solo and we both wanted to see the Weeknd. We sat and talked and she decided to buy water this is when we realized that Lollapalooza had the audacity to can water, not carbonated water, regular water in a can. After talking some more we decided to leave the fest and head to Chipotle for good food at non-festival prices. Before we left we decided to stop and take picture by the Lollapalooza signs, and this is where we ran into one of the highlights of the festival.

The picture above I am walking laughing because after take a picture for the girl in the skirt to my left she asked if it was ok to twerk on me. Yes she really asked that of course my response was no while I laughed uncontrolably walking away. On the way to Chipottle we ran in to these girls who ask to take a picture with Chealsea and a all out photoshot began.

I got a bowl with brown rice, black beans, corn, mild salsa and lettuce and what really top it off is the vinaigrette. I learned about adding Chipotle vinaigrette to the bowls from a friend of mine and I have never had a bowl without it. It takes greatness of a Chipotle bowl and takes it to another level. So I introduced my new friend Chelsea to Chipotle vinaigrette and she was amazed and probably forever hooked.

We the ran back to my dorm for and extra portable battery and water, then headed back to the festival. We decided to head to the stage were the Weeknd was performing so we could get close for his performance. He was performing on the Bud Light Stage so sat down against the barricaded and waited through Hot Chip and ALT-J set which weren’t bad at all they had a couple of songs that Chelsea and I got into while waiting.

What ever you do at a music festival dont be this guy, he was so disoriented and keep asking for water off of this girls camelbak.

Its 8:30pm were are so close to the stage and the crowd is ready but the Weeknd is not on stage, and he doesn’t go on for another twenty minutes. Of course by this time I am pissed because this is not a concert were everyone has a seat it’s a festival were people wait for hours just to get close enough to the see there favorite artist. I taught this was really inconsiderate of the Weeknd, however after about ten minutes some guys started throwing out XO hats which to those that were close enough to catch one. So around 8:50 to 8:55 he finally hit the stage and opens with “High For This” his entire set was great. There was hope in my heart that he would sing “Trust Issues” as this was how I discovered the Weeknd however he never does so I wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t.

His entire set was amazing all forty minutes of it. Yes forty minutes, he ended his set early and he came late. I was so disappointed in the Weeknd, the crowd chanted for one more song and he came back out. He immediately stated, “ I normally don’t to encores at festivals” to which I responded encores this is your set time, what encore. He literally did one more song and left. When I finally made it out of the festival and to the street it was 9:55pm, I taught to myself he could be sing “Echo Of Silence” right now.

It took me at least twenty minutes to get out the crowd so that means his set ended at approximately 9:35pm. Twenty five more minutes he could have been performing. I think this was the exact moment when I realized I would never pay to see the Weeknd again. I contemplated for months Paul McCartney a legend or the Weeknd who I loved. I will forever have regrets for choosing to see the Weeknd, and that how my day one ended, Chelsea and I were together till we reached her train station and luckily I only had a two minute walk back to the dorm.

Day 2

Day two had a late start as the first act I wanted to check out was Charli XCX at 3:00pm so I sleep late. At around 1:30 I was on the elevator an meet some girls that were also heading to the festival. We walked and talked and when we finally entered the festival we had to get our pictures in front of the sign for day two. They invited me to check out the Travis $cott I was early so I decided to check it out. What we didn’t know was by the time we got there Travis $cott set was over and a DJ had taken over. They headed into the crowd while I headed over to the Sprint stage were Charli XCX was performing. I was a little early so I got pretty good view of the stage. Her performance was very high energy and she had fun with crowd especially the crowd member with the Nicolas Cage cutout poster. This was also the hottest set, it was ridiculously hot at this stage.

While enjoying her set someone bumped a girl who had a cup of beer and of course it landed on my white pants rite at crotch so it looked like I had peed myself a little. She of course said nothing to me, after like five minutes I tap her on the shoulder and said thanks by the way for getting beer on my white shorts. She said it wasn’t to me someone pushed me. To which I responded that’s why it not a good idea to have an open cup in a crowed were you know you’re going to get pushed, she just turned back around. Is it me or is that just common sense it’s a crowd of people of course you’re going to get push and your beer is going to go flying. I decided to try the festival food and the being a vegetarian my only option was really cheese pizza. Which cost $4 dollars a slice I was super hunger so I got two slices. Then I got a coconut frozen kefir for $5 dollars which was amazing, but I can be fair being that I love all things coconut.

Then used the bathroom and refilled my Camelbak and headed to the Bud Light Stage for Kid Cudi’s set. I started inching my way forward when a festival group was formed as we all were excited to see Kid Cudi and wanted to get closer and closer we got. While waiting on of my favorite parts was yelling out crowd selfie and taking a picture with everyone close to me.

What ever you do don't be that annoy couple thats so stoned that every two minutes your making out cause every one just looking at you like really.

Then at about 6:45pm Kid Cudi came out and the crowd went wild. His energy was out of this world, and this was actually my favorite set. He even came into the crowd, played a song that the guy with the Nicolas Cage Poster suggested and just generally had fun with the crowd. This was the only set that when the artist stopped to get a sip of water the crowd just kept chanting his name.

Next up was Sam Smith and I got pushed even closer to the front, Sam of course was on time. Sam's set was great it was great british soulful singing, and. It was wonderful he did about an hour and left the crowded chaired for one more song and he did about four more his set finished a little after 10:00pm. During his set Jennifer Hudson was actually between the baracades taking in his set

On my way back to my dorm room I stopped to grab a bite to eat at Beef N Brandy restaurant and bar. I got the black bean burger and it was amazing, but I was also really hungry so again I can’t really be a fair judge being that black bean burgers are one of my favorites. This was the end of my festival weekend, as I had a 5:00am flight. Day three had a pretty good lineup only person I really wanted to see was FKA Twigs and Florence and the Machines but as I had already seen Florence at Govball it wasn’t really worth the extra days cost in the dorm. So I headed back to my room pack showered changed, checked out and by 2:45am I was on the train to O’Hare Airport to catch my 5:00am flight.