Lollapalooza Gets Under Way NOW!

Check out the ATT Blue Room broadcasts if you’re not going…

By Fred Mills

Though some say that in 2008 Lollapalooza is but a shadow of its former, mid-nineties-heyday, former self, it remains a credible, alterna-approved brand among hipsters of all stripes (mostly young). Which isn’t surprising; with rock festivals clearly having peaked this year and most observers predicting that market oversaturation will lead to a slowdown next year — only a handful of 2008’s big festivals even came close to selling out, at least thus far — it will be the branded fests like Lollapalooza, Coachella, Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo that stand the best chance of surviving. (It’s a shame that indie rock fests can’t make a go at the traveling troubadour thing like Lollapalooza once pioneered; what, you want Ozzfest or Warped for the family’s annual outing?) And even then, as this year has also proven, a lot of even the most popular fests are looking mighty interchangeable. How many times can you see Jack Johnson headline anyway?

Anyhow, today through FRIDAY the Lolla hordes will be frammin’ on the jim-jam in Chicago featuring the likes of Radiohead, Wilco, Black Kids, Nine Inch Nails, Cat Power, Gnarls Barkley, Girl Talk, Broken Social Scene and the Raconteurs. Tons more, too, commanding seven stages in all, positioned around the oven known as Grant Park in Chicago (luckily the temperatures are supposed to peak only in the mid ‘80s).

You can check out the schedule of performers at the Lollapalooza website of course. There are also going to be after-shows at clubs around Chicago tonight and tomorrow night, so check the venues’ websites for exact times if you’re in town. Among the main ones:

FRIDAY Black Lips at Empty Bottle
FRIDAY Mates of State, MGMT at Double Door
FRIDAY Gogol Bordello, the Ting Tings at Metro
FRIDAY Rogue Wave, Dr. Dog at Schubas
FRIDAY Brand New, Manchester Orchestra at House of Blues
FRIDAY The Whigs, the Blakes at House of Blues Back Porch
SATURDAY Broken Social Scene, Yeasayer at Metro
SATURDAY Bloc Party, CSS, Does It Offend You, Yeah? at House of Blues
SATURDAY Battles, Foals, Magic Wands at Double Door
SATURDAY Flogging Molly, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears at Congress Theater
SATURDAY Okkervil River, Octopus Project at Schubas
SATURDAY Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, White Lies at Empty Bottle

Meanwhile, for the rest of us stuck at home, there’s always the ATT Blue Room, which is broadcasting selected performances all weekend long. Each day’s schedule of broadcasts is listed below the Blue Room video player — today they’ve got the Kills, Gogol Bordello, Raconteurs and more; among the ones for Saturday areDr. Dog, Gutter Twins, Duffy, Broken Social Scene and Wilco; and Sunday includes Chromeo, G. Love, Love and Rockets and The National.

Rock over Chicago!