2015 Lollapalooza Day Three

While a precautionary evacuation that lasted about an hour nearly derailed day three of Lollapalooza, the show went after a bit of schedule juggling. “I guess it’s the mystery festival,” said one concert-goer who found it difficult to figure out which band was playing on what stage at what time after the fest resumed. The mid-afternoon evacuation could have been much worse — a torrential downpour erupted at 11pm, just an hour after Lollapalooza wrapped at Grant Park.  

One of the highlights from the day included self-described gypsy punks Gogol Bordello. Led by animated singer Eugene Hutz, the band is the ideal festival group. Hutz arrived on stage with an open bottle of wine, spit the cork into the crowd and immediately wound the fans up with his energy. He regularly hopped atop the monitor speakers and beckoned to the audience to raise fists in the air as he played songs like “Start Wearing Purple,” a signature tune that sounded like a mash-up between something from the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof and the Pogues.

And speaking of high-energy performances, we also liked Twin Peaks, a snooty, amateurish band out of Chicago that channeled the Replacements during its sloppy-but-likeable set. Strand of Oaks also impressed with a roots rock set that owed a musical debt to Neil Young, whom they evoked with their dirge-like songs that often featured long lead-ups and stellar, song-ending jams. Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. used his 30-minute set to showcase songs from his new album, Momentary Matters. He opened with “Out of Touch” and then played several songs from the disc. His band sounded sharp and the well-crafted songs featured some serious hooks, but he didn’t seem to have the vocal power to command the stage.

Some of the day’s big-name performers disappointed. Marina and the Diamonds scored points for putting on a theatrical show — singer Marina Lambrini Diamandis wore a black sleeveless latex jumpsuit and had stage presence to spare, but her poppy songs failed to go beneath the surface. Singer-songwriter George Ezra showed off his beautiful baritone voice during an evacuation–shortened 30-minute set. But without any accompaniment, he struggled to bring big hits such as “Blame it On Me” and “Budapest” to life. His voice sounded terrific, but the songs didn’t have enough dynamics to them. A backing band would’ve helped but that the evacuation might have altered his plans.

Rapper A$AP Rocky played to an enormous, enthusiastic audience but spent too much time including in hip-hop clichés. It was only a few minutes into his set before he shouted, “Chicago, make some noise!” While the moody, stripped down intro to the ballad “LSD” (Love, Sex, Dreams)” showed he could really sing, A$AP spent more time shouting than rapping or singing. And inviting all his pals on stage just indulged yet another hip-hop cliche. It was an opportunity to leave a lasting impression lost.

To see photos from Day Three of Lollapalooza 2015, click here.

And you can read catch Whopperjaw impressions of Day One and Day Two of Lollapalooza 2015.