Some Sets Cut Short: Day 1 Lollapalooza 2017

As pop singer Lorde took the stage at Lollapalooza last night, a hard rain began to fall. She commented that storms have seemingly followed her all summer long. “Let’s conjure some spirits,” she told the crowd as she launched into “Tennis Court” and “Magnet.” Wearing a bright red corset along with matching red sweat pants and a pair of white sneakers, Lorde danced only made it through a handful of songs before a thunderstorm forced fans to evacuate Grant Park, bringing the first day of the four-day festival to an early end. Too bad — Lorde seemed primed to put on an intense performance.

While Lorde had a legitimate excuse for cutting her set short, the same can’t be said for Liam Gallagher. Performing in front of a white banner that featured his name in big, bold black letters, Gallagher played only four songs before he stormed off the stage. No big loss — his vocals were off as he mumbled and slurred his way through songs such as “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and “Morning Glory.” Gallagher, who came off as all attitude without any aptitude, assembled a terrific, hard rocking band to back him. In fact, when left the stage, the band capably jammed as it awaited his return and only stopped playing when it became apparent he wouldn’t.

Cage the Elephant, a band that seems to get better with each album, played a show-stopping set that included garage rock tunes such as “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “In One Ear.” Wearing a sparkling dress and fishnets, singer Matt Shultz said he intended to “look pretty” for the Lolla crowd. His animated performance certainly captivated the huge audience that turned out for the performance.

The indie rock act the Drums also delivered a terrific set of Smiths-inspired tunes that found singer Jonathan Pierce adopting a Morrissey-like croon. Pierce, who wore tight skinny jeans and a colorful shirt that looked like a blouse, told audience members to “live your life to the fullest and honor who you are.”

While rapper Wiz Khalifa often yelled more than he rapped, his charisma came across clearly during a rowdy set that featured a cameo from fellow rapper Ty Dolla Sign. Backed by a live band, the tattooed, shirtless Khalifa, who wore a pair of bright white jeans, regularly relied on backing tracks so he could play songs such as “See You Again,” a track that featured vocals from Charlie Puth. And his vocals sounded like they were pumped through some sort of processor. Still, Khalifa’s feel-good vibe went over well and he urged audience members to treat each other with respect because there are already “too many assholes in the world.”

To see more photos from the day, click here.