During Aug. 3-5, Lollapalooza took over downtown Chicago. Beautiful Buckingham Fountain was the focal center, with stages to the north and south of it.
Lollapalooza sold out, thanks to the approximately 270,000 attendees—shattering last year's record. Some highlights for the crowds included the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as Florence + The Machine. There was a rainbow of names such as Kid Color, classic rockers Black Sabbath and the newer Black Keys, but Jack White almost stole the show with his eardrum-splitting set.
Acts such as The Shins, newly out Frank Ocean and The Weekend had large cult followings that really added to the festival. Avicii, a dance act, was placed at the Bud Light Stage while Santigold twirled umbrellas at Perry's, an area usually reserved for dance-music groups. Bassnectar, Calvin Harris and Kaskade kept people dancing until they dropped.
On Aug. 4, a severe thunderstorm shut down the festival for several hours, canceling several acts and clearing out 60,000 people. Fans were allowed to return to mud and et times a few hours later, with website updates letting people know when acts would perform.
This year was not as gay as the year with Lady Gaga, but there were many LGBT attendees spotted. One.org donated funds at its booth to battling HIV/AIDS; moreover, there were openly LGBT musicians such as Jonsi from Sigur Ros, Ocean and JC Brooks on hand to spread the love. With numerous parties around town, after-show concerts and nearly every club with a special DJ, the party didn't stop when the gates closed, making this a very long weekend. Photos and text by Jerry Nunn
