Lollapalooza: The History and Shows Yet to Come
Lollapalooza celebrated its 20th birthday in the summer of 2011. Back in 1991, musician Perry Farrell started the tour as a farewell to his band Jane’s Addiction. Fellow tour mates included classic performers such as The Rollins Band, Ice T and Body Count, Living Colour, Butthole Surfers, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Nine Inch Nails. Back then, the bands would tour the country, bringing in large crowds of alternative music fans. It was, and still is, one of the premiere places to catch classic alternative acts as well as to discover the latest up-and-coming talents.
Memorable performances from the 1990s include the breakthroughs of legendary performers like Pearl Jam in 1991 and Smashing Pumpkins in 1994. Pavement stunk up the join in 1995 and left the stage after the lead singer was hit in the chest by a thrown cake. In 1997, electronica made its first appearance with groups such as Orbital and The Prodigy.
By 2005, Farrell decided to quit touring and instead create a two-day music festival in Grant Park in Chicago. Billy Idol braved the rain and played his heart out, anyway to a skimpy crowd. Arcade Fire, who just won a Grammy this past year, made their Lollapalooza debut that year and returned as headliners in 2010. Pearl Jam returned to its roots as the headliner in 2007 and were almost outshined by newcomers My Morning Jacket. Rage Against the Machine fans raged against the fences in 2008, pulling them down so that all could storm the stage, regardless of having tickets.
2011 marked the first year of expansion into a three-day affair. Lollapalooza demonstrated a wide range of musical genres yet again, with headliners including Eminem, Coldplay, Muse, and Foo Fighters. Notable smaller acts included Ween, Flogging Molly, Arctic Monkeys, Cee Lo, and Christina Perri.