Fest 101: Lollapalooza

Sitting in the confides of a cubicle the week before my first major festival experience is like sitting through a daylong church service with no air conditioning and a filled bladder. It’s fucking exhausting and perpetual, a painful experience with your mind on a totally different plane. My mind has been reeling for weeks about my detailed schedule, the shit I need to get done before departing, and setting up expectations. Consider this my “fest-101”, a drawn out template on my approach to this year’s Lollapalooza festival.

    On Performers…

First things first, make a god damn schedule, man. For $230 for the ticket alone, you bet your ass I have every minute of my day calculated to a tee. Plan (but don’t require) to adhere to the schedule; you never know who you’ll meet, or what your exact mood is until the time has come. With some really tricky overlaps (Frank Ocean vs. Avicii; The Gaslight Anthem vs. Sigur Ros; Florence and the Machine vs. Of Monsters and Men vs. At The Drive In) you’re gonna want to have a plan of attack when the time of battle is upon us. The overlaps fucking blow, so don’t waste your time complaining- strategize.

Take the time before the festival to explore artists you haven’t listened to. Lollapalooza has pioneered my adoration for First Aid Kit, The Weeknd, Miike Snow, and Die Antwoord; I’m still leaving room for my “day of” discoveries. If you really love someone, plan a few hours to get close to the stage prior to their performance. With 90,000+ attendees, the crowds will be large- I’m personally only planning on being close for The Gaslight Anthem and First Aid Kit, Florence if possible.

Also keep your friends in mind. If you want to stick with a buddy all day, find someone who likes the same kind of stuff as you do. If you don’t want to split up, decide early which artists are completely uncompromisable.

    On the Atmosphere…

What makes these things so fucking rad is the atmosphere itself. There are plenty of festivals, but only a few have the top tier recognizable names due to their influence on the music-loving community. Lollapalooza is one of them. I plan to spend at least an hour and a half a day retired from stages and enjoying the atmosphere and crowd, meeting people and understanding what makes Lollapalooza so special.

I think part of this seeks out sobriety. A well-executed music festival inspires a naïve glee, something so wondrous that no drug or alcohol abuse is necessary. Many people don’t understand this perspective- again, personal decision, but I like to stay clean and enjoy the sincere adrenaline rush that 90,000 fans screaming song lyrics brings without fault. Likewise, consider  that no one likes heavy bass as the soundtrack to their mid-day hangover.  

 On the After-Shows…

One of Lollapalooza’s crucial features is intimate post-show performances with the bands. This is a good way to knock out conflicts throughout the day and tune in on some more special attention artists you want to catch. With juggernauts Frank Ocean and Passion Pit leading up after-shows, pay particular mind to the announcements made in the early summer. I’m attending one with River City Extension, an Americana/folk band who is opening for Blind Pilot but sitting the actual festival out. I’m trying to snag a ticket to Of Monsters and Men; for future advice, grab these things way ahead of time. Despite the presumption that attendees will be exhausted, they fly off the shelves pretty quickly.

This comes hand-in-hand with not allowing yourself to burn out. Spending the entire morning moshing, dancing, and bouncing may be fun, but it’ll make the headliners unbearable experiences.

On People…

Music Festivals are one of the last American outlets where you can reach out to a stranger and make a new best friend. There’s something liberating about an open day packed with musical talent that brings out a little extra sunshine from everyone. Smaller scale festivals have been touching experiences for me- alternative music crowds are hard to seek out, so these events create a giant mixer for fans to meet those who share similar passions to their own.

There’s also gonna be some people who really, really get on your nerves. For me, it’s normally the drunk frat bros (only here for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Keys), touristy girls unfamiliar with the actual musicians (Avicii is OBVIOUSLY the most talented person on the bill), and ravers with a sufficient enthusiasm for club drugs (look for binkies). Take a deep breath and come prepared for the less desirable crowd members. Don’t let them ruin your good time.

On planning ahead…

You would think I would be more diligent about heeding my own advice. Without a place to stay, I understand the pivotal need to map out the entire experience as if it were a vacation. Bring plenty of food and water, sunscreen, energy drinks, Advil; anything you could possibly need for a day in the sun, take along with you. A small backpack with a decent amount of water is probably the best platform to start with. I was told a bottle for piss was also a must-have; not so sure I’d be comfortable peeing in an open crowd, so I’ll stick to the bathrooms for this one.

But it brings out the point that everyone is different, and is going to have different wants and needs. Understand yours before you show up that morning.

On deciding what your experience will be…

This is pretty crucial. Everyone looks at a music festival differently- I personally see it as a marriage of discovery and experiencing my favorites, a complete submersion in a musical environment. Others see it strictly as a social gathering, an excuse to drink and be merry with friends. Decide where you want your day to go so you don’t get disappointed. I’ve been screwed on this front before, with a group of kids who don’t really care about who performs but the experience itself. This is awesome and I commend this experience- but it’s not what I want. Know exactly what you want to get out of the day before you waste it away.