Lollapalooza

400 entered this year’s Lolla Remix Throwdown, battling it out over three rounds that tested their production, marketing and performance skills! Sydney’s Craig Williams emerged victorious – taking the coveted Lollapalooza slot and a prize package worth over $6,000 from sponsors Pioneer, Shure, Music Industry Workshop and Satellite Records.

On August 1st, Craig was crowned winner at the Lolla Remix Live Finals at Double Door in Chicago. With a larger than life presence, epic head banging skills and a varied set that dabbled in both electro and dubstep, Craig won over the packed house and the judges.
 

Check the video and photos from the Lolla Remix Live Finals, which also included Hot Pink Delorean, Hey Champ, Hollywood Holt, Lucky Date, DJWS, Professor Purple and last year’s winner Punky Fresh.

Lolla started with a bang this year, but definitely didn’t end with a whimper. Even with a little wetness from morning rain, Sunday delivered on the promise of great music and surprising scenes. It comes as no surprise that the simultaneous one-two punch of headliners Arcade Fire and Soundgarden provided enough electricity to light up the Chicago skyline all by themselves. The Montreal Indie-rockers charged through a set that could best be described as a religious experience, while Chris Cornell’s Grunge reunion happening on the other big stage couldn’t have asked for a more excited crowd.

Earlier in the day, there were more than a few raised eyebrows when Neko Case took the stage with The Dodos, while MGMT showed off a bigger, more mature live set that gave fans exactly what they wanted and more. Over at Perry’s Felix da Housecat and Flosstradamus made sure that the crowd stayed moving. And we’ll never forget X Japan, earning an audience full of new fans in their first American performance. Top it off with an afternoon anchored down by engaging sets by The National and Erykah Badu.

Best Lolla ever? Until next year, perhaps.

• Check out this full rundown of the weekend from Chicago Tribune’s music critic, Greg Kot who hopped around to his fair share of acts.

• Billboard’s got their take on Arcade Fire vs. Soundgarden. Sounds like everyone was a winner at the end of the night.

• Wow. MTV really liked Arcade Fire. Kudos to shout-outs for Lolla’s eclectic lineup, something we pride ourselves on.

• The Godmother of Funk, Erykah Badu impressed the AP with a short and sweet set.

• MGMT played an aftershow where some kids sang, ‘Kids’. Why didn’t we think of that?!

For those who wondered if Day Two could top our unbelievably out-of-control Day One, Saturday didn’t disappoint. Far from it. If you haven’t heard by now: Green Day destroyed, playing one of the most exhilarating and ambitious shows of their entire career. We laughed when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong cracked his trademark bratty jokes, we cried when he gave a super fan his guitar at the end of Longview, and we rocked, did we rock‚ for the entire two-and-a-half hours that the band played. Not only that, but The Best Dancer In The World returned!

Across the park, Phoenix kept things hip – playing a solid set of their own for the gathered crowds. The day featured some of the most anticipated sets of the fest, including a jam-packed showcase from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros that has got tongues wagging all across and an ecstatically eccentric production from Gogol Bordello, who whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their manic music.

Other stand-outs included Grizzly Bear, whose gorgeous four-part harmonies translated quite well to the outdoors; Chrisse Hynde’s special appearance at the Kidzapalooza stage, and Austin rockers Spoon, who played it cool as the sun set. It was everything a fan could have hoped for and more.

But you don’t have to take our word on it. Here’s a bit more of the buzz from Saturday:

• Billboard has another ten things they overheard and saw at Lolla up. Some interesting tidbits in there. You can find their thrilling Saturday look-back here.

• This breathless recounting of the Phoenix/Green Day closing sets by Rolling Stone will let you relive a little of Saturday evening’s magic.

• Spin magazine’s headliner write-up: all Green Day, all the time.

• Spoon fans can hear about the set over at USA Today, right below the Green Day shout-out. Natch.

• Ever wonder how Phoenix prepares for a show? MTV got a chance to ask the Francophiles, and you might be surprised at the answer.

• Even without a bug budget spectacle, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes made for one of the most incredible shows we’ve ever seen, period. Check out this great breakdown of their set over at Spinner.

• Chrisse Hynde, one of the most beloved women in Rock, graced Kidzapalooza with her trademark, beautiful vocals.

Lady Gaga’s impromptu guest appearance with Semi Precious Weapons and her stage dive into the crowd during the Friday of Lollapalooza 2010 was one of the highlights of the day one. Check it out above.

If Friday was any indication, Lolla fans are in for one heck of a weekend. Within moments of the gates opening, Lolla was off-and-running full speed at Grant Park. Fans caught early sets by slacker-rockers Wavves and The Walkmen, and were treated to a heartwarming surprise appearance by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy at Mavis Staples 2pm set.

The Big Pink probably scared a few children with the monumental wall of distortion that kicked off their towering showcase, leading into Devo‚ full-costumed geeky New Wave (and yes, they’ve still got it). Chromeo‚ made quite an impression, judging by the many media shout-outs this morning, but it would be hard to top Lady Gaga, who absolutely conquered Lolla with a lavish stage production, costume changes up the wazoo, and the Pop-star professionalism we’ve come to expect from the always-eccentric anti-diva. The Strokes held their own on the other side of the park though, providing a solid, rock-and-roll counterpoint to her Glam spectacle. It was an opening day to remember, and we can’t wait to see what surprises the rest of the weekend holds.

Here’s a few more Friday highlights we found buzzing around:

- WXRT has full Lolla coverage all weekend long, full videos, interviews, pictures and more.

- TimeOut Chicago has a high-minded breakdown of Gaga’s set, approaching her massive appeal from a critical perspective. Hmm.

- In addition to a brief rundown of the day’s events, the Chicago Tribune had nice things to say about restroom access and festival walkability this year. We try, guys.

- Billboard’s Friday breakdown features some well-deserved accolades for Raphael Saadiq’s retro soul and our favorite rascals Matt and Kim.

- NPR does a quick look back at how far Lady Gaga has come since her festival debut three years ago.

- Point. Counterpoint. MTV talks about The Strokes and Gaga’s dueling sets, and why the pairing of the two worked.

- The Black Keys played one of the most accomplished sets of the day, according to USA Today’s recap.

- A final bonus: scope out this entertaining list of things overheard and interesting observations from day one of the fest. Nice picture of Mr. Moustache Gaga.

Taking a cue from the outgoing fashion sense that many of this year’s artists possess, Lollapalooza is going glam this year with custom jewelry pieces commissioned from Chicago-based designer Susan Wheeler.¬† Fusing together both classy and cool, these pieces up shine with Lolla pride. The pieces include a necklace — either gold or silver — for $30, some rad dog tags on a chain for $25, and a belt buckle for $65 made of 24-karat awesomeness.

If you like what you see, head on over to either one of our satellite stores on Columbus and see how one looks around your neck (or waist).

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that you can never have enough music. Luckily, even after the lighters are lowered and the crowds go home for the night, there’s a lot going on around town for you Lolla super troopers out there. Here’s got a list of Official Lolla Aftershows happening for those of you who want to keep rocking out while Lolla gets its beauty rest.

Friday

Cut Copy w/ Dragonette Fri. 08/06 | 10:00PM @ Metro (map) Buy Tickets

J. Cole w/ FreeSol, Vonnegutt, BBU, & Sulaiman Fri. 08/06 | 10:00PM @ Bottom Lounge (map) Buy Tickets

PGM feat. Chromeo (DJ Set), CASPA, Perry Farrell, Steve Porter, Dark Wave Disco, A… Fri. 08/06 | 10:00PM @ Sound-Bar (map) Buy Tickets

The Ettes w/ American Bang Fri. 08/06 | 10:00PM @ House of Blues Back Porch Buy Tickets

Dare 2 Dream Official Lollapalooza Aftershow featuring: MGMT Fri. 08/06 | 11:00PM @ House of Blues (map) Buy Tickets

Wild Beasts w/ The Kissaway Trail & Lone Wolf Fri. 08/06 | 11:00PM @ Empty Bottle (map) Buy Tickets

Saturday

Blitzen Trapper w/ Avi Buffalo Sat. 08/07 | 10:00PM @ Lincoln Hall (map) Buy Tickets

The Cribs w/ Warpaint Sat. 08/07 | 10:00PM @ Cubby Bear (map) FREE SHOW

The National w/ The Antlers Sat. 08/07 | 11:00PM @ House of Blues (map) People Buy Tickets

Minus the Bear w/ Miniature Tigers Sat. 08/07 | 11:00PM @ Double Door (map) Buy Tickets

The Soft Pack w/ Royal Bangs Sat. 08/07 | 11:00PM @ Schubas (map) Buy Tickets

Wavves w/ Harlem Sat. 08/07 | 11:00PM @ Empty Bottle (map) Buy Tickets

Sunday

Digitalism (dj set) w/ Skyler Mendoza, Willy Joy, Midnight Conspiracy, Just.One.Duran Sun. 08/08 | 9:00PM @ Lincoln Hall (map) Buy Tickets

Chiddy Bang, Donnis, Xv, Vonnegutt, & Freesol Sun. 08/08 | 9:00PM @ Subterranean (map) Buy Tickets

Health w/ Chandeliers Sun. 08/08 | 10:00PM @ Reggie’s (map) Buy Tickets

Meet your favorite Lolla acts and get a John/Jane Hancock while you’re at it at the f.y.e Autograph Tent. All weekend long, artists like MGMT, Phoenix, Spoon, and The National will be coming by the tent to sign some schwag and get in touch with the fans. Below you’ll find a day-by-day breakdown of the schedule so you know when to pop in. Who knows? One day that bratwurst you got Foxy Shazam to sign will be worth some money.

Friday

1:00 PM Foxy Shazam
1:30 PM Wavves
1:30 PM Balkan Beat Box
1:45 PM The Ettes
2:15 PM The Constellations
2:30 PM Los Amigos Invisibles
3:00 PM Jukebox The Ghost
3:30 PM American Bang
3:45 PM Peanut Butter Wolf
4:00 PM Hot Chip
4:15 PM Raphael Saadiq
4:30 PM Drive-By Truckers
5:15 PM DEVO
5:15 PM Kidz In The Hall
6:45 PM NEON TREES
7:00 PM Semi Precious Weapons
7:15 PM Caspa
8:00 PM Jamie Lidell

Saturday

12:45 PM The Kissaway Trail
1:00 PM The Morning Benders
1:30 PM Rebelution
1:45 PM The Soft Pack
2:00 PM Vonnegutt
2:30 PM Rogue Wave
2:45 PM Wild Beasts
3:15 PM Blues Traveler
3:30 PM Stars
4:15 PM Dan Black
4:30 PM Against Me!
4:45 PM Dawes
5:30 PM Phoenix
5:30 PM Gogol Bordello
6:45 PM Metric
6:45 PM Deer Tick
8:00 PM Spoon

Sunday

12:45 PM Miniature Tigers
1:00 PM Frank Turner
1:30 PM Nneka
2:00 PM The Antlers
2:15 PM Company of Thieves
2:30 PM Switchfoot
3:00 PM MGMT
3:00 PM Didi Gutman of Brazilian Girls
3:30 PM Blitzen Trapper
3:45 PM The Ike Reilly Assassination
4:30 PM The National
5:00 PM Cypress Hill
5:00 PM Minus the Bear
5:30 PM Violent Soho
6:30 PM MUTEMATH
6:30 PM Mexican Institute of Sound
6:45 PM Frightened Rabbit
8:00 PM The Temper Trap

Purchase Tickets

See The Schedule (and Build Your Own!)

Top Tips for Lolla 2010

Stuck Inside? Watch The Webcast

As Lollapalooza starts in a matter of hours, the Internet is abuzz with stories about the awesome activities we’ve got ready for you peeps recommendations on who to see, what to eat, where to go, and why; and predictions for what to expect during the fest. Here’s some of the articles we heard from the grapevine to get you excited for the weekend.

There’s no question that all the walking and dancing at Lollapalooza makes us hungry. Lucky for you, Foodie is hooked up with some of Chicago’s hottest restaurants and we’ve got some amazing food offers going on all weekend – starting Thursday night.

What’s Foodie? We partner with Chicago’s best restaurants. They create unique offers for you. You book the offer right through Foodie and then go eat. Pretty simple.

You could get an amazing three-course prix-fixe meal for $30; 20% off your bill or even a free drink just for popping in to say hello. And for this weekend, we have plenty of brunch and late-night offerings, too. You can get a Mexican brunch; duck sausage sandwich with fried giardiniera and a beer; a $5 gourmet burger; free sushi; even $2 off some Chow Town offerings at the festival.

How do you get these great offers? Go to Foodie, become a member for free (takes a second) and book a reservation at the restaurant right through Foodie.

We’ll send out email updates all weekend with offers to our members, so be sure to sign up at Foodie to get hooked up with great food all over Chicago. Check out offers from the following restaurants and watch for more to be added.