i was there : lollapalooza (saturday)

Show: Lollapalooza (Saturday)

Skream & Benga

Calvin Harris

Orchard Lounge

Avicii

Location: Grant Park

Date: 8.4.12

Favorite Song: Avicii opening with "Levels" was, in my opinion, a smart start to the set. Everyone was able to ignore the big, creepy head for a moment & really get into the music. After a long day two, this is what many came to see. I've seen enough Avicii over the years, so I didn't really feel the need to stick around for the whole set, but it was pretty unreal to see just how huge that song has gotten over the past year & how much that enormous crowd at Lollapalooza was loving it.

Memorable Moment: In my daze of not knowing who was playing when I managed to stumble upon Orchard Lounge's set, which I was hoping to see all along. The crowd was pretty sparse, but that only made me feel that much better about myself for knowing that this was a set worth checking out. Orchard Lounge, which hails from the lovely city of Chicago, has played with some major names in the electronic scene, so it was pretty awesome to see them get their own spot in the Lollapalooza lineup just before Avicii. Although it was small, this set was definitely a dance party.

Biggest Letdown: The colossal downpour really put a damper on things (pun intended). I got a bit of a late start on the day, so they pretty much began booting people from the park as soon as I got there. On the plus side, I managed to stay dry & snag a spot at the bar, but the storm & delays really killed my schedule. When I finally got back into the park I had no idea who was still playing & when. I turned into a bit of a grouch as a result & even missed Santigold who I was really dying to see. Also, I feel the need to point out that Skream & Benga was awful. What they were doing on stage was just noise, not music.

This Show: Day two was definitely my biggest letdown of the weekend & that was due mostly to the storm that passed through Grant Park. It really just threw off my whole planned schedule & I missed some artists I was hoping to see (like Alabama Shakes, Temper Trap, & Bloc Party). There just really wasn't much to brag about from this day & I feel so bad for the people that only had a Saturday pass.