Lollapalooza preview 3
NO OFFENSE TO THE COMPETITION, BUT MISS THESE AT YOUR OWN RISK:
Friday, 3:30 p.m. — Jeremy Enigk: The reclusive former Sunny Day Real Estate frontman has his second-ever solo album arriving in October, and it’s every bit as epic as his former band’s second phase. World Waits is a much more ambitious effort than Return Of The Frog Queen, crammed with soaring orchestral passages and Enigk’s trademark wail.
Friday, 7:30 p.m. — Sleater-Kinney: This will be the third-to-last performance ever for Sleater-Kinney. The Portland-based trio end their career as, in some opinions, the greatest American band of their generation. If any set can steal the headliners’ thunder, this is it.
Saturday, 5 p.m. — Blackalicious: Admittedly, it’s as stupid a hip-hop moniker as you’ll find, but Chief Xcel and Gift Of Gab remain at the cutting edge of hip-hop. They’re a little more OutKast than Mr. Lif.
Saturday, 8:30 p.m. — Kanye West: Maybe it’s latent racism, but some pre-Palooza returns have people little excited about Saturday, aiming for it as their early night. West, despite his threadbare flow, remains one of Chicago’s biggest superstars after only two albums and is the consummate showman. While his own concerts err on the side of overexposure, a festival should be his perfect setting. Especially in his hometown.
Sunday, 1:30 p.m. — The Hold Steady: There might be more iconic frontmen than Craig Finn, but he and his Hold Steady will have you pocketing $10 in beer tickets just for them. Not that you’ll feel a lowly, bar camaraderie; you’ll be wishing your Springsteen records had a little more sizzle and Guided By Voices were more like AC/DC than The Who.
Sunday: 6:30 p.m. — Wilco: Somehow we still can’t believe the disrespect Lollapalooza has shown hometown heroes Wilco. Possibly the only rock band better than Sleater-Kinney at the whole fest, they’re up against louder-than-hell addict-rock behemoths Queens Of The Stone Age. Repre-fuckin-zent
DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE: Overshadowed, the lesser known of these pairs is the one we recommend:
Friday, 5 p.m. — Lady Sovereign vs. Mates Of State : Lady Sov has energy, panache, an accent . . . repeated in some order for 45 minutes. Mates Of States’ latest, Bring It Back, might be the best independent album this year, so far. And you can still dance.
Other picks: Cursive, The M’s, Iron & Wine, Sybris, Built To Spill, Smoking Popes, Hot Chip, Matisyahu, Broken Social Scene.
Finally, there was one pairing more difficult to coin-toss than Gnarls Barkley/Sonic Youth: Thievery Corporation vs. The New Pornographers. The press will undoubtedly side with New Porn, with or without Neko Case‘s backing vocals, but the truth is they play Chicago with near regularity. If, for only a moment, you feel you’ve had enough guitar rock, throw a little bit of Grant Park dust over what you know and seek out something less obvious.
