Stage Buzz – Lollapalooza 2022 Preview: Undercard Picks
Dashboard Confessional plays Lollapalooza (and on Hulu livestream) at 4:00 pm Saturday, July 30. (photo: Lupe Bustos)
The Wombats: Thursday, July 28 (3:15 PM Coinbase Stage)
It’s a cliché by now. A huge, critically acclaimed U.K. band comes to the US with only marginal success; add the Wombats to the list. They appear on Day One (Thursday) at Lolla, bringing smart indie rock and five albums of great music to the lakefront. Is it over our heads? Now supporting their new album  Fix Yourself, Not the World, you too can say you saw them on the undercard at Lollapalooza.
Lorna Shore: Thursday, July 28 (6:50 PM BMI Stage)
Deathcore metal stalwarts Lorna Shore have had their share of turnover and controversy with “cup of coffee” vocalist CJ McCreery, but they’ve righted the ship with the newest (and best?) vocalist Will Ramos. Yes, they’re somewhat of a Lolla rarity this year, a real rock band, and they’re supporting some of their best music in years (“Sun/Eater”) from their new album Pain Remains.
The Regrettes: Friday, July 29 (3:45 PM Tito’s Stage)
LA’s Regrettes, in our mind, are the best of the batch of modern girl groups (using ancient terminology) and are touring behind their new album Further Joy. Their emo/pop/rock masterpiece “Monday” is in heavy rotation on the office stereo.
Wet Leg: Friday, July 29 (2:30 PM Discord Stage )
Wet Leg (Heather Chambers and Rhian Teasdale) are currently living their best lives. The quintet from the music mecca that is the Isle of Wight (insert sarcasm here) released the single “Chaise Longue” last year year and has racked up enormous numbers of viral plays and views in its wake. Their self-titled debut is already on best-end year lists, and the band has already jump-started it with their first U.S. tour in February. The thing is, though, their popularity has continued to grow, which required a majority of their shows to be moved to larger venues. And now they’re playing Lolla.
Horsegirl performs at 1:00 pm on Sunday, July 31, on Tito’s Stage
Dashboard Confessional: Saturday, July 30 (4:00 PM Coinbase Stage)
Hard to believe Dashboard Confessional has nine albums under their belt. Their newest, All The Truth is a heavy acoustic throwback to their early days, even bringing producer James Paul Weiser back on board for more emo-anthems; this time, though, Carlos is singing about overcoming life challenges in your forties (welcome to the Thunderdome, Chris Carrabba). Hulu is also streaming DC’s set.
Horsegirl: Sunday, July 31 (Tito’s Stage 1:00 PM)
Chicago’s Horsegirl are the current darlings of indie rock aficionados and now a major label: Matador Records. This 3-piece outfit yolk punk sensibilities from the Sonic Youth-era and multiple shoegaze benchmarks. Scottish noise-pop rockers The Pastels also come to mind. For Penelope Lowenstein, Nora Cheng, and Gigi Reece, some dues-paying may be in order in the long run, but they’ll be time for that (in between and after college degrees are in their pockets). They’re already well on their way with their debut album, Versions of Modern Performance.
DJO: Sunday, July 31 (3:15 PM Bud Light Seltzer Stage)
DJO features Joe Keery (of Netflix series Stranger Things), who made his mark with Chicago-based psychedelic rockers Post Animal (as a DePaul student) but faced serious scheduling problems with his film schedule and had to eventually abandon his band. Essentially a solo project, his new music serves up stripped-down electronic rock, mixing a bit of Daft Punk with Thomas Dolby. His new single “Gloom.” just dropped this week.
-David Gedge
Category: Featured, Stage Buzz
