Photo Credit: Richard Giraldi

If day one’s running theme was rain, day two was here comes the sun.

Lollapalooza festivalgoers were met with plenty of sunshine and 90 degree temperatures on Saturday, August 8. But the dramatic weather shift didn’t appear to phase many, as there appeared to be another sell out crowd on hand in Grant Park.

After lathering on a few coats of sunscreen, I made my way down to the park. It was indeed hot, but Grant Park’s location created a natural remedy in the lake winds that swept over the sweltering crowds. In the shade and later in the evening, it the winds made the temperature much more tolerable, even enjoyable at times.

Los Campesinos!

I started my bright and warm afternoon with the noisy pop rock of Los Campesinos! (The exclamation mark is part of their name.) This was the Cardiff, Wales group’s second time at Chicago’s Lollaplooza. While their time slot was still stuck far before 3 p.m., the band played on the much larger Budweiser stage. Their songs were vibrant and full of energy and meshed quirky-short keyboard lines with angular guitar riffs. However, I don’t understand their decision to have a violinist in the band as the instrument seemed lost in the mix.

It was then time to move on to the south end of Grant Park where Minneapolis rapper Atmosphere played to what looks like an enormous crowd at the Chicago 2016 stage. Atmosphere – who also goes by the name Slug – had clever lines and a tight delivery, but his playing to the crowd plagued much of the set. There were a number of lulls in which he would tell a story or make an inside joke that would fly over the baking audience’s head.

After hitting the two largest stages, I settled in at the smaller Citi Stage on Balbo Drive to catch up-and-coming act Chairlift and drum-and-guitar assault duo No Age.

Chairlift

Chairlift’s claim to fame is that really catch tune from that old iPod Nano commercial. You know the one. Well the audience must have because it was really the only song of their hour-long set that got any kind of reception. Still, the band didn’t help their own cause. They went on ten minutes late and encountered a hoard of sound problems. Sometimes the vocals were two loud and the drums were too low and vice versa and etc. etc. Finally 20 minutes into their set did, the songs finally came together. The group has an eerie electronic pop sensibility to them that occasional recalled an ‘80s-vide that wouldn’t be out of place in a John Hughes film.

No Age

Following Chairlift on the same stage was Los Angeles melodic noise-punk duo No Age consisting of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer Dean Allen Spunt. Before the band started, a fold out chair on stage with a guitar leaning on it raised a few eyebrows. When the band took the stage, it was confirmed that Randall has suffered a dislocated shoulder the night before. Still, the band took to the stage and delivered a relentless 25-minute assault on the crowd’s eardrums.

Their songs are punk in speed with the drums and guitar pounding away at a rapid pace, but the guitar riffs are unusually melodic. Probably more melodic than what the sound system could handle as occasionally the sounds drifted in and out of muddiness. However, the band plowed through nearly 20 songs in a short time and ending 20 minute early. The set was ferocious and one of the Lolla day two’s little rock n’ roll gems.

TV On The Radio

One act that was nowhere near subdued was the Brooklyn art-rockers TV On The Radio. You can read a full review of TV On The Radio’s Lollapalooza 2009 performance on loudlooppress.com right now.

Animal Collective

After a short stop at the tedious Animal Collective – honestly I liked the last album, but still don’t get them live – it was time to get a decent spot for Tool. I was one of the many sorely disappointed, but understanding, of the Beastie Boys’ cancellation. So having seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom a little over three months ago, I decided to check out Tool.

Fans waiting for Tool

I was a big Tool fan years ago, but I can say with assurance that I am not a fan of 10,000 Days. So much so, that I really stopped paying attention to Tool altogether. However, I might be alone on this. When Tool took the stage at 8:30 p.m. the crowd was enthralled like no other. Fists were in the air; people were crowd surfing and were moshing. It was mayhem. Good ol’ fashion progressive metal mayhem. But really Tool fans, it’s 90 degrees. Why the jeans?

Anyway, Tool’s set was culled mostly from 10,000 days material and a few select cuts from Aenima and 2001’s prog behemoth Lateralus. The crowd reacted the same regardless of songs and screamed every lyric. Honestly, by the third song my interest had waned, but you have to hand it to Tool by keeping an incredibly intense fan base after not releasing any new material for years at a time. It’s brilliant marketing, really. Well, on to day three.