For many Chicago music lovers, Lollapalooza is the best three days of the year. It’s a celebration of the world’s most innovative and popular music to be enjoyed along with thousands of fellow fans in a communal musical euphoria. But this one weekend can sometimes be overwhelming; hoards of no-name acts and Top 100 giants can turn a schedule into a crisis. But Weekend Edition is here to help! Here are our top picks for Lollapalooza weekend.
Jack White
Raging back onto the music scene after hanging his feather and cap with ex-wife and bandmate is Jack White with his first solo release “Blunderbuss.” Performing a solid set composed of jazzy solo compositions, White still manages to mIntain an element of surprise by peppering each show with Dead Weather and Raconteurs cuts while dusting off some Old Stripes favorites. Rotating between all-male and all-female backing band, each White show has been an experience as unforgetful and eccentric as the man himself. End Lollapalooza weekend at 8:15 at Red Bull Soundstage with one of the most unique and talented musicians on the bill.
Gary Clark Jr.
Snatching up the most festival spots out of any musician this year, Clark Jr. ushers back a new wave of retro soul with his warm twang and groovy guitar licks. Clark Jr.’s authentic blues sound contends with fellow retro rockers The Black Keys and will undoubtedly satisfy anyone’s blues fix for the weekend. With only one EP released, Clark Jr.’s music is shrouded in mystery, as if his talent wasn’t reason enough to stop by Playstation Stage at 3:15 on Day Three.
Bombay Bicycle Club
This English quartet has finally reached acclaim with their 3rd album “A Different Kind of Fix.” Hushed call-and-response style vocals between male and female leads straddle the line between the seductive rock of The XX and whimsy of indie-rock royakty The Shins. BBC is the perfect intermission to a hectic day of stage-hopping and crowd-surfing, the band’s mellow stage presence will be a refreshing change if pace while they deliver just enough variety to keep listeners engaged and swaying in the summer breeze. They’ll be at Red Bull Soundstage on Day Three at 12:45.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Rapper Macklemore has been making waves in the burgeoning Seattle rap scene since the early 2000s. And the help of Ryan Lewis of Fences, acting as producer and guest vocalist, was just what Macklemore needed to gain the creative edge he needed to transform from underground champion to a hip-hop sensation. Macklemore has forged his own unique style of rap combining powerful, poetic lyrics with emotional intensity that’s so raw you can feel the tension churning in the audience’s stomach. For a break from the typical Lolla indie fare, head over to Google Play Stage at 2:15 on Day Three for a hip-hop show you won’t want to miss.
Dr. Dog
Don’t be fooled by the simplistic name–Dr. Dog has been doling out lo-fi indie pop to hungry fans for years. This Pennsylvania psychedelia blues-pop band have been hard at work supporting their flawless 2011 release “Be The Void.” Whimsical compositions and a hard blues backbone places Dr. Dog in a genre all their own. Boasting a catalog of 7 full-length albums, there’s no telling what this six-piece may come blazing out with. Dr.Dog is one of the most eccentric and talented bands on the Lollapalooza bill and will be hitting the Red Bull Soundstage at 2:15 on Day One.
To see the full Lollapalooza schedule, go to http://lineup.lollapalooza.com/events/2012/08/03/
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