Chance hits the right note at Lollapalooza
The highs were glorious and the lows were especially crushing at Lollapalooza’s 2017 edition this weekend.
Regulars at the massive, annual party in Grant Park are used to the storms and forced evacuations by now. This year’s inevitable exodus, though, was especially cruel, the bad weather rolling through the festival just as Thursday night’s headliners — including Lorde, Muse and Lil Uzi Vert — were warming up, forcing an abrupt end on Night One.
Two days later, the weather was sublime, a perfect setting for Chicago-artist-done-great Chance the Rapper to command the peak headlining slot in front of probably the largest assembled audience in the festival’s history.
Here’s a look back at the best and worst moments of this year’s Lollapalooza.
BEST SET
Chance the Rapper couldn’t possibly have topped his entrance, a collection of inspiring clips that included a video message from Michelle Obama, followed by a staged motorbike crash. Nevertheless, he owned this moment, destined to be a milestone for his career, Chicago music and the festival’s history, zigging and zagging from fiery performances (including the use of a Chicago Fire Department’s fire hose) to spiritually soaring renditions of Bless
ings and Sunday Candy.
A SET THAT ALMOST CAME TRUE
You knew from the moment Lorde launched into Tennis
Courts with unstoppable confidence and those jittery dance breaks that this was going to be a best-of-the-fest contender. Until it wasn’t, when Lorde’s set ended just three songs in because of the weather. Based on what we saw, Lorde’s North American “Melodrama” tour is a must-see.
WORST SET
Can you even call what Liam Gallagher did a set? He looked sour from the start, and his dour attitude rubbed off on a quickly disinterested audience, which he abandoned after fleeing the stage just a few songs in.
SCARIEST MOMENT
Hip-hop is the hottest genre right now, and Lil Yachty is one of the hottest new stars. He needed to be on the large Grant Park, Bud Light or Perry’s stages, not at Tito’s with its narrow viewing area. Anyone could have predicted it’d be mobbed, but it was bad: Kids were climbing fences and security nervously kept fans off the stage and held up a wobbly fence by the VIP section.
BEST NEW ADDITION
Lolla added a retro roller rink, giving Millennials a chance to be nostalgic for something many of them probably never actually experienced growing up.
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
British producer Mura Masa made a mighty impression, armed with live percussion and twisting, turning samples and rhythms and blessed with a force of a frontwoman, Fliss.
BEST SURPRISE APPEARANCE
It was cool when Charli XCX launched into a cover of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe. Then Halsey showed up, a peak moment during an empowering Sunday with Tove Lo and Maggie Rogers.
BEST COVER
Arcade Fire ended its Sunday set with a blend of John Lennon’s Mind Games, Radiohead’s Karma Police and David Bowie’s Oh You Pretty Things, but the Killers slayed a cover of Muse’s Starlight.
GREATEST FAN MOMENT
In a sea of people gathered for Run the Jewels, a sign stood out. “Let me rap ‘Legend Has It,’ ” it read. The hip-hop duo granted Jacob Powell’s wish and Powell absolutely crushed it.