Lollapalooza 20th Anniversary

This is only my second Lollapalooza but it was no less amazing then going for the first time.  The biggest difference besides the acts was this time I know what to expect and how to prepare a bit better!  This time at Lolla started out like the last.  I went down early to get my wrist band on Wednesday and then when Friday rolled around I just showed up.

Two Door Cinema Club

Day 1 started out by me meeting up with Katie for some Qdoba before Lolla and went to meet up with Tim at Young The Giant.  I must say they play a great set.  It had a lot of great energy and good sound.  I only knew their one hit but I really liked everything they played.  The three of us original 3-dayers moved down to the opposite end of the festival for The Naked and Famous and Delta Spirits and Foster the People.  Katie bailed on us and went to another show but we met up with my roomie Jana and her sister Erin for Foster the People.  After Foster Tim and I just hung out at the Sony Stage for White Lies and met up with my friend Nikki and her friend Heather for Two Door Cinema Club.  They absolutely rocked; they were my favorite show overall at Lollapalooza.

Heather, Myself, Tim, and Nikki at
Two Door Cinema Club

After Two Door Cinema Club myself, Tim, Nikki, and Heather found our friend Betsy and then met back up with Katie and we all grabbed some dinner.  Most of us went to Kuma's Corner (which I still not actually been to).  It took forever to get food there but we did end up eating.  I had the Neurosis Burger which is a pretzel roll with horseradish mayo, cheddar, swiss, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and onions.  I must say it was really tasty even if it was festival food.

Tim, Katie, and Nikki at Muse

After we had our food we all moved down to Bright Eyes and Ok Go.  Somewhere in there we all meet up with Heather's sister so our group grew a little bit bigger yet.  After Ok Go we parted ways for the night. Tim, Nikki, Katie, and I all went to Muse and Heather, Holly and Betsy went to Coldplay.  We only stayed at Muse for half of the show before we all split off.  Katie and Tim went to Girl Talk while Nikki and I and her friend Ryan moved down to Coldplay.  I was very happy with that choice because both shows were amazing.

Laser show at Coldplay

It was a great first day. I had so much energy left even though I had been dancing non stop since Two Door Cinema.  Nikki and I ended up heading to a friends house party for a hot second before going to grab a little more food at Pita Pit. It was the first time I have been to Pita Pit in about three years.

Myself and Nikki

Day 2 of Lolla started out earlier then the first.  I met up with Nikki at the train station around 11 after my roommate Beth and our friend Amanda cooked me breakfast!  Since we got to Lolla early Nikki and myself just wandered around.  We checked a few of the Lolla vendors like Toyota and got free bandannas as well as getting our picture in front of the light up Lollapalooza sign.

Shows that I wanted to see didn't start till 12:45 so we slowly made our way to Walk the Moon where we met up with Tim, his girlfriend Jenn and eventually Katie, Heather and Holly.  After Walk the Moon we all went over to Phantogram and then wandered to the opposite side of Grant Park to Maps & Atlases and Friendly Fires, followed by Black Lips before we started to branch apart and check out different shows.  Tim, Jenn, Heather, Holly and myself went and checked out The Green Street and grabbed some food there as well as some awesome cheese curds with a rhubarb romesco.  I had the largest salad I think I have ever purchased.  Even after splitting it with Heather there was still a whole salad left for anyone else that might want it.  The salad also came with a shot of Wheat Grass.  I had never had one before so I tried it and found it surprisingly sweet even though it tasted just like grass.

Everyone from Michigan before the Eminem Concert
Jenn, Ryan, Betsy, Nikki, and Myself

Everyone regrouped for Local Natives and we started out in the thick of the crowd but the heat was just so much that we decided to just go sit on the hill next to the stage and relax and listen to the music.  We all headed down to Cee Lo Green after he started his set.  He came out dressed as a Roman warrior in a kilt and body armor with spikes.  I was sadly not super impressed with his set, I had expected more energy.  This again was the time we split ways with Tim, Heather, Holly and myself leaving everyone else at the stage so they could get right up close for Eminem.  While they did that the four of us went and checked out Lykke Li.  I really like her and think she is awesome and I was happy I found some people that would go check her out with me!  After her set we returned back to the South end of the park for Eminem.  Even though I do really like him we had no desire to be way up front.  We picked a spot in the center of the field and I just had a blast.

Holly, Heather, and Tim at Eminem

I had every intention of making it to my friend Nagy's Partypalooza Saturday night but by the time I finally made it out of Lolla and home it was so late plus I had some friends staying the night with me so I ended up just hanging out with them and talking and catching up.  Heather had recommended a couple groups that were playing on Sunday that I might like so I ended up just listening to them and finding out that I really liked them alot.

The final day of Lolla, Day 3 started with a plan of meeting up at 10:50am with Nikki.  That however was not the case.  I ended up meeting Tim at Einstein Bagels at 11 before heading downtown to Grant Park.  It rained a lot over night and even into the morning so I knew it was going to be a muddy mess Sunday.  Tim and I wandered around a little before shows started at noon.  We started in the shade at the BMI Stage for The Kingston Springs before meeting up with Katie at Gold Motel.  The three of us moved over to watch The Fences for a while. We tried to catch the end of the Joy Formidables but they ended early so we didn't catch anything from them.  Our whole group met up after that and made plans for the rest of the day as we all were doing lots of wandering.  Tim and I left and went down to Ryan Bingham who is a bit more country rock than the rest of the Lolla lineup.  They put on a great show and really got into it.  I think one of the best parts of that show was when one of the guitarist was rocking out and went to jump up on the speaker and bit it and then just played it off and just kept on rocking!  Really made for a lot of fun.

Tim and I went and met back up with Heather, Holly and Nikki for the rest of day.  Tim and I made a quick pit stop for a snack and I had the fingerling from Franks 'N' Dawgs before we met back up at City and Colour.  They were really good but it was just so hot out that it kind of made it a little hard to get into it.  Little did we know this would be our last show in the heat for Sunday.  Once City and Colours finished Nikki left us and we moved over to the Google+ Stage in the shade for Lissie and then moved across the way to the BMI stage for Boy & Bear.  Both Lissie and Boy & Bear I had been listening to since the night before so some of their stuff I could recognize.  I really enjoy both of those groups alot.

Tim, Heather, and Myself

While we were at Boy & Bear the temperature dropped and the sun disappeared.  We left their show a little early to go get food before it was going to rain.  Ended up having the cheese curds again from Bonsoiree and also grabbed the falafel wrap from Goose Island.  This whole time it had just been very lightly drizzling but as soon as we were finishing our food the rain really started to come down.  We took cover under a large tree which worked for a while but eventually it was useless and we got soaked.  We had planned to go see Arctic Monkeys but since it was pouring we just stayed under the tree and ended up listening to Best Coast because they were playing on the stage behind us.

Myself, Holly, Heather, and Tim in front of the
double rainbow after it stopped raining

Once the rain finally stopped we just stayed where we were to wait for Manchester Orchestra to start.  While we were waiting we got to see a double rainbow!  This isn't as exciting as this guys double rainbow but it was still cool.  Everyone around us was all reciting lines from the Youtube video.  Once Manchester started Katie came to meet back up with us.  Turns out she had found a tree right next to us during the rain and we never knew it. Manchester put on a good show.  This was the third time I have seen them and I must say he looks very different when he is groomed.

Mud Wrestling during Manchester

So as you can imagine the rain that lasted about thirty to forty minutes made everything muddy and swamp like and since this is a music festival, you guessed it people went mud diving.  People were just dancing in the mud as well as wrestling.  The rain may have made us all uncomfortable and wet but I think it added to the level of energy.  After Manchester we made our way to the South fields which flood regularly regardless of what kind of festival or tournament is going on.  That field was absolutely destroyed.  People had turned the hill into a giant mud slide and you couldn't walk anywhere with out getting stuck in the mud.  I just took off my shoes and went barefoot which was so much easier.

Myself, Heather, Tim, and Holly in the downpour.

We found a spot that wasn't as much muddy as just soaked for Foo Fighters.  Just in front of us however was a huge mud pit where people were sliding and trying to knock over people walking through it.  Really at this point it didn't matter there was no coming back from being dirty.  Katie decided to join them and went and looked like she had a blast (see video below).  While we were watching Katie mud dive and listening to Foo Fighters another rain storm came.  This one was much shorter but I think stronger.  The rain drops were huge yet we didn't even both to move.  We just stood there and got even more soaked.  At some point you just have to say screw it, whatever.  I will say one of the best things I own is my water proof point and shoot.  It made for a lot of fun to play with in the rain.

The beginning of getting muddy

After about the first hour of Foo Fighters we were all a little curious about Deadmau5 playing back on the North stage.  I for one could have stayed a Foo Fighters all night but since Tim, Katie, Heather and Holly were all going I decided to join them.  We got to Deadmau5 and I just sort of stared.  So many lights and the smell of weed was so strong and people everywhere just dancing like crazy.  The five of us started to move our way into the thick of the crowd before Heather, Holly and myself stopped and let Tim and Katie keep moving their way in.  This was not my normal scene at all but it was great to just break out of my comfort bubble and just go with it.  I really had a lot of fun dancing and just stomping around in the mud.  This is the only time I can say I have walked around downtown Chicago in Grant Park barefoot and it really scared me alot that I might cut my foot open on something in the mud.

I am really happy with my three days of Lollapalooza and the old friends I got to hang out with and the new friends I made.  Overall, I still think I like Lolla better in 2009 but this was just as fun in different ways.  I hope to make it to another festival again next year.  I don't know if it will be Lolla again but I definitely want to go to another festival.  I really want to thank everyone I went with, Tim, Katie, Nikki, Heather and Holly for making this weekend so much fun!

Collection of things on my wrist by Sunday night

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Here is a video that I compiled from the weekend.  Be nice about the editing as this is the first time I have ever done anything like this before.  I welcome all tips and suggestions about this.

Note: I have not proof read this post.

Change your mind

It's Thursday night, the night before Lollapalooza starts and I find myself with a few major dilemmas.  Coldplay or Muse, Bright Eyes or A Perfect Circle? What should I wear? what should I be Packing?  Hell who am I actually going with?  I just had to do my 14 mile run mid week instead of on Saturday so I can enjoy the full 3 days of Lolla.  Right now I am listening to the Killers who I saw the last time I went to Lolla in 2009.  My ringtone has been Smile Like you Mean it ever sense and currently I am listening to Change Your Mind.  Great song!  Wouldn't it be nice if people actually told you if you stood a chance.  That was such a great experience!  I had no idea what to expect from Lolla and by day 3 I was so worn out and yet the Killers came out and played a kick ass show that I am still thinking of two years later.  They had a crazy stage set all done up in lights spelling out Killers and they had a firework curtain that came down all around them with sparks.  Just a very well put together act.  I made some really good friends that year and just had a blast.  

I have come along ways since then.  I no longer live in a high rise in the South Loop and I no longer work in the far South suburbs. Though I don't work in the city yet I atleast get to take the train everyday. That alone has helped me feel like I truly live in Chicago.  My car now just mostly sits parked on the street out in front of the brownstone I live in.  Some other things that have changed are the fact that the last Lolla I went to I probably weighed 210ish and now I weigh around 175 so I think moving to the North side has been a great idea.

The 3 Dayers, Tim, Myself, and Katie in 2009!

The last lolla I went to I had just moved here and didn't really know anyone yet and the people I did know were not going so I had to make friends. I went with a girl I had met once through her roommate and her neighbor Tim who lived up stairs who I had never met before.  Two years later Katie is one of my go to friends when ever I want to go do things. One of the best things we did was our urban hike.  We walked 6.5 miles in 22 inches of snow all over Chicago on snowpocalypse.  This year I will be going with Katie and Tim again that is assuming Katie gets a 3 day pass before tomorrow at noon.  I will also be going with Nicki as well as possibly a few others.  First of all I have to get through a half day of work in the morning before any of this fun can really begin.  See you all at Lolla

Hike during Snowpocalypse in Feb 2011 

Falling, Yes I am Falling and she keeps calling me back again

You know those weekends that are just so great that you wish they never ended.  Well this weekend was one of them.  It all started out on Friday when my sister flew into O'Hare from Wyoming on her way to a wedding up in Wisconsin.  I have not seen my sister since January for my dads 60th birthday so it was great to get to see her.  Her friend Dana (my pseudo sister) also joined us for lunch.  We went to this little Thai place called Golden Elephant and then went and hung out at McDonald's while we waited for their ride to take them to the wedding.  It was the first time I have just hung out in Rosemont which was a weird concept but it wasn't really about where we hung out it was with whom I was hanging out that mattered.

After that I returned to the city and went downtown to meet up with my friend Kathryn who came into town to visit with her friend Kristin.  Showed them around a little bit and grabbed a drink on a patio at a bar in the loop and just caught up and watched people walking by.  I met Kathryn back at MSU during Izzone Campout but have not seen her since I graduated college.  It was really great to get together and catch up; almost felt like it was only a couple weeks ago that I had last seen her.  We continued the evening after drinks to one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago.  We went to Twist up in Wrigley and one of Kathryn's other friends who lives in Chicago came to meet up with us for dinner.  I have been going to this place even before I lived in Chicago and I have shared this with lots of people.  I was kinda bummed to have to go home when we finished dinner, which is when the restaurant asked us nicely to leave because they were trying to close.  Not the first nor the last time that will happen to me at Twist.

Yoga in the Park

Kathryn, Myself, and Kristin at the beach

 I ended my Friday night a bit early so that I could get my 7 mile run in before it got hot out on Saturday.  Brittani and I grabbed our yoga mats and ran down to Millennium Park to do yoga and pilates after our run.  The sun kicked my ass but it was a great work out and its so nice to work out in the park.  The run was rough as well as the pilates (first time doing this) but I am glad I did it.  I was finished with my morning workout by 10am and had the whole day left to have fun.  I gathered my things and met back up with Kathryn and Kristin and continued to show them around Chicago a little bit more.  We went to Oak Street Beach first.  I had never been to this beach but it was quite nice though a little more crowded then I am used to and it also had a european feel to it.  I have always know there is a park right next to this beach but I have never explored that until now.  After we were done at the beach we wandered around Olive Park.  I think we saw 5 or 6 weddings all out there getting photos taken.  We felt a tad out of place because we know we were in the background but there wasn't really anywhere else for us to go and after all it is a public park so whatever.

Oak Street Beach

Living in Chicago I try avoid touristy areas but I must say this time didn't annoy me like I was afraid it would have.  We walked over to Navy Pier and purchased tickets for the Architecture Boat Tour and then wandered around weaving our way though people.  Kristin pointed out a Mexican restaurant I never even knew existed so we went up there and tried that.  We split the nachos and a pitcher of margaretta and enjoyed the afternoon overlooking the city while we waited for the tour to begin.  When it was time to go find our tour boat I felt like a tourist as much as the real tourist.  I was lost by the directions the guy gave us and I had no idea there were more docks outside of the gated area of Navy Pier. 

Wrigley and Tribune Tower

Marina City

Once we found the boat dock and boarded we started out on our architectural tour.  Everyone has told me this is a must do activity and since I have lived here over two and half years and never done this I left it was time.  I know a good amount about the history and architecture of Chicago so I wasn't sure if I would really learn much but to my surprise I did learn a few new things.   I personally think I could have given a better a tour even with out those few things I learned.  I did not know it was the railways that started the paying for airspace above the ground here in Chicago and that the building that stands on the site of Fort Dearborn was one of the winners of a design contest.  I was disappointed in the fact that there was no mention of the uniqueness of the bridge houses.  There are 30 some draw bridges in Chicago and each one has a bridge house that is built differently than any other on the river.  Overall the tour was really good and enjoyable and it was just a great day to be out of the water.

Architecture Tour

We took a little break for a while before we all met back up to go grab hot dogs and watch the fireworks at Navy Pier.  We found my go to vendor on the pier with the cheap drafts and we wandered down to the end where we found a spot to sit and watch the fireworks.  I forget how many great things Chicago offers that are free!  The firework show was pretty nice and had music playing in the background.  I can not recall if the fireworks went to the music, I assume so, but I'm not really sure.  After the fireworks were finished we headed back to their hotel and then out to Kate's place in Wicker Park and joined her for some wine of her rooftop.

Me, Kristin, and Kathryn after the fireworks

We would have been just fine staying at Kate's house drinking some wine but we decided it was a better idea to do shots and head over to Nick's Beergarden at 2am.  Once we were there what else are you going to drink but the $5 shot and a beer deal!  So after 2 of those and not even finishing the second beer I was a pretty happy kid.  The night was filled with dancing, singing along to songs, and hanging out with everyone.  Eventually we pulled our selves away from the bar to Jimmy Johns for some late night food before hopping on the blue line back to Kathryn and Kristin's hotel.  I hope everyone else on the blue line was drunk cause I am sure we were a little obnoxious judging from the pictures.  After I grabbed my stuff from their room and said good bye I headed home.  I got off the train at Belmont and I had a shadow.  Yup you know its a successful night when the sun is rising and you are just walking in to your house at 5:10 in the morning.

Me, Kristin, and Kathryn on the blueline home

Promontory Point

My body hates me and will not let me sleep past 10:30 ever so I got up and just said screw it.  I called up my friend Bri and went down to Hyde Park to visit her for the day.  I have never been to Hyde Park other then the Museum of Science and Industry so this was a first for me.  I really love exploring the city of Chicago and all that it offers.  I was very impressed with Hyde Park and its appearance.  There were lots of really nice parks and some unique looking shops and lots of friendly people.  There was a festival going on so we wandered through that for a bit before heading over to the beach.  I was most impressed by the beach that isn't really a beach.  It is on Promontory Point and its not really a beach at all.  It looks to be some sort of remains of a pier that is half submerged which makes for great access to the lake.  There were just so many laided back chill people down there enjoying the 90 degree day playing in the water.  Since this isn't a real beach there were lots of dogs around playing too.  I wish I could bring my dog down there he would have loved it.  This is a great place to grab a tube and just float around all afternoon or if you want to actually swim in water that is over your head where life guards are not yelling at you.

After my weekend and afternoon in Hyde Park I was pretty tired but my friend Rachel called me up and asked if I wanted to listen to the Paul McCartney concert from her rooftop so i went up and joined.  We got to listen to the first 5 or 6 songs before some creeper came up.  He was filming us and then asking my friend what unit she lived in and just all around a little sketchy so we ended our viewing and went inside.  I left shortly after and rode my bike home and went right under Wrigley Field.  While I was biking past Paul McCartney was playing "I've Just Seen A Face" which is probably my favorite Beatles song and now it has been stuck in my head and I just keep singing "falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again."  It was just one of those weekend I wish would never have ended but since it did end I hope that real soon I can have another weekend as awesome as this one was!  Thanks everyone who was involved it was really great!