I am a firm believer that 95% of festivals are no longer cool.
The market is oversaturated, the bar for small bands is too low and the commodification and democratization of stardom has made big bands seem blasé.
Plainly stated, music doesn’t feel important any more.
I’m not seeing many, if any, baby bands that feel like they’re going to set the world on fire – and I am certainly not seeing many big artists that will go down in the annals of history.
And festivals feel the same.
Coachella is a ‘wannabe influencer’ petri dish, Reading & Leeds have pop acts gracing their stages and Glastonbury is now Coachella with more mud.
And worst of all, there’s Lollapalooza…
What was once a haven for everything alternative has become yet another destination, Coachella-lite festival.
But it wasn’t always that way – once, it was a bright, shining beacon of transgression in a sea of country-club, khaki approved pop.
MTV Time Machine
Streaming on Paramount+, “LOLLA: The story of Lollapalooza” charts the rise, fall, and rebirth of Lollapalooza from Perry Farrell’s Glastonbury inspired dream to the multi-million dollar Chicago festival.
It’s a long and bumpy ride that stretches from equipment frying heatwaves that enraged a baby-faced Trent Reznor to stuffed shirt meetings to introduce collaboration with the Austin City Limits team.
But narratively aside, the footage of yesterday’s Lolla was what I fell in love with.
From Body Count to Ben Folds Five, the early days and death knells of Lollapalooza were diligently captured by MTV camera crews and Fans alike.
I grew up hearing my dad’s Lolla-land adventures from the 90s, a former festival devotee, and I so badly wanted to step foot in that sea.
And while time travel certainly isn’t an option, it was an option to sit down and watch this with him – courtesy commentary provided.
We’ve all seen the videos of Eddie Vedder monkey bar-ing it across the stage, but it’s different to see that video with live feedback from your old man who was there.
So, not only did I get my trip in the way back machine, I got to know a little bit more about my dad during his 20-something-ne’er-do-well heyday.
Speaking of Dads…
Jane’s Addiction comes to Red Hat:
Do you have a reformed alternative parent?
Does said parent need a kick in the ass to remember they’re still alive?
Do you have the music taste of a middle-aged man?
If so, I have wonderful news for you:
In what I can only describe as an alt-rock wet dream, Jane’s Addiction’s original line up of Perry Ferrell, Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins are returning to the stage supported by Love and Rockets.
So, if you’re looking to kill time on a Tuesday Night with your Ma and/or Pops, watching them revert back to whatever college delinquents they were, this is the show for you.
Besides, what’s more rock-n-roll than ignoring the looming 9-5 Wednesday morning wake-up call to go to a show?
