Day Four at Lolla and Top 10 Lessons Learned

After 3 days and 24 hours of festival time we finally made it to Sunday.  We were running on fumes by the last day. Thank goodness the first artist on the teen list was later in the day!  Late start getting out the door and decided to not brave the subway and uber in style down to the park.  By this point, we no longer made sure that the teenagers filled up their Camelbacks. They made it this far; they will be fine!  

 Teezo Touchdown was up first so we said goodbye to the girls in the long GA line while we headed to the much faster VIP entrance. Headed right to the bar for a drink and sat in the shade to enjoy some of the band, Waterparks, from the IMG Hotel stage.    

One of the main acts we were excited to see that day was Teddy Swims.  Leading up to Lolla I used Spotify to listen to Lollapalooza playlists as to familiarize myself with some of the music and his music really grabbed my attention. Swims from Conyers, GA crosses over many genres including R&B, Soul and Country and has also played in many hard rock and progressive bands throughout Atlanta.   
 
Typical of others at Lollapalooza, Swims started to gain attention on YouTube, his covers of Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Shania Twain have been viewed over 100 million times.   Born Jalen Dimsdale, Swims’ stage name is an acronym Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes which gives him the opportunity to take on a new persona while on stage.   There are multiple sides to Swims.  At first look, Swims has a shaved head and blue bandana and follows in the footsteps of Post Malone and Jelly Roll with his love of face tattoos.   However, once he starts talking to the crowd, he really is just a big softie as is conveying through his melodic voice.  Think of Chris Stapleton raised on R&B and Soul music in the dirty south and that is Teddy Swims. His hit song Lose Control, Swims had the crowd swaying and singing along the whole time and even took the time to sign a fan’s Georgia Bulldog shirt mid performance.  Swims is now a regular on my Spotify from his “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1)” and I look forward to Part 2. 

I still needed a little more hard rock in my life, so we stayed at the T-Mobile stage after Teddy for the emo pop-punk rock band Pierce the Veil out of California.  Started in San Diego, they have had 5 studio albums and toured worldwide since their formation in 2007.  Pierce the Veil incorporates the SoCal sound in their hard-core songs and were just what I needed to give me some energy to get through the rest of the night.    

Spent the rest of our time exploring the areas we did not get to see during the week like the Coca-Cola roller rink and all the yummy treats at Dessert Island. We then met up with the teenagers for a silent disco (Sorry Blink 182 I was out voted) before calling it a night and headed back to reality. 

Top 10 Things You Need to Know for Lollapalooza 

1. It is going to be hot.   I know it is Chicago and it is near the lake, but every day was hotter than the last.  Rain and clouds did not last, and the sun comes back. 

2. You can stay 1-2 miles away from Grant Park and still get in and out of the festival in about 20-30 minutes.   You can get a day pass for the subway for $5- (get the Ventra app) or if you have a bigger group Ubers are everywhere. 

3. Expect to miss some of the acts you love. There are two main stages, about a mile apart and they are going to make sure that both stages are going at the same time. 

4. Explore all the areas. Bacardi Silent Disco, Toyota Music Den, Bud Light Backyard, Dessert Island, Kidzapalooza 

5. Take advantage of the freebies. Got a custom hat from Waterloo, socks from Toyota and koozie from Bud Light 

6. Forget something? There is a Bodega right next to the big fountain where you can get sunglasses, sunscreen, toiletries, fans, and glow sticks 

7. If you can afford it, VIP is worth it. They have multiple shaded areas with seating and large misting fans.  Free glitter and hair tent.  Golf cart shuttle between the main stages.  NO LINE for the air-conditioned bathrooms.   If you have teenagers send them into gen pop. 

8. Bring a water bottle. They have water stations everywhere.   

9. Expect to pay a lot for drinks.  $13 for beers/seltzers and $16/$26 for single/double cocktails. 

10. Try some new music. Research some of the artists before you go. The Toyota Music Den and BMI stages are great for the up and comers. Remember, most of the big names started out playing early on a small stage!