"...a truly eclectic mix of artists who weren’t pigeonholed by one particular genre...."
The old show business institution vaudeville was very much like this, since musical performers were featured on the same bill with comedians and more exotic performers, such as trained animals or acrobats. It was really there where the current obsession with getting the audience's attention immediately and keeping it began, because if the act couldn't do that, it got sacked. Nearly all of the greatest comedians of the 20th century were employed in it at one time or another.
Whereas "lollapalooza" doesn't have a clear origin, "vaudeville" does: it's an English corruption of the French term "Vaux De Ville" (Voice Of The City).
Vaudeville was intended by its exhibitors to be family friendly. But it had an evil twin in the form of burlesque, whose content was considerably more raunchy.
While I did not attend any Lollapaloozas in the 90s, I did manage to attend what was arguably the largest toga party in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1978. I'm hoping there are no photos of me.
I honestly didn't start listening to music regularly and finding my personal preferences until the early 2000s in Denmark. When I first moved from Ukraine in 1996, I came with a bunch of cassette tapes (yes!) my 10-years-older brother recorded for me, mostly 2Pac, Coolio, and a bunch of other rap and hip-hop artists of the time.
I haven't been to too many live concerts in general, but the most memorable was a Linkin Park one in Forum (Copenhagen) back in the mid-2000s when Chester was still alive.
Dubbed tapes were everything in the mid 90s! That was how music went viral.
Hip hop in the 90s was commercial, to be sure, but also very anti-establishment in its own way. I've come to really appreciate that window that includes Biggie and 2Pac.
King Crimson at the Whiskey a Go Go was the closest I got to anything like that. My sister's friend took me, maybe I was 15? The Whiskey is a small club and we muscled up right next to stage. I couldn't hear for a week.
Wow, classic band! I guess that would have been the very early 80s. "21st Century Schizoid Man" was just so innovative and amazing for its time, and it certainly helped to create modern metal, punk, thrash... you name it.
Yeah I'm 10 years ahead of you, would've been 15 in 80. My sister's friends were artists, Marcus the dude I went with became an animator for Hanna Barbara last I knew. I remember the stick bass. Court of the Crimson King - looong ass songs, so good. Was also nerd
Interesting to follow the folks who had these eclectic tastes through life. Not shockingly, many of the punk and art friends I had ended up being really creative in later life, too.
I saw one of the later ones from the first incarnation. I got on the guest list because a friend’s brothers’ band (Versus)was playing one of the second stages. I don’t really remember much beyond their set. I think they were a lot of those “alternative to what?” bands playing and I was waaaay to cool to watch them. 🤣
I thought it was 93 or 94 but it must’ve been then if Wikipedia says so lol. I was living in San Francisco then but I did take a few trips back to Detroit where I saw it so maybe on one of those trips?
I keep on having to say, "Wait, that was WHAT year now" quite frequently. Also, things I thought I did for like 8 years? I probably did seriously for more like 2 or 3 years.
"...a truly eclectic mix of artists who weren’t pigeonholed by one particular genre...."
The old show business institution vaudeville was very much like this, since musical performers were featured on the same bill with comedians and more exotic performers, such as trained animals or acrobats. It was really there where the current obsession with getting the audience's attention immediately and keeping it began, because if the act couldn't do that, it got sacked. Nearly all of the greatest comedians of the 20th century were employed in it at one time or another.
Whereas "lollapalooza" doesn't have a clear origin, "vaudeville" does: it's an English corruption of the French term "Vaux De Ville" (Voice Of The City).
Neat! Voice of the city, indeed. Was vaudeville considered subversive? Might be a fun thread to unravel some time.
Vaudeville was intended by its exhibitors to be family friendly. But it had an evil twin in the form of burlesque, whose content was considerably more raunchy.
While I did not attend any Lollapaloozas in the 90s, I did manage to attend what was arguably the largest toga party in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1978. I'm hoping there are no photos of me.
I truly yearn for more embarrassing photos of myself.
*from the past, I mean
In Soviet Ukraine, Lollapalooza moshes you...or something.
All of this is to say: Nope, no Lollapalooza for me. I only ever use the term in roughly the same way as "bonanza."
Did you ever go see any punk shows as a teenager? What was the scene like in the early 2000s or late 90s?
I honestly didn't start listening to music regularly and finding my personal preferences until the early 2000s in Denmark. When I first moved from Ukraine in 1996, I came with a bunch of cassette tapes (yes!) my 10-years-older brother recorded for me, mostly 2Pac, Coolio, and a bunch of other rap and hip-hop artists of the time.
I haven't been to too many live concerts in general, but the most memorable was a Linkin Park one in Forum (Copenhagen) back in the mid-2000s when Chester was still alive.
Dubbed tapes were everything in the mid 90s! That was how music went viral.
Hip hop in the 90s was commercial, to be sure, but also very anti-establishment in its own way. I've come to really appreciate that window that includes Biggie and 2Pac.
King Crimson at the Whiskey a Go Go was the closest I got to anything like that. My sister's friend took me, maybe I was 15? The Whiskey is a small club and we muscled up right next to stage. I couldn't hear for a week.
Wow, classic band! I guess that would have been the very early 80s. "21st Century Schizoid Man" was just so innovative and amazing for its time, and it certainly helped to create modern metal, punk, thrash... you name it.
Yeah I'm 10 years ahead of you, would've been 15 in 80. My sister's friends were artists, Marcus the dude I went with became an animator for Hanna Barbara last I knew. I remember the stick bass. Court of the Crimson King - looong ass songs, so good. Was also nerd
Interesting to follow the folks who had these eclectic tastes through life. Not shockingly, many of the punk and art friends I had ended up being really creative in later life, too.
I saw one of the later ones from the first incarnation. I got on the guest list because a friend’s brothers’ band (Versus)was playing one of the second stages. I don’t really remember much beyond their set. I think they were a lot of those “alternative to what?” bands playing and I was waaaay to cool to watch them. 🤣
Was it 95? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lollapalooza_lineups_by_year
For being only 17 years old at the time, I sure had everything figured out. Jebus.
I thought it was 93 or 94 but it must’ve been then if Wikipedia says so lol. I was living in San Francisco then but I did take a few trips back to Detroit where I saw it so maybe on one of those trips?
I keep on having to say, "Wait, that was WHAT year now" quite frequently. Also, things I thought I did for like 8 years? I probably did seriously for more like 2 or 3 years.