death of the alternafest

June 22, 2004 9:15 AM

After 14 years of highly successful nationwide tours that began the trend of the multi-stage, summer super rock fest, Lollapalooza 2004 has been cancelled due to low ticket sales. I went to a 1991 show, and attended half a dozen other similar fests in the past ten years, but as I've gotten older I've become a bigger fan of the intimate club vs. the gigantic rock festival. Still, Lollapalooza being cancelled comes as a shock, especially considering the stellar line-up on both stages.
posted by mathowie (66 comments total)

That is a shock; I was looking forward to PJ Harvey and Wilco.
posted by batboy at 9:17 AM on June 22, 2004

Has there been a Lollapalooza every year since 1991? I thought it disappeared back in the late 90s for a few years.

Never did see Lollapalooza, but I saw Nirvana twice, so nyah.
posted by keswick at 9:19 AM on June 22, 2004

I think there was a hiatus from '97 till last year.

I'm kinda conflicted about this. On the one hand, I really wanted to see the Pixies. On the other, I sure do hate giant outdoor music "festivals."
posted by myeviltwin at 9:26 AM on June 22, 2004

I once saw Metallica in a large outdoor stadium. Then I saw them in a small theater. I will never go to a stadium-type concert again.
posted by eas98 at 9:29 AM on June 22, 2004

That sucks. I was gonna go to the T.O. show. It was only $80 for a reserved seat two-day pass with about fifteen wicked bands, including The Pixies! I can't believe $80 Canadian is too much for people to spend on a two-day even with that many good bands.

Imminent demise of music predicted.
posted by The God Complex at 9:45 AM on June 22, 2004

Meanwhile, this side of the pond we'll be seing half the erstwhile LollapaLooza acts this weekend at Glastonbury 2004. If you ain't got your tickets - a lot of footage will be available on line, on tv and on the radio.

Prizes for counting the bands who would have been at LLPLZ from this list: Love with Arthur Lee
Suzanne Vega
Simon and Oscar (Ocean Colour Scene)
John Cooper Clarke
Hothouse Flowers
The Rutles
Oasis
Kings of Leon
PJ Harvey
Groove Armada
Elbow
Nelly Furtado
Wilco
Paul McCartney
Black Eyed Peas
Starsailor
Ben Harper
Lost Prophets
Scissor Sisters
Spearhead
Sister Sledge
Taima
Muse
Morrissey
Supergrass
James Brown
Christy Moore
Joss Stone
tbc
English National Opera
Town Band
Chemical Brothers
Goldfrapp
Franz Ferdinand
Snow Patrol
Basement Jaxx
Damien Rice
Von Bondies
British Sea Power
My Morning Jacket
Keane
Simple Kid
Orbital
Black Rebel Mc
Belle And Sebastien
Gomez
Eighties Mtachbox
Ordinary Boys
Divine Comedy
Zutons
Dennis Lecorriere
Naomi Klein
Hugh Cornwell
Mick Jones and Tony James
Jerry Dammers
Glen Tilbrook
Billy Bragg

Now thats a lineup!
posted by dash_slot- at 9:49 AM on June 22, 2004

(I thought the Pixies was NYC only.)

I really don't understand this. Is this the death-knell for progressive music? I haven't been to stadium show in 15 years, but I would have gone to this. Modest Mouse, Dresden Dolls, Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx? Kick ass lineup.
posted by jpoulos at 9:51 AM on June 22, 2004

Other than BRMC and Von Bondies, the artists in the big typeface are all 35 or older, aren't they? Geriatrapaloza! Might explain the lack of interest. I was already sick of big arena shows when Lollapalooza began. Might explain some of the disinterest.

Opinions on Bam Thwok?
posted by bendybendy at 9:54 AM on June 22, 2004

I hadn't heard much about Lollapalooza this year, though there has been some buzz for ozzfest.
posted by john m at 9:55 AM on June 22, 2004

It would have been an interesting show, but none of the headliners interested me. So that's one reason I can see that it wouldn't sell tickets.

Wonder if this means all those bands will be touring on their own?
posted by smackfu at 9:58 AM on June 22, 2004

Hey, 1993 called. It wants its breaking news back....

Snarkiness aside, I was disappointed to hear that it was cancelled, until I heard that The Pixies wouldn't have been at the one here in Maryland anyway. Are they ever going to announce a Baltimore/DC date, or do I have go to the one in Camden, NJ?

Actually, I guess any missed opportunity to see The Flaming Lips is a tragedy. Maybe they'll schedule a solo tour this summer.
posted by emptybowl at 10:01 AM on June 22, 2004

Morrissey headlining??? Kiss of death, baby, kiss of death!
posted by mischief at 10:10 AM on June 22, 2004

It would have been an interesting show, but none of the headliners interested me.

I'm curious, smackfu. If I may ask, how old are you? Am I just an old fart?

I can see where Morrissey and even SY would be seen as old folks music, but there are some new acts on there too.
posted by jpoulos at 10:15 AM on June 22, 2004

I never went to Lolla back in the day, and I wouldn't have gone this year either. All things considered, it's starting to seem like an oldies show. Questions of personal taste aside, isn't seeing Sonic Youth, P.J. Harvey and Morrissey in 2004 a bit like going to see Deep Purple, Foghat and Ten Years After in 1992?

disclaimer: I'm actually a fan of some of the acts on the bill, but that dosen't chang the fact that the aging-alt-rockers are starting to seem a lot like the aging hippies they once derided.
posted by jonmc at 10:27 AM on June 22, 2004

...began the trend of the multi-stage, summer super rock fest...

...in the US. The 'trend' had been going a while in Europe. e.g. Glastonbury.
posted by i_cola at 10:34 AM on June 22, 2004

I think the demise of Lollapalooza is linked to the rise of the camp-out type festival where one goes to a farm or other rural area, and camps there all weekend. A couple of examples would be Bonnaroo and Wakarusa, among many others.

By attending one of these types of events, you get to boycott SFX/Clearchannel and Ticketbastard, you get to stay there all weekend without having to drive in traffic in between, and the band lineups are usually quite good.

The drawbacks are atrocious traffic if you try to go in or out during a peak time, and the massive numbers of folks there.

I went to Bonnaroo and by and large enjoyed myself. I hate crowds and was a bit claustrophobic at times, but generally you could avoid most of it if you really wanted to. I showed up late and left early to avoid the traffic.

Another great benefit to this kind of show is you can bring all of your supplies. I came prepared and only spent $3 at the venue/campground area. you are allowed pretty much to take anything in with you to the concert venue as long as it is not in a glass vessel.

Being able to check out all number of new (to me) bands on the relatively uncrowded side stages was great. Finally getting to see David Byrne made the weekend for me though, that was great.

All in all, if I had a choice between a camp-in event and a "shed" event, i'd go to the camp in one. But, either one is kind of a pain in the ass. I think that is the direction of festivals, and one of the reasons Lollapalooza is dying.
posted by jester69 at 10:38 AM on June 22, 2004

PJ Harvey just put out an album and put one out four years ago. I don't think she's in any way a geriatric rocker.

Modest Mouse, Le Tigre, BRMC, The Von Bondies, T.V. on the Radio, and some of the others aren't old at all, at least not compared to what I'd consider an "old" band.

Besides, jonmc, we know you wouldn't go anyway. They're all new bands. And some of them are indie bands ;)
posted by The God Complex at 10:40 AM on June 22, 2004

Shocking are the planned dates for the event - Dallas, Tx: Tue & Wed. Then for So. Cal - Thur & Fri in Ventura. Thought Jane's Addiction were playing since after all its Perry Ferrell's event.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:40 AM on June 22, 2004

I have a feeling Oasis had to beg to get on the Glastonbury line-up.
posted by the fire you left me at 10:40 AM on June 22, 2004

PJ Harvey isn't very recent either. Flaming Lips are ancient. Pixies too. Modest Mouse too (despite their recent single). Most of these bands could have played an early 90's Lollapalooza without anyone blinking an eye.

Honestly, the only must-see on there for me would be Polyphonic Spree. BRMC would be interesting. The Von Bondies have one single that I would listen to, as I'm sure do a bunch of the other bands that I don't recognize the names of.

Crazy thing is that Warped Tour is arguable more successful than Lollapalooza. This is their 10th anniversary and they just get bigger and bigger. They're up to 150 bands or so -- pretty much every punk-ish group that isn't in the studio.
posted by smackfu at 10:42 AM on June 22, 2004

TGC: I was an indie guy for quite some time in the 80's and 90's, it's when the quality went down and the attitude went up that I defected.

But, come on, it's difficult to deny that Lolla was aiming at the aging 80's-90's hipster demographic. At that's it's undoing. The original fans of SY, The Pixies (both of whom I am a fan of) won't be showing up because it ain't the old days. They have dayjobs and kids and minivans and brunch dates now.

I also remember Perry "Jeeves, fetch my heroin" Farrell complaining that when Metallica and the Ramones played the fest, that it had "sold out," which just cements my distaste.

Get the Replacements and The Minutemen to show up and then I'd consider going. ;)
posted by jonmc at 10:47 AM on June 22, 2004

Thought Jane's Addiction were playing since after all its Perry Ferrell's event.


Jane's Addiction actually broke up but are reforming with a different name and new lead singer.
posted by drezdn at 10:52 AM on June 22, 2004

I know you were jon, but there are about a dozen other really quality bands on that lineup. Besides, there are tons of kids my age who love the pixies and sonic youth.

Also, your opinion about indie music is, as always, contested by me, although in a wholly unpretentious way! ;)
posted by The God Complex at 10:53 AM on June 22, 2004

Again, TGC, that may be true, but the core audience for all those bands is aging. As I typed that last entry, two mid-30's co-workers were discussing how they would've maybe enjoyed going but that it would be a bitch getting a babysitter and sitting in a stadium all day would've been hell on their lower backs.

We're getting old. We have to accept it. Put on your bermuda shorts, complain about the lawn. Embrace the future.
posted by jonmc at 11:01 AM on June 22, 2004

Jane's Addiction actually broke up but are reforming with a different name and new lead singer.
How recent was this. Recently saw them on the Jimmy Kimmel show & SNL playing & promoting a new album. Only heard about the event through these shows. Maybe with them breaking up then the low ticket sales caused the cancellation.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:10 AM on June 22, 2004

I'm only 22--no bermuda shorts for me yet, unless I'm golfing ;)

I still think it's a shame that when a far above average festival like that is planned that people can't seem to be bothered to spend a pretty small amount of money to see two days worth of great music. I mean, sure, I like seeing bands in smaller, more intimate settings, but it would probably cost $80 just to see three of those bands in a smaller setting.

And sure, not everyone is going to be able to go, but it's pretty amazing they couldnt get enough people to that festival lineup to at least make a go of it without losing millions of dollars.
posted by The God Complex at 11:10 AM on June 22, 2004

Mathowie wrote:

"Still, Lollapalooza being cancelled comes as a shock, especially considering the stellar line-up on both stages."

This is not a shock. Some marketing genius decided two create a two-day festival of bands whose primary fans are (as noted above) in their late-20s to late-30s, i.e., the type of people who are going to have a hard enough time taking out one day thanks to jobs, kids, etc. I mean, come on: Pixies? Morrisey? PJ Harvey? Wilco? All listened to by 32-year-old hipsters with oval glasses, striped button-up shirts and 40GB iPods -- and real live jobs that require their presence for meetings and crap like that.

I remember hearing the line-up when they announced it and thinking it was a great set, but the idea of making a two-day commitment; well, it wasn't there, and I'm a freelance writer who doesn't need to convince my boss to let me go. They should have tightened up and done one day.
posted by jscalzi at 11:11 AM on June 22, 2004

I don't see why bands (or fans) being older would result in lower ticket sales. Wasn't Springsteen's recent tour the biggest in years? Older people have the money that teenagers don't. Lollapalooza was relatively cheap as far as festival shows go, but I know that when I was 16, $80 for a concert ticket was out of the question.

I would chalk this failure up to mismanagement from a marketing standpoint or an overall economic trend (the site points out that other festival tours are sufferring from poor ticket sales too) than from something inherent in the audience or their feelings about the bands.
posted by jpoulos at 11:12 AM on June 22, 2004

Upon further review, I think jscalzi nails it. A little from column A, a little from column B.
posted by jpoulos at 11:14 AM on June 22, 2004

Um, I'm going to put in a good word for 20 year olds here by saying that I was looking forward to this and am not, in point of fact, geriatric (or even close to it).

Everything old is new again. My fifteen year old sister said she'd also like to dispell the notion that this was a geriatric fest, since she and a gaggle of her (fifteen to seventeen year old) friends were intending to go.
posted by u.n. owen at 11:18 AM on June 22, 2004

Springsteen's shows are one-night affairs that last a couple hours, jpoulos. A festival is a whole other ballgame. And there's all the attendant hassles of parking, traffic and sleeping arrangements are a lot less tolerable as you get older.

Older people have the money that teenagers don't.

And a lot of those 18-year olds at the first Lolla shows went on their parents dime.
posted by jonmc at 11:19 AM on June 22, 2004

sitting in a stadium all day would've been hell on their lower backs.
The venue in Dallas has mostly lawn seating and areas outside the stage for show booths which may have been for all the venues. Lots of walking at these events though which as you grow older is a pain.

Add for Dallas - for the last 3 years most big rock shows have skipped the area completely, U2 to name one. This a town & area where a lot of grunge & alternative bands spent time before making it big. Alternative music may not be dead, just one hit wonders today and the venues and style’s of seeing music has changed. Look at Boy George, he dj’s now because that is what the younger money spending ones want. Plus he makes like $50,000 for 4 hours work with little setting & spending money in a large venue.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:25 AM on June 22, 2004

one wonders why coachella did so well? it was also a two day festival, had a somewhat similar lineup (although more focus on electronic music and djs, but they share the pixies, flaming lips, basement jaxx) and was more expensive.

i wonder if it's just that the crowd interested in both these shows have all been to 3 or 4 lollapaloozas but that coachella, being only a few years old, has more "i'm new and hip" chic.
posted by christy at 11:25 AM on June 22, 2004

Coachella's in California, christy, being an aging hipster dosen't seem quite as ridiculous there. :)
posted by jonmc at 11:29 AM on June 22, 2004

I think the demise of Lollapalooza is linked to the rise of the camp-out type festival where one goes to a farm or other rural area, and camps there all weekend. A couple of examples would be Bonnaroo and Wakarusa, among many others...

And jester69 nails it with a great comment. (And don't forget Coachella!)
posted by Asparagirl at 11:33 AM on June 22, 2004

older people have the money that teenagers don't. and a lot of those 18-year olds at the first lolla shows went their parents dime.

jon, The teen working force is the largest it's ever been. Not everyone is given money to by their parents but you pointing it out does not defend yourself. Please for yourself, you make “you” look petty here. I live in a town today full of estate-babies which is more than suffice to say about them since their actions in life show their nic name with out anyone knowing their worth. Add most rockers from Southern California went to public high schools a lot would may consider for the “rich.” But it does not make their home then a rich family with money.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:39 AM on June 22, 2004

FWIW - PJ Harvey kicked some serious ass at her concert here in Rome this past Sunday. And the crowd ranged from spliff smoking early-20 year olds to the white haired gentleman and wife in front of me.

I love concerts here in Italy. Not only are the venues generally much smaller than I'd find in the States, but thanks to the average national height, I can actually see at least 50% of the concert. And that white haired gentleman? Dude was getting his freak on to Polly. I didn't know if he was going to orgasm or have a heart attack. 'Twas very cool.[/OT]
posted by romakimmy at 11:39 AM on June 22, 2004

My above comment did not post right {may be the errors were experiencing}
Please add this above & un-italicized my comment.


posted by thomcatspike at 11:43 AM on June 22, 2004

Sorry, still having errors, damn "italicized".

<Older people have the money that teenagers don't.

jon said "And a lot of those 18-year olds at the first Lolla shows went on their parents dime."
posted by thomcatspike at 11:47 AM on June 22, 2004

stellar line-up

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Good gag.

But seriously -- I think the popularity of such massive "rock-fests" is going to decrease dramatically over the next few years -- the music-loving crowd is being splintered and divided up into way too many little slices to support such large-scale endeavors.
posted by davidmsc at 11:47 AM on June 22, 2004

This is really unfortunate, as I was looking forward to it as well seeing some bands that I really like and not having to endure the likes of Staind, Korn and Limp Bizkit to get to the good stuff. I'm guessing, but it seems that the problem is that many of these bands appeal more to people of my age group (I went to Lollapaloozas I, II and III in the 90s when I was in my mid 20s), and not the younger teens and twenties crowd that gets up for this kind of event. Could be that geezers like me are just not into the large festival shows anymore. That's personally the case for me, but I was willing to suck it up to see the Pixies one more time. :-(
posted by psmealey at 11:47 AM on June 22, 2004

emptybowl, the Pixies show in DC is prolly going to be at Constitution Hall in October, or so I've heard. Don't wet your pants (or drive to Jersey).
posted by shoepal at 11:49 AM on June 22, 2004

Does everyone buy tickets well in advance now? Is it like the movies, where it only seems to "count" when the ticket is purchased during the first weekend of release? What percentage of capacity needs to be filled to make money -- I imagine that some of these bands are going to be scrambling to find ways of making money this summer.

They can take my 'palooza since the Pixies claim to be taking their cash grabbing tour to NYC in December (please don't let them play their new "song"), but they'll have to pry Curiosa from my aging, whiny goth fingers ...
posted by armacy at 11:50 AM on June 22, 2004

thom, I din't mean to imply that Lolla was wholly attended by rich kids, just that I happened to know several people who did attend this and other festivals because they had their tickets paid for them by their parents. When it's your own money you're a little more stingy. It's an explanation, not an attack.
posted by jonmc at 12:00 PM on June 22, 2004

Does everyone buy tickets well in advance now? Unless you want to wait in long lines, the day of the event you can purchase front row seats at the venue. Either from the ticket booth or scalpers which usually the best deal in town.

jon I look young and was at that event with my hard earned cash so may be taking it personally. Know you're not attacking but its the parents money to do as they wish.

Now if you are saying it was sold out because ones whom went only because it was free - can agree.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:11 PM on June 22, 2004

why can't i kill the italics!

we're all old fuckers. i *love* most of those bands and i wouldn't pay shit for all of them together. each one headlining at the Fillmore, Great American, Warfield ... maybe. i'd rather just stay at home and download their latest albums.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:23 PM on June 22, 2004

Question - small venues the best?
posted by thomcatspike at 12:24 PM on June 22, 2004

I saw Nirvana twice, so nyah.

I saw Hendrix twice, so nyah nyah.
posted by timeistight at 12:29 PM on June 22, 2004

Question - small venues the best?

I think so, but festivals can be fun if the lineup is good.
posted by The God Complex at 12:41 PM on June 22, 2004

The original fans of SY, The Pixies (both of whom I am a fan of) won't be showing up because it ain't the old days.

Certainly a non-scientific sampling, but I have to point out that every single male (and a bunch of females) I know in my mid-30's-with-kids demo is lining up to make sure they can score tickets to a rumored run of five Pixies shows here in Boston around Christmas/New Year's. Quite a few were planning to travel to the NY 'palooza as well.
posted by jalexei at 12:42 PM on June 22, 2004

For me, I enjoy a lot of the bands that would have been playing this, but I hate large festivals (also reunion tours). If I would have went, I probably wouldn't have bought tickets until the day of the show.
posted by drezdn at 12:51 PM on June 22, 2004

christy - "one wonders why coachella did so well? it was also a two day festival, had a somewhat similar lineup (although more focus on electronic music and djs, but they share the pixies, flaming lips, basement jaxx) and was more expensive."

True, but I made the pilgrimage to Coachella from NC, and the Pixies were the deciding factor (also went to see Air, Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Death Cab, etc...). When the Coachella lineup was announced back in Feb/Mar, that was the Pixies' one big show announced - excluding their micro warm-up tour. I met a TON of people there that weekend, and everyone that I met actually committed to go to the show to see the Pixies. Of course, a month or so before Coachella they announced their huge followup summer tour, but it was still amazing to see their first 'BIG' US show in a decade or so... Also, wasn't the only Pixies lollapalooza date the NYC show?
posted by skechada at 1:26 PM on June 22, 2004

Time Out New York has been saying that the Pixies will hold court in NYC sometime in December, which would lend support to the idea of the Fantasy New Years Eve Concert in Boston (and then I suppose the four of them go disappear and count their money)
posted by armacy at 1:51 PM on June 22, 2004

If I would have went, I probably wouldn't have bought tickets until the day of the show.

agreed. i think this is much more of a "oh all those bands are touring separately anyway ... but i might splurge for $75 (or whatever) b/c i just got paid" kind of thing.

i bet it would have done alright in the end. (tho Radiohead would obviously make a nice addition).

they definitely needed someone a bit more current. and big. ... maybe festivals are on their way out
posted by mrgrimm at 2:03 PM on June 22, 2004

I was at Coachella, and about twenty feet from the rail during the Pixies. It was madness-- enough so that I was spending most of my time trying to keep on my feet rather than paying as close attention to the band as I had hoped to-- and I was surrounded by teenagers and people in their early twenties who were going nuts, and who knew all the words to all the songs (and who sent up a huge cheer when Kim Deal first appeared on the big screens, looking gloriously like an ordinary middle aged woman, and who was making no concessions to glamour). The Pixies have picked up a whole new fanbase over the last 10 years, and I would imagine that young people are constantly discovering Sonic Youth, and I hope PJ Harvey (and she's only a decade or so into her career).

Coachella's in California, christy, being an aging hipster dosen't seem quite as ridiculous there. :)

Putting aside the loaded term "hipster" and substituting "music fan", can someone tell me why I should abandon my love for good music, and my desire to see it live, just 'cause I'm in my forties? Yeah, I felt self-conscious at Coachella amongst all that youthful beauty, but so what? Why shouldn't I be there? I know that doesn't address the cancellation of Lolla, which did shock me, and which I would have liked to attend, even though I couldn't have afforded to travel to see it. (I was put off at the thought of it taking place in an arena rather than a large outdoor venue, though.)
posted by jokeefe at 2:11 PM on June 22, 2004

.
posted by Quartermass at 2:42 PM on June 22, 2004

increment the count of "people who are not aging hipsters who would have still loved to see many of the bands at lollapalooza." sonic youth, the pixies, modest mouse, broken social scene, the flaming lips, wolf eyes. and bands that are good, if overhyped - wilco, the dresden dolls, tv on the radio, and such. damn. but i'll admit i hadn't bought tickets yet... like drezdn, i find huge festivals to be very stressful. i would have probably ended up buying tickets to the NY show a week before it happened, at the earliest. a great many of the people i know were planning something similar.

a great disappointment, in any case.


posted by ubersturm at 4:12 PM on June 22, 2004

I want bragging rights for having gone to the first Lollapalooza EVAR! The first. Outside Phoenix. Yep. Trent Reznor threw his keyboard on the ground and stomped off the stage mid-song on song number 2. We were SHOCKED! SHOCKED AND DISMAYED!
heh.
posted by BrodieShadeTree at 4:15 PM on June 22, 2004

Heh. Dreadlocked Trent in the middle of the day. *chuckle*
posted by keswick at 4:55 PM on June 22, 2004

FWIW--Lolla in LA was slated to have the Pixies. Dunno if Coachella affected ticket sales or not for the SoCal Lolla, but every Pixies fan I knew saw them already at Coachella.
posted by herc at 5:31 PM on June 22, 2004

My wife and I went on a Disney cruise last fall. [Save your heckling until the end of the rant please, anything you could say has already been established.]

Yeah, a Disney cruise. On a Disney ship. To, among other places, the Disney-owned island in the Bahamas. What was playing on the ship's music-video channel? Well, it was a pretty eclectic lineup, but it was cemented by Hilary Duff, a couple of those St. Louis slurry-but-not-quite-crunk rappers, the Donnas, and... JANE'S ADDICTION.

I have to admit, I had a great time.
posted by britain at 7:11 PM on June 22, 2004

jester69: I saw David Byrne recently (Calvin Theater Northampton MA June 6), and back in like 1997 at Tanglewood for his Feelings tour. He was better back then, IMO, he's kind of getting mellow-rock now. Back then, though, he had this frizzy haired dancer, which was kinda stupid :P
posted by abcde at 8:03 PM on June 22, 2004

Meanwhile, over in Germany, the Zillo Fest is still going strong.
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:59 PM on June 22, 2004

I would love to have seen the Pixies...and there were some of the smaller bands I haven't seen that I would like to have seen, but...I don't go to Clear Channel events.

I'm glad I caught the first few Lollas...but really, after 3 of them, I was pretty tired of the insane traffic, the unwashed masses and their utter lack of toilet training, and the $.50 per ounce bottled water. And that was over 10 years ago.

And even if I didn't boycott Clear Channel productions, a two day event in the middle of the week is just bloody insane with a lineup like that. While I will grant that those artists may have attracted a younger fan base, their core base is, as others have mentioned, over 30, employed, may have kids, any number of reasons that make a multiday event a bad idea...but doing it in the middle of the week is just stupid.
posted by dejah420 at 9:07 PM on June 22, 2004

What do you expect when you make Morissey the top act?
posted by angry modem at 9:02 AM on June 24, 2004

Perry Farrell Not Giving Up On This Year's Lollapalooza
posted by thomcatspike at 12:12 PM on June 25, 2004