Equally as important to the Lollapalooza experience as the time spent in Grant Park is the time spent at the Lollapalooza after parties. With the additional official and unofficial shows after it’s lights out at Grant, Lollapalooza becomes a 24 hour experience, three days of the week as festival goers pour the park’s gates into various clubs, venues and hotels throughout Chicago.
PopWreckoning made it to a few of the after shows. Friday, it was off to Belve Nights: a party at the Hard Rock Hotel that’s popular amongst some of the more VIP Lolla attendees. It helps that this Belve Night featured a DJ set by Matt and Kim and performances from acts such as Neon Trees and Hockey to draw out a big crowd.
Neon Trees were an act that had already blown festival-goers away during their Lollapalooza set earlier that day. The act already seems to be following hot in the footsteps of similar band, The Killers. They continued to own the stage as the singer prowled the stage. The set was a brief five songs, but the band left the audience hungry for more.
Hockey followed Neon Trees with a pop rock set that was just a teaser for the even more energetic set they’d deliver in Grant Park the following day. Beginning with current single, “Song Away,” they band also played some new material and older tunes such as “Too Fake.” Hockey had their set cut short at Lolla 2009, so it was great to see them living up Lolla 2010 with extra performances.
Saturday night, PopWreckoning ventured out on the CTA to a free show at the Bottom Lounge. This show featured a couple of amazing local acts and a few national acts – free for those who had RSVP. Gotta love free.
Though energy was waning quickly for many at this point (a long day walking the grounds at a festival spanning a park that’s over a mile-long will do that), each of the pop rock bands, The Spinto Band, Skybox and Jukebox the Ghost, brought a fun quirkiness to their tunes and a contagious enthusiasm. The Spinto Band even divided the audience up into three parts to be a train at one point. Odd, but fun:
Skybox:
Jukebox the Ghost:
Sunday, PopWreckoning returned to the Hard Rock Hotel for another Belve Nights. This evening, Glassnote was bringing the best of its roster.
Among the performances was Mumford and Sons. This UK act is already being praised as one of the best Lolla acts in general and one listen to their harmonies, funky bass lines (upright bass lines, no less!) and heart-wrenching lyrics, it’s easy to see why. “Little Lion Man” is a good place to start for those unfamiliar with their tunes.
After Mumford, it was the crooning, experimental rock band The Temper Trap. Many are familiar with them for “Sweet Disposition,” which was on the “(500) Days of Summer” sound track. And while that song is indicative of some of the other fantastic, rollicking-guitar riffs they produce, it doesn’t really do them justice. Although, perhaps it is better that way because then audience members are extra surprised when the singer pours water on a tom drum and beats a spray of water and heavy beats midway through the set.
Perhaps the highlight of this evening was when Mumford and Sons returned to perform with The Temper Trap. It was like everyone at Belve Nights was a part of a big family: the band, audience members (both VIP and average folk) and even the staff on hand that night. It was extra special when Glassnote’s founder even came out and echoed the sentiment. What a perfect way to end Lollapalooza….well almost. There was a one final treat. Lollapalooza headliners and Glassnote members, Phoenix, though tardy to the party due to another aftershow performance, closed out the night with a DJ set. What a way to end 2010!
