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i had the same experience. people were talking too much at radiohead i did not like lolla as much as roo but then ...it was just a different sort of thing. to me there wasnt a sense of community. there were not as many free attractions and other things to do there - but then the shows didnt last as long. i didnt think there was as much variety for food either.
i think there are lolla people and there are roo people -we are roo people!
We had the discussion about people at Lolly in general just weren't as into the music....that it was a much more "casual" music crowd/fest.....it was too convenient. Yeah...definitely NOT a hard core festie crowd. We had the "talkie" crap at ALL the sets but Radiohead was ESPECIALLY a chatty experience SOOOO bad that we actually had to LEAVE a few minutes early to get away from the drunk arse holes around us....total bungholes!! Kept stepping on us and screaming crap and singing at the top of their lungs...yeah....NOT a great experience...but still...it was RADIOHEAD....sigh....
Really tragic to put together SUCH a lineup for SUCH an indifferent crowd.....
i think there are lolla people and there are roo people -we are roo people!
This is it exactly. I do really enjoy most of lolla. but if I didnt live in chicago the nearest big city fest would do. I would feel no draw to be at it for any reason other than killer headliners.
roo and rado are the kinds of festies that would drag me across country to be at.
I agree with you guys that the Lolla crowd is not the hard core festie crowd that you get at Roo, but I just loved Lolla. Of course alot of that has to do with spectacular line-up, but it also has to do with it being in Chicago. I thought Lolla at Grant Park was the most beautiful setting for a music festival that I have been to. I have been to Coachella with the palm trees and mountains behind the stages but I think that seeing the cityscape of Chicago was the most amazing thing. And then to have Radiohead shoot off fireworks during their set was unfingbelieveable. Maybe we got lucky where we were standing for Radiohead - behind the sound booth overhang thing - but everyone around us were really into the show. I saw dudes crying. It was definitely a spectacle.
Also, by having a hotel nearby, it was easy to make it through the days without feeling totally shot. After getting proper rest and showers you could really power through Lolla and have a great time. We got in early to see Holy F-ck on Friday, and the nearby blackstone wine area was giving out free bandanas and the roll out pads to sit on, which we used all weekend long. Super handy. Not to mention being able to buy full bottles of wine for $24 all weekend, which minimalized beer stand trips. The best plan of action was to drink beer during the day, and when the headliners came on, you go get a wine bottle for yourself and you were good for the set. Although, we did buy four wine bottles for Radiohead head for the five of us but we sucked through those in about an hour. But the wine plan did work for RATM and Kanye/NIN.
Kanye was good, even though he did not do the glow in the dark deal, but I think that might have made it better because he was more connected to the crowd. Then we made it over to NIN for their last five or six songs, just in time to catch Hand that feeds, Head like a hole, etc. That was amazing. I caught myself getting the shivers for Hurt, which was totally unexpected.
Bands that I saw that disappointed or just did not sound right: The Go Team - way too trebley Black Keys needed to be louder Broken Social Scene - I saw them in London 2 months earlier and that show was much much better Beginning on Mark Ronson
Bands that were as good as expected or better: Holy Fuck - they are starting to get big Gnarls - the Reckoning cover was awesome Girl Talk - Just saw the last 15 minutes due to Gnarls, but it was crazy Radiohead - the fireworks just were such an unexpected touch Kanye - I was not expecting much, but it was really good NIN - last five songs were out of control Ending on Mark Ronson
Plus I got to hang out with some old friends who live in Chi-town and my wife's brother who showed us around that great city.
I would definitely go back to Lolla, as I would go back to Roo, or Chella, or Rado, but it all has to do with line-ups. However, it was really nice to be able to get some great deep dish and steaks before/after going to see great shows.
And lastly, being able to see Tortoise in Millenium Park for free on the Monday afternoon after lolla, was just amazing. The sound at that place was amazing and Tortoise played a great set - very similar to their Roo set of 2007, just a little shorter. It was a great capper to a great weekend of music and revelry.
to reiterate, yes, very differente experience than roo. dig the crowds and community at roo, not so much at a lolla.
my boyfriend asked if he could partake in our neighbor's indulgence during rage. she refused.
then we booked over to wilco, and were pretty excited to find there was a thin crowd there, so we moved our way closer. as i moved past a guy, i said "pardon me", to which he replied, "i'm not moving".
that would have NEVER happened at roo.
and what about thom saying to the crowd during radiohead, "why are you so quiet?" i mean, DAMN, if you're up front, SHOW SOME LOVE!! otherwise, let me get up there.
fortunately, i still had a great time, danced my ass off, and generally made a fool of myself.
ps - "can everyone please, please take a couple steps back?"
Yeah, I will agree with their being more of a sense of togetherness at Roo, and the people are probably more considerate at the Roo. I guess I just love Chicago as a city and combining Chicago with an amazing music experience really made me fall in love with the festival.
I also seemed to have had less encounters with douchbagerry than some people, so I guess I was a little lucky.
Either way, if someone is thinking about going to a festival but also want to visit a great city and check out some great architecture, food, and art, Lolla is a great choice.
Oh...I DO LOVE Chicago! And seeing the skyline as a backdrop for the festie was nice.....didn't really get to take advantage of much of the nightlife (restaurants, clubs etc other than the Gogol aftershow). Just seemed like the crowd wasn't as friendly or as into the shows as most other festies....even hotel fests like Jazz Fest or VooDoo even....but still....GREAT SHOWS, GREAT LINEUP, GREAT MUSIC=GOOD TIMES!! ;D
i also saw a few people who would not move and let people around them. i dont get that at all?
there were about 5 summers eves behind us during rage that wouldn't move after zak was asking everyone to take 5 steps back. people who go to a music fest in downtown chicago aren't as friendly as those who go to one on a farm in rural tennessee?....go figure.
I had a great time at Lolla, of course it cant compare to the Roo but I knew that going in. I knew the lineup was going to attract alot of Bros and generally douchey people so I was expecting that too I just put that all aside and had a great time all weekend. Chicago is a really beautiful and fun city. Radiohead was just as good as I thought they would be, Rage was probably the scariest and funnest time ive ever had at the same time & NINs light show was simply breathtaking. Also caught alot of other great sets over the weekend, too many to name. I did encounter some rude and obnoxious people but I was having such a good time that it didnt matter, I'll probably just do Roo next year but Lolla is a great experience in its own right.
RATM and Radiohead on consecutive nights, give me any old terrible crowd, I'd still be satisfied.
See, I would've thought the same thing, but the people around me during Radiohead were pretty much unbearable. I had to move several times, and it totally ruined the experience for me. I've even seen NSync in concert and wasn't that annoyed!
However, the fireworks going over the stage during the climax of Fake Plastic Trees did give me a sonary boner so it wasn't a total loss
Guys...Lolla was GREAT.............radiohead sounded SO GOOD...they r the best live band playing now...what a performance.................RAGE was so great, that they stopped the show # times because of all the mayhem....unbeliveable...I was right down front on the left side where Zack told us to " help this sister out " on the first stoppage....out of control.....And finally NIN...alll I can say is ...WOW WOW WOW.........unbelievable light show........
We had the discussion about people at Lolly in general just weren't as into the music....that it was a much more "casual" music crowd/fest.....it was too convenient. Yeah...definitely NOT a hard core festie crowd. We had the "talkie" crap at ALL the sets but Radiohead was ESPECIALLY a chatty experience SOOOO bad that we actually had to LEAVE a few minutes early to get away from the drunk arse holes around us....total bungholes!! Kept stepping on us and screaming crap and singing at the top of their lungs...yeah....NOT a great experience...but still...it was RADIOHEAD....sigh....
Really tragic to put together SUCH a lineup for SUCH an indifferent crowd.....
I have never understood why people go to shows and constantly talk through the entire show...how can you listen and talk at the same time? Plus, it ruins the show for whoever is around and has to hear THAT instead of the music. Couldnt they just as well chat on the side somewhere? This happened at KOKA w/Umphries (however, I understood why no one was listening there). SoundTribe was a different story-no chatting-just screaming and dancing
There seemed to be an inordinate amount of talking going on throughout all three days of Lolla. I really enjoyed myself, but the crowd was definitely very different from the 'Roo crowd and I agree that the camping vs. daytripping aspect of it probably makes all the difference in the world.
That being said, I did the first day of Virgin Fest in Baltimore yesterday and I can say, without hesitation, it is the worst crowd I've ever encountered at a festival. People were loud, foul-mouthed, rude and obnoxious. Even stage security repeatedly talked throughout performances (and not about security, either). Way to represent, Baltimore!
That being said, I did the first day of Virgin Fest in Baltimore yesterday and I can say, without hesitation, it is the worst crowd I've ever encountered at a festival. People were loud, foul-mouthed, rude and obnoxious. Even stage security repeatedly talked throughout performances (and not about security, either). Way to represent, Baltimore!
I wouldn't say worst but I agree with you. I went on Saturday and by the time the sun went down a majority of people around me were so obnoxious. Through out the day was nice because no one really showed up until like 6ish.
It was great in that the crowd was thin, so I was able to get on the rail for the majority of sets. I also loved that the distance b/w the two stages was such a short walk.
This year, I've been to SXSW, JazzFest, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Virgin, so I have no problem pronouncing the Virgin crowd awful and, by far, the worst I've encountered in my 20+ years of festival-going.
;D
Kept stepping on us and screaming crap and singing at the top of their lungs...yeah....NOT a great experience...but still...it was RADIOHEAD....sigh....
