It's that time of year again — the annual release of the Lollapalooza lineup.
The release of the lineup began as a game. The crafty folks at C3 Presents, the Texas-based concert promotion company, essentially created a "Wheel of Fortune" style board with all of the names of the bands.
From that point it wasn't too difficult to decipher the eventual headliners because four blank spaces marking a four-letter word followed by another four-letter word could of course only be Lady Gaga. There was much less mystique about who the headliners would be this year because many very reputable leaks that gave away basically all six.
However anti-climactic the revealing of the headliners may have been, the actually appearance of these six groups is quite impressive. Okay, sure, no one actually wants to see Green Day, unless they're trying to come off as ironic or something, but the others are all worth going to.
The problem with having such amazing headliners is that there will be a guaranteed conflict no matter what. To have to choose between Arcade Fire and Lady Gaga might just be too much to handle. Either way, the headlining stages will be sure to have loyal fanatics camping out all day at the front of the crowd simply to get the best seats for the likes of Soundgarden, Phoenix, The Strokes, Arcade Fire and Lady Gaga. Again, Green Day is laughable, but what can you do?
The rest of the lineup is nothing to scoff at either. While MGMT's new album "Congratulations" may not have offered what casual listeners were looking for it, is still a good album in its own right and they will most definitely draw a large crowd of people who come just to see them play "Kids."
The British quartet Hot Chip promises to be a fun time as well. Their electro-rock has resonated with fans for quite some time and they will no doubt be able to get the crowd dancing. It will also be a great opportunity to hear the band's new album "One Life Stand" live. Perhaps they will even perform their cover of Shakira's "She Wolf."
Cut Copy is another one of those dancey bands that is sure to force thousands of people to cram into a tiny field. Some may have been introduced to the band's music through an iTunes free download about a year and a half ago, but their most famous song, "Lights and Music" from their album "In Ghost Colours," is the perfect example of their aesthetic.
They are very electronic driven but they don't cease to be appealing to fans because their music is in fact very catchy. Ideally they would receive a time slot later in the night so that festival-goers can actually enjoy the lights while listening to the music of Cut Copy.
The happiest band on earth, Matt and Kim, is returning to Lollapalooza after having played for the festival in 2007. The Brooklyn-based duo is known for its upbeat pop, energetic live shows and overall adorableness. For those of unfamiliar with the band, they are most well known for the song "Daylight," which had been featured in a Bacardi commercial. If anything they're worth seeing simply because they're so darn cute.
These bands represent only a fraction of the amazing groups set to perform August 6 to 8 in Chicago's Grant Park. Other bands worth checking out include Yeasayer, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Dirty Projectors, The New Pornographers, Blitzen Trapper and so many more.
So, "Shirtless Jerks" and "Hipster Parents," dish out that $215 and get psyched. Lollapalooza 2010 is shaping up to be quite the event.
