Day 2 of Lollapalooza on Friday started out much calmer than it ended Thursday night. With mere trickles of people slowly making their way into the park on a sunny morning in Chicago, it was a vast difference from the swarms of bodies that took over the T-Mobile Stage for Billie Eilish’s set just 12 hours prior.
At the Perry’s Stage, Edie Brickell’s ‘80s soft rock hit “What I Am” played over the speakers, a respite in the heavy electronics you normally hear on that side of the park.
But late Friday, the festival turned up the heat with actor Jared Leto bungee jumping off the massive rigging above the Bud Light stage to join his bandmates on the stage below, and Kendrick Lamar playing the night’s closing set to an overflow crowd.
Here are some highlights for Day 2 of Lollapalooza:
Kendrick Lamar
When one of the greatest rappers of all time takes the stage at Lollapalooza, you better believe people will show up — and so many did at the T-Mobile Stage on Friday night, they could have incorporated their own city under the leadership of Mayor Lamar. Because when the poet/prophet/preacher speaks, people listen. — Selena Fragassi
The 1975
Friday night’s headlining set by English band The 1975 illustrated why fans have such heated opinions about lead singer Matty Healy, who is either revered or reviled, depending on who you ask. He wasn’t always steady on his feet, but his showmanship remained fully intact as the band delivered muscular, well-oiled renditions of songs from throughout its career. — Bobby Reed
Thirty Seconds to Mars
For Thirty Seconds to Mars’ opener “Walk on Water,” Jared Leto went to great heights to start things off — literally. The Hollywood icon turned into a stunt double, somehow making his way to the very top of the stage and, tied to bungees, leaped to the ground below in a daring move that made many people audibly gasp. “I almost killed myself for you,” he jokingly exclaimed. Expecting an actor to have great showmanship is one thing, but the way Leto tempts and teases his crowd is truly an art form. — Selena Fragassi
Big Wild
The project of singer, songwriter and producer Jackson Stell, Big Wild hit the Bud Light Stage and connected with a party-oriented crowd. With an equal emphasis on melodic hooks and hypnotic, hip-shaking beats, Stell is a purveyor of a glossy brand of dance-rock that’s a good fit for the summer festival circuit. He dedicated “OMGarden” to his 12-year-old pet rabbit, whom he claimed was at home watching the livestream of Lollapalooza. — Bobby Reed
Sudan Archives
It’s not often you see violin on the stages of Lollapalooza, but then again there are few that play the instrument as uniquely as Sudan Archives, the alter ego of musician Brittney Denise Parks, who masterfully blends classic Celtic sounds with electronica, folk, R&B and experimental noise. Her abilities on the violin and transforming it into a vessel for experimental music are not only fresh but a reminder of the possibilities that come as artists move further away from genre classification – while her showmanship is nothing short of boundary-less performance art. — Selena Fragassi
Beabadoobee
Getting a good spot at the Beabadoobee set was like winning the lottery. The Filipino-Brit talent played up the confessional heart-to-heart with a leather couch on stage that she sat on while strumming her guitar for several songs, all of them bleeding with her ‘90s influences like Mazzy Star and Elliott Smith. Her youth showed as she whipped out a pink guitar, sharing that its name was “Barbie,” but that’s only for the better as time is very much on her side to keep developing her tender artistry. — Selena Fragassi
Band-Maid
The Japanese rock act is the quintessential example of not judging a book (or a band) by its cover. Inspired by everyone from Carlos Santana to Deep Purple and Smashing Pumpkins, but looking like demure movie characters, Band-Maid is a total exploration of contrast, and about as shock rock as you can be nowadays — not for the blood and gore of, say, GWAR, but for the immediate hypnosis they impart. — Selena Fragassi
Hemlocke Springs
Rising star Hemlocke Springs, the stage name of 24-year-old North Carolina native Isimeme Naomi Udu, rose to fame the 21st century way — by posting her music on SoundCloud and TikTok. She has little performance experience, but her stage moves Friday afternoon resembled those of a seasoned pro. When she ran around in circles onstage, it made for a gloriously cartoonish image that accented the infectious music. —Bobby Reed
Divinity Roxx
Divinity Roxx had everybody at the kids stage grooving Friday afternoon. The thing about Divinity Roxx is that rather than focus on kid music tropes, she makes art that is appealing to any age and her lyrics speak to anyone who might need a boost in self-love, like her song about strawberry jam, or “Love, Love, Love” offering bilingual lyrics. But it was her track “Happy and Healthy” that was truly special; Roxx introduced it showing off the accompanying children’s book she just published, further extending her reach as a true kid idol. — Selena Fragassi
Check back for more reviews and updates throughout the day.
