Lollapalooza

The Lollaplooza Music Festival was first organized in 1991 by Perry Farrell, a singer for the band ‘Jane’s Addiction’. The festival continued to play annually until 1997 when it started to slow down. It was only in 2003 that the Lollaplooza Festival was later revived.

Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring many different genres like alternative rock, hip hop and punk rock bands, and even some dancing and comedy performances are on show. The name Lollapalooza means “something outstanding or unusual”; this is applicable as the American festival is something so extraordinary with a wide variety of entertainment for each and every individual thinkable.

During the summer of 1990 “A Gathering of the Bands” festival took place and was a successful association between legendary concert promoter Bill Graham and Ian Astbury, the lead singer to the band ‘The Cult’. Following that the Lollapalooza festival was introduced. It played only twice in California, once in San Jose and once in Los Angeles. This set the pattern for an extraordinary mixed and diverse musical festival that would attract large audiences.

When Perry Farrell decided on a nation-wide touring festival the people flocked in from all over the country to one venue for an awesome show, however, later it was decided that the festival would travel across the United States and Canada thus extending from the West Coast to the East Coast of America. Many more people got to see and participate in the festival than at any other previous music event.

In 1991 Lollapalooza Festival had an amazing lineup that was daringly eclectic, drawing in headliners from rap such as ‘Ice-T’, as well as industrial music, giving the festival an air of independence from corporate rock. Performers like the ‘Jim Rose Circus Side Show’ and the ‘Shaolin Monks’ were also part of the show stretching the boundaries of traditional rock culture, giving Lollapalooza more widespread commercial success. In the 1990s a huge explosion of grunge music propelled Lollapalooza forward. The 1992 and 1993 festivals leaned heavily on grunge acts. Punk rock standbys like mosh pits and crowd surfing became part of the concerts.

In 2003, Lollapalooza scheduled a new tour in the festival schedule that included venues in 30 cities and ran through July and August. The 2003 tour achieved only marginal success with many fans staying away because of high ticket prices and heavy corporate sponsorship. However, it would be worthwhile experiencing one of the biggest festivals of all times at this year’s event to be held from 3 to 5 August 2007. Check out the Lollapalooza website for details on this year’s performers and ticket information.