Lollapalooza was packed and perfect on Friday, and the weather couldn’t have been better. And before I even started catching the shows, I sat down to chat with Matt Hansen and Hayes Warner.
They were both awesome, and I’ll have the video interviews online soon. But recapping the performances, I had the perfect, eclectic lineup planned.
Scroll to the bottom of the story for a gallery of some of my best shots.
Stray Kids were one of the biggest bands playing Lollapalooza yesterday, and they had the Bud Light stage aglow. The fans were pumped up and ready for the show, and the place went wild when they came out.
Stray Kids lit up the stage, and they had the fans singing along and cheering the whole time. It was wild to see how this exhausted group of fans, who were probably at the festival for hours, exploded when the band starting playing.
And they are naturals, with a ton of energy. The dance routines are sharp, they had a great set list, and “Chk Chk Boom!” live is such a blast.
Megan Moroney was my favourite performer of the day, for so many reasons.
First off, she’s a natural. She had the crowd in the palm of her hand. She’s a superb performer, with awesome stage presence, and she knows how to talk up a crowd.
Second, she is so much fun to watch. She’s full of energy, and even as someone who only knows a few of her songs, I loved every minute of the show. Every song felt like a hit.
And third, I don’t think anyone had a better stage and lighting setup. As a photographer, and just someone who loves a great looking stage, she was glowing.
Victoria Monét is a badass, and she also knows how to work the audience, and setup every song. She’s a masterful performer, a phenomenal diva, and she works each song like she’s building the crowd up to each piece.
She has an incredible voice, an amazing group of dancers, and she brought the attitude to Lollapalooza on Friday.
Mckenna Grace is probably best known as an actress, but she’s also an up-and-coming popstar, and her new material is catchy, fun, and a little bit rock, too.
She debuted her new single “Swim Team” yesterday, and it really shows off how she’s evolving, from some lighter pop, to the likes of “LOSER!!” and beyond.
I’ve listened to The National Parks for a number of years, and I’ve always been a fan, but their new music is some of the best music they’ve ever made.
The new album, Wild Spirit, comes out on August 23, and it’s filled with bigger, bolder, and a little more electric tracks. The title track alone is a fantastic example of that, and they played a little from the album to get fans excited.
The band also had the perfect spot, if you ask me, performing at the BMI stage, that’s set in the trees, and feels like the natural backdrop for this band.
I’ll have more from Lollapalooza, and check out more of my shots from yesterday’s performances.
Photos by W. Andrew Powell/The GATE.
