Lollapalooza Part 2: Saturday in the Park

Saturday began slow. Alex(alejandropablo), Kyle(K-Mart), and myself were spent. A previous day with over 11 hours spent on our feet at Grant Park left us as mere shades of the energetic spark plugs we were the day before. However we picked ourselves up, brushed the sleep from our eyes, and headed back to Grant Park where our friends Moira, Brian, and Caitlin were waiting. So too was a daunting lineup of bands which included Santigold, Animal Collective, and TV on the Radio.
Delta Spirit, an amazing American/Folk band from San Diego, was kicking things off at 12:30. Alex and I had seen them at the Waiting Room in Omaha last fall and they were incredible. Sidenote: their lead singer looks identical to That 70's Show's Wilmer Valderama. Unfortunately due to slow buses and a need for tasty Quiznos in our bellys we were delayed and missed their set. However, our friends who were their said they killed it which doesn't surprise me at all.
Following Delta Spirit was an hour lull where no bands we were interested in played. The 2:30 timeslot however was a very different case. Atmosphere, Animal Collective DJ set, and Los Campesinos all took the stage at the same time in different corners of the park. For several different reasons, we decided to see the British punk/pop group Los Campesinos. From the minute they walked on the stage this group impressed me. From a setlist of big hits, to hilarious interlude commentary, to the energy that they brought to the stage, Los Campesinos owned. At one point the lead singer said how pumped he was to go see the No Age set later in the day which I loved to hear. I think all artist could take a lesson from these guys, making yourself more relatable to your audiences and you'll find a better following. The set closed with the lead singer, lead guitar, and drummer jumping off stage and crowd surfing. The guitarist got so far out into the audience that he had to walk back to the stage. Honestly one of the best shows of the festival in my book.
We next had to run halfway across the park to see Chairlift play. The set was ok but honestly we spent most of it sitting under a tree by the stage trying to escape the pounding sun. We got to see them play the popular track "Bruises" which the entire crowd including us stood up and started dancing. Although the set was decent the highlight of the hour was some random guy with a hemp satchel trying unsuccessfully to sell Alex and Kyle some weed.
Based on the lackluster Chairlift show we were really stoked to see Santigold take the stage next. Arriving at the stage an hour early turned out to be one of the best ideas of the trip. There were about 5 people between us and the stage so we celebrated this victory with shots that we managed to sneak in thanks to my diabetes. The girls next to us asked to join in and so we drank and talked music while we waited for Santi. Britan and Anne Marie were Lolla veterans thanks to Britains crazy odds of winning two tickets off radio call ins three years in a row. After about a ten minute delay Santigold finally took the stage hitting a homerun with her opener "Hold the Line" a Major Lazer song she is featured on. Dressed in all gold Santi rocked the stage from the time that she set foot on it, although she did need to take a break everyone in a while to fight off the hundreds of beach balls that were flying around the crowd and on the stage. I feel like Santi is really cementing herself in this industry and based on the fact that Hip Hop heavyweight like Wu Tangs's GZA, Scott Storch, and MTV VJ Q were hanging out side stage. Santigold closed the set by inviting about six audience members on stage to show their best moves for "Creator."
TV on the Radio started immediately after Santi. Kyp Malone and the band were impressive to say the least. With tracks like "Wolf Like Me" "Golden Age" and "Crying" they came out strong and though we left the set early, other people told me they stayed strong throughout.
Animal Collective followed after TVOTR. I was so excited to see these guys live but they came out in jam session mode floating between songs and ambient noise. A half hour in and I was completely let down and prayed for them to pick up the tempo and play some hits. My prayers were rewarded. The last two songs Brothersport and Fireworks took up nearly 25 minutes was the band at their very best. Alex, Kyle, and I managed to push our way dead center and were right in the middle of the trippy dance party that ensued.
At this point we were spent. We had spent all day going bouncing off the walls and sweating our balls off under the relentless Chicago sun, but we trudged back across the park again to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. When we got there they were halfway through the hit "Heads Will Roll" which was loud, powerful and amazing. The show was ok but Karen O was a scene. She danced around, flung her hair, and even deep throated the microphone while doing the splits, a true showman. We checked out a bit early to catch the Bassnectar DJ set which was good especially with him sampling Mambo Number 5 in a dance jam as we left.
Saturday was full, intense, draining, and a lot more but most of all I would say it was fun. We left the Park a few minutes early and avoided the monstorous crowd. We later headed to a dive bar by Wrigglyville where the bartender downed tequilla while serving us the cheapest beer in the place. It was the perfect way to end a perfect day. Look forward to Kyle's coverage of Sunday which will hopefully come faster than my post.