The rave of the day was Lady Gaga and her $500,000 performance on the ‘Parkways Stage’ at Day one of Lollapalooza, but many other notable and well, lesser known performers put on great shows throughout the day. Here’s a look at some of the notable performances of Day one at Lolla:
Band members have dubbed their group as ‘DanceThink,’ but if any Day one revealers realized, My Dear Disco is pretty darn good. Infusing a blend of electro-techno, synth-dance, and rock, My Dear Disco got its fans moving at a smaller, yet tranquil BMI stage allowing fans to relax and cool down under the shade along Lake Shore Drive.
Despite a true sense of notoriety, My Dear Disco landed at the 2010 version of Lollapalooza and didn’t disappoint. Their one and only set lasted around 30 minutes and finished with the group’s big hit ‘Replaceable.’ It’s not hard to find a liking in My Dear Disco as mysterious lead singer Michelle Chamuel belted out lyrics with a harmonic, edgy touch and had the entire crowd dancing by the time the group exited stage left. All in all, My Dear Disco was one of the ‘overachievers’ of Day one, finding plenty of new fans to rock out for in the near future.
Yes Devo, the timeless 80s pop-punk-electro-rock band who gave us such hits as ‘Whip It’ and ‘Through Being Cool,’ was quite possibly the best performance of the day. Dressed in their stylish layered head gear and Hazmat suits, Devo went up against other well known acts The New Pornographers and Semi-Precious Weapons—dubbed as Lady Gaga’s favorite band, but certainly didn’t disappoint. Young and old alike were dancing side-by-side to songs of yesteryear as well as songs from the group’s new LP “Something for Everybody” which had keyboardist Bob Mothersbaugh screaming “Greetings, Chicago. It’s 2010 and we’re here to f*cking whip it again!”
The disappointment came when Devo began playing their all-time hit favorite ‘Whip-It’ which had the entire crowd up on their feet grooving and dancing. That wasn’t the disappointment however, as most of the crowd scattered when the group finished their timeless hit. The show was probably the edgiest and weirdest of the day, but it all made for one hell of an act on Day one of Lollapalooza.
A headliner in their own right, Akron, Ohio’s the Black Keys were found rocking on the Budweiser stage, but it was much more of a show than many realized. With the infamous Jimmy Cliff setting up on stage directly behind the sea of die-hard ‘Keys’ fans, it was as if all eyes were on the Black Keys during their 75-minute long set. The group mixed in plenty of their ‘older hits’ with several songs off their new album ‘Brothers.’
The Black Keys dives deep into the gritty rock and psychedelic sounds of the ‘60s, as well as aspects of Southern rock, blues, and soul. Influenced by timeless favorites before them, lead singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney displayed why the Black Keys are such a huge fan favorite. They displayed those talents by playing such tunes as ‘Strange Times’ and ‘Next Girl’ off of their latest album, along with several other crowd pleasers. Despite partaking in such a memorable performance with thousands of Lolla fans on hand, plenty quickly veered towards the south-end of the festival to start grabbing seats for Chromeo and of course Lady Gaga. Judging by their performance and crowd reaction, the Black Keys were one of the bigger highlights of this weekend’s Lollapalooza festival.
It was a tough choice for many, as the Strokes and Lady Gaga took the stage at the same time, both headliners on Day one of Lollapalooza. Choosing Lady Gaga purely for her $500,000, two-hour set along with the ridiculousness that ensues at any one of her acts, Gaga put on a show for the thousands watching. Despite having such huge hits as ‘Paparazzi’ and ‘Just Dance,’ Gaga failed at the singing aspect of taking in a live performance. Most wouldn’t have noticed, due to the heat and abundance of booze on hand, but Lady Gaga’s singing clearly wasn’t on point. In between speaking to the crowd with her raspy, tour-winded voice and the clear, produced sound from the speakers, one could tell that Gaga wasn’t singing all of her songs no matter how intoxicated the crowd was at that point.
Nonetheless, Gaga’s performance was off the charts with giant speakers blaring her dance infused pop music, along with lights, lazers, and plenty of extra performers to dance along with on stage. It was only three years ago that Lady Gaga first performed at Lollapalooza to a much less, enthused crowd that saw more raised eyebrows than clapping hands. Three years and countless chart-toppers later, Lady Gaga now sits as one of the most recognizable performers in the world. Just goes to show how quickly things can change.