Lollapalooza gets a decade residence…
Grant Park is a popular place. Not only was it center stage for this week’s recent historic happening, but it’s also home to the Taste of Chicago, some intramural baseball games, and well, Lollapalooza. It works, though. The park is vast, it’s right smack in the middle of the city, and it even has a lake view. Sure, its nearby residents aren’t too happy with the noise, but whatever, every city needs its pessimists. Am I right?
Apparently, considering Perry Farrell’s beloved festival is there to stay for another decade. That’s ten more exhaustive summers, one hundred and twenty more speculative months in the Festiv
al Outlook, and thirteen hundred more possible bands that could be added to the line up. It kind of makes your eyes feel numb, huh? That doesn’t seem to be the case for the Windy City’s officials…
A park district spokeswoman only could confirm the item is on the agenda, but Bob O’Neill, director of the Grant Park Advisory Council, said park officials told him of the extension this week.
O’Neill welcomed the news. The concert pays a percentage of its profits to the park district and 10 percent of that number goes into improvements in Grant Park itself, he said.
That money, O’Neill said, should mitigate complaints from some condominium residents who live on Grant Park that the festival is too noisy.
“Let’s say you’re hearing noise from Lollapalooza for three days. If you know money is being spent because of that, if you get to enjoy that on the other days, it’s a lot less of an annoyance,” O’Neill said.
Officials from the concert agreed to direct as many speakers as possible toward Lake Michigan
to mitigate noise, according to O’Neill.
So what’s in store for 2009? Well, if you’re basing anything off of today’s latest laugh riot of a rumor, then you’re in for some more ’90s flavoring. However, rest assured, you’ll probably either be pissed or excited come that fateful day in April, when all of summer’s finest acts are announced for the bill.
Let’s look ahead some. Could it be the Smashing Pumpkins? Nah, they’re already playing four shows in two weeks. How about Jane’s Addiction? Definitely pencil ‘em in. But forget all the ’90s nonsense, what about some real spice? We’re talking some heavy dusting here, folks. How about The Kinks? The Replacements? Is this too much wishful thinking?
Let’s hope not.
By the way, if you’re feeling oddly nostalgic all of a sudden, be sure to read back on our extensive (and elaborate) coverage of this summer’s past Lolla. Yeah, we’re still milking it for all it’s worth.
Lollapalooza will always be my first love.
This just made my day. I hope it stays here always.
F yeah!