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Following its inception by alternative rock movement leaders Jane’s Addiction, the caravan from 1991 to 1997 rolled uncompromisingly around the country each summer, bringing musical diversity to the masses. From the extreme to the subdued, Lollapalooza has hosted some of the leaders of the 90’s music scene from Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys and of course Jane’s Addiction. Now, after years laying dormant and the summer festival circuit missing one of its key pieces, Perry Farrell and Jane’s Addiction announced the return of Lollapalooza.
Just in time for the release of “Strays”, Jane’s Addiction’s first studio album in thirteen years, the caravan was back on the road. Hosting such acts as mega-super group Audioslave, Incubus, Jurassic 5, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Donnas, Distillers, and on select dates A Perfect Circle.
An hour after people streamed into gates, the second stage kicked off in due time with, at least on the date here, a local band initiating the festivities. Slowly the crowd poured in, another date of the legendary tour just beginning.
This year much of the diversity this year laid within the confines of the second stage lineup. Boosting anything from the punk of Billy Talent, the hardcore of Boy Sets Fire, to the eclectic and sexy belly dancers of Bellydance Superstars.
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As the second stage continued raging on, things began to gear up on the main stage. As the crowd slowly began to drift in while Alex Graham spun tunes and Distillers crew finished the final touches. At 2:25pm, the music stopped, the crowd threw up a cheer, and the Distillers rather uneventfully entered on stage and burst into their first tune. In true punk, non-flashy tradition, Distillers quickly roared through their forty minute set.
Following the short set changes the all girl slumber party rock group The Donnas, and hip-hop phenom’s Jurassic 5 each brought the fun and diversity to the main stage, playing forty-five minute sets each.
Meanwhile, the crowd loitered through various stands and booths. The freak show, whiteboy clothing, karaoke, and eco-friendly announcements littered the pathways. Also included was the Axis Of Justice both, bringing the politics to the festival. Axis Of Justice co-founder Tom Morello stopped down each day to sign posters.
Thus far on the main stage, each band received lukewarm reaction. While warmly received, it was obvious the crowd eagerly anticipated the latter half of the lineup.
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Soon after J5 finished it up, Queens Of The Stone Age hit the stage. Roaring into the first song “You Say I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire”, and playing a medley of new and old songs including “First It Giveth”, “Go With The Flow”, and more before closing with “Feel Good Hit Of The Summer/No One Knows”.
As the closing notes and crowd sing-a-long of “No One Knows” subsided, one of the few groups out on the tour with nothing new to promote took to the stage, Incubus. Demanding the first “major” crowd reaction of the evening, Incubus burst into “Warning”, drove through their
singles, and previewed not only their new bassist, but new tracks such as “Megalomaniac” and “Pistola”.
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The remnants of Soundgarden and Rage Against The Machine combine the best elements of both bands into one package. Second stage had long since wound down, and dusk consumed the venue. A mirror decorated set, large lights, and Brad Wilke facing backwards came into focus as the guitar styling of Tom Morello kicked in. While only a CD’s worth of material was available, the group put on a stellar one hour set, setting the stage for the headliners… Jane’s Addiction.
The curtains closed as the crew set up and the bands backstage daily jam session ended. Then the crew pushed the curtain open, revealing a silver and steel set. Dave Navarro walks out on stage in fur, Stephen Perkins, and new bassist Chris Chaney, the spotlight comes on, and on a catwalk type platform, emerges Perry Farrell.
Always eccentric, always flamboyant, the band immediately began bursting through song after song. While the hour set was
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disappointing, the rockstar in Dave, the personality of Perry, and the three sexy chicks that emerged during “Strays” and remained throughout the performance made it the highlight performance of the day, proving thirteen years they have not lost it, but emerged bigger and better before.
Two months, dozens of shows, and hundreds of thousands of people have given rise to the return of Lollapalooza. In the coming months we will find whether exactly or not it is here to stay or not, but either way, 2003 was one hell of an event.
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