Lollapalooza 2015: See The Line-Up Here! [Video]
If you want to see perhaps one of the biggest gatherings of music legends sing alongside modern-day chart-toppers, you’re in luck. Lollapalooza 2015 will feature former Beatle, Paul McCartney, in addition to rock group, Metallica, and nearly 128 other bands, the Chicago Sun-Times reported today. Earlier today, Paul McCartney tweeted to fans, letting them know he was performing at this year’s festival:
Paul will headline this year’s @lollapalooza music festival at Grant Park in Chicago: http://t.co/nYv74pjS3Q pic.twitter.com/UvG43c1sm4
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) March 25, 2015
The Times also added that British pop phenomenon, Sam Smith, will appear at the festival, which takes place July 31 through August 2, 2015 in Chicago’s Grant Park. The announcement of Lollapalooza’s lineup comes right on the crest of Sam Smith’s mellow new song, “Lay Me Down”, which Smith performs with a little help from his friend, equally soulful crooner, John Legend.
Lollapalooza’s official site reports that all the more expensive three-day passes are already sold out, but you can still purchase a one-day pass for $150, as well as buying a travel package that includes the price of a hotel and entry into Lollapalooza.
Lollapalooza.com mentioned that the festival has previously featured artists such as controversial hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea (who recently took a break from social media due to being verbally attacked on Twitter) and Bulgarian pop artist Bebe Rexha (whom pop fans might recognize from Cash Cash’s song “Take Me Home”). Lollapalooza, which USA Today discovered started as a haven for alternative and industrial music sprinkled with the occasional rapper, has now been in existence for 25 years.
USA Today’s Nate Scott noted that he “…has no idea what the festival is about anymore.” He cited Lollapalooza’s seemingly random choice of artists from across the spectrum of genres and claiming musicians were hand-picked simply based on how recognizable their name was.
While it makes perfect sense for festivals to pick popular artists in order to attract the largest crowds possible, it’s also common for festivals to have a particular theme such as a music genre in order to get just the right audience to market to (for instance, WarpedTour, whose SeatGeek site features bands one might label as “Punk Rock” a lá Fall Out Boy and Pierce The Veil.) Lollapalooza’s theme seems to be random compared to those of other festivals. Needless to say, festivals like these often feature merchandise for similar bands, and sometimes up-and-coming stars in similar genres even hand out free sample CDs just to get their work “out there.”
Needless to say, festivals like these often feature merchandise for similar bands, and sometimes up-and-coming stars in similar genres even hand out free sample CDs just to get their work “out there.” Something like this could be difficult for business partners at Lollapalooza to cover such a wide fan base, or it could work to the festival’s advantage since they can market to a larger fanbase.
Just like other advertisers, many festivals know their niche well and use it to their advantage. Another great example is Ultra Dance Festival, whose organizers uploaded YouTube videos of the festival’s concerts featuring breath-taking-yet-hard-to-describe special effects that are sure to wow any fan of the dance genre (whose music also relies heavily on special visual and auditory effects during a performance). If you’re unfamiliar with Lollapalooza, check out the playlist below for a sneak peek.
It’s not that Lollapalooza doesn’t have a niche like other festivals do, but Mr. Scott makes a valid point that said niche is harder to discover than those of other music festivals. For those interested in attending Lollapalooza, tickets and travel packages can be purchased via Lollapalooza.com.
[Photo Credit: Jeff Gentner, Getty Images]
