It’s that time of year again as tens of thousands of people head to Chicago’s Grant Park for the iconic Lollapalooza festival – a three day music festival that’s considered one of the finest in the world. Headlining this year we have Paul McCartney, Metallica and recent Australian visitors Florence + The Machine. You may have heard of them. But the headliners aren’t the only bands worth seeing at the event – over the next few days, we’re going to bring you five bands you can’t miss for every day of the event, starting with, naturally, Friday! Naturally, you have to see Paul McCartney… after all, Kanye discovered him. But here are five of the best of the rest:
Peking Duk
When? 1pm on Perry’s Stage
Australia’s hottest new EDM export, Peking Duk have been killing it at home and now they’re ready to make their Lollapalooza debut. Fans of the genre shouldn’t miss their high energy sets that will get everyone moving early in the day.
MisterWives
When? 1.30pm on the Sprint Stage
Misterwives belong to the exciting crop of fresh North American Indie pop acts doing great things at the moment including The Mowgli’s and Half Moon Run. Their debut album Our Own House, released in 2014, is a dynamic and fun first effort and shows all the hallmarks of a band in a great stage of development as a live unit
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
When? 2.30pm on the Bud Light Stage
Winners of our “Buzz Award” at the 2014 South by Southwest Festival, St Paul and the Broken Bones have slowly but surely become one of America’s most in demand outfits. And the rockin’, soulful group will be making their first visit to Australia for Bluesfest next Easter to top it all off. But this Friday, Chicago will get the chance to witness one of the best live bands in the country right now – and on the off chance you didn’t know that already, we’ve included them on this list! Not to be missed.
Father John Misty
When? 3.30pm on the Palladia Stage
Judging by his Coachella performance, Father John Misty’s current sets are out of the world good. Having last caught him playing solo at CMJ in 2013, we can’t wait to witness him with a full band ripping through his latest record, I Love You, Honeybear.
Bear’s Den
When? 4.30pm on the BMI Stage
This UK folk group play Lollapalooza amidst a run of shows across North America, running off the buzz of their fantastic debut record Islands. For many, it will be your first chance to see some of these songs live and take it from us: they never disappoint.
Honourable Mentions: BADBADNOTGOOD, The War on Drugs, Alabama Shakes, Spookyland and Tove Lo. Also, Gary Clark Jr. – but that really should go without saying…
Regular tickets are sold out to the festival, but some of the above bands are playing night shows during the festival at venues throughout the city. VIP 3-Day Passes and Travel Packages are still available at http://www.lollapalooza.com/ticket. To find out more about the event, the night shows, live streaming of the event and more, head here: http://www.lollapalooza.com/. The festival runs from Friday, July 31st until Sunday, August 2nd. The AU will be on ground all weekend to bring you live and exclusive coverage!
