Lollapalooza 2013: Day One Recap, Highlights & Awards

After an intensely awesome morning running around Chicago with Day Two featured artist Reignwolf, doing thrash & dash sessions at Wrigley Field, The Metro and beyond, we descended on Grant Park for the full kickoff of the sweaty musical sweetness that is Lollapalooza 2013. Catching early sets from Father John Misty (gallery) and Smith Westerns (gallery), we sidestepped mud patches – evidence of the morning’s downpour – and made our way to the North end of the park, where we would hold position until the main event: the one-two punch of Queens of The Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails.

Best Fakeout: Nine Inch Nails

A single light was the only stage prop when Trent Reznor arrived onstage for the first Nine Inch Nails show on American soil since the band’s indefinite hiatus following a 2009 farewell tour. The bro-masses hurled scorn and confusion during the first song, a minimalist infectious new Hesitation Marks track called “Copy of A,” as synths and keyboards were brought out and each band member took their place. Assumptions that the new NIN incarnation was a minimalist digi-fest DJ set were soon betrayed when, via an ever-changing set of jaw-dropping mobile light displays, the band took to their respective traditional guitars, bass and drums and ripped a hole in the sky with a crushing set that included the reworked glory of “Sanctified,” a shattering “Head Like a Hole,” crowd scream-along “Closer” and new songs a’plenty. A passion high point was the back-to-back delivery of “March of The Pigs” and “Piggy,” during which much blood was witnessed erupting from noses in the pit.

Rock MVP Award: Queens of The Stone Age

QOTSA Lollapalooza 2013 Photo Gallery

Despite Nine Inch Nails’ hotly anticipated return to the stage after four years, 2013 belongs to Queens of The Stone Age. With a magnificently dark and dynamic new album, new drummer Jon Theodore providing a thundering new rhythmic backbone and a revitalized sense of purpose overall, Josh Homme and friends brought a dangerous blend of popped-collar strut and snarling groove to their 75-minute set. Breaking necks with pit-baiting “Go With The Flow,” apocalyptic new single “My God Is The Sun” and the churning monster “I Think I Lost My Headache”. 

Speaking of monsters, anyone ignorant to Jon Theodore’s credentials – he’s played with The Mars Volta and One Day As a Lion, for starters – had their doubts exterminated during “Song For The Dead,” when the pounding percussionist did more than fill Dave Grohl’s maniac-monkey shoes – he stretched them out with added fills and a determined delivery.

Top 10 Queens of The Stone Age Songs of All Time

Elitism Fail Award: Platinum Pass Area

Don’t those people look like they’re having fun? Yeah, that’s Queens of The Stone Age they’re attempting to talk over.

The VIP section at Lollapalooza has been rebranded to the less-snooty “Platinum Pass” area, but its ridiculousness and fun-corroding placement is undiminished. Throughout Queens of The Stone Age’s set, as tens of thousands of devoted fans crushed to the front in a sweaty herd, no more than 20 total people were in the gigantic 18-foot barricaded VIP zone, leaving a wide open gap between the fans and the band, resulting in an inevitable energy disconnect. The situation was no better with Nine Inch Nails, as hammered fortysomething popped-collar married couples danced with each other as if they were at a Jimmy Buffet concert. 

Sexual Healer Award: Father John Misty

We said it at Bonnaroo, and it still rings true: Joshua Tillman’s writhing, hypersensual lanky seduction is both awesome and hilarious. His physical animation is half the experience, as he’s giving the finger to the camera one moment and making out with a stuffed unicorn the next. The swooning was on ten in the crowd, as several girls openly declared their eager willingness to sleep with the strutting frontman.

Juxtaposing Headliner Award: The Killers

For rock fans who didn’t quite want to dive into the nostalgia rage of Nine Inch Nails, The Killers served a fitting alternative, delivering a slew of celebrated radio hits including opener “Mr. Brightside,” “Human” and beyond. Leaving the mollygoblins alone at the IHeartRadio stage across the way, the less chemically addled attendees enjoyed a 95-minute set of surprisingly varied depth that stretched past 10pm’s curfew. Frontman Brandon Flowers led guitarist Dave Keunig, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. with an impassioned determination, knowing that history has not been kind to half-assed headliners (see: Red Hot Chili Peppers at Coachella 2013).

Psychedelic Backdrop Award: Father John Misty

What is this? It’s like The Flaming Lips did a mural of human history at Disneyland.

Keep up with our full festival coverage at Lollapalooza 2013, with photo galleries, video recaps, highlights write-ups and more!

Day 3

• RECAP: The Cure, Phoenix, Alt-J, Vampire Weekend and More Close Out Lolla Right!
  
  

• VIDEO: The Dolls Talk Festival, Afterparty Love in Chi-Town
  
  

• VIDEO: Vic Mensa Flies Again in Lolla Solo Debut
  
  

• VIDEO: Bear Mountain on Festival Magic and Their Growing Chicago Love
  
  

• VIDEO: Brick + Mortar Savor Their Lolla Success
  
  

• VIDEO: Cary Nokey Talks EDM, European Domination in Chicago
  
  

• VIDEO: Hollywood Holt Talks Greatest Performance Ever
  
  

• VIDEO: Josh Hubbard of SKATERS on Debut Album, Festival Highlights
  
  

• VIDEO: Steve Angello: “I Wanna Restart Woodstock…With Dance Music”
  
  

• GALLERY: Tegan & Sara
  
  

• GALLERY: The Cure
  
  

• GALLERY: Alt-J
  
  

• GALLERY: Baroness
  
  

• GALLERY: Diiv
  
  

Day 2

• RECAP: Kendrick Kills, the Postal Service Say Goodbye and more from Day 2!
  
  

• VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: See all the Best of Lollapalooza Day 2!
  
  

• VIDEO: Jillionaire of Major Lazer Talks Crazy Summer Schedule, Lolla Brazil
  
  

• VIDEO: Phoenix Saves the Best for Chicago, Plans for the Holidays
  
  

• VIDEO: Grizzly Bear Frontman Ed Droste on New Album Plans
  
  

• VIDEO: The National’s Bryan Devendorf Talks Life on the Road
  
  

• VIDEO: Lianne La Havas Chills Out
  
  

• VIDEO: Angel Haze Plans January Album Debut
  
  

• VIDEO: Hot Chip Enjoy Chicago, Preview Lolla Set
  
  

• VIDEO: Dillon Francis Excited for Lolla Debut
  
  

• GALLERY: Matt & Kim
  
  

• GALLERY: The National
  
  

• GALLERY: Reignwolf
  
  

• GALLERY: HAIM
  
  

• GALLERY: Local Natives
  
  

• GALLERY: Mumford & Sons
  
  

• GALLERY: Kendrick Lamar
  
  

• GALLERY: St. Lucia
  
  

Day 1

• VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: See all the Best of Lollapalooza Day 1!
  
  

• VIDEO: Steve Aoki Talks Set Lists, Lolla Competition
  
  

• VIDEO: Beast Patrol on Getting to Lollapalooza
  
  

• GALLERY: Nine Inch Nails
  
  

• GALLERY: Queens of the Stone Age
  
  

• GALLERY: Band of Horses
  
  

• GALLERY: Father John Misty
  
  

• GALLERY: Smith Westerns