H.E.R., KAINA, Tom Morello to perform at virtual Lollapalooza 2020
Chicago – So on the up side, there won’t be any Cruel Overlaps in the Lollapalooza schedule, the phrase coined by former Tribune critic Greg Kot to describe shows that made you want to be in two places at once. But the schedule for the virtual Lollapalooza is out. No curfew, no limitations unless you have bandwidth issues. All shows, more than 80 of them, will be hosted at youtube.com/lollapalooza, and here’s how they break down.
Thursday
The day begins at 6 p.m. Eastern, and each day features new predominantly new content. First on the schedule at 6 p.m. is a conversation with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Lollapalooza organizer Perry Farrell, followed by an archival one-two punch of Alabama Shakes from 2015 and Run The Jewels, aka the Lolla House Band, from 2017.
This leads into more than two hours of new content, highlighted by recorded sets from Josh Homme (7:25 p.m.) and KAINA (7:30 p.m.), as in Chicago singer-songwriter Kaina Castillo. Look out for that latter set as one of the day’s high points, the first of four shows in which local artists were recorded with DCASE at local venues Thalia Hall and The Promontory. Cypress Hill from 2010, at 8:25 p.m. will be worth your time, as well as Paul McCartney’s 2015 set at 10:10 p.m., which had everybody in Grant Park down there.
Thursday runs until just past 1 a.m., but no worries about curfew. Later in the day high points also come via new sets from H.E.R. at 11 p.m. and Tom Morello at 11:15 p.m.
Friday
Day 2 starts at 6 p.m. but doesn’t get that exciting until 7:05 p.m., when Chicago act The Era Footwork Crew takes the virtual stage. Lars Ulrich comes in with a set at 7:40 p.m., leading into Metallica from the 2015 archives at 7:45 p.m. Public Enemy frontman and rap icon Chuck D at 10:20 p.m. is sure to be another pick, and 10:25 p.m. brings the Chance the Rapper set from 2017, which you get a chance to actually see, since you were probably stuffed into a mass of humanity at the time. And look out for a live set from Alison Wonderland at 12:15 a.m. Saturday.
Saturday
6 p.m. kicks things off with that incendiary Gary Clark Jr. set from 2019, which gives chills just to think about it. Tommy Lee will have something new to say at 6:25 p.m., because has-beens gotta eat, too. For my virtual money, 7:10 p.m. brings another Chicago DCASE set, with Heavy Steppers with Jamal Smallz, along with performances by Peter Cottontale and Jamila Woods. This is the don’t-miss period of the day. Also look out for 7:45 archival footage from Tyler, The Creator, and new stuff from Jane’s Addiction (imagine that!) at 8:45 p.m.
International Lolla comes in with an 9:40 p.m. Brazil set from 2018 featuring Pearl Jam. New stuff comes from Vic Mensa at 10:15 p.m., leading into that amazing OutKast show from 2014. Saturday goes on until almost 2 a.m., ending with Boombox Cartel.
Sunday
6 p.m., gets the day off to a rousing start with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from 2009, and A$AP Rocky from 2015, back to back. 7:10 p.m. is the last of the Chicago DCASE shows, with Rebirth Poetry Ensemble, Linda Sol and Emon Fowler. Starcrawler at 8:20 p.m. should be interesting, and if you want to see what happens when Mayor Lightfoot talks to LL Cool J, tune in at 9 p.m.
Other Sunday highlights include the Arcade Fire set from 2010, and new stuff from Kaskade as a reward for staying up past your bedtime, at 12:50 a.m.
For a full schedule of each day’s shows, visit the official site. All content will be hosted at the site’s official YouTube channel.