The Lollapalooza experience doesn't end when the lights turn off. The fun continues through the wee hours after the music festival ends with its notorious after-parties.
Each year, Lollapalooza Aftershows feature over 110 artists, including the same up-and -coming and legendary musicians that perform at the festival, in more than 55 performances in some of Chicago's legendary venues. The biggest difference? The air-conditioned music venues are way more intimate than the festival's stage performances. This year, fans sold out all of the aftershows months in advance despite the fact that a normal day at Lollapalooza means enduring a hot summer day that can easily be over ten hours long.
Last year at Lollapalooza there was a newcomer who opened for The 1975's after-party, Dua Lipa. Back then, the British singer/songwriter was just beginning the ascent into her career of international pop stardom. This year she was the headliner of her very own after show with opener BUDDY at The Vic Theater selling out months earlier in under a minute. The crowd at The Vic roared when she spoke about being an opener last year, their cheers letting her know how far she'd come One of the stand out moments of the unforgettable night was the crowd singing “Be The One” back to Dua, who donned the biggest smile and laugh. Her dancers interacted with the songstress making the lyrics seemingly come to life creating a true visual performance.
Dua Lipa performs at The Vic Theater in Chicago
Photo: Jacklyn Krol
Another one of the fastest selling parties this year was with none other than rapper/singer Blackbear and Albanian rapper Gashi-- Blackbear even had a custom “Blackbear Lollapalooza” platform. Both of Blackbear’s festival and after-party sets were similar and featured moments in which fans could speak directly to him. The lighting of his show was a sight to see. The mood had a true after party vibe and didn't feel like a concert at all.
Rock bands took center stage at this year's aftershows. GRAMMY-nominated Highly Suspect performed with the support from Cleopatrick. Highly Suspect brought passion to the stage and made the show look like fun rather than work.
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In another rockin' after-party, the soulful Dorothy kicked things off for upstar rockers Greta Van Fleet on Saturday night at the Vic Theatre. Though they’re relatively newcomers, Greta Van Fleet is proving themselves with the amount of passion they bring. They have dedicated fans for a reason and it’s clear how much the band loves them back. The band will continue the Lollapalooza fun when they play the festival in Brazil in 2019.
YUNGBLUD may single-handedly save rock n’ roll with his inspirational lyrics. His on-stage demeanor gave an abundance of energy to the show that the crowd reciprocated by jumping. The enthusiasm continued when Catfish and The Bottlemen took the stage.
GRAMMY winner Jack White had a much different experience planned for his fans-- his show was a no phones or camera concert. Fans sealed up their phones and enjoyed an intimate performance from White. The intimacy of his performance was a treat for fans who only have the option of seeing him play at massive arenas. The crowd was so engaged, they sang along to almost every lyric. Fans who were left wanting to snap a pic of White, unlocked their phones in the lobby with delight.
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Pop music was definitely not in short supply. Rising star morgxn opened up for GRAMMY-nominated Carly Rae Jepsen at Park West. The theatre perfectly donned a disco ball above the crowd, exactly the vibe her set brought. You couldn't help but dance at the show; not a single person left the theatre without dancing. Fans jumped, as she kicked off her set with “Run Away With Me.” Jepsen performed 16 of her songs, including all of her hits, to a crowd that knew all of the beats. Jepsen smiled as she heard her fans echo her lyrics.
Walk The Moon perform at Concord Hall
Photo: Jacklyn Krol
Walk The Moon did triple duty at the festivities this year. They performed at the festival and had not one, but two after parties. One show was a DJ set at a bar-arcade and the other was a performance at Concord Hall with the support of Pale Waves. The band's walk out song was "Circle Of Life" from "The Lion King," which was the most memorable ending to the weekend.
Lollapalooza isn’t just about the pop or the rock genres. Singer/songwriter Tyler Childers brought his country influence and shared the stage with sister duo Larkin Poe for a sold-out show at Schuba’s Tavern. Larkin Poe opened up the show performing their bluesy, rock inspired music with stunning and out of this world guitar solos.
Lollapalooza's aftershows truly made the festival even more epic. While the 2019 Chicago line-up hasn't been announced yet, the after-parties will surely bring a different experience to festival goers next year.
