The best laid plans : Lollapalooza 2008

The time has come. Tomorrow night I leave for Chicago and Lollapalooza. I'll get in around 10:30pm and meet up with my brother, who will have arrived much earlier from Austin, around 6:30 or so. I'm expecting he'll be nice and lit by the time I locate him in an airport bar. Our hotel is directly across the street from Grant Park's Buckingham Fountain so we can't ask for a better lodging scenario. Festivities kick off Friday around mid-day.



I'm thrilled to death to see many of the other bands on this year's slate, but let's not fool ourselves. The only reason I'm going through all of this trouble and expense is to see Radiohead headline on Friday night. And oh, what could have been if their Thursday night pre-Lollapalooza gig had come to fruition. So I'll say right off that my Friday schedule is organized so as to strategically position myself nice and early at the Radiohead stage.



Here's The Plan.  Know that I have not accounted for transit times, food/drink/leisure breaks or any other distractions. I also have some overlaps to work out. Anyone who has been to one of these big festivals must accept that they never end up how you think. All part of the fun.



Friday, August 1

* 12:15pm - 1:15pm Black Lips

* 1:15pm - 2:15pm Rogue Wave

* 2:15pm - 3:15pm The Go! Team

* 4:15pm - 5:15pm Gogol Bordello

* 5:15pm - 6:15pm Cat Power

* 5:45pm - 6:30pm Grizzly Bear

* 6:15pm - 7:15pm Bloc Party

* 7:15pm - 8:00pm Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

* 8:00pm - 10:00pm Radiohead



Saturday, August 2

* 1:30pm - 2:30pm Mason Jennings

* 2:30pm - 3:30pm The Gutter Twins

* 3:30pm - 4:30pm DeVotchKa

* 4:30pm - 5:30pm Explosions in the Sky

* 5:30pm - 6:30pm Okkervil River

* 6:30pm - 7:30pm Battles

* 7:30pm - 8:30pm Toadies

* 8:30pm - 10:00pm Rage Against the Machine



Official After-show:

Broken Social Scene w/ Yeasayer @ Metro



Sunday, August 3

* 11:30am - 12:15pm The Octopus Project

* 1:15pm - 2:15pm The Weakerthans

* 2:15pm - 3:15pm Brazilian Girls

* 3:30pm - 4:30pm Black Kids

* 4:15pm - 5:15pm Iron & Wine

* 5:15pm - 6:15pm Flogging Molly

* 6:30pm - 7:30pm Girl Talk

* 7:15pm - 8:15pm The National

* 8:15pm - 10:00pm Nine Inch Nails



For you cheapskates (i.e. mature adults with fiscal responsibility) who won't be there with me, you don't have to miss all the fun. There are options via "The Inter-net." Well, options may be a stretch. But there is that one enormously powerful corporation that always seems to own exclusive streams from music festivals. So by all means, check out the action at the AT&T Blue Room. Or perhaps Fuse.tv could provide a nice alternative. Lastly, the fest will have their own little video coverage feature from the front lines called Lolla Base Station.



But rest assured, I'll be the only music blogger in attendance. So if you want some exclusive coverage, you know how to find me. I'll be sure to post a few updates and pics while I'm there.