After making our way to Chicago on Thursday, August 1 (with a pitstop for brunch at S&G Waffle Shack in Gary, Indiana), Ted and I arrived at Grant Park around 3 p.m. CST, just in time to catch a stunning set from South African R&B star Tyla. A 2024 Grammy award winner for Best African Music Performance, Tyla established the vibe for a two-day stretch at Lollapalooza dominated by dynamic female artists.
For the second half of Thursday, I experienced my favorite stretch of Lollapalooza 2024, beginning with a booty-shaking set from British group Jungle. With hits like “Back on 74,” “Casio,” and “I’ve Been in Love,” the band is a must-listen for all fans of ear-grabbing grooves.
I then made my way over to Lollapalooza’s T-Mobile stage to catch the tail end of Chappell Roan’s performance. Having become a regular atop the music charts in recent months, the Missouri-born pop star drew what might have been the largest crowd of the weekend, with a packed field of fans singing along to her songs. To close out the first day, I stayed put for a headlining performance by Megan Thee Stallion, who demanded every bit of the audience’s attention with her potent blend of song and dance.
Ted and I retreated to our friends’ house in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood for the evening, returning to Grant Park on Friday morning after grabbing some grub at old-school tavern Pizza Lobo. Following a solid set of indie pop from up-and-coming artist Blu DeTiger, I made my way to the T-Mobile stage once more, where I spent the rest of my Friday. I caught two more stellar R&B performances, first from Victoria Monét and then from SZA. The 2024 Grammy award winner for Best New Artist, Monét strutted her stuff while belting out standout songs like “On My Mama” and “We Might Even Be Falling in Love.” Later that evening, “Kill Bill” hitmaker SZA delivered an excellent performance of her own, treating fans to a career-spanning set highlighted by her clear sense of comfort in front of tens-of-thousands of fans.
Following another night of much-needed rest, Ted and I took one more trip to Grant Park for what would be our final day at the festival before heading back home to Indy. Saturday’s lineup was filled with a myriad of sounds, making for a fun day of exploration. To kick it off, I caught a standout set from Tennessee rocker-on-the-rise Briston Maroney, who reflected on his Lollapalooza appearance being a dream come true. From there, I enjoyed sets from electronic artist Nia Archives, indie singer-songwriter Ethel Cain, alt-rock mainstays Deftones, and esteemed rapper Killer Mike. To close out the day, I decided to check out Future and Metro Boomin, performing together as part of their We Trust You Tour. The rap duo showed up 30 minutes late and gave a rather uninspiring performance, but sometimes you just catch ’em on an off day.
