Lollapalooza 2003
Review by Mike Jubina
Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2003
Eleven hours of music, games, partying, and overpriced commodities leads to only one thing: Lollapalooza. After taking a short break of a few years, though founders Jane's Addiction underwent turbulent times, Lollapalooza is back and better than ever. Mainstream bands The Distillers, The Donnas, Jurassic 5, Queens of the Stone Age, Incubus, Audioslave, and Jane's Addiction lit up the main stage, while local bands rocked on the second stage. This year's local tour date, PNC Bank Arts Center on July 23, was more than a just memorable concert. It was pure adrenaline.
Doors opened at 12:30, an hour later than poster, which lowered the morale of the masses of concert goers, but was soon made up once inside. Dozens of pavilions were set up, carrying everything from pineapple shakes to hemp clothing. All the while, original Lollapaloozers, Rage Against The Machine, were playing through amplifiers across the grounds. By about 2:30, the first band was set to play, The Distillers. A total lack of enthusiasm from the band members plus too much treble led to a most horrible performance ending with the lead singer's humping of her guitar. The Distillers did not belong on the main stage, and I would have gladly taken A Perfect Circle instead, had they been not playing only West Coast shows.
Up next came The Donnas. Although not a well-established band, The Donnas put on quite a performance. Nothing spectacular, as they could not arouse the fans to more than a mere shouting, but a nice set overall with very minor mistakes made by even the most professional bands. An average performance from an average band who did belong on the main stage.
It wasn't until Jurassic 5 came on that the fans truly woke up. Perfect harmony between the four singers as well as a double DJ solo made the performance excellent, ending with a dull roar from the fans. No more rap than they were rock and roll, Jurassic 5 put on a clean performance with a spotless demeanor.
Then, Queens of the Stone Age hit the stage and the fans roared. The longest set of the night, Queens also put on the most energetic, leading to several mosh pits on the field. Flawless performances by the guitarists as well as a mean set by the drummer; who, at the show, was not Dave Grohl but surely played as well as him, created an atmosphere of adrenaline and pure bliss. They could have possibly been the best band all night.
As always, Incubus captures the hearts of all the ladies when Brandon Boyd steps on stage and removes his shirt. While not including original bassist, Dirk Lance, Incubus put on one hell of a show. But it was their love of the fans that led to the constant roars from the crowd, which at times became louder than the music. A five star band who would have put on a five star performance if only they had played some of their earlier material rather than only their famous, overplayed singles.
The fans gave the most to Audioslave. Every song was chorused by almost every person at the show- even those who did not know the words attempted to harmonize. A spectacular light show, a solo tribute to Bruce Springsteen from front man Chris Cornell, a cover of the White Stripes "Seven Nation Army", and Tom Morrello's awesome performance on guitar highlighted the set. A truly heart warming set which should have been the closing, of which many fans agreed with because almost a fifth of the seats were emptied after their set.
Bringing up the rear, as in all Lollapalooza shows, was Jane's Addiction. The band played many fan favorites as well as some new material, keeping fans out of their seats. But it was really the seductive Lolla girls on stage that kept the non-Jane's Addiction fans at the show. As usual, Dave Navarro attempted to steal the show, and for a time, he did; until he began butchering the guitar solos in several of the songs, allowing Perry, who strongly resembled the late Queen front man Freddie Mercury, back into the spotlight. An overall decent set from a good band ended Lollapalooza 2003 without taking away the passion that the other bands stirred within the crowd.