Aug. 02--Reports from Sunday, day three at Lollapalooza in Grant Park, from Greg Kot (GK), Bob Gendron (BG), Kevin Williams (KM) and Tracy Swartz (TS):
11:50 a.m.: Northwestern Memorial Hospital reported treating 47 concertgoers from Lollapalooza on Friday and Saturday for a mix of ailments including alcohol-related issues, a hospital spokeswoman said. Mercy Hospital reported treating 18 concertgoers Friday and 11 concertgoers Saturday, mostly for dehydration and alcohol-related issues, a Mercy spokeswoman said. Temperatures topped 80 degrees Friday and Saturday. A spokeswoman for the city Office of Emergency Management and Communications said there were 85 medical transports Friday but did not have a number for Saturday, the second day of the three-day music festival in Grant Park. (TS)
12:05 p.m.: "I know there's a lot of indie and folk and EDM bull[expletive] going on but we are going play some rock 'n' roll for you," announces In the Whale. The Denver duo more than makes good on its promise. Stripped down to a simple essence, the band's hard-edged fare scampers, thrusts and giddily thrashes. "Woman" tilts on riffs that threaten imminent collapse. The punked-out "Girlfriend" races, relishes in humor and gives the group a chance to toss out a pinata. "Lake of Fire" erupts with volcanic might. Dirty, fun and caked in garage grime, the songs are unconcerned with trends. "There might be too many hipsters in the crowd," guitarist/vocalist Nate Valdez declares when revving up the crowd and challenging fans to ignore the fact it's just past noon. He proceeds to sing as if he's just hit on a biker gang leader's old lady in a bar and must run for his life. Yep, this the way to wake up. In the Whale's go-for-the-throat performance serves notice as how any young act should treat a fest appearance -- no matter how many people happen to be watching. "Now go and tell the others what you saw," Valdez commands at the close. Amen brother. (BG)
12:15 p.m.: Sheppard: On a train ride from De Gaulle Airport in Paris once, a busker got on the train. Everyone sighed. Some Australians shouted requests, and turned it into a party. Aussies. You know this batch from way across the water for its giant hit, "Geronimo," but what else is on offer? A party. A pair of drummers who understand polyrhythms control the world with an aggro, primal backbeat, as everybody else runs around screaming and chirping. "Let's party," indeed, because this here is party music, all uptempo jangle, happy lyrics and quality rock craftsmanship. Sing-along choruses make it easy for an enthusiastic crowd, and that Aussie lilt in the vocals just seals the deal. Between Sheppard and In the Whale, if you chose to sleep in today, for shame. The day is off to a wonderful start. (KM)
1:10 p.m.: Zebra Katz: White jumpsuit, matching eye patch and DJ Dirty Fingers led to the best rap set I saw at Lollapalooza. Zebra Katz (Ojay Morgan) is part of the queer hip-hop movement that for a while was taking off like a rocket. And it's fascinating to see what happens to rap without the misogyny and sexism. What you get is pop music, a performer creating somgs that use wordplay to make cool stuff. "It's My Party" was sampled, grimed up and drowned in bass as Zebra Katz showed off flow that should have folks like G-Eazy crying into their lattes. Rap is ultimately music and about music. Remove all the junk and hostility from it, and the genre gets back the base. Zebra Katz also solved the problem with live rap, stalking the stage like a white,-clad demon, using words to pound home the beats of his deejay, vocals as much of a percussion instrument as the turntables. Want your rapper to spray a bottle of champagne over the audience? Check. Want your rapper to parody the machismo silliness of mainstream rap? Check. The steadily growing crowd at BMI wasn't just because of the shade. (KM)
2:00 p.m.: Eighteen concertgoers were arrested at Lollapalooza on Saturday, bringing the arrest total for the first two days of the three-day fest to 25 patrons, according to information from the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Eighteen music fans were given citations, and 87 attendees were transported for medical issues Saturday, OEMC spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said. On Saturday, Texas rapper Travis Scott was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after he encouraged fans to jump barricades during his show. One fan was also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct stemming from that incident, Stratton said. Seven arrests, 35 citations and 85 medical transports were reported Friday by OEMC but no additional details were given. (TS)
