Bad Souls and Pretty Lights: Lollapalooza Day 2

Chicago rain came pouring down in the night, so the pristine grounds of Lollapalooza 2011 have turned into a mixture of mud, hay and grass on Saturday, August 6. It now smells like the true heartland of America that it is. Yet nothing will deter the up-for-it music fans coming to Day 2 of the sold out event.

The first band we see is one of ChinaShop’s most revered live acts, Fitz & The Tantrums. “This is our first Lollapalooza,” shouts sultry female singer, Noelle Scaggs. “And we’re on the main stage!” The crowd cheers. “It’s because of your support that we are here.”

And, boy-oh-boy, did the Los Angeles band “own” that main stage with all its heart. The hour-long set became one of the most powerful performances of the day next to headliner Eminem who ended day two rapping on the same planks.

The head bobbing pace of songs, delivery of love-torn lyrics belted out by swanky Fitz and his lusty leading lady are more likely to be heard in a jazz club than on a festival stage. Yet with Fitz & The Tantrums it all made energetic sense as the band playfully included the audience throughout their set. With no guitars in the band, multi-instrumentalist James King is its backbone on flute and saxophone. Think swinging couples dressed to kill and old soul sounds from Motown.

The band ripped through songs from their career-defining EP, Songs For a Breakup, Vol. 1 (including “Breaking the Chains of Love,” “MoneyGrabber,” “Don’t Got to Work it Out”). They also sang the featured track from the film, Friends With Benefits, “L.O.V.,” and a signature cover of The Raconteurs, “Steady as She Goes.”

Fitz & The Tantrums defined each song and moment with verve.

Up next was Vice Records artist and Mark Ronson produced, Black Lips, playing all the way on the other side of the grounds (it can take up to 20 minutes to walk). This raucous Atlanta outfit gets “Avid Fans Unite” festival award. They were truly punk rock in a loose delivery, badass attitude, disjointed set with long pauses and the breaking open of a guitar in the last minutes of the show. Imagine a male band version of Amy Winehouse (rest in peace).

Looking not unlike Peter Doherty (Libertines/Baby Shambles), lead singer-guitarist Cole Alexander, stage-dived then jumped back into the crowd and gave a hug or high-five to every person in the front row. Then he bolted back onstage to take a pirate’s bow to the crowd as they left. Now that’s a happy ending.

For a true Brit blast from the past, Big Audio Dynamite, delivered a solid set in the early evening on one of the main stages. Former Sex Pistols lead, Mick Jones, never changes except to look a few years older. Their set was strong yet laidback as they played their hits and then some.

Festival founder, Perry Farrell and his wife, Etty, went up against Chris Cox on a deck competition in the dance tent to deliver a performance loved by all. PerryEtty vs. Chris Cox featured the luminary DJ/producer/remixer trading off with PerryEtty. Marked by hard driving house beats, Perry’s signature voice and Etty’s dance moves and creative fashion sense, the performance had the audience going mad the entire time.

Another buzzy Los Angeles band from Silver Lake, Local Natives, delivered a pleasingly mellow set on the Sony Stage. It mirrored their hypnotic (self-funded) debut album, Gorilla Manor, as they played to the biggest audience ever in the band’s short career. The hauntingly airy hit song, “Wide Eyes,” possesses a wash of harmonies and dreamy melody that sticks in your head.

The last two acts of the night were Pretty Lights and Eminem on at the same time. It was a tough choice between an up and coming club superstar vs. an existing rap legend like Eminem. We decided to start with a newcomer… However, college dropout Derek Smith’s set was so mesmerizing, hard driving and more beautiful than words can convey (plus he had almost as many people cheering him on and spilling out of the tent as Skrillex did the previous day), that the choice was made to see the set through. Trusted sources informed us Eminem was brilliant as well.