RECAP: Lollapalooza 2024, Day Two
Day one of Lollapalooza 2024 set a high bar, with big performances from the start of the Chicago festival. Day two, however, would definitely bring the heat, both literally and figuratively, with lots of emerging artists and a very Chicago cameo.
The day was promising from the start, as young acts kicked the day off with sets that felt like Lolla’s future. One of those was PawPaw Rod, who is just a few weeks away from releasing a new EP. Chicago got a preview of “Doobie Mouth,” and Rod was quick to let everyone know he’d be back in The Windy City soon on tour.
Following Rod on the other side of the main stage area was Militarie Gun at the IHG Hotels Stage, who certainly won over plenty of new fans with their set. The band ripped through music from 2023’s “Life Under the Gun” with a crisp, defiant presence, letting Chicago know that they will be a punk rock mainstay for years to come.
If you were looking for a gentler, breezier set, though, you should find it across the park at the Bud Light Stage with Wilderado. The Oklahoma band played a jangly indie rock set with a backdrop of the Chicago skyline, just as the heat was reaching its peak. They would close with a stripped-down version of “Rubble To Rubble” that saw all four members of the band surround one microphone, which felt like a moment for both the crowd to enjoy and the band to revel in their accomplishments. They will certainly be back at Lollapalooza in the future.
Back at IHG, Detroit rapper Veeze made his Lollapalooza debut. With an animated “Ganger” backdrop behind him, he brought a gritty street sound to Lolla that genuinely stood out amongst the rest of the day’s lineup. It didn’t stop a big crowd from forming around him, though, and everyone both on stage and off were moving with every song.
Later, on that same stage, Australian singer/songwriter Ruel was taking in all of the best parts of Lollapalooza, as a big crowd came to check out his set. He genuinely seemed taken aback by the reception to his songs from 2023’s “4th Wall,” and was also celebrating the release of a new EP on Friday as well.
Over at the Perry’s stage, EDM duo Loud Luxury embodied their name, with a set that was both full of heavy drops and featured a spectacle of a stage show. Complete with fireworks, flames, and lots of steam cannons shooting off, it was a full-tilt party while the duo dropped beat after beat to a big crowd.
Arguably the biggest highlight of the day, though, came from one of Chicago’s own making a guest appearance on the T-Mobile main stage. Renee Rapp already had brought in a huge crowd of her own, before teeing up a surprise guest. She explained that “Blonde” by Frank Ocean and Chance The Rapper’s “Coloring Book” were two of her favorite albums, before Chance would pop out to join Rapp for part of “No Problem,” which sent the Chicago crowd sprinting to get closer to the stage. You never know when or where Chance is going to show up at Lollapalooza, but when he does, it’s guaranteed to cause a scene.
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While SZA and K-pop act Stray Kids headlined both of the main stages, Zedd was throwing his own party at Perry’s, and a huge crowd were on hand to throw down with the EDM and pop hitmaker. Now with over 12 years of major hit singles to pull from, Zedd had a deep bag of originals to pull from, mixing in crowd favorites as well. He also had a cameo of his own, welcoming singer Remi Wolf to join him on stage, fresh off of the release of her “Big Ideas” album. Couple that with the biggest pyro of the night on Perry’s stage, and you had all of the components of an EDM blowout to finish off Friday.
We’re only halfway through Lollapalooza 2024, and there’s so much more to come from Grant Park this weekend! Make sure you follow Breaking And Entering on Instagram as well for even more from direct from Chicago.