The Hottest Music Acts in the Chicago Heat: Lollapalooza Days Three and Four

Lollapalooza ended with a delayed start from headlining rap duo Future x Metro Boomin and an outstanding revival from ‘00s hit band The Killers on Saturday. Headlining electropop artist Melanie Martinez and ‘90s punk band Blink-182 gave a generation-spanning close for the festival’s younger and older audiences on Sunday.

Saturday, Aug. 3

Chicago-based band Friko rocked out in the afternoon shade of the Bacardí stage. Lead singer Niko Kapetas and touring guitarists shredded in sync like a singular throbbing vein to “Chemical” and “Half as Far.”

Drummer Bailey Minzenberger took a brief hiatus from their hi-hats to play the keyboard during the instrumental interlude “For Ella.” The band closed with a haunting cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi” and promised a return to Lolla in two years.

Northwestern University alumna Hayes Warner returned to Chicago to open the BMI stage for the third day of the festival. Warner rocked the stage with both original songs and covers.

When performing Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” Warner appeared almost angelic — bathed in white lights, backlit by fog with her hair waving in the wind.

Opening the day’s slate on the nearby Bud Light stage, sibling band Infinity Song performed tracks from their recent album “Metamorphosis.” Before their performance, the band said their father walked around taking videos with the biggest smile on his face.

Alternative rock band Quarters of Change lifted Bacardi’s stage with electric riffs and tinny guitars. Playing “Blue Copper,” the band surprised the crowd with Thursday performer Ava Maybee. At the end of their set, frontman Ben Roter climbed the stage’s support pillar to hype the crowd to their angsty “T Love.”

Dylan Brady led a low-key DJ set in the sweltering afternoon — or, as low-key as an electronic dance show could be. Brady, a member of 100 gecs, performed at Pitchfork Music Festival just two weeks ago.

Brady transformed over 40 songs, but his remixes of Nicki Minaj’s “Starships,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” earned the most praise from the mosh pit. He finished as informally as he began with a brief clip of Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee.”

On the Bud Light stage, indie pop band TV Girl played all their biggest hits to an eager crowd, including “Lovers Rock” and “Blue Hair.” 

Near the end of the set, lead singer Brad Petering spoke about Matty Healy, the lead singer of 1975. Healy is being sued by a Malaysian music festival for allegedly breaking festival restrictions by using profanity, criticizing Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws and kissing bassist Ross MacDonald on stage, according to Time Magazine.

In solidarity, Petering shared a hesitant peck on the lips with keyboardist Wyatt Harmon, all to the cheers of the crowd.

Ethel Cain shared her Southern gothic stylings at the IHG stage. Her pleading vocals rang out like a banshee in “A House in Nebraska” as grainy footage of farms and barnyard animals looped in the background.

The indie singer performed a new song “Punish,” a ghostly-sounding track reminiscent to her previous work on the album “Preacher’s Daughter.”

Before closing with her pop-inspired hit “American Teenager,” Cain delivered a sultry cover of Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes.”

Cain announced a new project in the works during her aftershow at Thalia Hall, Friday night. With the new album including “Punish,” Cain also sang the yet-to-be released “Amber Waves.”

The sound system at T-Mobile’s stage blared loudly with the concussive Deftones. The band’s thrashing guitars and heavy drums were intense enough to guarantee ear-ringing for anyone in earshot.

Frontman Chino Moreno fervidly sang “My Own Summer (Shove It),” “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” and “Change (In the House of Flies).” The experimental metal legends closed with “Genesis” from their 2020 album “Ohms.”

At the nearby IHG stage, alternative rock band Hippo Campus performed both well-known fan favorites like “Way It Goes” and “Buttercup,” as well as the three currently public tracks from their anticipated album, “Flood.” 

Unreleased songs from “Flood” like “Corduroy” and the titular track “Flood” had their live debuts during the band’s Metro aftershow Sunday evening.

“Do you guys want to take its virginity?” asked lead singer Jake Luppen regarding the new songs. “Just wanted to make sure we have your consent.”

Atlanta legend and one-half of rap duo Run the Jewels, Killer Mike, had a show which rivaled all others. Backed by Trackstar the DJ and a quintet of choir singers, Mike belted hits from his 2023 album “Michael” which won Grammys for the year including Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album.

Between songs Mike dedicated his performance to the people of Chicago and Fred Hampton, a Black Panther Party chairman who was assassinated in a raid by the FBI and the Chicago Police Department in 1969.

“Chicago is a place where I see people taking care of one another,” Mike said. “I want you all to leave this with a spiritual experience.”

Mike heightened the energy by bringing singer Erryn Allen Cain for a surprise performance of “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS.”

While fans awaited hip-hop rap duo Future x Metro Boomin at the Bud Light stage, a fight broke out between two crew members on stage. The performance was further delayed by the need to set up an unready stage. 

After around 30 minutes of waiting, some crowd members began to boo. With a scheduled start time of 8:45 p.m., the headlining set didn’t begin until 9:15 p.m.

The rap duo played songs from their joint albums “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” and “WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU,” as well as tracks from their solo careers. 

Their performance of “Fried (She a Vibe)” was cut short as security asked everyone in the crowd to step back away from the stage for safety reasons. 

The Killers’ set was a well-oiled machine on the opposite end of the park. Singer Brandon Flowers promised audiences a professional performance to remember.

“We’re The Killers, and we’re in the service industry,” said Flowers. “I believe you people ordered up a good time.”

The Las Vegas-based band moved through an 18-song set including “When You Were Young,” “Smile Like You Mean It” and Material Issue’s “Very First Lie.” 

During the show Flowers pulled an attendee on stage who had been holding a poster asking to drum. The young Chicagoan named Oscar played “For Reasons Unknown” perfectly in pace with the band.

The Killers closed with two renditions of “Mr. Brightside,” first focusing on Flower’s vocals and again with full guitar instrumentation. Droves of visitors and staff chanted into Grant Park’s adjacent streets. Thousands sang in unison while heading home from the festival’s third day.

Sunday, Aug. 4

A crowd quickly formed for Scarlet Demore’s afternoon show at the Bacardí stage. The Chicago-based punk band dove headfirst into the dramatics with an electrifying rendition of “Lost Dawg,” an energy which continued throughout their set.

Lead singer Cat Ayala blew kisses to the audience after the breathy-but-bold track “A/B.”

“This song is for the girlies — let the girls pit,” Ayala announced before “Dead Men.”

Ending with a feisty cover of Sum 41’s “Fat Lip,” Scarlet Demore cemented themselves as a standout act from the alternative scene at Lolla. 

Waving an American flag, Japanese metalcore rock band HANABIE. opened the T-Mobile stage. Dressed in an aesthetically cute style with skirts, stars and bright colors, lead singer Yukina shocked the crowd with harsh, guttural screams.

The band performed songs like “O・TA・KUラブリー伝説” and “NEET GAME.”

Punk-pop singer Huddy took to the BMI stage Sunday afternoon with a set worthy of his Chicago debut. His connection to the audience was palpable, as he performed hits like “All the Things I Hate About You” and songs from his recent EP “Love Bites.”

Throughout the set, Huddy kept the crowd riled up, frequently stepping onto the speakers in front of the stage for the biggest moments of songs and hopping off the stage to interact with fans at the barricade.

English pop singer and self-proclaimed fan of the Chicago architectural boat tours, Mimi Webb, fulfilled a three-year long dream of performing at Lollapalooza. On the Bud Light stage, Webb sang both her newest song, “Erase You,” and her oldest, “Before I Go.”

On the opposite end of the park, Wisconsin rock band Slow Pulp mixed folk vocals with punk guitars. Singer Emily Massey gave a tender voice to anguished instrumentation for songs “High” and “MUD.”

Wearing a red Chicago Bulls jersey, number 69, Teddy Swims was Chicago-ready. Swims performed both singles and tracks from his 2024 album “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1.5).” 

“I think we’ll kill it, but you guys won’t know anyway,” Swims said in preparation of performing his unreleased single, “Bad Dreams.”

Indie duo Briscoe married folk banjos and harmonicas with soulful vocals. Featuring bluesy songs “The Well” and “Dirty Shoes,” the act bore a rustic set akin to classic country folk from the ‘70s.

At the Tito’s venue, British band The Last Dinner Party congregated a merry audience. The woman-fronted ensemble adorned Renaissance-inspired dresses as singer Abigail Morris waltzed into the audience. The act concluded with “Nothing Matters,” the viral single from their first album “Prelude to Ecstasy” released in February.

Conan Gray brought an upbeat energy to the Bud Light stage Sunday evening. Decked out in a red leather vest and pants set, Gray performed songs from across his discography, including hits like “Heather” and “Maniac.”

Fans, many of whom sang along to each song in the set, eagerly danced and filmed during the performance. Gray also maintained a strong rapport with the audience, frequently talking to his fans between songs.

“I gotta say,” Gray mentioned on stage, “Chicago: best American city.”

Pierce the Veil dominated the T-Mobile stage with their pop-punk beats, as songs like “Caraphernelia” and “Emergency Contact” were accompanied by head-banging. A few brave audience members even crowd-surfed during songs like “Circles.”

Fans in the crowd held signs declaring their love for Pierce the Veil and begged to be picked as the lucky audience member who got to join the band on the stage.

Eventually, Orla, who was standing by the barricade, was chosen by lead singer Vic Fuentes. She sat on a stool onstage and was serenaded by the band’s song “Hold On Till May.” Fuentes also gifted her the guitar he had been playing. 

Just before the festival’s final headliners, Chicago Made spotlighted the city’s underground talents. Hosted by Tony “Chicago” Russell, DJ Pharris, dancer DLOW, singer M.E.H., rapper Fly Skinz, R&B singer SONATA, guitarist Deacon Denzel and underground icon Twista gave brief stints in quick succession.

To close out the festival, alternative pop artist Melanie Martinez put on a spectacle of horror and fantasy, performing a setlist that spanned her entire discography.

Aspects of subtle horror came into play during songs from “Cry Baby” and “K-12.” In Martinez’s performance of “Nurse’s Office,” she was rolled around the stage on a gurney, the shaky camera above her giving an impression of hectic unease. Near the end of the song, she pretended to be electrocuted while her back-up dancers stared into the cameras with wide eyes and unnervingly large smiles.

Tracks from “PORTALS” introduced a sense of extraterrestrial fantasy as Martinez took to the stage in a moss-covered two-piece and an alien-like pink prosthetic mask with two sets of eyes and large, ribbed ears. 

While a snippet of “The Principal” played, the screens behind Martinez showed dolls holding signs advocating messages like “End the occupation,” “Free Palestine” and “Your silence won’t protect you.” Martinez echoed these sentiments during her thank you speech at the end of her set.

As T-Mobile’s final headliner, Blink-182 took their audience back in time. With a crowd full of Gen Xers and Millennials, the pop-punk trailblazers played 23 of their latest and greatest singles.

Currently touring for their 2023 album “One More Time…,” newer songs “DANCE WITH ME” and “MORE THAN YOU KNOW” were played alongside classics “The Rock Show” and “What’s My Age Again?” A tease for the band’s future came with the unofficially released “Can’t Go Back.”

Adolescent lyrics regarding teenage resentment paired with their trademark corny humor. Singers Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge egged on the audience between songs, asking attendees to raise lit phones if they had divorced parents.

“It’s your fault your parents broke up,” said Hoppus. “Every single one of these is a home that you wrecked.”

The set closed with “All the Small Things,” “ONE MORE TIME” and a tape of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin,’” which both the audience and band danced to. Attendees left Lollapalooza for the last time this year as fireworks flew and the music triumphantly told them to “hold on to that feelin.’”