I went to Lollapalooza when I was 14.   Who took me?  My grandparents.  They are cool Baby Boomers who wanted my brother and me to experience an American Music festival modeled after Woodstock in the 1960’s.  (My grandparents didn’t attend Woodstock, but they have the album and the DVD)

It was all fun and games until I realized that most of the people who attended were at least 3 inches taller than me. That was a bummer. Finding just the right place to stand was a grueling task, but my Grandpa was up for the job. He would use his keen, artistic eye to find the perfect spot that would give us the right angle to see over everyone.  

The wristbands that you had to wear were also excruciatingly tight. You wanted to put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care, but if you cared about the blood circulating to your hands, then you would keep them down. 

And, did I mention that my grandmother let my 10 year old brother buy a temporary blue hairstyle from a street vendor?  Just a quick tip … 10 year old boys, blue hair dye, hundred degree temperatures, and rain, can only end badly. 

This was my first real concert experience. I got to see bands that I never dreamed of seeing. Pearl Jam was the best in show by far,  but all the other bands were awesome, too.  The Lollapalooza concert experience was what really got me into music and the concert scene. 

The lineup included the bands:  Jack’s Mannequin, Daft Punk, Silverchair, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Muse, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, Pearl Jam, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Snow Patrol, Interpol, Amy Winehouse, Modest Mouse, The Fratellis, Motion City Soundtrack,  Blue October,  Against Me!, Silversun Pickups, Arckid, Ludo, Lady GaGa and much, much more. 

Some bands were already big and it was amazing seeing them live. Others were just making it onto the big-time music scene and were great to watch even though I didn’t really know who they were. As some of these bands have gotten bigger, I’ve realized that the Lollapalooza experience was much more than just a concert. It  was a gateway into my music life.   Who knows maybe someday, someone will play one of my songs on stage.