It's been a summer.

It's been a hell of a summer. And not all in a hella-good way. But I'm here and I'm still getting out. This weekend was Lollapalooza in Chicago and it's bigger than ever. Four days of non-stop music and bros in CamelBaks and Trixies (do we even call them that anymore?) in little more than bralettes.

If I never see another CamelBak or bralette it will be too soon. #lolla #lollapalooza

— Michelle Kopeny (@shellster129) July 31, 2016

There ARE great things about this festival, and I must love them more than I hate the negatives because I keep going back for more. This year a few of those things were Jane's Addiction, Grimes, Vic Mensa, HAIM, Con Brio and LCD Soundsystem, which were my favorite acts of the weekend. Getting there close to noon or 1 p.m. every day, I put in nearly 40 hours of music in just four days. I might be crazy, but I love the submersion where the only thing I really have to think about is what band I'm going to see next and how long it's going to take to get there. And when I'm going to eat. Fuel is important when you're walking 10+ miles a day.

Anyway, I think it might be impossible anymore for me to go to a music festival without sharing something about it, so here are the links to our 2016 coverage on Chicagoist (with Annie's awesome photos):

Lana Del Rey Closes Lollapalooza Day 1

Lollapalooza Day 2 Belonged To Radiohead And The Struts

Vic Mensa Gives A Show-Stopping Tribute To Laquan McDonald For Lolla Day 3

LCD Soundsystem And HAIM Close Out An Epic, Long Lollapalooza 2016

This Happened.

You don't realize how much you want to be there until it's happening. LCD Soundsystem played their (claimed) final show Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. James Murphy is quick to say that they will still record music under the moniker, but no more touring. The "Long Goodbye" was streamed live on Pitchfork.com.

Even though I wasn't there, I still have fond memories of seeing that giant disco ball at the Metro and Pitchfork Fest in 2010.

Photo by Alexander Stein for Pitchfork.com.

Long Weekend

You could almost say my weekend started on Wednesday, since LCD Soundsystem kicked my ass so hard I'm really just now recovering. Here's what I thought of their show at Metro, plus some pretty pictures of James Murphy to look at:

LCD Soundsystem @ Metro 5/26/10

Happy Anniversary Blue Note! (And other awesome Wednesday goings ons)

Tonight is the free, outdoor of Montreal concert in CoMo that I will not be attending. There are not enough sadfaces in the world. Why did it have to be on a WEDNESDAY?! Why couldn't Columbia have been this awesome when I lived there?!

Okay, enough whining (besides, I'll be at the LCD Soundsystem show at Metro tonight anyway!). The show is a part of 9th Street Summerfest presented by The Blue Note who is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year! Congratulations Blue Note!

Plus it's Wednesday, so that means I'm DJing Sweet Treat @ Beauty Bar from 7-10 (well, 9:30 tonight since I have to take off early to cover LCD). Come by for a drink and a manicure before the show! (and maybe give me a ride to Metro?)

It's Not You, It's Me

I've been absent from the blog for a while. It's not even that there wasn't anything going on, I was just super busy finishing up (and stressing out over) this feature I was writing for Gapers Block (which should go live on Thursday). Work has also kept me super busy the last couple of days, which is why I'm writing this on Wednesday instead of Monday (as if you cared).

I was so busy that I didn't even promote my own DJ gig with my partner Lisa White at Beauty Bar last Friday! In case you're wondering, it went great. A bunch of our friends showed up and people seemed to really like what we played. I hope to DJ there again soon (fingers crossed!)!


Here's the cliffs notes version of everything else I missed:

• LCD Soundsystem announced a show at Metro (which of course sold out right away)
• OK Go appeared on The Colbert Report, complete with Rube Goldberg machine and Colbert Choir
• We saw Free Energy @ Beauty Bar; Missed them at the Daytrotter Barnstormer
• I reviewed The Whigs' show @ Bottom Lounge
• Voxtrot call it quits :(
• Edible Audible Picnic returns this summer (despite worries that it may have fallen victim to city budget woes)
• The INXS phase is in full-swing.

Yes, This Is Happening.

This video is hilarious.

I'm glad they didn't dub the recorded version over the audio.

Can't wait to see him at Pitchfork.

That is all.

Pitchfork Lineup Announced!

As I mentioned yesterday, this year's Pitchfork Music Festival has been set for July 16-18. Tickets go on sale today (at noon) and part of the lineup has already been announced:

Friday, July 16 2010:
Modest Mouse and more to be announced!

Saturday, July 17 2010:
LCD Soundsystem and Raekwon, and more to be announced!

Sunday, July 18th 2010:
Pavement, St. Vincent, Lightning Bolt, Sleigh Bells, Here We Go Magic, Cass McCombs, and more to be announced!

It's no shock that Pavement would be headlining, but I've gotta say I'm most pumped for LCD Soundsystem on Saturday. He "opened" for Daft Punk at Lolla in '07--which was fantastic (not to mention appropriate), plus Sound of Silver as a whole is one of my favorite albums ever, one of those that will no doubt stand the test of time.

What about you? Who are you excited to see? Or, who do you expect (or want) to be added to the lineup in the coming months? (Although, my favorite part of festivals is stumbling upon new artists.)

Super Concert Day

Today is Super Concert Day. I have bought tickets to three different concerts happening in the coming months. Jamie Lidell, Cut Copy and Girl Talk. All the great concerts happen in the fall after the "radius clause" wears off, and bring me back to the small local venues that I love so much. I am also pumped for tomorrow night's James Murphy DJ set at Smartbar. For those of you who don't know who that is, you may know him better as the man behind LCD Soundsystem. That's right, LCD Soundsystem hand picking the tunes in your local bar.

Dance. Party.


Oh, and my friends Hey Champ will be DJing at The Burlington on Saturday. More dance party happiness.