LOLLAPALOOZA HISTORY
By Rachel Surwit
Lollapalooza has provoked vast changes in the musical climate while ricocheting from success to disappointment and back to success. Through its transformation, the fest has been a gauge of the alt/indie scene, and at times, a barometer of pop culture in general.
1991: The alternative-rock traveling extravaganza was launched as the brainchild of Perry Farrell, the front man of Jane's Addiction. The word Lollapalooza was chosen to indicate something & quot;outstanding or unusual.& quot; It began as an event to showcase an otherwise ignored independent rock scene just beginning to seep from the underground into the popular consciousness. The first seven bands to appear at Lollapalooza - Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Siouxsie & amp; the Banshees, Ice-T/Body Count, Living Colour, Butthole Surfers and Rollins Band - hit large outdoor venues across the United States with the festival.
1992: The success of the first Lollapalooza generated a strong buzz for round two. Grunge had thrust to the forefront of the rock scene; bands such as Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers dominated the Lolla stage. The fest expanded to several stages and included circus tents to house "sideshow& quot; attractions such as tattooing and body-piercing, voter registration, presentations by proponents of marijuana legalization and exotic foods. It was a marriage of performers, non-musical acts, art, politics and oddities.
1993:Lolla's third outing continued to evoke interest in the alternative rock culture. Acts such as Primus, Alice in Chains, J Mascis' defiant Dinosaur Jr. and indie favorites Sebadoh and Mercury Rev hit the stages.
1994: Nirvana was set to headline the festival, but Kurt Cobain's suicide changed that. Nevertheless, it turned out to be Lollapalooza's most successful year, grossing more than $21 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.
1995: Lollapalooza entered three years of decline. Eventually, frustration lead Farrell to branch off and start an experimental-electronic festival called ENID.
1997: The final year of the festival's original incarnation - and the weakest. Lolla grossed a mere $7.4 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.
1998: The tour was canceled to allow Lollapalooza organizers to regroup.
2003: After a five-year hiatus, Lollapalooza re-emerged with a lineup featuring the reunited Jane's Addiction, Queens of the Stone Age, Audioslave, Incubus, Jurassic 5 and the Donnas. The festival toured 30 cities through July and August. However, ticket prices were higher and fan reaction halfhearted; the tour only grossed $13.7 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.
2004: Poor ticket sales forced organizers to once again cancel the festival.
2005: Farrell sold the Lollapalooza brand to Capital Sports & Entertainment, which also manages the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Lolla swiftly emerged from the ashes to become a two-day fest sticking to one location, Chicago's Grant Park. Seventy acts performed on five different stages. The festival attracted over 60,000 attendees despite a 104-degree temperatures.
2006: On the heels of 2005's success, the event expands to three days with 130 bands on eight stages. It will be held at the same Grant Park location, this year taking over the entire park.