Ever gone to a music festival or glanced at the lineup for one of the big ones and thought to yourself, “Who booked this thing? I could pick better bands while fighting off hordes of hungry zombies and writing a novel about sheepherding”? Well put on your fantasy promoter hat and get to work. Perry Farrell’s Lollapalooza is asking for your help.
From now until Nov. 10, fans who visit Lollapalooza.com can offer up five suggestions for acts they want to see on the roster for the Aug. 6-8, 2010 event.
Go ahead, don’t be shy about your choices. Farrell and company are asking for “monster headliners and bands we’ve never even heard of – from rock to avant-garde, indie to hip-hop, and all the sounds in between.”
To get you started, here are five acts I’d like to see on the stages in Grant Park next year. Some are underrated/underexposed and some are already big stars I’d just like to see at Lolla. (Granted, some of you will totally disagree with me and offer lots of reasons why your picks are better than mine. But you see, that’s entirely the point.)
1. Gram Rabbit – I absolutely love this little band from Joshua Tree, Calif. The folks in LA already know about Jesika von Rabbit and company’s fusion of rock, dance and just plain groovy weirdness and flock to their shows enmasse but it’s time the rest of the country got wise. Check out “The Rest of Us Sleep,” a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” and every GR fan’s favorite track, “Bloody Bunnies” on the band’s MySpace page.
2. Cazwell – A staple of the New York Club scene and an undiscovered gem whose time is coming. The openly gay hip-hop and dance artist has looks and hooks to spare, an attitude to match the best MCs and a wicked sense of humor. Viewers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” may recognize Caz as the one who coached the contestants for the song competition last season. Check out the hilarious “I Seen Beyoncé at Burger King,” “Tonight” (a reworking of Shannon’s hit “Give Me Tonight”) and the ultra-naughty “All Over My Face” (Caution! Make sure you listen with headphones if you’re in a public place) on Cazwell’s MySpace page.
3. Empire of the Sun – This collaboration between The Sleepy Jackson’s Luke Steel and Pnau’s Nick Littlemore yielded some of the lushest, catchiest pop music of the year, IMO. (Imagine if Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac and MGMT were fused together in some kind of freak accident and then recorded an album.) Add in the eye-popping videos the duo traveled the world to film and you’ve got an act that belongs on the stage of any festival. Check out “Walking On a Dream,” “We Are the People” and “Without You” on Empire of the Sun’s official YouTube channel. (Adam Lambert, are you taking notes?)
4. Noisettes – After taking a break to regroup, this U.K. trio is back and in fine form with the excellent Wild Young Hearts. Singer/bassist Shingai Shoniwa’s smokey vocals are sure to draw comparisons to other British songbirds. But listen carefully to the title track, as well as the retro, Mersey-beat influenced “Never Forget You,” dance floor thumper “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” and the driving “Saturday Night” and you’ll find she’s one of a kind with a style all her own. (Click here for Noisettes MySpace page)
5. Lady Gaga – Okay, let’s establish one thing once and for all: I am not now, nor have I ever been on the payroll of Gaga or anyone connected with her. I simply think that she’s an amazingly talented songwriter and performer – which, after all, is my job to point out. (I have to thank my friend Martha in NYC for tipping me off about her way before the rest of the world discovered her and fell in love – and/or hate.) And if Lady G and what she brings to the party don’t belong at a big music festival, then nobody does. (Click here for Lady Gaga’s MySpace page)
Click here to let Perry Farrell and his Lollapalooza co-creators know who you'd pick.