Lollapalooza 2009 is a mere 1 1/2 months away, and if you have plans on heading to Chicago for this year’s event, the lineup is now live for you to start planning your 3 days. Depeche Mode vs Kings of Leon, Beastie Boys vs Tool, Janes Addiction vs Killers (wtf?). Time to start making those decisions and building your schedule with the new Facebook interface that was added this year.

Check it HERE.

I found this poster on the internet, and honestly can’t confirm any of the artists that they have listed. Maybe it’s just someone’s wish list?

I did, however, discover that in the latest copy of Spin, a confirmation of several artists playing this year’s Lollapalooza. Nothing too revealing, but a short list.

• Jane’s Addiction
• Silversun Pickups
• The Gaslight Anthem
• Metric
• The Killers
• Tool

Soon enough, we’ll know the full lineup, but I’m thinking that this year might warrant a trip to Chicago.

UPDATE: Here it is..the real deal http://2009.lollapalooza.com/

Eddie Veder was throwing verbal punches at the current administration during Pearl Jam’s performance at Lollapalooza, and someone thought it might be inappropriate, so they cut out the good stuff during the Webcast. Just when you think that the major corporations who have fucked up the music industry enough already, are making good by providing us with some cool stuff, they show us just how ugly and crooked they really are. Shame on you AT&T, and get out of our music scene!! Sorry for the rant, but this really sucks and will be #4 added to my what the f*** category. Read the full story here.

The censored video in which AT&T decided they were going to control what they didn’t want you to hear along with the uncensored version:

Apparently AT&T were going to rebroadcast the performance uncensored, but I could not find it on their site. Anyone know if they held up their promise?

photo : michael maly

You’ve probably already had enough of Lollapalooza reports and photos, but I still have my collected thoughts on my first Chicago version of the Lollapalooza experience to share if you care to indulge. This was my first Chicago based version of Lollapalooza, as the festival has been resurrected twice since it’s original inception in 1991 by founder Perry Ferrell, and I had caught the original touring music spectacle sometime during it’s first few years of existence. My overall experience at this years’ festival was great, but the shining moment came while watching Perry Ferrell and his Satellite Party perform Led Zepplin’s “Whole Lot of Love” for all of the little Lollapaloozers on the Kidzapalooza stage. It wasn’t because it was the best performance I had seen, it was because it reminded me of seeing Perry Ferrell talk about why he had organized the Festival in the beginning. Why do you think he started this crazy thing called Lallapalooza and where did the name Lallapalooza come from? I know the answers to both and I hope that you do as well.

A Quick wrap-up of thoughts on my experience with some more personal favorite photos I have found while digging through the files and files of pics.

• It was great to see Ghostland Observatory play to the sizeable audience that they did, and the fact that they secured a spot on the main stage is even more impressive. Being a band that gets little to no air play, they drew a much bigger audience than some of the bands getting plenty of airplay on the corporate airwaves.
• Pleased to see Blonde Redhead recreate the wonderful sounds off of their latest release 23 in the live setting. I’m sure that there was a lot of gadgetry involved, but joyful nonetheless.
• The lines for beer and porta-potties were unbelievably short if non-existent throughout the entire festival.
• Seeing Patti Smith in the media area stop to take photos of a couple of cute little dogs with her classic Polaroid camera was priceless.

Everyone has to pee sometime…

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

• The crowd for Cold War Kids stretched as far as the eye could see, and they definitely could have benefited from a larger stage, but the performance was right on as they have been each time I have caught them live.
• Despite my hesitance to embrace Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga fully, the live performance was one of my favorite from the festival and they continue to improve in that area each time I see them.

Spoon

photo : michael maly

Aside from the lengthy trek from one end of the park to the next and the washed out sound on the Citi Stage that I experienced when some distance from the stage, I thoroughly enjoyed this Chicago Lollapalooza experience and look forward to next year.

Photos and some video of My Morning Jacket performing. The video comes compliments of Stereogum, whom it was a pleasure to meet.

Ghostland Observatory

photo : michael maly

Perry Ferrell

photo : michael maly

Cold War Kids

photo : michael maly

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

My Morning Jacket

photo : michael maly

Ben Harper

photo : michael maly

Kings Of Leon

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

Beatle Bob checks out Cold War Kids

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►Spoon ‘I Turn My Camera On’

Mp3►►Kings Of Leon ‘Fans’

My Morning Jacket performs What A Wonderful Man

photo : michael maly

The last day has arrived, and blistered feet, sun torched skin, sore muscles aside, the next 8 hours promise to be filled with more great performances by some of the industries best in the modern rock scene with some old school grunge vets closing out the day playing to a crowd that massed as far as the eye could see. The Bon Jovi road gear case was perched in front of the Citi Stage when I caught Austin’s finest thunder droaners The Black Angels for my first show of the day, and much to my dismay, Mr (hot hot haircut pour some sugar on me) Bon Jovi was nowhere to be seen?? Shame.

Hang tight for a brief update on the the day with plenty of photos. I promise I’ll have a lengthier wrap-up of the festival and what my personal highlights were from the weekend.

Austin’s own Black Angels

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►Manipulation

Amy Winehouse

photo : michael maly

After catching the Black Angels on the stage that quite possibly had the worst sound for every band that I saw play on it during the festival, and wishing that I had made it to their show the night before @ Shubas which I heard was great, I decided to make the move to see what the Winehouse had to offer. Tired legs in tow my curiousity got the best of me and I found myself making the mile or so trek to see who and what is behind the sexy sultry voice and sound and how it would translate on stage, the experience turned out to be quite flaccid and left me feeling a bit dissapointed. The good news is that after making the trek to see Amy, my venture back to the main stage had me happen upon Sir Perry Ferrell entertaining the kids at Kidzapalooza with his band Satellite Party performing a very cool rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”.

photo : michael maly

You know the drill, good looking young guys from Tennessee make good funtime rock about chics and partying, get their haircut alot, paint larger broader musical strokes with their latest album and look good on stage. What isn’t to like?? They do photograph well, if anything.

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►Wasted Time

And a special guest joins the Kings on stage for a little tambourine jam….

!!! may be one of the worst names for a band according to some folks, but they put on one of my favorite performances of the festival. Frontman “The Penquin” has more moves that a high school senior on prom night, and the music had me wanting to join him in the nerd shuffle.

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

I’m not sure what is going on with this clean cut look by both Kings and My Morning Jacket, but I want my dirty hairy rock stars back! Despite the Fresh and Clean look, the sounds of what I consider to be the best live band around currently, have not been dulled one bit. Joined onstage by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra may have had some influence on the choice of purple suits and ice cream dream backdrop.

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►The Way That He Sings

And for those who waited out the gInormous crowd, Eddie Vedder and Company took the stage for a night of musical hits from the past and verbal punches aimed at the current administration, topped off with a helping scoop of Ben Harper contributing to the Pearl Jams’ cover of Neil Young’s “Keep On Rockin In The Free World”. Fireworks did accent the occasion as well, as they appeared during the bands set.

photo : michael maly

Boom goes the dynamite!

photo : michael maly

With so much great stuff happening on day 2 the rain that spent itself from the sky during Spoon’s set and continuing on until right as Interpol and Muse took the stages for the last day’s performances, couldn’t put a damper on the enjoyable day of music at Lollapalooza on Saturday. You’ll have to forgive my lacking in detailed writing, but the mental noodle is feeling a bit foggy.

All grown up now, Silverchair proved that they still remain fixated in their fans hearts and minds.

photo : michael maly

I have always had a hard time with the vocals of Alex from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, which is just some weird personal quirk, but seeing them live put aside any of those feelings. I’ll be revisting the records with a completely different perspective.

photo : michael maly

My Morning Jacket’s Jim James stopped by Kidzapalooza for some little one’s friendly banjo tunes.

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►Lay Low

The Cold War Kids put on one of the most entertaining shows of the early afternoon, and the crowd that gathered for the band was intensely large for the smaller Citi stage that were scheduled on to perform.

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►We Used to Vacation

The Hold Steady

photo : michael maly

Visually stunning while entertaining musically as well, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs put on a hell of show, and the photos only tell a part of the story.

Perry Ferrell introduces us to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

I may not be completely sold on the latest release from Spoon, although it has some wonderful qualities it seems to be lacking something in my humble personal opinion. Aside from personal feelings about the record it is still a great effort that any band could be proud of producing. The live show however, always pleases and today was no exception.

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

Mp3►►Don’t Make Me a Target

Interpol

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

photo : michael maly

See you again soon.

Lollapalooza day 1 was no disappointment for the beginning of the Festival which holds much more in store for the next couple of days. The day started early with a set from the local duo dance machine that is quickly becomming one of the most talked about Austin exports since Spoon, Ghostland Observatory. Ghostland hit one of the main stages at 12:30 to a large enthusiastic crowd, and Aaron broke out the dance moves and took advantage of the large stage sexing the audience during the entire set.

Other highlights included seeing Silversun Pickups all grown up since I first caught them at SXSW 06, uh..5 times. The band has been on the road constantly since Carnavas came out, and the hard work is paying off for the band. Congrats to the kids. Blonde Redhead impressed the shit out of me by recreating the dreamy layered as fuck sounds from 23 on the stage. Against Me! rocked the new 80′s influenced post punk sounds from their latest offering New Wave. Sets from a couple of other duo bands Viva Voce and The Black Keys were an listeners treat, while I braved the moderate heat and lengthy walks from one side of the park to the other. The park is much bigger and more spread out than that of ACL, and the legs feel the effects of the grand distance between stages. I’m lacing up the shoes and heading back out for more.

Cheers

Ghostland Observatory

Mp3►►Vibrate

Against Me!

Silversun Pickups

SSPU

Mp3►►Booksmart Devil

Blonde Redhead

Black Keys

All photos by Michael Maly

It’s Thursday morning and the last minute preparations are being made for the trek to Chicago for this years Lollapalooza, and I’m looking forward to a weekend of music, music, and more music. Check back for photos and updates during the festival, as well as some sort of wrap-up next week.

Here’s a quick glance at what I’m looking forward to this year at the Festival:

Ghostland Observatory Mp3►►Vibrate

Illinios

Silversun Pickups Mp3►►Booksmart Devil

Cold War Kids

Interpol

The Black Angels

!!!

My Morning Jacket Mp3►►The Way That He Sings
…………….and many more!