Will Lollapalooza be back?

By Kyra Kyles
RedEye
Published July 26, 2005


Lollapalooza is looking to set up permanent stakes in Chicago, according to executive producer Charlie Jones of Capital Sports and Entertainment.

"We're meeting with the [Park District] on Wednesday and one of our main agenda items is making sure Lollapalooza has a long life in Chicago," Jones said. "We're excited about it and that was our goal from the beginning."

The Park District did not return calls.

But Jones, calling himself a perfectionist, said he already sees ways to improve the outdoor festival that took place in Grant Park last weekend.

Among them, allowing for more space between the stages to prevent sound bleed.

"When I started site design, it was in the winter," Jones said.

"Grant Park seemed a lot bigger without the trees and foliage. Now that we know the true dimensions, we can set our public announcement systems farther apart to improve the overall sound of the performers."

Other than that, things went smoothly. Jones said there were no arrests made at the festival.

One thing promoters couldn't control was the heat, which soared above 100 degrees. "As soon as we found out some kids were feeling the heat over by Kidzapalooza, we had staff jump in golf carts and take bottled water around the park," Jones said.

"We wanted to make sure everything went along as planned."

Fifty to 60 people were treated for heat-related illnesses at the festival, according to Lollapalooza security director Troy Officer. Three of them were taken to hospitals, Officer said.

Jones said Chicago is the perfect site for future festivals because of its strong arts and entertainment community. Of 25 sites explored by organizers, Chicago's Grant Park was an obvious first choice, he said.