By Greg Kot
Tribune music critic
Published March 16, 2006, 11:55 AM CST


AUSTIN, TEXAS -- The second annual Lollapalooza in Grant Park will boast a heavy local flair this summer, with Wilco and South Side natives Kanye West and Common among the headliners.

The local stalwarts were among the performers announced Thursday at a news conference by organizers of the festival, which will expand to 69 acres and eight stages covering Hutchinson and Butler fields Aug. 4-6. Tickets, at $130 for a three-day pass, also went on sale through the festival's Web site, lollapalooza.com.

Other headliners include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age, Death Cab for Cutie, Matisyahu, Sonic Youth, the Flaming Lips, the Shins and the new band formed by the White Stripes' Jack White, the Raconteurs. The Austin-based promoters, Capital Sports & Entertainment and Charles Attal presents, had vowed to diversify and expand the festival over last year's lineup, which was heavy on middle-tier rock bands and drew 65,000 fans to Grant Park last July. This year's lineup, while still dominated by rock acts, also includes a sprinkling of hip-hop, including West, Common, Lyrics Born, Blackalicious and Lady Sovereign. In addition, Hispanic-rock pioneer Manu Chao also was booked, and Attal said as many as 10 more acts, including two or three major performers, may be added.

"Last year we didn't quite hit it out of the park because we only had a short time to plan," Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell said in reference to the narrow focus of the 2005 lineup. "But diversity has always been a goal, and we're more diverse this year."

The festival is designed to accommodate up to 225,000 fans over three days. It is expected to bring in $750,000 to $1 million into park district coffers, said Laura Barnett of the Parkways Foundation, one of the event's sponsors. "The goal is a long-term partnership" with Lollapalooza, she said.

Revenue from the festival will be earmarked for park youth programs, and also will be used to restore Hutchinson Field and underwrite the creation of Solti Gardens south of the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue, named after the late Chicago Symphony Orchestra conductor Georg Solti.

The new revenue stream earned the blessing of City Hall, which in the past has looked askance at major rock festivals on park property. "One thing that sets Chicago apart from many other big cities is both the quality and diversity of our music," said Mayor Richard Daley in a statement. "Whether its blues, gospel, country, jazz or the rock of Lollapalooza, music enhances the quality of life of our residents by providing enjoyment as well as opportunities for intellectual development and self-expression."

Other performers in a lineup projected to include 130 bands are: Ryan Adams, Nada Surf, the New Pornographers, Dresden Dolls, She Wants Revenge, Ween, Umphrey's McGee, Thievery Corporation, Sleater-Kinney, Nickel Creek, Blues Traveler, Broken Social Scene, Iron & Wine, Poi Dog Pondering, Coheed And Cambria, the Secret Machines, Eels, Panic! At the Disco, the Disco Biscuits, Reverend Horton Heat, the Smoking Popes, Andrew Bird, Gnarls Barkley, Stars, Cursive, Editors, Hard-Fi, Calexico, Feist, Aqualung, the Frames, the Hold Steady, The Go! Team, Mates of State, Pepper, Particle, the Redwalls, Mute Math, Wolfmother, Sparta, the Subways, Of Montreal, Blue October, Jeremy Enigk, Living Things, Sound Team, the M's, Hot Chip, the Benevento-Russo Duo, Matt Costa, the New Amsterdams, Deadboy & the Elephantmen, Sybris, Anathallo, the Burden Brothers, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Manishevitz, Husky Rescue, the Towers of London, Ohmega Watts, Boy Kill Boy, Jim Noir, the Standard, Be Your Own Pet, Elvis Perkins, Trevor Hall, and Midlake.

For a complete lineup, visit www.lollapalooza.com

some cool bands there! the redwalls, broken social scene, iron and wine, death cab, the shins, sonic youth, and the chili peppers...if i wasn't gonna be on the west coast i'd go to this one.

have fun!

i see jane's addiciton wont be playing..damn..perry..perry perry...

sonic youth and dresdell doll are the only good bands playing..its worth the money... jesus really lollapalooza has gotten boring..

sallysassalot said:

so is your decision final?

today, i look out my window and see snow. yesterday, i was cursing the freezing wind. i'm out this bitch.

barring a surprise acceptance at UT, yeah, the decision is final. i have far too much linen clothing in my closet to be anywhere that gets snow.

less-than-stellar line-up, i agree. i got one of the early tix just in case it was good, and i guess i'm glad i did. i'll go for sonic youth, eels and ween...maybe watch some of the flaming lips...but yeah, nothing really has me geeked for august.

Anx said:

It's funny that they made such a big deal about last year not being up to snuff.

can i roll with you anx?

sallysassalot said:

You're so silly!

What's UT?

So it's looking good for SanFran?

i'm a fashion first kinda guy, lol!

UT is university of texas in austin. it's my first choice school but a likely rejection. as a matter of fact, i'm surprised i haven't received my rejection yet since my app has been in since november. they're giving me false hope, lol!

its looking very good for san fran and sorta good for la.

sallysassalot said:

I know it wouldn't improve the weather situation for you at all, but I still wish you were going to U of M.

they wouldn't have me, unfortunately.

so is this pretty much a Chicago thing now?

Stax said:

looks like it. alternative music festivals are starting to become the rage out here again - we're having three of them this summer (lollapalooza, intonation and pitchfork festivals). hopefully if these are successes, we'll actually start getting some good acts in future years.

Anx said:

I kind of like the idea of Chicago being the location of annual destination music festivals.

looks like it. alternative music festivals are starting to become the rage out here again - we're having three of them this summer (lollapalooza, intonation and pitchfork festivals). hopefully if these are successes, we'll actually start getting some good acts in future years.

Anx said:

Have you got lineups for the other 2 festivals?

not handy...but they've both been announced and they both look like mega-snoozers. intonation has the streets headlining one of the nights. whee.

Anx said:

Boredoms