Lollapalooza extending into a four-day festival means there are a lot more artists to see. Headliners like Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ellie Goulding will attract large crowds, but here are five artists not headlining that deserve your attention.
City and Colour
Thursday, July 28, 5 p.m.–6 p.m.
Bud Light Stage
Dallas Green, also known as City and Colour, started his musical career in post-hardcore band Alexisonfire, so when he took the sharp turn to become an acoustic, folk solo act it caught a lot of people’s attention. His start as City and Colour brought a lot of heart wrenching songs you’d likely play after a fight with a loved one. With his latest album, Green has pivoted again adding a tinge of garage rock to his sound that will definitely have audiences tapping their feet and shaking their hips.
Alessia Cara
Friday, July 29, 5:15 p.m.–6 p.m.
Pepsi Stage
Alessia Cara is the pop star you’d wish was around when you were an early teenager having all of the powerful vocals and catchy melodies without feeling in anyway manufactured or superficial. Whether it be her song “Here,” that cuts through the farce of many parties, or “Wild Things,” that celebrates individuality, Cara is pushing boundaries and setting much-needed trends.
Leon Bridges
Saturday, July 30, 4:45 p.m.–5:45 p.m.
Bud Light Stage
Sam Cooke has come back and his name is now Leon Bridges. It is uncanny how similar Bridges sounds like Cooke an emulates his style with its gospel foundation and soul styling. However, Bridges has his own things to say. Some may say he’s just a Cooke copy, but remember all artists copy and if someone wants to make our radio stations and our streams sound more like Cooke than more power to them.
Chris Stapleton
Saturday, July 30, 5:45 p.m.–6:45 p.m.
Petrillo Bandshell
Chris Stapleton is saving country music. He’s doing so by letting the industry call him a country music artist when in reality he is a Southern rock god. You can’t hide the blues in his sweet guitar playing and the aggressive soul in his vocals that seem to be coated in about 40-years worth of bourbon even though he’s only 38.
Local Natives
Sunday, July 31, 4:45 p.m.–5:45 p.m.
Bud Light Stage
When you’re on the fourth hour of an eight-hour road trip with your head pressed against the glass, and the sun’s warmth kisses your forehead that is what Local Natives sounds like. Local Natives creates musical environments that allow for plenty of space to take in lyrics floating through the haunting vocals and keep you thinking with pulsating drums.
Lollapalooza takes place July 28–31 at Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St. For tickets and more information visit lollapalooza.com.