Music festivals are simultaneously heaven and hell for music fans who can appreciate performers across a wide range of genres. Heaven, because there are dozens of acts you can check out in one convenient location, plenty of which you wouldn't seek out on your own (case and point: The author seeing Lady Gaga's 2010 set at Lollapalooza).
The hell of festivals is looking at two amazing acts lined up alongside each other on a schedule and deciding which you'd rather commit your time to. It ain't easy, but Music Times figured we'd give you some friendly advice when considering this weekend's Lollapalooza lineup. We'll start with headliners, an obvious point of contention:
FRIDAY: THE ARCTIC MONKEYS vs. EMINEM
If the debate for you is simply rock versus hip-hop, you already know which act you'd prefer to see. If you'd prefer to avoid crowds, there's no relief here, as both acts will have at least 7,500 attendees according to Lollapalooza's website. One thing working against Eminem: He just performed at Lolla in 2011 so yearly attendees might not see the appeal in checking him out again. For those of you who haven't seen either act live, consider that Eminem is the defining performer of the millennium. No other musical figure has had such a dramatic influence on both music and cultural discussion. Plus, when he last appeared at Lolla, Bruno Mars came onstage to perform the single "Lighters." Rihanna is currently touring with the rapper, why wouldn't she make an appearance for "Monster," the biggest single from Marshall Mathers LP 2?
BEST BET: Eminem
SATURDAY: CALVIN HARRIS vs. OUTKAST
This matchup is less a question of genre than Friday's headliners. There's a long distance between the styles of the two acts, but both have a very mainstream appeal. Harris is riding high on his single "Summer" and Outkast will never fail to please with "Hey Ya," perhaps the biggest song of this millennium (rivaled maybe by Eminem's "Lose Yourself"). We're not going to lie: The only reason to see Harris is if you already caught Outkast at one of its many festival dates this summer and you want to catch a new act. We'd even go as far as to suggest checking out Krewella (who will be playing at Perry's stage at the same time) for a more raucous EDM performance if you insist on going for electronic dance.
BEST BET: Outkast
SUNDAY: KINGS OF LEON vs. SKRILLEX
This is the ultimate example of opposite sides of the spectrum. If you're honestly wavering between the two sides, you need to figure yourself out. There's no shame in wholeheartedly supporting one over the other. It's just a question of do you prefer frenetic and high octane or more relaxed and engaged? Do you prefer to end your Lolla weekend with a bang or a moment of contemplation? We've seen both in the festival setting and can confirm neither is a bad choice. For the sake of appearing decisive, we'll gladly suggest Skrillex as a live act however. His stage presence is more metal than EDM, with the performer banging his head violent and shrieking for audience feedback. Loud and more unchained than other big-name EDM performers we've checked out.
BEST BET: Skrillex
So how about those other acts throughout the weekend?
FRIDAY: IGGY AZALEA vs. BLOOD ORANGE vs. INTERPOL vs. PORTUGAL. THE MAN.
The most conflicted slot during Lollapalooza 2014 is between 4:30 and 5:45 on Friday. Let's narrow things down. Portugal. The Man gets cut from the running early. The band has a little rock and a little pop but we're going to go hard or go home. Interpol is the rocker's best bet and Azalea has the biggest song of the summer in "Fancy." Both will be bringing big crowds and this means less people to crowd Blood Orange, whose Cupid Deluxe was the best R&B album of 2013. We'll stir the pot and suggest you see the sleeper act during this slot.
BEST BET: Blood Orange
FRIDAY: BROKEN BELLS vs. LORDE
If you're claustrophobic, Broken Bells is the easy choice here, as the duo will feature less than half of the fans seeing Lorde, according to Lollapalooza's website. In fact, Lorde has the single most fans attending her set based on the site's numbers, outnumbering even Outkast and the Arctic Monkeys. But there's good reason for that. Lorde could already be in her prime, coming off a critically acclaimed album chock full of hits. We don't mean to be pessimistic, but there's no telling whether she can maintain this level of success. Might as well check it out now. If this were the Broken Bells during 2010, you bet we'd pick Broken Bells but this year's After The Disco just didn't live up.
BEST BET: Lorde
SATURDAY: FOSTER THE PEOPLE vs. NAS
Foster The People is a great, great live act. Normally this would be a very tough call for us to make. But maybe you've heard of Nas's Illmatic, which some have called the best hip-hop album of all time. This year marks the album's 20th anniversary and the emcee has performed the whole thing wire-to-wire at other festival dates including Coachella. We're willing to bet that his one-hour set at Lollapalooza will be more than enough time to deliver again. Plus, his performance during 2011 with Damian Marley at the same event was one of the highlights of the weekend, so we'll vouch for Nas's stage credibility anytime.
BEST BET: Nas
SUNDAY: THE AVETT BROTHERS vs. CHILDISH GAMBINO
This is yet another case where you probably know who you want to see. Gambino is hip-hop and the Avett Brothers perform popular folk that comes in a bit hipper than Mumford and Sons. Both also make frequent visits to festivals. So what sets one apart for the person who's still sitting on the fence? How about the sudden Kanye-fication of Gambino? You've heard more about Kanye West's stage rants than his actual performances, and Gambino is playing that card to gather attention. Recently he's threatened to cut the heads off of fellow rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake (for no real reason) and has declared himself to be up to snuff with any rapper alive. If you don't have a preference between the musical stylings of these two acts, go for the added stage banter entertainment.
BEST BET: Childish Gambino
Are we wrong in our picks? By all means, tell us so in the comment section! No need to call us homophobic slurs like last time however. Be polite.
