Lollapalooza 2019

A little bit over a month late on this post, I can't help but smile every time I see these photos. It was scorching hot all four days, and today it's rainy and brisk and we took the air conditioners out of the windows. Abby and I decided to go all four days this year instead of only one like we did last year. When I wrote about Lolla last year, I talked about how I couldn't stand the idea of going all four days unless I got a room in the city. But, it was a lot less painful than I thought. Coming out of Lolla 2019, here are five new tips I've got.

1. Be patient

Lolla is not tailored towards my age group. I felt old being there because it was a lot of kids in high school with Juul pods cutting me off in lines for things or in crowds. Abby said something that stuck with me, "I remember I am there for the music and the crowds don't bother me." I heard that after our second day and it really helped my headspace for the second half of the festival.

2. Keep an open mind

This is a place where people can be themselves and wear what they want and it's entirely acceptable because it's a music festival. This isn't the environment to judge people and talk bad about what people are wearing because Lolla is one of the biggest music festivals, up there with Coachella. People put a lot of time and thought into their outfits and it's really nobody's place to judge anybody on their outfit choice.

3. Prepare for the weather

We've lucked out to amazing weather both years I've gone to Lolla, but one year it was rained out. Make sure you're checking the weather before leaving the house and bringing the right things. They allow ponchos and sunscreen in the park. They allow reusable water bottles with free water fill-up stations with quick lines. Weather preparation can make or break your experience, so take a look at the app before heading out.

4. Check what you can and cannot bring in

While waiting in line, you watch the crazy things people try to bring into Grant Park that get thrown away and they must have had trash bags full of Juul pods from people that didn't sneak them in their shoes or hair. The staff won't hesitate to throw something away or send you away if you disrupt the guidelines for the safety of everybody attending the festival, so make sure you check the website for their bag guidelines!

5. Go see bands you haven't seen before

We checked out AJR and happened upon the Tenacious D stage when AJR bombed, and D was one of my favorite shows of the festival and it was a total fluke. Check your schedule and don't spend your downtime chilling in the shade (unless you need to because it's so damn hot!)

Bonus: Get there early!

There may be acts you don't want to see until later in the night, but take the time to see other acts you haven't heard yet. I found myself knowing a lot of the names on the lineup, but never hearing them before, and this is the time to listen to them.