From the early days when flannel-clad grunge rockers cleared out mosh pits for bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam to the present, when Arcade Fire and Kanye West draw gigantic crowds of all ages, Chicago’s annual Lollapalooza Festival has taken on a life of its own, infused with the incredible energy of fans and the artists that rock them.
Lolla was in the delivery room when alternative rock was born, brought hip-hop to the masses, waved glow sticks when the electronica scene came of age, and staked out tiny clubs to bring the best indie-rock to the big stage.
It all started back in 1991 when Perry Farrell, lead singer of fabled alternative rockers Jane’s Addiction started planning a farewell show for the group.
His idea morphed into a larger-than-life musical roadshow that would bring music, culture, and community to fans all over the continent. Before the Internet, there wasn’t a great way to get music from up-and-coming bands to the fans.
Lollapalooza now calls the legendary city of Chicago home, having put down roots in the gorgeous green spaces of Grant Park in 2005.
As the festival has grown up, it’s also grown out — now spanning over 115 acres,multiple stages, and a ever-more diverse array of 130+ artists from hip-hop, electronica, reggae, indie, rock, modern roots, and many more.
Photo credit: Konbini.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
