NINJA2009 tickets in hand...

NINJA2009 - Amazing summer amphitheatre tour featuring the 2 groups that kick started alternative rock in the late 80's and early 90s; Nine Inch Nails & Jane's Addiction (original members) along with the new band from RATM's Tom Morello; Street Sweeper.

Can't wait for June 2nd down at the Molson Amphitheatre. Seeing NIN again is worth it by itself but to have Jane's Addiction on the bill is incredible. I remember getting JA's first album 'Nothing's Shocking' - and yes by album I mean as in vinyl. I wore that disc out. Several of them. Never got a chance to see them live and now the original members have reunited to tour with NIN....

Last year it was NIN with RATM at Lollapalooza and this year NIN with JA....

Life is good....

Lollapalooza day 2...

This is the day we were waiting for. Rage Against The Machine tonight!! Long time favourite band of mine and my daughter's. The band only plays one or two festivals a year now so getting an opportunity to see them is pretty rare. And they were the main reason we traveled to Chicago. The fact that Nine Inch Nails was playing there as well was just the icing on the cake....

Before heading to the park though we stopped by another Chicago park - Millennium Park, to the see The Bean - also know by it's official name Cloud Gate.


Cloud Gate - "The Bean"

We spent most of the afternoon checking out different bands. My daughter went to see an emo band she likes - Brand New while I went to see an incredible Canadian talent Serena Ryder. I managed to be front row against the stage and got lots of photos and videos of her playing. She played a 45 minute set and she rocked!!


Serena Ryder.

Another band I saw but didn't take any pix of was a New Jersey based group called Steel Train. They were really, really good. Sounded like an updated Bruce Sprinsteen on steroids. Great set.


Waiting for Rage Against The Machine.

Rage Against The Machine was without a doubt the most intense, crowed, wild show I have ever attended. Lollapalooza boasted a complete sell out this year - first time in its' history. 75,000 per day. Well, on Saturday night more than 50,000 of those people went to see Rage. It was pretty scary at one point as all movement was at the mercy of the crowd. The band even stopped the show midway through the 3rd song, People Of The Sun, imploring people to move back 10 steps as people were passing out and getting injured up front. There were 2 or 3 more stoppages during the set as the crowd was fucking nuts for these guys. Even the head of security for the whole event came on stage to talk to the band and audience. He said if we didn't move back and stop pushing they would have no choice but to end the show.

Below is a crowd shot of Rage courtesy of the Lollapalooza web site. I added a small red x to the left of the sound tent to show where my daughter and I were in the crowd.


Official Lollapalooza Photo by Dave Mead.


Rage Against The Machine.


Rage Against The Machine.

In the end it was all good and my daughter and I were both just over the moon that we finally got to see Rage in concert. After the show the crowd spilled out on the streets of Chicago taking over completely. It was amazing. And in the most crowed subway car I've ever been in the entire car spontaneously broke out singing a bunch of old R&B songs. It was a total blast....


RATM fans taking over the streets of Chicago.

Photos taken by me in Chicago unless otherwise noted.

Chicago, Lollapalooza day 1...

Got to Chicago way early, 4:00am, as the bus changed routes last minute and didn't stop at a couple Cities. Hung around the bus terminal until places were open and then went out and explored downtown Chicago. Had a great breakfast at Lou Mitchell's - advertising the world's best coffee - I don't know about that but it was damn good. Then wandered around some more and went up the Sears Tower to the 103rd floor observation deck. Took lots of photos and just enjoyed exploring somewhere new to us. Man, Chicago is one big ass city....






Sculpture inside the Sears Tower honouring Engineers who designed the building.

After checking into our hotel and catching a shower and a nap we headed back into town and to Lollapalooza. Grant Park is great place. Huge park nearly 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from end to end. In the afternoon we caught a bit of the Racontours but quite honestly, we found them to be boring. We walked around the park just checking the place out and people watching. Radiohead was playing in the evening so we chilled out on the grass and listened & watched the show. Great light show they put on. Fairly mellow almost ambient music.






The Racontours.

Met some funny drunk guys from Quebec and instantly got into a Leafs versus Canadiens hockey discussion - much to the chagrin of the two American girls with the guys. It was all good though. We were all laughing and found that we were all there mainly to see Rage Against The Machine on the next night. Must be a Canadian thing as we met another couple from Toronto in the Rage crowd who came just for Rage as well. Good musical taste north of the border I guess....




Radiohead.

Photos taken by me in Chicago.