Lollapalooza turned 30 over the weekend, and we’re continuing the celebration by looking back at the early lineups through the lens of tour poster art.
The very first Lollapalooza and the one that would define the live festival experience for the entire decade. The chief architect of course was Perry Farrell and the maiden Lollapalooza voyage was billed as Jane's Addiction's "Farewell Tour," hahaha.
Red Hot Chili Peppers. Ministry. Soundgarden. Absolute mayhem at Great Woods in the summer of '92. If you were there, you know.
Tool made the jump from side stage in '92 to main stage in '93 and they were the band everyone talked about that year.
Nirvana was the original headliner; they pulled out 4 days before Kurt Cobain was found dead on April 8, 1994. The Smashing Pumpkins took over the headlining slot and Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, took the stage at the NYC stop to speak to the crowd about Kurt's death.
'95 marked the first year a Boston band would play the Main Stage: it was The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. While we're on the subject, props to Dinosaur Jr., the first Massachusetts band to make the Main Stage back in '93.
New England fans had to travel to see the '96 iteration of the festival; the closest stop was in NYC.
Lolla made it up to N.E. music fans in '97 with two dates within a week of each other: July 8 at Great Woods and July 13 at Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford.
After a 6 year hiatus, Lollapalooza returned in 2003 with a reunited Jane's Addiction headlining. Note the radio sponsor on this poster: Channel 93.3 in Denver. I used to work there!
The '04 tour was cancelled, but here's who would've played if it wasn't.
2005 marked the first year Lollapalooza set up shop in one place: Grant Park in Chicago for a 2-day festival. That model would endure for years to come.
Red Hot Chili Peppers were back in the headlining slot for the first time in over a decade for the '06 version of the festival.
Dedicating an entire stage to a PlayStation competition is peak 2007.
Having a "MySpace Stage" was peak 2008.
White Lies, Ra Ra Riot, Rise Against, Cold War Kids, Dan Auerbach, Silversun Pickups...2009 Adam 12 would've LOVED this lineup.
2010 marked the last year of Lollapalooza pitching their tent solely in Grant Park. In the coming decade, Perry Farrell & co. would book the annual festival in Chicago, then add festivals in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.
