Austinist on the Road: Lollapalooza Day Two Highlights

We took some time off to conduct an interview with Glasvegas for Roxwel in the media tent after Coheed And Cambria's set. The Scots talked about opening up for U2, the dilemma of having both Glasgow Rangers and Celtic fans in the band, and writing new material and "counting the money" in a laid-back, quick-fire Q&A which was a perfect segue to our jaunt to the vitaminwater stage to catch their performance. Glasvegas came on to massive applause and instantly appeased the crowd, kicking off with "Geraldine," "Lonesome Swan," and "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry," enveloping Grant Park with a comforting, sweeping wall of sound, marked by James Allan's soaring vocals. Coheed And Cambria's six-string wizardry had blazed through the field merely 30 minutes ago; Rab Allan's guitar delivered a subtler but equally piercing reverb-drenched sound. James Allan constantly bantered with the fans ("Anybody got any grass in there?") and was at his charming best. For the large part that is, for he did go on an awkward (and apparently a staple) rant on how drummer Caroline McKay was on the hunt for a big dick ("You're from Texas? That doesn't mean you have a big dick. There's lots of girls standing with their boyfriends looking very disappointed.") He later apologized for his comments, noting the presence of young children. A stellar rendition of "Flowers And Football Tops" and of course, gut-wrenching closer "Daddy's Gone" proved that this band is a true gem and could have a long and fruitful career.

Tool vs. Yeah Yeah Yeahs was probably the toughest decision of the festival and we decided to go with the cult band from California, figuring that going forward we'd have more chances to see the N.Y. trio. Tool drew the biggest crowd we'd been a part of this weekend thus far and seeing the sea of people that had been gathering and staying put all day at the Chicago 2016 confirmed that they have definitely stood the test of time. They started with "Jambi" off 10,000 Days and followed that up with Ænima classics "Stinkfist" and "Forty Six & 2," drawing huge cheers from the faithful herds. Maynard James Keenan pranced around in usual fashion, thanking the crowd for their "enthusiasm and nudity" and with Adam Jones typically brilliant on guitar, it was fair to assess that the band was truly on song. Also an integral part of the set was their characteristic twisted imagery, on display on the big screens throughout. "Ænima" was our personal highlight of the set and although there was no room for "Sober" or "Prison Sex," Keenan probably summed up the show best, "Your only regret tonight is not seeing Yeah Yeah Yeahs." As we walked out to the streets, we were greeted by another huge crowd, one that had obviously settled outside the fences all evening long for Tool. And that definitely factored in us arriving pretty late to the Rock The Vote Nights event at The Music Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago and having to wrestle a huge line to get even get close to the doors. We missed Band Of Skulls, Santigold, and GZA but caught most of Passion Pit's shimmering electro-pop before leaving for a much needed night's sleep, knowing very well we had to do it all over again one more time on Sunday.