From: wilbanks@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Dylan Wilbanks)
Subject: Lollapalooza II, Denver, 7/25: Review
Keywords: lollapalooza II denver 
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 06:59:09 GMT

Metro Denver had its turn at Lollapaloza II. A brief review (I hope):

Site: 18,000 seat Fiddler's Green, in Greenwood Village. Worst sound 
this side of a dentist's drill.
Weather: high ~80, partly cloudly, with showers late
Differences from other shows: There is a 10 or 11 o'clock curfew 
for Fiddler's, meaning the gates opened 2 hours earlier than previous
ones, at 10:30. Lush took the stage at 12:30.
Crowd: A sellout, of course. Quite a mix: everything from junior high 
school punkers to middle age housewives. Relatively mellow, despite 
a great deal of push-and-shove and genuine asinine behavior of some.

I got to the Bog o' Sound at around 12:00. By then there were no seats
except for the top rim of the "lawn" area, the GA section. Had I remembered
the acoustics were the best way up there I would've stayed, but the 
friends I was with wanted a larger space, so we ended up sitting on 
the far side of the theatre. The acoustics were muddier than rain in 
a duststorm. My view of the stage was also somewhat limited.

The Bands:
Lush - played very well, but no one seemed to notice at all. It was 
sad, considering they looked like they were really trying to look 
kinetic enough to get them to move. Music was very good. Definitely 
see them.

Pearl Jam - It may have been because they just came from Seattle, but 
they, to make a big understatement, ROCKED. The crowd roared at anything 
they put out, and Eddie Vedder climbed the curtains, got passed around
in the mosh pit, and then sang on top of the pit - "Rockin' in the Free
World" by Neil Young. They only played for around 45 minutes, and 
the crowd strangely seemed to understand. If you go to the show, BTW,
check out their T-shirts; they're cool (to make an understatement).

Jesus and Mary Chain - After Pearl Jam, a letdown. They seemed to be 
really in sync, except that they didn't move from where they were 
standing for the 3/4 an hour they played. The smoke machines were a 
little too much for me.

Soundgarden - Like Pearl Jam, a major crowd response. Not quite as 
good overall, however. 

Ice Cube - I like some rap, and I liked the job he did in _Boyz in the
Hood_. However, he was often innane and immature for me. The crowd 
ate it up, though. 

Ministry - There was a long delay before they make it to the stage, 
and their set was short - only 40 minutes or so. Still, they sounded 
hard as ever. The set was even between old and new. The crowd got them
out for an encore, where they played one of thier new tracks.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - They are mainstream, but they're still fun. 
THey went on in the start of the rain at dusk and played about a 90
minute show. The costumes were as usual on this tour - Anthony changed
into a set a shorts that read "Save Our Ass" and Flea was in jockeys 
as always. The strangest moment by far was when they kicked into 
"Under the Bridge" and 18,000 people sang the entire song without a 
bit of prompting. He looked a little surprised but kept on going. 
Also, Flea did a very beautiful version of "The Needle and the Damage 
Done", another Neil Young song. Finally, the encore: Flea runs out and 
screams "GO TO BED GO TO BED" and moons the entire audience, and 
Perry Farrell sang a lil of a song that I can't remember off the 
top of my head. 

Side shows - All the booths were Colorado and/or Boulder based, from the
upcoming Hemp Initative (Amendment 8, I think - It'll legalize marjuana
in Colo.) to NARAL to Greenpeace. Quite a bit of ethnic food, too. 
I didn't get to see much of the performance artists, but what I did 
see was...interesting.

Overall - They seemed to have their s**t together this year, for once.
Pearl Jam had a career day, and everyone else tried their best. 
Not like last year, but still $28.50 for 9 hours on the grass to see 
7 bands is a bargain you can't beat.

Recomendation - Unless you can get >=$100 by selling your ticket, 
GO.
 
-- 
Dylan Wilbanks, Classics major, AND NOW Environmental Conservation!
"Look! An X-man movie's coming out!"          |Currently at:
c.10 year old in a Tulsa movie theater,       |Box 1143
looking at a poster for _Malcolm X_           |Boulder, CO 80306