If I am being completely honest with myself, I couldn’t help but feel disappointment with the 2010 Lollapalooza lineup. But after looking it over again this morning my disappointment wore off. With acts like Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, The National, Yeasayer and Dirty Projectors, you have all the makings for one of the most memorable festival in years. There are so many great acts to choose from it’s astonishing - how in the world the booking committee was able to get some of these acts is beyond me. 

I’m sure my disappointment was directed at three particular headliner acts - Lady Gaga, Green Day, Soundgarden. First off, Lady Gaga doesn’t exactly scream indie music, does she? She performed at Lollapalooza in 2007 as a virtual unknown, but now Lady Gaga is superstar across the international stage. This festival always struck me as a celebration of the most current indie music not pop music. Ah well, good thing is there are two main stages so there is are other options. As for the other two bands I’m speechless. Green Day? Really. They couldn’t book a band like Pavement? I’m just glad that there is a more fitting trio of bands to counteract the mediocrity - Phoenix, Arcade Fire, The Strokes. 

But I can live with a couple of bad headliners because Lollapalooza is one of the most enjoyable three days of my summer. With 120 bands to choose from and 8 different stages, you’d be pretty stupid not to go because of a couple bad acts. What I’m most excited about this year is seeing the countless number of bands that are gaining popularity such as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Dodos, The Big Pink and The Antlers. Sometimes the best performances at Lolla are the bands you’ve never given the chance to hear. Erykah Badu, Fuck Buttons and Matt & Kim are such acts, I can’t say I’m a fan of their music but I would be willing to watch them perform live.

So to all those neysayers out there who are calling the 2010 lineup the “worst” or “awful,” you can keep your mouth shut cause I’ll still be going. There are plenty other musical festival to go to this summer (Coachella, Bonaroo, Pitchfork) if you’re not happy with Lollapalooza this year.  

Who I’ll Be Seeing:

• Arcade Fire
• Phoenix 
• Grizzly Bear
• Yeasayer
• Dirty Projectors 
• Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
• The Doods
• the xx
• The National
• The New Pornographers 
• Spoon
• MGMT
• Wild Beasts 
• The Morning Benders
• Hot Chip
• Cut Copy
• Erykah Badu