This year, for the first time in several years, I didn’t go to Lollapalooza. The people I normally go with were exhausted by the heat and the lineup wasn’t that exciting. I am a heavy metal fan, but damn, Ozzy was old back when I saw him with Randy Rhodes (on TV) and that was about 25 or so years ago.
We went to see the Afghan Whigs at a Lollapalooza after-show at the Metro. The Afghan Whigs are fronted by Greg Dulli and he has had a great career, not only with the Afghan Whigs who hit it semi-big in the 1990’s but on his own. It was great to see him back in the spotlight again.
There was a DJ and an opening act and the Afghan Whigs didn’t go on until 12:15pm. But they went right on time at 12:15pm and sounded great. There was a horn section and their heavy groove with hard rock thrown in method was working.
I learned something else – I am too damn old for the Metro. That place was completely packed and you couldn’t see anything unless you wanted to push to the front and battle everyone in a sweatbox. I don’t know if it was oversold or it was always like that (my older memories of the Metro are faded) but there were people everywhere and I basically watched it from the hallway. You’d need to stand in line and rush to the stage and sit through the opening acts to see pretty much anything at all (literally) and, hey, forget that.
On another note Lollapalooza was a rain soaked mess on Saturday. They evacuated it and everyone apparently just poured out into the surrounding neighborhoods, as if that is some sort of “plan” (you’d want to go to shelter, right?) While we were in Wrigleyville checking out bars and waiting for the show we saw an immense stream of completely f’d up people covered in mud just screaming, howling and weaving around. It looked like some sort of mud bomb went off. There was even a guy passed out on the mailbox that his friends were trying to drag him away from (an inside joke for Dan).
If you are interested in the Afghan Whigs or Dulli’s solo work which I’d highly recommend some tracks to download are
– Gentlemen, Somethin’ Hot, 66, Dobonair, Miles Iz Ded, Honkey’s Ladder
– Teenage Wristband, Bonnie Brae, On the Corner (the Twilight Singers)
– Cigarettes (Greg Dulli)
Cross posted at LITGM
Holy cow!
You must have meant that they went on at 12.15 AM not PM is this was an after show. And yes, we used to go to the Metro all the time when it was packed and just push our way up front and also yes we are way too old for that stuff at this point.
Maybe it was the early bird special.
Ha ha of course AM not PM.
Damn I didn’t get to sleep until 3am that is going to hose me up this week.
Surprised you have so many memories of Metro… ha mine are faded. Did see a great Smashing Pumpkins show years ago and somehow remember it.
We saw Smashing Pumpkins at the Metro when you lived in Wrigleyville. I remember Billy Corgan crowd surfing – he actually had hair back then. In general most of my memories of that time are faded but I have some good ones.
Some time in the summer you need to go back to Wrigley. That night of walking around for the Afghan Whigs show was pretty nuts and damn, people are messed up.
In River North they get more dressed up when they get obliterated. Of course I am not on the street at 2am I am sure it is pretty epic too.
Someone’s quote of the night was “thank god I’m not dating”.
The Cramps at the Metro was one of the best shows I ever saw. Lux had a gold lamé suit on, like Elvis.
I used to go there a lot. I lived close to it and would walk over. I would go on weeknights and see local bands.
My wife and I were there a few months ago. We were old, and we did stay near the back, rather than edging and pushing up to the front. Still I would go there if someone good was playing and not really care if I was the oldest guy in the room.
If Thee Attacks (and this) ever make it to Chicago, I will go no matter where they are playing.
Heh — the Whigs are fellow Cincinnati folks, and are legendary for (among other reasons) Greg’s filling a clothes dryer with beer bottles at a Cinti laundromat/bar and firing the dryer up. They were banned thereafter.