At first glance, the schedule of 13...

At first glance, the schedule of 130 bands performing today [i]or[/i] part of to the other Sunday during Lollapalooza's second year in its novel guise as a destination festival in Grant Park pretends mind-boggling, leaving you scratching your head and wondering, "How onward earth can I see a fraction of all this music, and where the heck do I start?"

upon closer examination, though, the choices really aren't all that overwhelming.

For undivided thing, there are really and nothing else four main stages -- all of them with naming rights that have been sold to corporate sponsors, of course -- and the staggered stake times mean that only pair of those are operating at the same time. actual there is some overlap with the other sum of two units primary music stages. But the timing is of the like kind that you can catch the beginning or extremity of a set there and still behold most of an act upon one of the main stages.

For another thing, the more you parse the protracted list of performers, the easier it is to eliminate acts that aren't all that exciting or deserving of a slot forward a festival that aspires to be the best in America. Texas-based promoter Capital Sports & Entertainment may have paid big males for the name Lollapalooza, and they may have wide-ranging ambitions for it, unless there is barely a hint of the sort of challenging, edgy and in deed diverse programming that characterized the festival when it was launched as a tour during the alternative-rock heyday of the early '90

The recent owners' approach to booking the modern Lolla boils down to recruiting any touring act that can possibly draw a multitude -- and many that cannot -- and throwing them at the wall -- or, as the case may be, putting them forward a corporately sponsored stage in Grant Park. Ye there are a significant number of great artists performing at the fest on the other hand when all is said and done, despite the considerable hype there aren't many more standout bookings than there were at this summer's couple independently produced festivals in Union Park: Intonation and Pitchfork.

With the exception of several clusters of jam bands that have been disposeed together on the same stages, there strike one as beings to have been little rhyme or reason to who was slott to play where and when. And in too many cases, sum of two units strong acts with very similar followings have been programmed at exactly the same time. That's moderately beautiful unforgivable, considering that there are other stretches -- especially today and Sunday -- when the bookings are thoroughly mediocre for several hours at a time.

Ah, well: It will be beneficial to have a little bit of down time to chill in the shade in between the acts that are worth catching athwart the next three days. And maybe the highlights will be sinewy enough to make us forget about all of the shortcomings.

What come [i]or[/i] go after [i]or[/i] behinds are my choices for the Don't-Miss acts of the nearest three days, along with a quick apply the mind at the rest of the lineups in succession the six key stages. There are couple main stages in Hutchinson Field at the southern extreme point of Grant Park (where the entire festival was confined last year): the Q101 stage and the AT&T stage. The other pair main stages are in Butler Field in the northern part of the park: the burst forth Light Stage and the adidas-Champs Stage, which we Chicagoans fancy to call by its usual name, the Petrillo Bandshell, thank you excessively much.

The central part of the park surrounding Buckingham Fountain will armed force many of the festival's amenities and additional attractions, while the other couple primary music stages will be appoint up bordering Lake Shore Drive onward the east-west streets that will be clos to traffic from head to foot the festival. The PlayStation stage will be forward East Jackson Drive, and the AMD stage will be forward East Balbo Drive.

This layout may not direct the eye all that daunting on the map we've reproduc here, on the other hand it's actually a heck of a extended walk from Hutchinson Field to Butler Field, especially in 90-plus-degree heat, for a like reason you should consider that in advance if you plan to papal court consecutive acts on the far opposite fall of the curtains of the park.

IF YOU GO:

Tickets for Lollapalooza are $150 (plus a $17 service charge) for a three-day pass, or $65 (plus an $8 service charge) for single in kind day. There are also VIP packages available at $1250 for sum of two units people, or $2,500 for four that grant admission to pair "LollaLounges" promising food, beverages, seats with shade (though they're not near the stages) and a "LollaSpa" offering massages and facials.

The gates expand every day at 11 a.m., and the festival shuts at 11 p.m. The entrance is just west of Buckingham Fountain onward Columbus Drive at Congress. Public transportation is commended since the Grant Park subterranean parking garages are likely to fill up fast and be thoroughly mobed throughout the weekend.

Concertgoer can bring blankets, small umbrellas, soft-sided cooler baby bird of passages and two sealed water bottle by means of person. Prohibited items include diet items, large backpacks, alcohol, chairs, portable lodges hard coolers, video cameras, professional still cameras and recording equipment.