Lollapalooza: Part 2

The Second Day of Lollapalooza, Abby and I got Coffee. We sat in the park and made fun of the weird lazy people on the Segways. Fucking walk already it’s not that hard.


Like, actually.


Then we walked to the festival. Abby got a text from another fan. Rock Star cancelled the show from the night before – one of them was sick!!!!! Oh my god, I bugged out – what if Rock Star does not play.

Of course we know all acts are subject to change – We know this always going in. Thats why I always say things like - IF the show happens it will be my 37th - all the way up until they take the stage. I always worry he will cancel. I know he would if he really had to - but not this time – please gods no.

I did not know what to do – what the fuck to I care about any other band honestly. The other stages could be of no comfort to me. I was distraught. So I did the only thing I could think – was to go seek refuge at Perry’s. If you can’t feel safe at the shrine to Perry’s you can’t feel safe anywhere. Perry is just fucking amazing.


So I went to Perry’s to pray at that shrine to techno.


I felt safe there…cuz it’s all about Perry – but I was still tense. The music was totally funny early 90’s shit – and they were project The Shinning on the Ceiling.


No really. The Shining.


All work and No play makes Jack a dull boy.

Exactly. We all cheered hardcore for the Here’s Johnny scene. It was awesome. Jen also texted me to tell me not to worry. She said they most likely cancelled that nights show as a percaution for the Lollapolooza. I figured that too. I know he fights to play shows and will do everything not to cancell, I think I just needed to hear it from someone else. Jen was awsome.


So I started to mellow out. I prayed to the Gods of Techno, and pretty much whatever the fuck would hear me – heal Rock Star. Fix whatever band member was fucked and let them play tomorrow. Gods be sparing.


Praying to the Gods of Techno is fun. All the kids were smoking. Even teh DJ said, "The front row smells really good." It did. So much so that I did not need to smoke a thing... not that I ever do really.


-Oh my God Oh My god – there he is. PERRY! Perry was scheduled to show up at Perry’s but I just couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t really expecting to see him at all at Lollapalooza – but there he was!


Beaming and smiling – gesturing to the crowd he opens up his arms and says joyously– “Lollapalooza” then smiles and everyone goes crazy. Gesturing again with his arms open to the crowd rose gracefully to the sky – “Who’s got a joint on them?” he asks sweetly. Everyone screams back" me!!!" –-- “Light it up!” He says peacefully shrugging his arms in his fabulous sequined puffy shirt. His arms look like angel wings.


He brought out his wife – she’s so hot. I kept watching her too. They just seemed so happy together up there I loved it.


And look, we had no barricade. It was a god damn bush. There was not but a bush separating the crowd and Perry. He sang his newer stuff with his lovely wife. We were all so happy. Perry just makes you feel – urgh there are no words.

– And then he brought out his Special Guest -


Slash!


Fucking - Slash!!!


Fucking Slash and Perry Farrell!


There’s not but a bush between Slash and me. I can like really clearly see strings on his guitar while he plays and it occurs to me I have never been so close to any guitar player on stage. And then they went to do encore.


FUCKING SLASH CAME OUT SMOKEING A CIGARETTE. Slash. Smoking.


Oh my god…. and then it happened. The unimaginable. I never thought – even as I’d watched Perry all that time, that I would ever get to see this song live – but – I recognized the intro instantly –


Jane Says.

I fucking lost it. Perry starts doing his intro and I go all to pieces and start to cry. Jane Says is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It has always meant so much to me. That song his voice nothing can carry such joy – and that song was playing when… But that’s a story for another day. Of course it relates to Rock Star – so now I’m watching fucking Perry Farrell – AT Lollapalooza – doing Jane Says. And this is Perry mind you. Perry who made all of this possible – and it was through Lola that Rock Star got so much exposure and Perry is like this father to all of it and he’s doing Jane Says in front of me!!!


Oh my god – he is about to start to sing – his mike goes out. His mike goes out. Rock Star would have gone into kill mode and ripped several roadies to shreds but Perry just shrugged and smiled gracefully. He grins bigger – shrugged again and motioned to the crowd – OH GOD! There was a mini crush on the bush barricade – Perry lifted his arms sweetly and motioned to the crowd – instantly everyone backed off peacefully and he smiled. Who else could break up a fight with one gesture!?!?!

So then – he sings with out the mike – but we sing it to him. Screaming Jane Says and he is leading us.


I died. I just sobbed and sobbed and every glorious memory I have tied into that song hit me so hard and there was fucking Perry –


You could hear him but you couldn’t I can’t explain it. It was such a powerful moment…. Such a flood of emotions and just joy. Oh God Perry!!!


He brought out the whole family. Oh god it was all so great. He was just like, everyone's father up there - or better i can't explaine.

I wasn’t’ afraid anymore. I knew I’d seen the best thing I could possibly have seen at Lollapalooza – the only thing that would complete it would be Rock Star’s arrival the next day. I no longer feared it, but even if he was still sick – Perry!


It was just all too much. I left after that. Yeah – I know everyone was so anxiously anticipating Rage that night, the way I see it. There was but one band at Lollapalooza. And surprise of getting to experience that with Perry and all the cool people in the crowd with me – there was no reason to stay. I wanted to take that all in – so I left for a while.


I loved it. I got back to the hotel, and where I would normally have bruises from the barricade - I had them from a bush.


Look at this one - pretty brutal - for having come from a bush -- and super cool!

I went back to the fair later. They told me Rock Star wanted to play that night, but coudln't because the doctors said he couldn't. They said he was using the time to get better. They said if he cancelled, people would have his head on a pike. Those people don't know it, but if he did cancell, I rather imagine he'd want his head on a pike even more so. So I debated staying for rage, I sat in teh grass - my head was killing me - my eyes were burning. I wanted to watch the war of that pit - but I knew – that if Rock Star recovered, the next day would be a marathon and a half, and I’d been feeling sick most of the time…so I left to sleep.


Someone did stay for Rage Against the Machine. Someone was feeling better thank the Gods! Jen was kind enough to text me of this while I lay in bed. Then Abby came home and she and I talked about the show. According to she – the wild woman who lived through it:

“The lights went out – and the place was a fucking blood bath before the band even took the stage.” “Men went from being kind nice boys to fucking animals and had no regard for my being a woman” (But let me point out – Abby can hold her shit against anyone in the pit. And do not cross her, she WILL kill you. I’ve seen her taking out guys. It’s not pretty – at least not to them.) The pit was so crazy – I heard the next day that they had 14 year olds working Security at the front gate because they didn’t have enough people to work the crowd. (I’m assuming Wilco across the field did not require much in the way of security). “Zach de la Rocha stopped the show, and spend like 20 minutes just telling people to back the fuck up,” She told me, “But it was like, dude this is Rage. We all need to become Chemical and this place needs to bounce.”

I’m sure it was unreal. In truth I had really wanted to see it. I tried to hold on, but I was totally sick, even during Radiohead I was unwell. I knew the next day would be another day in full son – standing at the barricade after what I knew would be an insane mad dash to the stage…I needed sleep if I was to survive day 3…