May 2018

10
Beat
entertainment May 11, 2018
W
Big names are back
at Country Thunder
AND
Wave
Lollapalooza puts the
summer heat in Chicago
BY JOHNNY NGUYEN
asst. entertainment editor
F
eaturing Khalid, Logic, Dua
Lipa, Tyler the Creator, and
Travis Scott, Lollapalooza tickets
sold quickly this spring, and
students snapped up chances
to see their favorite musicans at one of
the largest music fesitvals in the world.
Lollapalooza, held annually in Grant
Park, takes place from Aug. 2-5. Starting
in 1991, Lollapalooza remains one
of the most anticpated events each year
in Chicago, offering a celebrity-filled
highlight to the summer.
Seeing as the festival is less than an
hour away by car or train, many students
are excited to spend at least one or
two days in the city to enjoy the musical
festivities and join the hundreds of
thousands of attendees. “What I find
most unique about Lollapalooza is the
music and the artists that come along
with it,” freshman John Ibarra said.
This year’s Lollapalooza lineup is
packed with some of the most popular
musical artists of 2018. Senior Christiana
Kolosvary said, “I wanted to see
Bruno Mars, but I’m going on Thursday
so I’m planning to see the Arctic Monkeys.”
Tickets for Friday and Saturday are
sold out, but options remain for the
Thursday and Sunday line-ups, which
include more than 40 acts each day.
The festival offers a massive variety of
music as well, with genres ranging from
alternative rock to rap, and R&B to pop.
“I am most looking forward to rap and
R&B,” said freshman Natalie Castellanos,
an excited first-timer attending
Lollapalooza who is keen on seeing the
Weeknd. “I’m looking forward to those
genres as they’re more influential and relatable
to everyone,” she said.
Lollapalooza, however, doesn’t just
offer music. Seeing as
the festival is in the heart
of Chicago itself, the location
offers some of the city’s
best restaurants and its own
scenery after the dancing
and partying is over. “If you
ever go to Lollapalooza you
should get some ice cream
and corn dogs because honestly,
that’s something I look
forward to every year. They
have a certain taste that you
just can’t find anywhere else
and quite honestly I’m glad
every year I go I can get something
from Sausage Haus,”
Ibarra said.
Lollapalooza also offers a
mini-version of the festival specifically
for children, and the
festival even has an art market
with tons of merchandise.
Even when the festivities end,
folks are always stoked to return
next year to attend once again.
“I love dancing,” Kolosvary said.
“Just the fact that everyone is
dancing and letting loose makes
me want to go back.” Kolosvary
is not alone: 9 percent of Maine
West students have attended the
festival in the past, according to a
Westerner survey of 258 students.
While Ibarra notes a lot of things
that make him look forward to going
back to Lollapalooza, “what stands out
the most is just having a great time no
matter who is on the stage. Everyone
can just have a great time without feeling
like they would be judged by other
people,” he said.
BY JENNA ROBBINS
reporter
KHUSHI PATEL
reporter
Country music is a classic
American favorite, so it
makes sense that thousands
of Americans attend
Country Thunder
yearly. Several students are planning
on attending this countryonly
music festival in Twin Lakes,
Wisconsin, from July 19-22.
The most exciting thing about
Country Thunder is “waiting for
that one artist that’s your favorite,
and finally getting to see them. It
all builds up to that moment,” senior
Juhi Patel said.
Artists like Luke Bryan and Sam
Hunt are part of this year’s lineup. “I’m
excited to see Toby Keith this year,” junior
Danny Rice said. “He’s one of my favorite
artists to listen to when it’s nice outside, and
I’ve grown up listening to his music since I
was younger.”
There are many ticket options, varying
from a four-day pass to tickets for a single
day. Overall, “the price is really good for a
ticket,” Patel said.
The festival’s four-day general admission
tickets are being sold online for $160, which
runs a lot less than the $120 per day cost to
attend Lollapalooza. “It’s cheap and there are
great acts that every one of all ages can enjoy,”
Rice said.
Both Patel and Rice agreed that Country
Thunder, located right over the Wisconsin border,
is a friendly place for fans young and old.
“The environment is super fun because you’re
with all your friends. You get to meet all these
new people,” sophomore Kensey Reeves agreed.
The festival is very family friendly as well.
“There are more families at Country Thunder
than you would see at Lollapalooza,” Patel stated.
Like most outdoor summer events, getting
dirty is part of the experience. “You have to be
okay with getting dirty because there is a lot of
mud,” Patel said.
Because it is “feel good music,” Rice said, the
vibe fits well for laid-back summer fun.
For Reeves, “what got me into country music was
going to Country Thunder.”
There are other aspects to Country Thunder, like the
chance to win meet and greet passes and onstage seating,
that make it special. Country Thunder is also known for
small-town atmosphere. “Even if you only go with two
people, you end up knowing so many people at the end
of it,” Reeves said.
Reeves, Rice, and Patel are planning on going this year
and have gone in the previous years. “I’ve been to Country
Thunder 16 times, and I plan on going this year,” Rice
said.